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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-14-2020 TBID AgendaCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Planning Commission Agenda TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD Wednesday, October 14, 2020 10:00 a.m. REGULAR MEETING Teleconference Based on the threat of COVID-19 as reflected in the Proclamations of Emergency issued by both the Governor of the State of California, the San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services Director and the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as well as the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20 issued on March 17, 2020, relating to the convening of public meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of San Luis Obispo will be holding all public meetings via teleconference. There will be no physical location for the Public to view the meeting. Below are instructions on how to view the meeting remotely and how to leave public comment. Additionally, members of the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Board are allowed to attend the meeting via teleconference and to participate in the meeting to the same extent as if they were present. Using the most rapid means of communication available at this time, members of the public are encouraged to participate in TBID meetings in the following ways: 1. Remote Viewing - Members of the public who wish to watch the meeting can view: • Go to Webinar: o Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/799355256346438926 o Webinar ID: 473-731-083 o You must register to view via Webinar. 2. Public Comment - The TBID will still be accepting public comment for only items on the agenda. Public comment can be submitted in the following ways: • Mail or Email Public Comment o Received by 10:00 AM on the day of meeting - Can be submitted via email to: (advisorybodies@slocity.org ) or U.S. Mail to City Clerk at: 990 Palm St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 o Emails sent after 10:00 AM up until public comment is opened on the item – Limited to one page emailed to cityclerk@slocity.org will be read aloud during the public comment period. • Verbal Public Comment - Call (805) 781-7164; state and spell your name, mention the agenda item number you are calling about and leave your comment. The verbal comments must be received by 10:00 AM on the morning of the noticed meeting and will be limited to 3 minutes. All voicemails will be forwarded to the TBID members and saved as Agenda Correspondence. All comments submitted will be placed into the administrative record of the meeting. Tourism Business Improvement District Board Agenda for October 14, 2020 Page 2 CALL TO ORDER Chair John Conner ROLL CALL : Chair John Conner, Pragna Patel-Mueller, Clint Pearce, LeBren Harris, John Byrns, Natalie Ward and David Smith PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, people may address the Committee about items not on the agenda. Persons wishing to speak should come forward and state their name and address. Comments are limited to three minutes per person. Items raised at this time are generally referred to staff and, if action by the Committee is necessary, may be scheduled for a future meeting. CONSENT ITEMS C.1 Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 C.2 Smith Travel Report C.3 Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report C.4 Chamber Public Relations Monthly Report C.5 Chamber Visitor Center Monthly Report C.6 Noble Studios & DCI Marketing Monthly Report C.7 Marketing Committee: Co-Op Program Approval PRESENTATIONS 1. NEW BOARD MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS 10 mins The Board will do a brief introduction with the new committee members Natalie Ward and David Smith. 2. MARKETING SERVICES QUARTER REPORT 25 mins Representatives from Noble Studios and DCI will present the first quarter report for the marketing activities for the SLO TBID. 3. PUBLIC RELATIONS & GUEST SERVICES QUARTER REPORT 15 mins Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the quarter report for the Public Relations and Guest Services activities with the SLO TBID. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2020-21 TBID ANNUAL MARKETING PLAN 30 mins Representatives from Noble Studios will present the 2020 -21 SLO TBID Annual Marketing Plan for the Board discussion & approval as recommended by the Marketing Committee. 2. CALIFORNIA HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION (CHLA) MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 10 mins Staff will present the renewal information for CHLA for Board discussion & approval as recommended by the Management Committee. Tourism Business Improvement District Board Agenda for October 14, 2020 Page 3 3. 2021-23 COUNCIL GOAL SETTING PROCESS 20 mins The City’s Principal Budget Analyst, Natalie Harnett will present the 2021-23 Financial Planning process including the instructions for Advisory Body input for the City Council goal-setting portion of the effort. TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 1. HOTELIER UPDATE – Liaison Reports 2. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Meeting Minutes: October 7, 2020 3. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE – Meeting Minutes: October 8, 2020 4. PCC UPDATE – Meeting Minutes: September 9, 2020 5. VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE – Liaison Reports 6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is sched uled for Wednesday , November 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. held remotely and via teleconference. The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7100 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7107. Meeting audio recordings can be found at the following web address: http://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/1/fol/61016/Row1.aspx DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of 09/09/2020 Pg. 1 Minutes - DRAFT TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD Wednesday, September 9, 2020 Regular Teleconference Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board CALL TO ORDER The regular teleconference meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on September 9, 2020 at 10:03 a.m. held via GoToWebinar by Chair John Conner. ROLL CALL Present: Chair John Conner and members LeBren Young-Harris, Clint Pearce, Pragna Patel-Mueller, and John Byrns Absent: Natalie Ward Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano and Tourism Coordinator Chantal Burns PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. --End of Public Comment-- CONSENT ITEMS ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0-1, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 1 THRU 7. C.1 Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 C.2 Smith Travel Report C.3 Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report C.4 Chamber Public Relations Monthly Report C.5 Chamber Visitor Center Monthly Report C.6 Noble Studios & DCI Marketing Monthly Report C.7 Notice of Unscheduled Vacancy Public Comment None. --End of Public Comment-- DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of 09/09/2020 Pg. 2 PRESENTATIONS 1. New Board Member Introductions New member John Byrns, the General Manager for the Kinney introduced himself to the Board while other board members introduced themselves. New members Natalie Ward and upcoming new member David Smith will join the October meeting. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2019-20 TBID Annual Report Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the draft FY 2019-20 annual report while highlighting the impacts of COVID-19 on the TBID and major accomplishments for the fiscal year. Cano then presented the annual report video. Board members did not have any edits or feedback. The action taken by the TBID Board recommended the adoption of the 2019-20 annual report and thus endorsed the continuation of the district for fiscal year 2020-21as communicated through the approved recommended scheduling of the annual public hearing on October 20, 2020. Public Comments: None ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER BYRNS, CARRIED 5-0-1, to approve the 2019-20 SLO TBID Annual Report for recommendation to City Council. 2. Appointment of the TBID Board Vice Chairperson Board members reviewed the SLO TBID Bylaws regarding the Vice Chairperson positioned and both members Patel-Mueller and Pearce expressed interest in the position. Public Comments: None ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER BYRNS, CARRIED 4-1-1 (Patel-Mueller abstained), to nominate member Pearce as the current Vice Chairperson. 3. 2020-21 Board Liaison & Committee Assignments Chair Conner recommended to the remaining members the below committee assignments for the 2020-21 FY and will fill in on either committee as needed. Board members had no edits or discussion to the recommended committee assignments or liaison assignments and will move forward with the presented. TBID Marketing Committee: LeBren Harris, Clint Pearce and Natalie Ward TBID Management Committee: Pragna Patel-Mueller, John Byrns and new incoming board member Committee members discussed meeting in person only for the Marketing Committee meetings at physically distanced meeting spaces. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of 09/09/2020 Pg. 3 No action was taken on this item. TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 1. HOTELIER UPDATE – Liaison Reports a. Member Harris – New property Town Place Suites is planned to open in February 2021 b. Member Byrns – The Kinney has reopened their restaurant and restarted weekly trivia outdoors c. Tourism Manager Cano – The Apple Farm is under new management; Blu Hotel Investors and Matt Wilkins, a previous board member, is the new general manager for La Cuesta Inn and has express interest in a March 2021 board set. 2. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Tourism Manager Cano highlighted the social strategy that was presented by Noble Studios and DCI and was approved by committee members. 3. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE – Chair Conner highlighted the meeting discussions on budget and CHLA. 4. PCC UPDATE – Chair Conner highlighted the new GIA program that was discussed and reported in the August 12, 2020 minutes. 5. VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE – Liaison Reports by member Pearce and Tourism Manager Cano: a. Advocacy work for tourism with the County and State mandates. b. Working with different groups for forecasting data c. Marketing Committee reviewed marketing, sales and PR activities including Go West Summit leads web traffic numbers and launching paid search with Visit Ca. 6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report from Tourism Manager Cano and Tourism Coordinator Burns a. David Smith from Hotel SLO is scheduled to be appointed by City Council in September and will join the TBID Board starting in October b. #SLOready Campaign – i. Campaign development through video and still photography went well ii. #SLOready Challenge was a success with 58 qualified entries ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m. The next Tourism Business Improvement District Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. held remotely and via teleconference. APPROVED BY THE TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD: XX/XX/XXXX September 2020 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 51.2 87.1 61.5 111.81 206.26 150.05 57.28 179.75 92.27 -18.8 15.4 -7.8 -6.7 13.4 7.3 -24.2 30.9 -1.1 City of Pismo Beach 61.5 93.1 70.6 180.61 329.58 236.79 111.11 306.96 167.06 -9.7 9.4 -3.3 6.5 49.2 26.9 -3.8 63.3 22.6 City of San Luis Obispo 51.6 92.1 63.2 141.41 245.88 184.91 73.00 226.38 116.82 -18.4 15.9 -6.9 -1.8 27.7 15.4 -19.8 48.0 7.4 City of Morro Bay 50.9 89.7 62.0 129.77 239.77 175.26 66.02 215.02 108.59 -19.4 6.8 -10.3 -2.8 24.9 14.0 -21.6 33.5 2.3 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 60.6 74.4 64.5 132.10 181.62 148.41 80.04 135.12 95.78 -5.7 -16.7 -9.6 18.1 -10.8 2.6 11.4 -25.6 -7.2 City of Pismo Beach 76.4 87.1 79.4 205.81 290.98 232.48 157.15 253.31 184.63 7.1 -6.9 2.3 43.2 16.0 28.8 53.4 8.0 31.7 City of San Luis Obispo 69.0 77.9 71.6 162.15 206.40 175.92 111.90 160.82 125.87 1.6 -14.8 -4.1 21.5 -12.6 3.9 23.5 -25.5 -0.4 City of Morro Bay 68.7 79.6 71.8 150.76 210.79 169.77 103.60 167.76 121.93 5.6 -13.6 -1.4 32.6 3.8 16.3 40.0 -10.4 14.7 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 59.0 83.1 65.9 112.99 183.41 138.36 66.68 152.42 91.17 -20.2 -8.8 -16.5 -6.8 -5.3 -4.7 -25.7 -13.7 -20.4 City of Pismo Beach 64.4 87.8 71.1 170.80 274.36 207.36 109.97 240.93 147.38 -14.2 -5.3 -11.2 18.5 19.9 20.4 1.7 13.6 6.9 City of San Luis Obispo 53.9 81.6 61.8 131.24 194.89 155.25 70.69 158.97 95.91 -24.1 -6.6 -18.3 -3.6 3.4 1.2 -26.8 -3.4 -17.3 City of Morro Bay 57.6 82.3 64.6 123.37 195.56 149.63 71.01 160.91 96.70 -17.3 -6.2 -13.6 6.7 5.9 7.8 -11.8 -0.6 -6.8 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 55.5 78.9 62.2 113.45 195.64 143.24 62.96 154.34 89.07 -23.0 -15.4 -20.4 -4.7 -1.5 -2.0 -26.6 -16.7 -22.0 City of Pismo Beach 63.1 86.0 69.7 174.12 294.72 216.68 109.89 253.60 150.95 -20.5 -6.0 -16.0 22.6 30.8 28.8 -2.5 22.9 8.2 City of San Luis Obispo 48.9 83.1 58.7 131.45 200.29 159.33 64.25 166.53 93.47 -34.7 -8.6 -26.2 -2.7 4.6 3.8 -36.5 -4.4 -23.4 City of Morro Bay 55.4 85.6 64.0 125.83 209.19 157.66 69.70 178.97 100.92 -22.9 -6.9 -17.5 6.2 13.6 12.0 -18.2 5.7 -7.6 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 49.6 80.0 58.2 111.37 193.65 143.65 55.19 154.86 83.67 -27.7 -8.4 -21.2 -5.9 -0.7 -0.5 -32.0 -9.1 -21.6 City of Pismo Beach 62.8 86.9 69.7 177.26 293.45 218.65 111.35 254.98 152.39 -15.3 -1.6 -11.0 28.3 29.6 30.8 8.7 27.6 16.5 City of San Luis Obispo 57.8 88.9 66.7 125.49 195.53 152.18 72.50 173.86 101.46 -22.4 0.9 -14.9 -9.4 0.0 -3.1 -29.6 0.9 -17.5 City of Morro Bay 56.5 87.0 65.2 122.39 203.67 153.36 69.15 177.12 100.00 -12.1 -0.3 -7.9 9.7 11.8 12.4 -3.5 11.5 3.6 Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR Week of September 27, 2020 to October 3, 2020 Week of September 20, 2020 to September 26, 2020 Week of September 13, 2020 to September 19, 2020 Week of September 6, 2020 to September 12, 2020 Week of August 30, 2020 to September 5, 2020 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 2014‐15 2015‐16 2016‐17 2017‐18  2018‐19 2019‐20 2020‐21Change +/‐July508,195$        541,806$        591,184$        636,778$        699,845$        761,346$        844,845$        877,391$        861,241$        884,317$       913,019$       535,691$      ‐41.3%August511,564$        542,194$        574,395$        623,655$        674,244$        732,271$        774,501$        765,232$        728,932$        775,513$       826,465$       578,167$      ‐30.0%September400,023$        437,543$        490,524$        508,583$        505,954$        557,002$        643,127$        650,117$        693,704$        682,810$       720,414$       ‐100.0%October414,870$        442,586$        437,805$        469,977$        509,435$        594,032$        642,221$        628,049$        601,208$        650,101$       711,393$       ‐100.0%November280,913$        330,924$        347,437$        359,163$        425,769$        475,360$        468,016$        497,162$        513,487$        556,885$       593,403$       ‐100.0%December246,684$        274,417$        314,784$        319,451$        355,315$        391,132$        429,600$        434,836$        473,701$        488,296$       488,757$       ‐100.0%January230,279$        256,351$        276,165$        302,153$        331,853$        400,239$        387,304$        396,559$        415,690$        465,547$       520,813$       ‐100.0%February273,373$        302,246$        323,359$        344,160$        366,980$        431,510$        466,915$        439,735$        503,451$        524,327$       596,021$       ‐100.0%March326,099$        333,783$        392,266$        426,879$        448,103$        520,795$        559,235$        549,642$        577,285$       602,781$       268,458$        ‐100.0%April423,158$        451,133$        475,913$        486,850$        564,617$        610,894$        609,439$        708,724$        641,919$       741,364$       69,184$          ‐100.0%May372,997$        433,874$        447,116$        489,862$        546,916$        601,614$        598,093$        645,114$        630,820$       665,603$       174,982$        ‐100.0%June490,326$        512,543$        578,234$        610,948$        630,729$        727,028$        731,038$        765,362$        796,899$       835,727$       409,945$        ‐100.0%Total/Average4,478,481$     4,859,400$     5,249,181$     5,578,460$     6,059,758$     6,803,224$     7,154,334$     7,357,923$     7,438,338$     7,873,272$     6,292,853$     1,113,859$  ‐82.3%2019‐20 2020‐21 Change +/‐2019‐202020‐21 Change +/‐2019‐202020‐21 Change +/‐July80.0 54.5 ‐31.9 184.4 165.96‐10.0147.59 90.53 ‐38.7August77.1 61.0 ‐21.0 173.97 162.84‐6.4134.18 99.27 ‐26.0September73.3 161.48 118.33October73.0 156.39 114.24November67.4 147.11 99.17December57.7 134.41 77.59January62.3 130.45 81.27February65.4 145.83 95.42March34.6 131.11 45.39April17.7 95.53 16.95May34.5 119.15 41.15June49.3 152.80 75.39Total/Average57.72 144.38 87.22Updated:  10/9/2020TOT Comparison*Figures from Smith Travel Research Report Occupancy ADR RevPAR Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract September 2020 PR Activity Implementation 1)Drafted ‘Meet Your Neighborhood Winery’ Q&A for ​VisitSLO.com 2)Drafted ‘Meet Your Neighborhood Pizzeria’ Q&A for ​VisitSLO.com 3)Connected with partners to share ​#SLOready​ video 4)Continued working with ​Verdin​ on Support Local Campaign and implementation 5)Continued working with the ​City​ and ​Noble Studios​ on overall tourism marketing campaign Responsive leads 1)Coordinated SLO experiences for influencer Corey Marshall ​@missfoodieproblems 2)Curated itinerary and hosted freelancer ​Melissa Curtin’s​ trip to SLO as part of a DCI lead 3)Pitched Hotel SLO’s new dining experiences for a Fodor’s lead through ​Visit SLO CAL 4)Shared best picnic spots with DCI for an ​LA Times​ lead 5)Continued conversations with Juliet Rylah for ​WeLikeLA Partnerships 1)Provided SLO itinerary ideas to freelancer Molly O’Brien for her stay with​ Hotel Cerro 2)Began planning freelancer Donna Sozio’s SLO trip with ​Hotel Cerro 3)Began talks with Kristin Braswell’s ​@crushglobal​ visit to SLO, connected through ​Visit Paso 4)Met with Caroline Helper from ​Crimson Wine Group 5)Connected with ​Visit SLO CAL​ on messaging 6)Attended ​CCTC​ board meeting 5)Pitched the following content to ​Visit California a.Responsible/Safe Travel i.San Luis Obispo is Open, Ready & Safe for you ii.The Butler Hotel is both “Clean + Safe” in San Luis Obispo b.Distance Learning i.“Learn by Doing” - virtually or in person - in San Luis Obispo September 2020-21 YTD UVPM 489,500,800 1,139,442,500 AD VALUE 121,766.47 352,553.11 PLACEMENTS 18 36 Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract September 2020 Media Placements 1.MISS FOODIE PROBLEMS RESULT: Ongoing Influencer relationship PILLAR: Support Local, Culinary MENTIONS: Open SLO, Downtown Dine-out, Mission Plaza, Firestone Grill Followers: 76.2K 2.VISIT CALIFORNIA​, ​Take Your Tasting Outdoors During California Wine Month RESULT: Partnership pitching PILLAR: Beer/Wine, Outdoor MENTIONS: Malene Wines UVPM: 1,000 3.VISIT CALIFORNIA​, ​California’s Highway One Road Trip RESULT: Partnership pitching PILLAR: Beer/Wine, Outdoor, Family MENTIONS: Madonna Inn, Farmers’ Market UVPM: 1,000 4.VISIT CALIFORNIA​, ​So You Think You Know San Luis Obispo County? RESULT: Partnership pitching PILLAR: Cultural, Cal Poly, Beer/Wine, Culinary, Outdoor MENTIONS: Hotel Cerro, Secret Garden Herb Shop, The Carrisa, Cal Poly UVPM: 1,000 5.BAY AREA FAMILY TRAVEL​, ​Deals, Deals, Deals! RESULT: Ongoing media relationship PILLAR: Cultural, Family MENTIONS: Hotel Cerro 6.LOVE EXPLORING​, ​Time warp hotel rooms from a bygone era RESULT: Ongoing media relationship PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: Madonna Inn UVPM: 402,900,000 AD VALUE: $92,700.00 7.REDBOOK​, ​The Best Drive-In Movie Theater In Every State RESULT: Partnership pitching Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract September 2020 PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: Sunset Drive-In UVPM: 67,900,000 AD VALUE: $15,800.00 8.NBC SAN DIEGO​, ​California's Most Famous Restroom PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: Madonna Inn UVPM: 787,000 AD VALUE: $180.93 9.WINE INDUSTRY ADVISOR​, ​Wine enthusiasts nationwide can enjoy a curated Coastal California experience in the intimacy of their own homes with “Tolosa Tonight” PILLAR: Beer/Wine, Cultural MENTIONS: Tolosa, Karson Butler Events UVPM: 18,100 10.STYLE MAG​, ​Get Away Without Going Far Away: 5 Close-To-Home Destinations PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: Bubblegum Alley, Edna Valley, Outdoor UVPM: 1,200 11.AMERICAN WAY​, ​These historic American