EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a series of interviews with Hot Springs Village Property Owners' Association Chief Operating Officer and General Manager David Twiggs concerning financial development in the Village.
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- The Property Owners' Association sees diversity as the key to the Village's financial development, and several elements have already been put into place as part of the quest for long-term financial prosperity.
The TRI-the-Village Triathlon, which has been in the community for three years, is an example of an event that has proven successful and continued to grow. Chief Operating Officer and General Manager David Twiggs wants to build on events like the triathlon, both annually and as ongoing projects, to add value to the community, attract new members and to get nonresident members returning to the community.
"The triathlon was started before I came here, and it's been a great addition to our community. Those are the types of things we want to build on to create a new, diverse and viable business model for the community," Twiggs said.
Twiggs, who was general manager of Savannah Lakes, S.C., for eight years, has taken successful ideas from Savannah Lakes and applied them to the Village. One of his first steps was to spearhead the Ouachita Rod & Gun Club, an organization composed of outdoorsmen who like to take part in activities other than golf.
"When this club was created and we got the word out through our newsletter, email blasts and on the website, I had several calls from nonresident members who haven't been here in a while, expressing interest and asking questions. They were excited to hear about new ideas and innovations taking place here," Twiggs said.
The club's inaugural event was a kayak fishing tournament, held last spring on Lake Cortez. The club had nearly 80 members join, and membership has now grown to 130 after other events were held, including a trap shoot session and a fish fry at Balboa Pavilion during the community's July Fourth Stars & Stripes Festival.
"It goes back to my root belief of the social aspect this community projects. A happy community that has numerous activities to take part in projects a good image and entices more people to come here and take part. The club is also the nucleus for members and their guests to keep informed about activities utilizing both the assets here in the Village as well as the things surrounding us. We could have a fishing tournament or outing on Lake Ouachita, and we're also planning a duck hunt over at Stuttgart when the season opens. People can keep up to speed on these events right here through our club," Twiggs said.
Twiggs also adopted another idea, Basecamp, from Savannah Lakes. Basecamp is the focal point for a variety of outdoor activities, including float trips, hikes, bike rides, and trips to a zip line center, and serves as the outlet for people to rent kayaks and paddle boards at Lake Balboa.
Twiggs said Basecamp has been well received and has generated revenue early in its life with minimal expense. Kayaks and paddle boards were purchased with the help of Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters, replacing the canoes and paddleboats that were used for years at the Lake DeSoto Marina.
"This is another facet of the overall plan. The kayaks and paddle boards will pay for themselves in no time and then generate a little bit of revenue for us during the summer months. We also receive revenue from the nominal fees we charge for the organized outings. Again, it is something inexpensive that allows us to diversify, offer more outdoor amenities for our property owners and guests and is a small piece in the puzzle to move us in the right direction. The community didn't get this way overnight, and it won't be solved overnight, but you have to take the small steps first," Twiggs said.
Twiggs said that small, inexpensive amenities added to areas in the Village that are not built out create selling points to attract developers, which in turn create the small communities within the community that he has talked to the membership about since his arrival.
"The low-hanging fruit will buy us time until we can get the long-range plans in motion, and we will continue to be frugal with the property owner funds we now use to operate day-to-day," he said.
Local on 07/29/2014