SSA Executive Committee Minutes
January 12th , 2012, 7:00 p.m. EST
Call to order. 1902 EST.
Chair Al Tyler, Director Dianne Black-Nixon, Director David Pixton, Director Frank Whiteley, Director Ken Sorenson, Chief Administrative Officer Denise Layton, SSF Chair Richard Carlson, Let’s Go Gliding lead Bob DeLeon, World Gliding Champtionships’ Public Relations lead Andy McKittrick.
Director Brickner joined 1918.
Agenda item 1 - Open action item review (Whiteley/Layton)
Director Sorenson said there would be a new waiver, once approved change in rules.
CAO Layton reported that AVEMCO won’t change their coverage language.
Agenda item 2 - Approval of December 8, 2011minutes. (Whiteley)
Director Pixton moved, Director Black-Nixon seconded. Motion carried as amended by Director Pixton.
Agenda item 3 - Approval of Fall 2011 BOD meeting minutes (Whiteley)
Not yet ready.
Agenda item 4 - Treasurer’s report (Pixton)
Sent out e-mail with Oct/Nov on 26 Dec. Sent again with correction. Nothing for December yet. Tomorrow or early next week.
Agenda item 5 - Chief Administrative Officer's report (Layton)
Plans are going well. John Allen from FAA has asked for all three speaker tracks. A 4-star USAF general requires secure phone line.
Vendor booths, 70%
Display space, 85%
Convention registrations, 400, with speakers/exhibitors, day passes. Budget based on 500 paid admissions. Director Sorenson asked about list of speakers/schedule? CAO Layton said it’s bein updated regularly on the SSA web site. Perhaps another e-News and push to clubs and governors, especially for meals. CAO Layton said they were hoping for 500 early registrations, currently 314. Expected a large number of daily admissions from calls to office.
Two trailers with large banners for Let’s Go Gliding campaign.
Chair Tyler recommended rather than put LGG bumper stickers in each package, give them away at SSA booth. Additional discussion by Director Sorenson.
CAO Layton will have Winter board meeting agenda to Chair Tyler tomorrow then on web site with board reports posted Saturday or Sunday.
Agenda item 7 - LetsGoGliding.com promotion
Overview (De Leon)
Let’s Go Gliding (LGG) promotion leader Bob DeLeon gave a brief personal background in redevelopment business/marketing, ad agency, re-branding and reformulating business messages. Described LGG as Chair Tyler’s plan to develop an outbound message to help people decide to pursue gliding. Develop a creative message and idea. What we call soaring, most people think of as gliding. SSA message to go out to all members and chapters about our launch into an ad campaign. We have a rather unstructured group that likes to take care of their own. We need to help them understand this is promo of SSA and each will be an ambassador for the sport. We need to convince them ‘Why should I do this?’ These days people are much tighter with their discretionary funds. The point of a marketing campaign is to grab attention. From that page, they’ll have three choices, perhaps most important, ‘Where to fly?’ That could be the deciding factor. SSA needs to explain why we want you (members, soaring organizations) to be proactive in promoting soaring. What will make it work is if our members and chapters become ambassadors. Inception was Bill Daniels’ suggestion of banner ads on trailers of pilots that travel often to contests. Hopefully those seeing the banner will go to the web site. It will require a fair amount of work to approach members to get the focus to articulate the [growth] message..
Discussion followed Bob De Leon’s presentation.
Andy McKittrick mentioned incentives. Possibly facilitate by working with
FBO’s. Bob DeLeon mentioned Bill Daniels’ observation that for many, travel time is an obstacle. Soaring organizations could travel to an airport open house or announce discovery flights on a particular day or weekend where soaring might not normally occur. We need a dialogue on how to approach. One problem is crews are busy or no one is paying attention to the contact phone.
Bob DeLeon recalled the One More to Soar program, with its one on one emphasis. We need to find the best way to accomplish this without taking money out of pockets. We should also try to leverage some WGC’s PR with LetsGoGliding.com.
Chair Tyler, perhaps we can support a rewards program, competition flight with Striedeck or Good [Jacobs?]
Bob DeLeon suggested advertising opportunities. Find resource within SSA to do more research to identify a number of local variables. You never really know who inquires. Rich Carlson asked who are we targeting? Bob D suggested that we should identify desirable demographics. Research should be able to come from our own clubs. Statistics may point to 3-4 target markets to point to magazines and web sites.
Director Brickner said we had done a demographics report which identified income range of $50k, college educated,
Rich Carlson commented on a study from Germany (?) when they tried to entice to our fun sport, but established too low expectations of effort required. Suggested we set higher expectations.
Andy McKittrick suggested some of this is difficult to identify.
Bob DeLeon suggest targeting the transition pilot. Banner for trailer, ad swaps for AOPA, bumper stickers, t-shirts.
Demonstrate decline of membership. Realistic explanation as to why we should do this
Website (Whiteley) Will be ready for convention. Looking for copy of QR code.
Printed content (Layton) We’ll have Banner for trailer, ad swaps for AOPA, bumper stickers, t-shirts.