small towns are packed with charm PILLAR: Cultural, Culinary, Beer/Wine, Family MENTIONS: Madonna Inn, Bubblegum Alley, Mee Heng Low Noodle House, Autry Cellars UVPM: 34,000 AD VALUE: $7.74 12.PATCH​, ​CA Breweries On Tap For Great American Beer Fest 2020 PILLAR: Beer/Wine MENTIONS: Central Coast Brewing UVPM: 6,810,000 AD VALUE: $1,566.22 13.THE WASHINGTON POST, ​‘Now Hear This’ modeled itself after cooking shows. It found millions of viewers with an appetite for classical music. PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: Festival Mozaic UVPM: 9,770,000 AD VALUE: $11,235.80 14.BROADWAY WORLD​, ​Great Performances: Now Hear This Features Haydn, Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven Beginning Friday, September 18 PILLAR: Cultural Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract September 2020 MENTIONS: Festival Mozaic UVPM: 1,200,000 AD VALUE: $275.78 15.TASTE CALIFORNIA TRAVEL​, ​Returning to San Luis Obispo RESULT: Strategic partnership PILLAR: Cultural, Outdoor MENTIONS: Hotel Cerro, Madonna Inn, SLO Brew Rock, SLO Stills UVPM: 1,000 16.C MAGAZINE​, ​FIVE NEW AND REFRESHED HOTELS READY FOR YOUR NEXT ROAD TRIP PILLAR: Cultural MENTIONS: San Luis Creek Lodge UVPM: 1,000 17.LA EATER​, ​12 Impressive Stops for Central Coast Barbecue in California PILLAR: Culinary MENTIONS: Firestone Grill, Old San Luis BBQ Co. LOCAL 18.NEW TIMES SLO​, ​Bread Bike strives to build community through good health and love for the environment PILLAR: Cultural, Culinary, Support Local UVPM: 75,500 Report to City of SLO – TBID Phone Line and Availability Contract September 2020 Response to TBID Advertising Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Sept. 2019 Sept. 2020 Calls to 1-877-SLO-TOWN 29 27 22 22 80 100 Hotel Availability Tracker Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Sept. 2019 Sept. 2020 Email Response 24 23 23 22 62 92 Phone Calls to Hotels 84 81 69 71 294 305 Hotel Referrals Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Sept. 2019 Sept. 2020 Visitors Served (walk-ins) 1,185 962 1,140 1,048 6,596 4,335 Guests Served (via phone and digitally) 662 543 568 528 1,117 2,400 Hotel Rooms Referred 452 345 304 378 1,687 1,479 Agency Report · September 2020 SLO-TBID Agency Repor t September Activity Brand & Creative ●In-destination photo and video shoot ●Started drafting the Annual Marketing Plan, finalizing beginning of October ●Created digital paid media ads Email Marketing Newsletter (1 per month) The “What’s happening in SLO - Sept 2020” newsletter,promoting October/fall content that was distributed on Sept 30th generated an open rate of 16.1%just one day after being distributed and only had a 1.8% bounce rate. ●On-going: Manage audience tags in MailChimp and additions of subscribers via VCA Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Creation Organic search traffic increased month over month by 11%and new users by 12%and increase in total organic keywords ranked by 4% month-over-month ○Optimized All Hotel Stakeholder Pages ○Optimized All Top Level Navigation Pages Blog Posts (2 per month) ●Completed two blog posts for the month of September 2020 ○“September Sips in SLO”/Wine Month ○“Rolling Fast in SLO”/Outdoor, focus on biking ●Completed: 1 blog post for the month of October and published in September ○Fall Harvest: Focus on Fall activities in SLO Website ●Monthly Web Maintenance Items ○WordPress Updates ○Built and published 2 monthly blog posts ●Ad Hoc Items 2 ○Built the new homepage and site navigation experience Social Media Management Across all platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram),@ShareSLO has a total audience of 124,082 and has posted a total of 57 times on all platforms combined throughout the month of September. The total number of engagements across all channels is 7,403 and the account with the most engagement rate is Instagram. Social Media Posting & Engagement (Daily) ●Created and posted social posts as well as engaged every day during the month of September. Posts aligned with daily themes and brand messaging across all three social platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: ●Revised the social content calendar for October and continue to create, post and engage on behalf of @shareSLO on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: ●Presented the U.S. Travel Association’s new campaign:#LetsGoThereSoon and supplemented regular scheduled social posts to successfully participate across all social platforms. ●Engaged with @MissFoodieProblems on behalf of @ShareSLO,when she posted her trip to San Luis Obispo. ●Altered scheduled posts to highlight PBS’s new show,“Now Hear This,” which will be airing an episode filmed entirely in SLO and is hosted by Festival Mozaic’s Music Director, Scott Yoo. PR, Media, And Influencer Relations Key Messages & MWM List ●Presented Key Messages and Most Wanted Media list to the marketing committee for approval DCI’s All Client Pitch Initiative Proposed:(4-6 pitches throughout 2020-21) Progress:2 Complete; 2-4 To Come ●Drafted and distributed the Fall Foliage / Fall Activities all client pitch. Ongoing Media Conversations: ●Media Visits ○Jet Set: Si Si Penaloza - POTENTIAL ○Melissa Curtain: LaLaScoop, Lonely Planet, Roadtrippers - COMPLETED ●Reactive Leads ○Budget Travel: Laura Brown, Rediscover America series ○Lonely Planet: Molly O'Brien, "Wiking" Places to Go Hiking and Drink Wine 3 ○Laura Begley Bloom: Freelance Broadcast Influencer Partnerships (5 partnerships in 2020-21) ●On hold in September Paid Media Paid search generated 13,708 impressions and 1,287 clicks with a CTR of 9.39% driving 356.50 outbound hotel referrals and 109 book now interactions ●Launch paid social advertising 4 San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District Committee Recommendation Staff Report October 8, 2020 TO: TBID Board FROM: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager via TBID Marketing Committee PREPARED BY: Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator SUBJECT: Co-op Program Commitments: Spartan Race & CCTC Digital Marketing RECOMMENDATION As recommended by the TBID Marketing Committee (attachment A), approve the TBID’s participation in the following two cooperative marketing (co-op) opportunities: • Visit SLO CAL’s 2021 Spartan Race marketing co-op for $5,000; and • CCTC’s 2020-21 CCTC Digital Marketing co-op for $1,500. DISCUSSION Background In the June 10, 2020 TBID Board Meeting, the San Luis Obispo TBID Board approved the 2020-21 program budget. This action was forwarded as a recommendation to City Council which was subsequently approved for final approval at the July 7, 2020 City Council meeting. The approved 2020-21 budget included a line items of $30,000 for co-op program funding. The TBID has seen great benefit from participating in co-op programs to increase marketing reach while using less dollars to do so. In addition to expanding overall reach, it helps the TBID align their messaging with other organization like Visit SLO CAL and the Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) who have the same goal of increased visitation and awareness to the destination to make a bigger impact. Due to the severe impacts of COVID-19, the TBID has experienced an overall decrease in lodging occupancy leading to a significant drop in projected revenues. To fulfill the need for additional marketing while on a decreased budget, the TBID Marketing Committee sees co-op opportunities as an essential program. Marketing Committee Action – Spartan Race At the October 7, 2020 Marketing Committee meeting, staff reviewed the Visit SLO CAL co-op for the Spartan Race program (attachment B). In the previous fiscal year Visit SLO CAL had secured the Spartan Race event in the county though a $50,000 investment in marketing partnership for the race. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Spartan Race was cancelled but has been rescheduled to take place April 9 -10, 2021. Visit SLO CAL’s commitment of $50,000 still remains in place for the 2021 race, however the race organizers have extended the option to promote the race from a regular season event to a US National series event for an increased cost of $25,000 – or a total of $75,000 full national sponsorship level. This co-op program is for five SLO CAL destination partners at $5,000 each to achieve the increased cost for the National Series position. TBID Marketing Services Contract – 2020-21 Co-op Programs Page 2 If promoted to a National Series event, the “Spartan Race SLO” as it is named, will be the second race in a US National Series (the first event is in February in Jacksonville, FL). California is the largest Spartan Race market and anticipates approximately 8,000-10,000 spectators & participants. The physical race will take place at Santa Margarita Ranch leaving participants with a need for lodging and positioned closest to the City of San Luis Obispo. Once committed, all marketing for the national event will commence in December 2020. Beyond to the national marketing placements and exposure for the promotion of the “Spartan Race SLO” with Visit SLO CAL, as a co-op destination partner the SLO TBID will receive dedicated promotion such as custom travel guide, birds eye view map marking each participating destination, social posts, pre-race communications, race day activations. The $75,000 will be paid by Visit SLO CAL following the race and will only be due if the race happens. If the 2021 Spartan Race is cancelled due to COVID-19, then the Visit SLO CAL and the participating co-op partners will not be held responsible to pay. The marketing committee in particular finds great benefit in this co-op because of its low financial risk and high promotional benefit. Marketing Committee members made a unanimous vote to participate in the Spartan Race co-op through Visit SLO CAL at the $5,000 investment level. Marketing Committee Action – CCTC Digital Marketing Package In addition, the Marketing Committee reviewed a new Digital Marketing Package co-op with CCTC (attachment C). The package is designed to drive busines to member destinations, attractions, and businesses through four main components. These components include: • two dedicated blogs on the CCTC website • four social posts on CCTC’s Facebook and Instagram • one dedicated email to the CCTC consumer database • one header image on the CCTC website homepage for 30 days The cost to participate in this package is $1,500 which fits well within the current co-op line item of the 2020-21 budget and has great benefit for the TBID. The Marketing Committee finds this