The Ashtabula County Airport Authority on Thursday approved a slate of marketing efforts that should help the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport grab more hangar rentals from the seven-county region.
The slate of suggestions prepared by R.A. Wiedemann & Associations was presented to the board Aug. 13. The marketing committee reviewed each item and made its recommendation during the special meeting Thursday.
Laura E. Jones, who chairs the marketing committee, said the board approved the entire list of recommendations, which will cost $16,800 to implement.
Additionally, the board approved establishing and funding two $5,000 accounts with Wiedemann. An on-call services fund will allow quick turn-around of special project needs without having to go back to the authority for approval and funding. A companion collateral materials and expenses fund also was approved.
Neither the authority nor the county will have to pay for the services.
"It is coming from donated funds," Jones said. "There is no cost to the airport authority."
Donated funds, from OH Technologies, also paid for the initial $102,000 marketing plan that Wiedemann prepared for the authority.
The centerpiece of the marketing package approved on Thursday is a campaign to recruit private and corporate tenants to the hangars. Current tenants who recruit a new tenant within a certain time frame will earn a free month of rent for themselves.
Additionally, there will be a direct-mail effort of themed postcards to private aircraft owners over the next three months. A similar effort will target corporate aircraft owners.
The board also approved a new hangar pricing strategy that is more competitive with other airports in the region. It offers a free month of rent for new tenants plus lower rental rates. Despite the reduced pricing and incentives, projections prepared by Wiedemann forecast a net increase in revenues due to higher occupancy rates.
"The tenants will see a benefit, as well as the airport authority," Jones said.
The plan also includes updating marketing videos that will be used online, deployment of a media kit, improved signs pointing visitors to the airport and management of the airport's website and social media posts.
Wiedemann will charge the authority $95 per hour out of the on-call fund for any small and unanticipated projects that need immediate attention. A recent example was the preparation and printing of materials to promote the airport to Wine & Walleye Festival visitors this weekend.
Jones said most of the services on the plan approved Thursday have a one-year term.
Copyright 2012 - Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
