The Fountain Hills/Fort McDowell Visitors Bureau plans to hire a Scottsdale firm, IDS Technology Marketing, to help market the town as a tourist destination.

Bureau director Mark McDermott introduced Scott Salkin, CEO and founder, at the June 5 meeting as a new contract hire to provide online digital marketing for the bureau.

His online digital marketing firm will identify target audiences, determine their interests and find the right marketing channels to reach them.

His company will target audiences through the new website -- experience fountainhills.org -- and monitor returns on marketing investments.

McDermott said the firm will be paid about $70,000.

Francesca Carozza of Sierra Madre Consulting chose not to renew a services agreement with the Visitors Bureau, effective July 1.

She has assisted McDermott in providing many of the operational services marketing and creative strategy, advertising, public relations, vendor relations, and online and social media support.

Chamber President Frank Ferrara said a new Chamber/member web site was nearing completion and is expected to fully launch in July.

The advisory committee discussed the possibility of repeating Cyclovia, an April event where the Avenue of the Fountains and a portion of Saguaro Boulevard were closed to encourage healthy, recreational activities.

The Visitors Bureau and town participated in conjunction with the American Trails Symposium at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort.

McDermott said Cyclovia was lightly attended. At the time, only 750 were estimated to have attended.

Events producer Sharon Morgan said her experience has found that it often takes three or four years to gain public momentum for a new event.

The town and Chamber spent $15,000 in staging the event this year. If the musical entertainment were eliminated, Morgan said a budget of $8,000 to $9,000 might be feasible.

McDermott said an organizing committee would continue to discuss who might take the lead to “keep it going” and securing funding.