package valuable especially during a time when a primary marketing focus is on road trips and leveraging the City of San Luis Obispo’s safety and outdoor activities. The Marketing Committee made a unanimous vote to participate in the new CCTC Digital Marketing Package co-op for $1,500. FISCAL IMPACT The TBID has allocated $30,000 of the 2020-2021 budget for co-op program funding. The total commitment to participate in the Spartan Race co-op through Visit SLO CAL ($5,000) and CCTC’s Digital Marketing Program ($1,500) is $6,500. Due to previous co-op commitments there is $24,000 currently available in the co-op program budget allocation. Following the commitment of $6,500 to these programs, remaining co-op program funding line item within the 2020-2021 budget to $17,500 for future co-op commitments. ATTACHMENTS 1. Marketing Committee Minutes October 7, 2020 2. Spartan Race Information 3. CCTC Digital Marketing Package Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Teleconference via GoToWebinar BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Clint Pearce, LeBren Harris and Natalie Ward BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: none STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager and Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:37 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2020-21 TBID Marketing Plan Representatives from Noble Studios presented the 2020-21 Draft Marketing Plan for committee member review and feedback. Committee members will further review the plan and provide feedback for Noble prior to presenting the plan at the October board meeting. Additionally, Noble Studios presented the paid media budget for Q2 of 2020-21 with a proposed budget of up to $60k and three primary channels to focus on for October – December 2020. Finally, Noble Studios provided a preview of the #SLOready campaign ads. Committee members provided feedback for consideration. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the draft 2020-21 Marketing Plan incorporating edits and feedback from the committee the Marketing Committee for recommendation to the TBID Board. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the 2020-21 Q2 paid media budget of up to $60k spend with the recommended channels from the agency, as well as the presented ads incorporating committee feedback and edits. 2. Co-Op Consideration Tourism Manager Cano presented two co-op opportunities for committee members to review and discuss. The first is the 2021 Spartan Race co-op with Visit SLO CAL for $5,000 participation. If the race does not happen due to COVID-19 then no dollars will be spent, but the DMO will still benefit from the marketing placed. The second co-op presented and discussed is the CCTC digital marketing package co-op for $1,500. Committee members provided feedback and agreed that both would be beneficial for the TBID. Both opportunities would be paid from the TBID’s co-op line item within the 2020-21 budget. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the TBID’s participation in the 2021 Spartan Race co-op with Visit SLO CAL at a partner price of $5,000. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the TBID’s participation in CCTC’S digital marketing co- op at a package price of $1,500. 4. New Business Items a. Committee Discussion - none b. Future Agenda Items- none c. Next Regular Meeting Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Meeting was adjourned at 12:22 p.m. SLO CAL 2021 US National Series SOCIAL MEDIA Spartan will target our audience through storytelling and sample itinerary. San Luis Obispo will be given the opportunity to showcase all their destination has to offer in three dedicated social posts. EMAIL MARKETING Email marketing is an organic method to inspire our current database (2 million) to commit to various races in the U.S. Destination appeal is a key component of our marketing strategy. Spartan will distribute: ●two (2)destination marketing focused emails to regional database ●two (2)email to racers registered for the event TRAVEL GUIDE Spartan will produce a unique travel guide, which will offer each destination the opportunity to provide 2 pages of content to share with all attendees. LOGO PLACEMENT & EXHIBITOR SPACE San Luis Obispo have their logo placed on ●Event page ●Race day program ●Pre & post race emails ●Up to 8 barrier jackets ( destination to provide) ●Step & repeat award backdrop San Luis Obispo will have the opportunity to meet participants and spectators during the event at their dedicated 10 x 10 space in the festival. US NATIONAL SERIES VS REGULAR SEASON US NATIONAL SERIES Digital Exposure 4.5M Media Impressions 2.1M Digital Advertising Impressions 5M Social Media Reach 80,000 SM Engagements 315,000 Event Page Views Logo Placement Award Backdrop Medal & Lanyard Event T-shirt Barrier Jackets Feather Blades Website Digital Ads Race Day Program Travel & Attendance 17% avg increase in registration 24% avg increase in travel over 300 miles MEDIA Full media team onsite 4 videographers & 2 Social Media Directors Full event coverage and recap edited for distribution Regular Season Event Digital Exposure 1.5M Media Impressions 1.3M Digital Advertising Impressions 2.5M Social Media Reach 40,000 SM Engagements 200,000 Event Page Views Logo Placement Award Backdrop Website Digital Ads Race Day Program Travel & Attendance 17% less than USNS registration 24% less than USNS racers traveling over 300 miles MEDIA 1 Social Media Director DESTINATION MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES SOCIAL MEDIA Spartan will offer dedicated social posts highlighting each region to include lodging, activities, and adventures. Logo Placement Each destination/region will have their logo placed on ●Event page ●Race day program ●Pre race emails Travel & Attendance Spartan will produce a unique travel guide, which will offer each destination the opportunity to provide photos, links and 2 pages of content to share with all attendees. Example can be found here. Onsite Each location will be given the opportunity to exhibit during the event weekend US NATIONAL SERIES BRANDING EXAMPLES Event Coverage 2019 Big Bear USNS Race Video Link RESERVE YOUR SPACE BY OCTOBER 30, 2020 QUESTIONS? Contact: Christine Thomas 310.963.5414 admin@centralcoast-tourism.com CCTC is launching a NEW digital marketing program - designed to drive business to our member-destinations, attractions, and businesses. This new package is comprised of four components: 1 Dedicated Email 1 Header Image Digital Marketing Package OpportunityNEW!COST: $1,500 ONLY 12 SPOTS AVAILABLE Your blogs appear on CCTC website Submit two blogs by June 30, 2021 Your posts appear on CCTC's Facebook and Instagram Submit four social posts by June 30, 2021 Your email is sent to addresses from CCTC's Consumer database Your image and identifier will appear on CCTC Homepage for 30 days 2 Dedicated Blogs Note: Content and Images must be appropriate and adhere to CCTC branding. 4 Social Posts limitedavailability 10/2020 See Agreement, next page. 1 Dedicated Email 1 Header Image 50 words maximum 1 high-resolution image URL links Provide 4 SOCIAL POSTS before June 30, 2021: If you prefer four specific posting dates, please specify*. POST 1 Date:________________ POST 2 Date: ________________ POST 3 Date:________________ POST 4 Date: ________________ Otherwise, allow 5-10 working days for Social Posts to appear on CCTC's Facebook & Instagram 2 Dedicated Blogs 4 Social Posts Digital Marketing Package AGREEMENT COST: $1,500 Non-refundable fee is payable upon execution of this Agereement Agreements are processed on a first- come basis. *CCTC does not guarantee your specific post dates, although every attempt will be made to accommodate your request. Content and Images must be appropriate and adhere to Central Coast branding. 500 words maximum 1 high-resolution image URL links Provide 2 BLOGS before June 30, 2021: If you prefer two specific posting dates, please specify*. BLOG 1 Post Date: _____________________ BLOG 2 Post Date: __________________ Otherwise, allow 5-10 working days for Blog to appear on CCTC's website 10/2020 500 words maximum 3-5 high-resolution images URL links Provide EMAIL content before June 30, 2021: Your Email content will be formatted by CCTC, following your approval. If you prefer a specific email month, please specify*. EMAIL Month: _____________________ Otherwise, CCTC will send Email to Consumer database, at its discretion 1 high-resolution horizontal image (1170 x 585 pixels) Identifier (location or identifying name) URL link Provide the following IMAGE: If you prefer a specific 30-day time frame, please specify*. IMAGE 30-DAY Time Frame: _____________________ Otherwise, CCTC will post your image on its website home page for a 30-day time frame at its discretion Questions? Contact Christine Thomas, Admin@CentralCoast-Tourism.com l e t 's d o t h is !Sign and Return to: Admin@CentralCoast-Tourism.com by October 30, 2020 Company Name: Signature:Print Name: Phone:Email: CREDIT CARD: Call Kathy Vreeland, 805.688.7829. A 3.5% processing fee will be added. CHECK: Make payable to CCTC. Mail to: P.O. Box 785, Buellton, CA 93427 SLO TBID MARKETING PLAN 2020–2021DRAFT Hi there! Welcome to the SLO TBID Annual Marketing Plan. As we began this fiscal year, we did so with uncertainty and urgency. The COVID-19 crisis constricted our resources and the path to recovery is still being defined. In addition, the threat of a second wave of the virus has created a challenging operating environment, to say the least. But within this changing landscape we will remain #SLOready - continuing to inform engaged travelers who want to travel and ensure those who aren’t yet ready can dream and plan for future visits. We will execute a marketing approach that quickly and strategically allows us to respond to and take advantage of opportunities as they arise, and contract where necessary as challenges present themselves. You will see throughout this plan that the approach will be foundational, focused, and flexible in nature. While this document outlines our approach to drive marketing initiatives that support SLO TBID’s 2019 - 2024 Strategic Imperatives, we foresee this plan being used in conjunction with the rolling 30/60/90 plan, which provides detail on channel-level marketing efforts. This type of planning allows us to flex with the destination and traveler landscape. In addition, we will use the COVID-19 response plan to guide our messaging and inform how marketing efforts should align to meet the situation at hand; be it from “stay at home” to “inviting travelers.” We are SLO excited to share all that is amazing and unique about this city with travelers, and we can’t wait for them to visit again, safely! INTRODUCTION DRAFT 4 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 5 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 Table of Contents SLO TBID Strategic Direction 2019 - 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Marketing Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 SLO Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Market & Digital Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Target Audiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Campaigns ...................................................20 COVID Response Plan .........................................22 Activating Across the Traveler’s Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Marketing Channel Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 SEO ...........................................................26 Paid Media ....................................................28 Social Media Management ....................................32 Influencer Marketing ..........................................34 Public Relations ..............................................36 Email Marketing ...............................................37 Website .......................................................38 Strategic Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 SLO TBID Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 CONTENTS 4 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 DRAFT 6 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 7 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 MISSION We share the abundance of SLO, driving the lodging economy and serving as the voice of our stakeholders. VISION A welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. VALUE PROPOSITION San Luis Obispo is an authentic and inviting California community where you can play, taste, explore, relax, and recharge. SLO TBID STRATEGIC DIRECTION FY 2020/2021 6 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 DRAFT 9SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-218SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 2. Deliver Smart Growth: We ensure growth that doesn’t simply bring more visitors, but truly focuses on bringing the visitors we desire most, and balances the needs of the visitor with the livability of our community. OBJECTIVES: • Grow RevPAR by 4% year-over-year, adjusted for inflation • Year-over-year growth in TOT, adjusted for inflation • Year-over-year growth in ratio of weekday to weekend occupancy INITIATIVES: • Develop a group sales strategy • Develop a mid-week promotion program • Develop a local business travel program to drive visitation • Influence the SLO conference center development plan and effort • Develop an approach to monitoring local sentiment related to tourism • Clear communication to travelers in line with state and county directives 3. Build Meaningful Partnerships: We are more efficient through partnerships and will continue to leverage existing partnerships, as well as develop new ones to reach our goals. OBJECTIVES: • Increase year-over-year average Earned Partnership Value score • Grow economic impact of tourism in SLO, adjusted for inflation INITIATIVES: • Identify and develop BOLD partnerships that generate overnight stays • Create a partnership management plan using measurable goals that are in line with our TBID Mission 4. Ensure Organizational Excellence: The TBID will strive to consistently become stronger and more efficient to better serve our constituents. OBJECTIVES: • Growth in member newsletter open rates • Growth in stakeholder satisfaction score on survey INITIATIVES: • Develop an organizational resilience plan • Establish and document a process to execute, evaluate, and track strategic plan • Identify opportunities to streamline governance and leverage constituency of TBID 1. Elevate the SLO Brand and Experience: We enhance the perception of our brand as a destination and help ensure that SLO becomes a place where visitors return time and again. OBJECTIVES: • Increase visitor awareness in target markets • Increase positive visitor perception INITIATIVES: • Identify the core SLO identity and develop a plan to market it • Establish a TBID social responsibility program • Identify opportunities to influence community placemaking and destination management efforts STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES 2019 - 2024 The SLO TBID board’s strategic imperatives have set a five year vision for success. DRAFT 11SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2110SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 Deliver Smart Growth: • Provide travelers with up to date information about SLO that helps them plan and enjoy their visit by staying in lockstep with county and state directives. An informed traveler is a safe traveler, and safe travelers make for a safe, local community. • Utilize flexible planning approaches to be nimble to the changing landscape of traveler sentiments and destination restrictions to capture and convert when and where appropriate. • Deliver a paid media strategy that focuses on converting potential travelers with lower funnel tactics. • Invest in and build upon marketing elements that can be evergreen and support the destination through and beyond recovery. • Strategically manage spend to be efficient and effective to maximize the budget. Build Meaningful Partnerships: • Celebrate and engage the local community through cooperation with the PCC. • Drive efficiencies and collaboration with county and state tourism organizations through aligned communication and symbiotic marketing initiatives. • Support collaboration TBID strategic partners like Cal Poly, MINDBODY and SLO Coast Wine Collective to amplify the SLO brand. Elevate the SLO Brand and Experience: • Execute a relevant and flexible campaign - “#SLOready” - to appropriately welcome visitors and share with them the essence and sense of place that SLO delivers. • Develop assets and messaging that highlight SLO and align with brand campaigns and focus areas. • Influence and inspire travelers who have displayed a higher propensity to travel to SLO to convert - through a combination of focus areas, intent signals, and audience targeting. • Build website authority to improve VisitSLO.com’s positioning and findability on search pages. • Improve the user experience for the VisitSLO.com website - user experience is a direct reflection of the brand and destination. • Capture and drive interest for new audiences in SLO through influencers and affinity content. In FY 2020 - 2021 our marketing objectives and efforts will align with the following strategic imperatives: MARKETING OBJECTIVES DRAFT 13SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2112SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 To fully capture and create responsible demand for visitation to the City of SLO, we need to listen. Listen to what the market is telling us through trends and data, and listen to what travelers are looking for through digital intent signals they display through search. At the intersection of these indicators is an opportunity for conversion - the place where SLO uniquely delivers. We have identified 4 themes that synthesize the opportunity at hand and will be sewn throughout marketing efforts for the year: Heart of the City SLO is a easy-going university town, filled with innovative culinary and celebrated wine experiences, topped off with a fantastic arts and culture scene - what else could you ask for? But really the people are what makes this city so special - and visitors can interact with this easy-going vibe as they wander through the streets year round in a lovely mediterranean climate. Outdoor Paradise SLO has something for everyone - with more than 50 miles of trails traversing thousands of acres of protected open space, hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers can all find their perfect adventure just minutes from downtown. When we say “outdoor,” it isn’t limited to hiking and biking, it extends to a thriving al fresco dining scene! Road Trip Must Whether cruising in from a neighboring town on the Central Coast, a nearby California hub like San Francisco, or even farther, SLO is a must-see on a classic road trip. With amazing food, wine and outdoor access, SLO has it all for a quick, weeknight overnight stay, or a week-long experience for the whole family. Safe Relaxation SLO down and get relaxed! Named one of the happiest cities in the US by National Geographic, San Luis Obispo is an outdoors and arts focused destination with an easy-going lifestyle. A navigable, small city with 50K residents, SLO is a place where travelers can feel safe and comfortable while traveling. FY 2020/2021 OPPORTUNITY Market Indicators Digital IndicatorsDRAFT 15SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2114SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 The travel industry has entered uncharted territory as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are seeing new information and research daily, there are trends that have emerged and solidified during this time that we intend to maximize. The market indicators that align with our focus areas and will shape our marketing efforts include the following: Traveling with Confidence. According to a recent study by Google, among those who indicated they would be willing to consider travel in the next three months, 50% said they would most likely choose a beach destination or a small town, where it’s easier to maintain social distance. Road Trips. A majority of travelers have indicated that they currently feel safest when traveling in their personal vehicle and are tackling routes close and far to home. Travel by vehicle also allows more spontaneity - in May/June 2020 there was a 20% increase in 0-15 day booking window (Adara). Local Trips. Travel restrictions and health concerns will encourage many travelers to stay local in the weeks and months to come. Visiting places closer to home also allows vacationers to take shorter trips more frequently. In a recent survey from Destination Analysts, over half of respondents said they will be taking a regional [road] trip under 200 miles this year while one third said they will be taking a staycation. Nature Tourism. Convening with nature has become one of the hottest travel trends and for good reason. The mental and physical benefits are well-documented. Limited to domestic travel, Americans