Comments (Daniels) Chair Tyler commented on low hanging fruit, 1% of the 1% community, USHPA, AMA, LSF, etc. We have some money to spend on this.
Agenda item 8 - IGC delegation funding support request (Tyler)
Chair Tyler hoped that all had reviewed the forwarded request for support for our IGC delegation due to the extended costs of travel to the South Africa meeting. Proposed that this would be a one time deal. Suggested we take from General Endowment. Director Pixton will pay out .
Director Sorenson recommented that we pay the differential between the expected cost for expenses to Europe and those to South Africa. Chair Tyler agreed that we support not cover entire expense. This is a voluntary position, so expectation to cover personal expenses as with SSA directors. DL, another thing for directors.
Director Whiteley asked when our delegate and alternate involvement became a delegation. Director Black-Nixon and Director Brickner said it had been several years. Delegate Mozer’s current IGC governing role was non-voting, so important that alternate be able to vote on US concerns. Director Whiteley noted that IGC minutes indicated that Alternate Delegate Sheppe was very involved in the proceedings. Thanks for the elucidation.
Chair Tyler indicated the sense of the EXCOM was to offer to make up difference.
Agenda item 9 - WGC sponsorship (Tyler)
Andy McKittrick WGC PR lead discussed WGC outreach, putting the message out, target young professional and be green. Unfortunately we are outside of the corporate funding windows, so getting corporate sponsorship will be difficult. PR push would include new technology, how far, how high, how fast sailplanes are flown and the US team members. Focus on articles in key magazines, e.g. Hang Gliding, R/C. Empahsize the pursuit of soaring. Special promotions with talk about the world’s, push Let’s Go Gliding. PR program also to reach out to new digital magazines, iPAD friendly.
Bob DeLeon commented that LGG points to SSA web site with links to More Info, Where to Fly, Become a Glider Pilot. Pay off is pursuing the demographic. Are we reaching the wrong people? Andy McKittrick suggested trying to get a personality to attract other personalities.
Andy McKittrick also suggested nichy things. Weather Channel might provide in-kind or sponsorship. It could be the type of thing where they might bring a crew and put some coverage on their channel. Other sponsorship might be available through Embry-Riddle Air University or the US Air Force Academy.
Agenda item 10.- SSA Convention media contact (Tyler)
This relates to a concern about whether we might get some challenges from the local media in the shadow of the Reno Air Races.
Fred LaSor to discuss with CAO Layton
Director Brickner offered her cell phone number
Tyler to Carlson, concern about our safety seminar and safety record. Director Sorenson asked have we even injured a spectator. Yes, Tonapah, we had a looky loo and was hit. Director Black-Nixon mentioned one injured at Dansville several years ago.
Agenda item 11 - Relocation Committee request on future plans for SSA Executive Director
Chair Tyler asked Rennie Rozzoni and Geoff Weck to prepare a task force update prior to the Reno Board Meeting.
Agenda item 12 – Informational.
Gerry Molidor has been appointed to the SSA Government Liaison Committee and Bob DeLeon has been appointed to the Growth and Development Committee.
Chair Tyler reported that Director Molidor had called to report on meeting with EAA. EAA will have a new upfront main ‘Learn to Fly’ central. SSA to participate at no cost. This will be a great opportunity. EAA is very welcome to having SSA aligning with them on ramp checks. After that conversation, Chair Tyler asked Gerry to serve on the governmental committee.
Agenda item 13 - Other business
SSF Chair Carlson gave an update on convention plans, the Friday single session, two-hour track on safety. We hope to get the message across there is a solution to our safety problem. The solution that’s worked for the military will work for us.
In airline or military, there is an authoritative person at the top. In the soaring community, only authoritative persons are the owners or operators of the school or club. We need to show why we need to do this and why this is a solution for us. SSF, SSA, and contest committee will take the lead in establishing the buy in.
Bob Wander was act as moderator.
How have clubs or operations succeeded or failed? From that can we build a program. What do we need to provide them in information? How do we get the information out? How do we engage the soaring community.
We’ll have a flier in registration packet and copies at SSF. We’ll also want an e-Blast and mention in the January magazine. We want people to show up prepared to discuss this problem.
Chartis will make a donation to SSF with a big paper check.
Then Q&A session.
Chair Tyler asked if comments or questions?
Director Pixton asked if there were plans to tape or record? SSF Chair Carlson said no such plans. Nor web cast. There will be scribes taking notes.
CAO Layton suggested we could ask Kempton Izuno about recording sessions.
Chair Tyler, thank you.
Chair Tyler reported Soaring Editor Coyne to write letter to editor in AOPA Pilot in response to recent letter suggesting SSA should become part of EAA or AOPA.
Director Brickner, list [COBM list? Unclear about this comment-sec]
Chair Tyler reported Andy McKittrick’s firm has been hired as a paid consultant at $5000/month, not to exceed $30,000 for WGC promotion.
Next EXCOM Feb 23, 2012, 1900EST
Director Pixton moved to adjourn, Director Black-Nixon seconded. Adjourned 2035 EST.