Navy recreation services: short stay on Lake Moultrie.

Fifty-five waterfront acres on scenic Lake Moultrie just north of Charleston, SC, with water sports and outdoor recreation and a variety of lodging units and camping sites, collectively are called Short Stay; but it's a place people want to stay for a long time. Short Stay on Lake Moultrie is a recreation complex of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department of the Department of the Navy.

Short Stay, operated by the Charleston Naval Station Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, has undergone many changes since its initial conception.

Begun in 1955 when the Air Force leased 27.2 acres of land from the South Carolina Public Service Authority also known as Santee-Cooper, this property previously had been Simpson Plantation and was renamed Hodge Podge Lodge when the Air Force took possession. Two years later, in 1957, Short Stay came into existence when the South Carolina Public Service Authority extended the number of acres from 27.2 to 55.2. At this point, the Air Force operated two campsites and a pavilion on the property's east end, while the Navy operated a fishing camp with 13 trailers on the west end. During the mid 1960s, the Air Force relinquished its control of the property to the Navy. The Navy extended the lease three times; and on July 1, 1976, the Navy initiated a 50-year lease that will not expire until June 30, 2026. The current lease increased the size of Short Stay to its present 56.6 acres.

A limited number of Navy family members used Short Stay as a fish camp. In the '60s the facility began to provide additional services. A larger number of house trailers were placed, and the boating program was expanded. More families began to use the complex. The house trailers were transferred from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Since these housing units and the boats were used prior to acquisition, the physical plant and equipment rapidly deteriorated.

In 1982, the commanding officer at Naval Station recognized the true potential of this facility. He locally funded the construction of one two-bedroom cabin. Because of its eight-sided design, it was nicknamed "roundette," The command, along with support from CINCLANFLT, secured a NAF grant to add two additional roundettes. These units were completed in June of 1985.

Long-term Improvement Plan

In 1986, Naval Station Recreational Services began planning for a long term facility improvement program for Short Stay. Many individuals and supporting commands developed and approved a master plan. This plan called for the elimination of all house trailers and the construction of permanent housing units. The plan also expanded the camping facility, as well as improving the picnic facility. The overall cost was estimated to be $11 million. Realizing that funding of that level would never be available, the plans were designed so that construction could be accomplished in phases. The first phase called for the construction of one-half of the housing and the camping facility expansion.

As part of the master plan, and because of the popularity of the "roundettes," three additional units were built and went on line in 1988. A computerized reservation system also went into place in 1988, eliminating much of the paperwork and simplifying and improving service to customers. In the beginning, reservations could be made at any of the three bases (Naval Station, Naval Weapons Station, and the Air Force Base) in the Charleston area and at Short Stay. The Naval Weapons Station and the Air Force Base found the cost of phone line installation and terminal purchase/rental to be prohibitive, hence the consolidation of the system to two areas. The main system is located at the Information, Ticket and Tour Office at the Naval Station and is connected (after much trial and error) to Short Stay via a dedicated line and modem system.

The local command secured a loan from NMPC for phase one in 1988. Construction on phase one was scheduled to begin in November of 1989. On September 21-22, 1989, Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston and the surrounding area. This storm totally devastated Short Stay. More than 200 trees were lost, along with 35 house trailers. Site cleanup delayed the project start for four months.

The project construction began in February 1990 and was completed in April 1991. On completion, the villa project consisted of 24 two-story, two-bedroom units with six units in one section (total of four sections). Twelve two-story three-bedroom units are in two sections of six each. Two disabled accessible two-bedroom units are duplex style. This created a total of 44 units including the "roundettes," which are now called cabins. Because of the space needed for and the prohibitive cost of the cabins, a new concept of housing was considered. The new units are pre-constructed and placed on slabs with a waterfront view. The initial cabins also have waterfront views.

Renovation Completed

The campground development was completed in the winter of 1991. The renovation increased the number of full-service sites from 47 to 97. Fifty tent sites, along with an area set aside for primitive camping also were developed. The old active duty barracks were renovated and now is a group unit known as the "Bunkhouse." This large housing unit can sleep up to 16 individuals in the bunk beds, has an extra large kitchen/living area, and is ideal for group business. A 3,000-square-foot conference center was completed in 1993. This facility consists of a large meeting room, which can be sub-divided into three smaller rooms, along with a small kitchen, restrooms, and storage and fice space. This conference center shall act as a major catalyst for improved offseason sales.