are rediscovering the beauty of the great outdoors. Americans with trips planned for the remaining 4 months of 2020 showed the most enthusiasm for beaches and mountains—the latter notably higher than what was typical pre- pandemic. (Destination Analysts) Health & Wellness. Wellness was becoming increasingly important pre-Covid, but the pandemic has accentuated the need for a holistic view on wellness. Top 2020 motivators for wellness travel are: stress and anxiety reduction, and rest and relaxation. An intent-based marketing approach allows us to invest more in those individuals showing signals of intent. Intent can either be “active intent” in considering the destination, such as searching for more information or “passive intent,” such as reading content about the destination or activities where San Luis Obispo has a strong value proposition (e.g., culinary, outdoor recreation). In addition to these intent categories, we can create additional scale by targeting high-propensity audiences, like “responsible traveler.” Most importantly, each intent audience will be assigned a unique strategy and level of investment. The intent signals provide rich data about audience members and their phase in the traveler’s journey. Dining + Drinking: Values a unique culinary and beer/wine experience (ie. local restaurants, wineries) Outdoor: Values being active and experiencing nature (ie. hiking, biking, golf, extreme adventure) Relaxation & Wellness: Values rest and relaxation activities (ie. yoga, spa, wellness center) Arts & Culture: Values learning about local culture by appreciating art and history (ie. museums, art galleries) Family: Values spending time with family and friends, may be looking for group activities Cal Poly: Values experiences surrounding the university from a student, alumni, or family perspective TRAVEL TRENDS - MARKET INDICATORS INTENT SIGNALS - DIGITAL INDICATORS DRAFT 17SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2116SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 In FY 2020-2021, we will focus marketing to intercept potential visitors at the point of intent. We will use digital signals to identify and capture these potential visitors at each stage in the travelers’ journey and expand awareness of SLO. We will also utilize a blend of demographic and geographic targeting to ensure full opportunity coverage in marketing levers such as paid search. In addition, we know that Visit California is utilizing trip motivators to attract visitors to the state - so having that understanding not only validates our intent signal approach, it also enables us to align with their efforts. • Recharge (Harmony & Balance- Relax): Less activities overall, strong skews for the beach, spa, wellness center, high end resorts, and some nightlife. • Immerse (Immersion & Perspective without Kids): Active exploration: both urban and small towns, old and new culture, unique local restaurants, winery/wine regions, and farmers markets. DEMOGRAPHIC & GEOGRAPHIC: PRIMARY: Drive markets • We will capture the opportunity of road trip and local travel trends, as well as aligning with the efforts of Visit CA & Visit SLO CAL by targeting the following DMAs - San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles. As you can see from the map, these DMAs cover not only metropolitan zones, but the surrounding areas. SECONDARY: Fly markets • As the year progresses, we will evaluate the benefits of widening our reach to markets such as: Chicago, Dallas, Denver and/or Seattle. These markets have shown either high website volume or are strategic choices. VISIT CALIFORNIA TRIP MOTIVATORS HH INCOME +$90K 24 - 55 YEAR OLDS TARGET AUDIENCES DRAFT 19SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2118SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 BRAND What SLO has to offer as a destination and as a brand is extremely culturally relevant at this time. In a time of stress, uncertainty, and isolation, SLO’s authentic, easy-going, relaxed vibe is the perfect counterpoint to the world we are all living in. In the calendar year 2020, SLO has launched a few campaigns. The year was rung in with the “Be here” campaign in full swing. Encouraging physical visits from visitors, but also the message to be present in the moment and enjoy every minute of their time in SLO. There was then an abrupt shift to respond to the COVID shelter at home directive where messaging transferred to a message of unity and hope “SLOtogether.” Now as we are aligning with the COVID Response Plan and flexing from and to informing and inviting travelers, we find ourselves in a time of “SLOready” - ready to have visitors back, ready to be safe, ready for you when you want to get back to traveling. As the year progresses, we will delve into enriching the SLOready campaign to strengthen the delivery of SLO’s unique value proposition and stand out amongst its competitive set. In addition, we will invest in the foundation of the SLO brand to refine, define, and consolidate it. We know that SLO will always be about the people who live here at its heart, so we will keep that true. BRAND POSITIONING: The lovable city, with warm, welcoming locals, that is perfectly suited for travelers to get back out there in safe and comfortable ways. BRAND MESSAGING: “We Are #SLOready - When you’re ready to travel, we’re ready to warmly welcome you back.” • Our messaging will lead with “We are #SLOready,” reassuring travelers prominently in our headlines, until we see signals that more people are comfortable and confident traveling. At that point, “We are #SLOready,” while still a key part of the messaging, will take a secondary position as a copy point or hashtag. BRAND FOCUS AREAS: • Heart of the City • Road Trip Must • Outdoor Paradise • Safe Relaxation BRAND + CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE: • Ensure the sense of place and community shines through in all communication and content • Execute the SLOready campaign that attracts visitors to the destination effectively and responsibly • Create flexible assets that capture safe travel in the destination and can be used in an evergreen capacity • Examine the TBID’s naming convention to ensure clarity to audiences • Actively support the initiatives of the SLO TBID Board for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through inclusive content creation and marketingDRAFT 20 SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 San Luis Obispo will welcome visitors back to the city with a creative campaign focusing on the local community. Travelers want to know that locals in destinations are eager to have them back, so having SLO businesses featured in a campaign is the ultimate way to warmly invite visitors to come and enjoy the city and area in a relaxed and comfortable way. We want people who engage with this campaign to feel that they are invited and welcome to visit the SLO they know, love, and are excited to discover - that the local community is as ready to have them back as they are to visit. We want to communicate a cheerful, welcoming, bright, and relaxed feeling through the messaging and imagery. The assets that we captured will have a variety of safety protocols utilized. That way these images can align with the current phase of recovery. This campaign will come to life through a series of videos, in ads and through social, and the use of #SLOready. In addition, the campaign will be complemented with the PCC’s efforts to drive local engagement. This campaign will live throughout FY 2020/2021 - evolving and flexing with the travel landscape. #SLOready 21SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21DRAFT 23SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2122SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 OVERARCHING MESSAGING DIRECTION: • SLO is more than just a city - it is a community of people that breathe life into the experience that locals and travelers have together • We will put people at the center of our messaging focus and be inclusive in our representation • We will utilize the #SLOready hashtag • We will engage the local community through partnership with the PCC • We will continue to inspire interest to travel to the destination OVERALL OBJECTIVES: • Prioritize the safety of the SLO community • Clearly communicate information that allows travelers to safely plan their visit to SLO • Feature SLO attractions and businesses responsibly in line with travel restrictions • Celebrate the feeling that SLO gives to people As the global pandemic continued to labor on, there was a need to develop a detailed response plan that allowed us to align on how our marketing, messaging, and levers would adapt for the relaxing and contracting of travel protocols. This plan will be referenced and followed for the remainder of 2020-2021, or until it is determined not to be necessary. We will classify the status of the City and our marketing efforts into 3 general stages: Stay at Home, Informing Travelers, Inviting Travelers. We will adjust messaging and marketing levers to align with the stage that the City is in - adjustments and changes will be done with involvement and approval from the Tourism Manager and the TBID Board. COVID RESPONSE PLAN Inviting Travelers Informing Travelers Stay At HomeDRAFT 25SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2124SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 To ensure that we are intercepting travelers at all stages of the traveler’s journey - we will utilize different marketing levers across that journey. This multi-pronged approach will drive an effective and efficient conversion strategy. The SLO brand messages and the areas of opportunity will all be adapted to tantalize potential travelers across this journey. In addition, looking across the traveler’s journey incorporates the fluxuations in travel behavior influenced by COVID. ACTIVATING ACROSS THE TRAVELER’S JOURNEY DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARING • Aim to create brand awareness & connection • Create shareable content that inspires travel • Bring prospects to the website to encourage research and discovery about what makes the destination special and unique • Help prospective travelers plan with destination specific content • Encourage travelers to visit key stakeholder pages to book & plan their trip • Keep the conversation going to amplify our message• Utilize website to plan in-destination moments and activities • Find up-to-date safety information ORGANIC SOCIAL PAID SOCIAL DISPLAY ADS EMAIL PR INFLUENCERS WEBSITE EXPERIENCE ORGANIC SEARCH PAID SEARCH ORGANIC SOCIAL PAID SOCIAL DISPLAY ADS 3RD PARTY ADS EMAIL PR ORGANIC SEARCH PAID SEARCH 3RD PARTY ADS WEBSITE EXPERIENCE WEBSITE EXPERIENCE ORGANIC SOCIAL PRINT DRAFT 27SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2126SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 Organic search is the largest contributor of traffic to the website. We have an opportunity to make significant strides in driving higher intent visitors to the site through our SEO strategy. Industry benchmarks and best practices continue to show that the best way to attract and engage visitors, and ultimately drive revenue, is through the organic channel. Organic search propels nearly 40 percent of Visit SLO’s existing website traffic, exhibiting consistently high engagement rates. We have an opportunity to improve VisitSLO.com’s SERP rankings. We are “competing” for the city name with a number of entities - such as the city, the newspaper, and the county DMO. We will take a holistic approach to search engine optimization to ensure that we are building the authority of the TBID site, in addition to improving the technical foundation. We will do this using the following tactics: TOPIC CLUSTERING: Search engines, like Google, continually adjust their algorithm to favor topic-based content. We will build out topic clusters to represent travelers’ research journey touchpoints, as all represent the potential to gain exposure with the target audience and guide them to conversion. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) OPTIMIZE EXISTING CONTENT: Maximize the efficacy and reach of the content that we have already invested time and energy into. DEVELOP NEW CONTENT: Generate and capture demand with blog content that highlights our themes for the year - Heart of the City, Road Trip Must, Outdoor Paradise, and Safe Relaxation. SERP OPTIMIZATION: Impact where VisitSLO.com displays on search engine results. We will optimize the content on the site to enable search engines visualize content. IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE: A bad user experience reflects poorly on the destination and causes users to exit the site. We plan to address the technical health of the site to support search engine optimization in the following ways:DRAFT 29SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2128SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 PAID MEDIA OVERVIEW In FY 2020-2021, we want to maximize our spending efforts to drive towards the TBID’s overarching goals. Our paid efforts will be laser-focused with a determined focus on driving overnight stays. Using up-to-date research surrounding traveler sentiment, media consumption patterns, and booking behavior as a guide, we plan to focus on a variety of lower and mid funnel tactics. To further maximize our impact, we are partnering with Visit SLO CAL on a segmented approach to topic targeting. We are addressing planning and booking by focusing on campaigns surrounding places to stay and things to do, while Visit SLO CAL is addressing the dreaming phase and driving awareness of the county/area. We will execute a variety of tactics within paid search, paid social, and display to intercept potential travelers and encourage them to book. BUILD AWARENESS: show high intent audiences that SLO has what they are interested in INCREASE ENGAGEMENT: encourage audiences to engage with additional pieces of content and to sign-up for our newsletter ENCOURAGE CONVERSION: encourage audiences to engage with partner pages and information DRAFT 31SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2130SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 OVERALL OBJECTIVES: Based on current market conditions, as well as previous years’ success, we plan to keep search engine marketing active year-round in order to encourage website and engagement and drive visitation. Working in partnership with Visit SLO CAL, we have identified opportunities for each organization to target as to avoid unnecessary competition. PAID SOCIAL Paid social has been a significant source of engaged visitors to our website in the last year with increased traffic not only from Facebook, but from Instagram and Pinterest. This highly visual channel is the perfect place to build awareness of health and safety messaging and encourage visitation through video and carousel ads. In addition, traveler sentiment can start to be realized from social listening on ads. Following the partnership of Visit SLO CAL, we will be utilizing this channel to build awareness and encourage engagement. PAID MEDIA SPECIFICS DISPLAY Using programmatic display platforms, such as Google Display Network, we can appeal to high-intent, interest-based audiences. By layering intent, we will be able to appeal to more of a mid funnel audience that has shown interest in travel to San Luis Obispo rather than an unqualified audience. THIRD PARTY SPONSORSHIPS When we begin to invite travelers to the area, we plan to explore third party options, like online travel agencies with 3rd party targeting, for more granular targeting options. This tactic has shown to address travelers in the research and booking phase in the travelers’ journey. PRINT The media plan accounts for year-round Certified Folder placements for our brochure in target geographic markets, as well Visit SLO CAL and San Luis Obispo Chamber Visitor Guides. DRAFT 33SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2132SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT OPTIMIZE THE USE OF PLATFORMS • Focus on growth for Instagram through static posts and stories and through engagement with followers and prospective followers. • Realize our limited control over Facebook due to algorithms that favor paid over organic. • Increase sharing of curated URLs on Facebook and Twitter. OPTIMIZE THE USE OF PLATFORMS • Utilize user generated content from locals, visitors, and influencers as primary source of shared content on social. Other forms of content shared can include blog posts, partner news, city of SLO information (when relevant to visitors), media hits, and SLO owned content • Schedule posts to align with times of engagement • Augment from cross-posting the same content every day across the three main platforms and creating custom content for the majority of posts. ACTIVATE ENGAGEMENT SMARTLY • Using best judgement and comment, share, and like posts of followers and users on social platform who tag and mention @shareSLO. • Organically engage with visitors, locals, influencers, and organizations/platforms that align with the SLO brand • Align messaging with responsible travel timing Social media is one of the best marketing tools to connect with and engage potential visitors. We also know that for SLO the local population is highly engaged. We have an opportunity to continue to engage the audience while optimizing our efforts and further establishing a clear value to following SLO on social. DRAFT 35SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2134SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 INFLUENCER MARKETING The pandemic demonstrated that influencers will not simply work for free. What time has shown them is that their partnerships have dissolved, but they were able to pivot and find partnerships that didn’t require them to do the one thing they love: travel. Instead, many realized they can stay home and still find ways to earn money. Why risk travel, especially during a pandemic? Now, as destinations are beginning to open again, it’s time to think about these influencers. Having felt abandoned by the travel industry and facing certain risk when boarding a plane, influencers need more guarantees and firmer relationships. DCI’s research shows that 75% are ready to travel soon after restrictions are lifted, but COVID-19 has ended partnerships that simply achieve clicks or likes. Instead, partnerships will need to be more robust and objective-driven for both influencers and SLO. The initial phase of influencer partnerships will focus efforts on regional influencers, including those who are already passionate about SLO and those that have yet to discover SLO. The subsequent phase will expand outreach to national influencers, focusing on those with audiences residing in primary source markets. • Secure partnerships with most-wanted digital influencers based in California or within drive markets and negotiate deliverables to strategically maximize exposure of content. DRAFT 37SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2136SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 PUBLIC RELATIONS EMAIL MARKETING Incorporate SLO in DCI’s All Client Pitch Initiative • Focus on SLO opportunity areas of • Heart of the City • Road Trip Must • Outdoor Paradise • Safe Relaxation Utilize a blend of proactive and reactive opportunities to explore themes and celebrate what makes SLO special • Explore seasonal themes like harvest, spring, and holiday • Explore what makes the destination different and stand out • Keep interested travelers engaged through touchpoints of monthly distribution of newsletter • Utilize blog content for newsletter features and include clear CTA’s to link to website • Reinforce safety messaging where appropriate • Encourage sign-ups for newsletter on the website Our earned media efforts will focus on identifying customer intent, which is absolutely vital for any player in the travel space. People still want to travel and are dreaming of the future. In conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, we want to curate foundational aspirational content that will be relevant three to six months from now, to keep people inspired and excited about travel. We will do this through generating media leads for the city of SLO that speak to our targeted audiences, including drive markets and building and strengthening relationships with target media and digital influencers who are the catalyst to generating awareness of the destination and its diverse experiences. We will leverage the SLO TBID email database to help provide immediate value to readers. We will share information about topics travelers are most interested in so that we can see stronger engagement from our email efforts.DRAFT 39SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2138SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 The website is the cornerstone of all marketing efforts - everything flows to or from your site. Because of its paramount importance, we have put forth significant effort to shore up its foundation in the initial migration of the site and will continue to improve upon its