The original maintenance facility was located in the center of the newly constructed housing area. Management decided to move the maintenance operation to a new location in the campground area and reuse the original building as a guest-related amenity. Since the previous snack bar was not very large, the maintenance building was converted into a snack bar facility. The "Lakeview Clubhouse and Cafe" seats 50 and is open for breakfast and lunch during the busy season. The cafe also is used for smaller conferences and seminars during the off-season.

Additional playground equipment and a miniature golf course were completed in the Spring of 1994. New boats and watercraft amenities were purchased and are now available for rental. A new boat ramp was completed in Spring 1994.

Marketing for Change

It was realized that a facility of this magnitude could not survive financially on its past reputation. Management was forced to review its total operation and establish new goals and objectives. After incurring a two-million dollar loan debt, a major goal was established: financial stability. This required management to go from an operation which lost over $100,00 per year to making a profit (before loan repayment) of over $200,000 per year. Many changes were required to meet this goal, including establishing a fee structure comparable to like facilities, reviewing both offered and desired services, and broadening the target market base.

In establishing a new fee structure, management surveyed local outdoor recreation areas, state parks, county parks, and other military facilities. This information and the planned operating cost were factored into the equation before the command approved final prices. The cabins, of which there are six, are the oldest rental facilities at Short Stay on Lake Moultrie. The cabins are very popular because they are freestanding and offer more privacy. Therefore, the prices of the two bedroom cabins, which sleep four, are higher than those of the two-bedroom villa. The three-bedroom villas sleep six and are located on one of the tip ends of Short Stay on Lake Moultrie. The rental prices have had minimal increases on a yearly basis and vary from season to season.

Management had to revisit its total operation and research historical data to determine new targets and what services will attract them. Users of Short Stay covered all definitions of "visitors" as defined by Chadwick (1987). Short Stay attracts the tourist in that a majority of the users visit for at least 24 hours. Day users are prevalent in the summer months. After reviewing the historical data and patron surveys, the following were concluded:

* 63% of users are active duty;

* 29% of users are retired;

* 8% of users are Department of Defense civilians;

* 79% of housing patrons are active duty;

* 17% of housing patrons are retired;

* 4% of housing patrons are Department of Defense civilians

* 28% of housing patrons live on a military base;

* 78% are married; and

* 50% said Labor Day was their favorite holiday to spend at Short Stay.

Management realized that to change the usage figures, the programs and services would have to be changed. MWR decided to hold a two-day retreat at Short Stay and invite members from each service population to participate as a focus group. The focus group, along with a management core group, would help create a marketing plan. This plan, once implemented, would provide the facility the tools to find the patronage needed to meet its financial goals. This plan in itself is not all inclusive of the total needs and desires of the service population. Rather, it is one which matches the facility's capability with those services within budgetary constraints. As profitability is further realized, management can begin to expand the facility and broaden the services offered.

Focus Groups

The core group participants in this meeting were key individuals from Short Stay and other MWR facilities and departments. This first morning the core group conducted two separate but simultaneous focus groups. The purpose of the focus groups was to survey the participants and find out their concepts and ideas regarding Short Stay. The main users of Short Stay at that present time were E-4s to E-6s with families. We wanted the participants to include this vital group, but we also wanted input from other groups.

Individuals from the Air Force Base and the Naval Weapons Station were included for the knowledge about their clientele and facilities they could bring into the group.

Each group had six participants, one leader, and one observer. The groups were taken into separate villas and asked the same questions (see Figure 1). These questions were formulated so the leader would not receive yes and no answers. They were designed to get the focus group thinking about the facility and inputting different ideas. These ideas and answers would later be defined and categorized to help the core group develop a marketing strategy.

FIGURE 1. FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS

1. What is Short Stay?

2. Who do you think uses Short Stay?

3. How did you first hear about Short Stay?

4. What type of activities/facilities do you use at Short Stay? (i.e. camping, villas, fishing, beach, grills)

5. What type of activities/facilities would you like to see added?

6. When do you use Short Stay and why?

7. What keeps you from using Short Stay and why?

8. What kind of special events have you attended at Short Stay?

9. How did you hear about these events? (i.e. fliers, brochures, word of mouth)

10. What special events would you like to see added?

11. Do you belong to a group or organization? Do you think they would like Short Stay? What at Short Stay would they like?

12. What other facilities/establishments does your group use in the area?

13. We are interested in attracting people to use Short Stay during the off-season and on weekdays. What could we add structurally or program wise that would entice people to use Short Stay during these times?

14. If you had the time available during the winter or the week, would you come to Short Stay?

15. Do you find that Short Stay would meet your needs for a winter/week day getaway?

Each group leader was responsible for ensuring that the group members remained on the subject and completed goal in the allotted time. Following the focus group sessions, the core group assembled.

The next step in the process was to create terminologies which would represent the answers, while simultaneously allowing categorization of these answers. The basic categories were:

* Image

* Markets

* Promotions

* Activities

* Facilities

* Deterrents

* Special Events

* Competition

* Low Season

After establishing the categories, the core group then had to take the answers--not only the words but the intent--and establish at least three priorities. These priorities would become the basis of the action plan. This list was then referred to as the Master List (see Figure 2).

FIGURE 2. MASTER LIST

* Image

Remove Fish Camp Image

Subtitle / Logo / Recognition of what facility is

Facility Condition

* Markets

Low Season target: --Conferences --Chaplain Corps --Other Government Organizations

Mid and High Season target: --Active Duty --Retiree --DoD Civilian

* Promos

Information Dissemination / Distribution

Collateral materials (Promo Items, Videos, Brochures)

Logo Items (Name recognition)

* Activities

Low Season --Food Events --Singles Events --Seasonal Promos

Mid and High Season --Water Based --Singles Events --Training Seminars

* Facilities --Indoor --Outdoor --Athletics/Sports

* Deterrents

Service (Reservations)

Price

Image/Education/Staff Training

* Special Events

Entertainment

Youth Programs (baby-sitting/day camps)

Overnight Packages

* Competition

Private Parks and Playgrounds

State and County Parks

Hotels/Resorts/Conference Centers

* Off Season

Price Packaging

Events/Services

Checking our Image

The first step was to define Short Stay's image. The main objective was to remove the fish camp image the facility had enjoyed for so long. The reasons for this image was due to past reputation and the location of the facility. We also hoped to determine what the name Short Stay says. Is it detrimental to the image we want? Would changing the name hurt the chance of repeat customers? What would we name the facility if we did change it? We also wanted to know if our target markets were aware of the changes that already have occurred at Short Stay.

After much discussion, it was concluded that changing the name of the facility was a prime objective. Since the name of a facility should define the image, "Short Stay" seriously needed to be addressed. The following are names the group collectively thought of that were submitted for higher level approval:

* Lake Moultrie Pointe... A Navy Recreation Complex

* Lake Moultrie Plantation... A Navy Recreation Complex

* Lake Moultrie Getaway... A Navy Recreation Complex

* Short Stay on Lake Moultrie... A Navy Recreation Complex

* Lake Moultrie Shores... A Navy Recreation Complex

The next critical area was the establishment of defined markets. A thorough marketing plan could not be developed with a global market appeal. The team focused on the off season as the base for the development of markets for all seasons. A time was targeted when the area needed the most people to be visiting; the normal daily users and the habitual facility renters were not using the area during this time period. This is a critical time for the facility.

Expenses, maintenance (both preventative and unscheduled), payroll, and other costly services and items must be met. The focus group discussed all the reasons for coming to Short Stay during the off periods. Privacy, ability to rent more than one villa or cabin per family due to less restrictions on reservation policies, and various aspects of the time of year were related. The obvious conclusion for study was to target group business. The target groups are those that normally would have access to the area. Each group market further was defined into categories:

* Conferences

--Navy (MWR) training programs

--Recreation Association Affiliate Organizations

--Military Training

--AARP

* Chaplain's Corps

--Retreats

--Training

* Other Government Organizations

--Municipal: police, EMS, fire (training)

--Senior Citizen Associations

--County: commissions, rescue squads 

--Other Military Branches

Based on the outcome of the meeting, a marketing plan was developed consisting of improved printed media, expanded distribution, logo merchandising, and implementation of a more creative use of the name Short Stay.

The name, Short Stay, was considered to be a critical element in the marketing plan. After lengthy review by numerous personnel a final name was selected: Short Stay on Lake Moultrie. The new name creates an image by targeting the existing patrons, while telling them that there is something new. The new name also tells more about the location.

A logo was selected using the native bird, the heron. All printed material shall incorporate this logo, so that our product remains consistent and recognizable.

Plan in Action

This plan will continue to be changed and updated at least semi-annually. However, it is intended to set forth a direction for management to achieve financial objectives. The use of focus groups was critical and should be used in future evaluations.

In the meantime, Short Stay has a permanent home on Lake Moultrie.

Call [phone] or [phone] for more information regarding accommodations, facilities, and amenities at Short Stay on Lake Moultrie.