stability and user experience throughout the year. Migration • Secured ownership and migrated the website and all technology platforms utilized by the TBID • Implemented a best in class hosting environment to improve the security, stability, and server performance of the website with access to platinum level customer service WEBSITE User Experience Improvements • Drive engagement • Top level navigation update • Highlighting User Generated Content • Revamping how events are displayed • Prioritize safe travel • Include up-to-date travel information in the blog • Drive conversion • Modify the newsletter sign-up experience to encourage more sign-ups Maintenance Repair & Optimization (MRO) • Ensure site health at a foundational level with bi-weekly checks: • Loading without errors • Most recent software and plugin updates • Ensure security is sound • Ensure usability across devices • Automated weekly backupsDRAFT 41SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2140SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE (PCC) • Engage with PCC and Verdin (agency partner) to ensure visitor and local impact are mutually beneficial for the city • Share campaign ideas and assets to amplify message and impact • ShareSLO - literally - we will share messaging duty on social media channels SLO CHAMBER • Partner with SLO Chamber’s public relations team to enhance and compliment marketing efforts • Enhance efforts by working collaboratively on proactive and reactive public relations opportunities VISIT SLO CAL • Partner on paid search strategies to maximize traveler impact • Utilize Visit SLO CAL’s visitor research to inform strategies • Align on cross-linking opportunities CENTRAL COAST TOURISM COUNCIL (CCTC) • Participate in co-op opportunities to reach additional audiences and solidify San Luis Obispo as a prime destination on the Central Coast • Leverage partnership to enhance the City of San Luis Obispo’s tourism brand and ad placements VISIT CALIFORNIA • Align on Visit California’s visitor and state research to inform strategies • Maximize the SLO TBID’s marketing through Visit California co-op opportunities SLO COAST WINE COLLECTIVE • Engage with SLO Coast Wine Collective’s followers through partnership opportunities to market San Luis Obispo as a wine destination and promote overnight stays • Align marketing efforts and partner on creative opportunities CAL POLY • Support Cal Poly New Student Transition Program and Student Affairs to leverage new opportunities to market San Luis Obispo to parents and students as their new “home away from home” • Participate in Cal Poly Athletics opportunities as they arise • Continue to find ways to partner with Cal Poly Alumni Association MINDBODY • Continue to leverage partnership and new ideas to set San Luis Obispo as a wellness destination and as the home of MINDBODY Success is never achieved alone - to maximize our impact and “punch above our weight”, the TBID Board & Staff supports and nurture strategic partnerships with destinations, agencies and committees. Through knowledge sharing and communication, we will engage with the organizations below to drive towards shared goals. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS & INDUSTRY RELATIONSDRAFT 43SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2142SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 Throughout the travelers’ journey, efficiency metrics such as Cost per Thousand Impressions (CPM), Cost per Click (CPC), Qualitative Score, Click Through Rate (CTR) and Cost per Acquisition (CPA) will all be reported to show opportunities for optimization. From a qualitative perspective, we plan to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to assess impact, maintain up-to-date traveler sentiment research and real-time traveler data, as well as incorporate the Barcelona Principles to measure earned media placements. As we know, this pandemic has created a unique challenge in defining campaign success. This year, we propose utilizing both quantitative and qualitative metrics to see the whole picture. From a quantitative perspective, we plan to measure success through the various stages of the travelers’ journey. In the dreaming phase, we will assess interaction with the website by channel and from target geographies, impressions and reach from our paid and earned initiatives, reach of earned placements and organic share of voice. Looking at the planning phase, engagement metrics like site traffic, time on site, and pages per session will be analyzed as well as social engagements and newsletter open rate. Lastly, in the booking phase, we can refer to partner referrals and newsletter subscriptions for success. MEASUREMENT • Page 1 Keyword Rankings • Newsletter Open Rate • Organic Share of Voice • Sessions / Users – By Channel – By Geo • Impressions • Reach / Frequency • Clicks • Video Views/Completion Rate • Barcelona Principles • Earned Media Impressions • Keep the conversation going to amplify our message • Utilize website to plan in- destination moments and activities • Find up-to-date safety information AWARENESS METRICS CONVERSION METRICS EFFICIENCY METRICS SHORT-TERM • Measuring Visitors Outcome from Drive Markets • Evaluating Economic Impact of Visitors from Drive Markets LONG-TERMDRAFT 45SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-2144SLO TBID Marketing Plan 2020-21 SLO TBID BUDGET For fiscal year 2020-21 the TBID’s revenue is projected to be $1,254,400. The budget expenditure allocations are broken down between four primary categories with over half of the annual budget being allocated to marketing and contract services. Additionally, the TBID has allocated funds to a contingency fund in direct response to COVID-19 and the anticipation of a volatile year. The TBID continues to allocate essential funds to operations which includes staffing and tourism program expenses, as well as strategic partnerships and key tourism organizations.DRAFT visitslo.comDRAFT WE’RE ALL ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS CH&LA protects the rights and interest of the California lodging industry. Legislative advocacy, educational training, communicating, and cost-saving programs are provided for all segments of the industry. In addition, CH&LA supports strategic alliances to promote the value of California travel & tourism. • California Lodging Industry Legislative Action Summit – An annual event produced by CH&LA • FREE Legal Hotline: 800-678-2462 Jim Abrams, CH&LA’s Member Legal Advisor answers all inquiries personally • Laws Pertaining to the California Innkeeper – premier legal publication written by CH&LA’s Member Legal Advisor, Jim Abrams, now online! • CH&LA’s Professional Legislative Representation – Public Policy Advocates protects the interest of the of the lodging industry on behalf of CH&LA • AH&LA Partner State – As the only California lodging association that is a partner state of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, CH&LA represents your interests nationally and in California • Directory of California Legislature Reference publication of governmental information resources • Educational Conferences & Trade Show – Free conferences and trade shows held yearly in Northern and Southern California • Educational Seminars – CH&LA hosts educational seminar series throughout the state on such topics as Labor Law, Customer Service, Internet Marketing, and more • AH&LA Educational Institute Publications and Certifications – AH&LA members save 25% on purchases • Monthly Educational Webinars - Free members-only webinars on a wide variety of topics such as employment law, ADA, Social Media, SEO and more • Educational Scholarships – Awarded annually through the CH&LA and AH&LA Education Foundations • CH&LA Newsletter • California Lodging News Magazine • Advocacy Summary • Lodging Magazine • Lodging Sourcebook • Construction & Renovation Reports • CBRE Hotels Consulting Occupancy & Rate Averages California Forecasting • STR Occupancy & Rate Averages • Insurance – Workers Compensation Insurance, Employment Practices Liability Insurance (covers ADA claims), Health/Employee Benefit Plans and more from CH&LA’s preferred hospitality insurance provider. • Everfi - Over 75 online compliance training courses in sexual harassment, people and culture, data security and privacy, ethic and anti-corruption. • Credit Card Processing – Average property saves $1,000 annually • Payroll Processing – Save 10% • MIPP – A Cal/OSHA Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program (MIPP) and Training Tool-Kit which is required by law, is available to members. • Dell – Discounts up to 30% on computer products • LobbyLights – Free comprehensive wage and benefits data specific to the hotel industry. • Human Trafficking Posters & Training • Class Action Lawsuit Representation • CalChamber Labor Compliance Products – Save 15% • HBO – Save $5 Per Room • FREE Room Rate Cards & Proposition 65 Signs • FREE Drought Notification Cards • Shipping – Save up to 28% • Employee Recruitment – Save 20% • Office Supplies – Save 40-60% • STR – 20% discount • FREE California Hospitality Employment Guide • ConventionPlanit.com – Save 20% EDUCATION COMMUNICATIONS MEMBER PROGRAMSCALIFORNIA HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION 414 29th Street Sacramento, CA 95816 916.444.5780 Fax: 916.444.5848 www.calodging.com 07-18 CH&LA MEMBER BENEFITS LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Teleconference via GoToWebinar BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Clint Pearce, LeBren Harris and Natalie Ward BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: none STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager and Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:37 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2020-21 TBID Marketing Plan Representatives from Noble Studios presented the 2020-21 Draft Marketing Plan for committee member review and feedback. Committee members will further review the plan and provide feedback for Noble prior to presenting the plan at the October board meeting. Additionally, Noble Studios presented the paid media budget for Q2 of 2020-21 with a proposed budget of up to $60k and three primary channels to focus on for October – December 2020. Finally, Noble Studios provided a preview of the #SLOready campaign ads. Committee members provided feedback for consideration. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the draft 2020-21 Marketing Plan incorporating edits and feedback from the committee the Marketing Committee for recommendation to the TBID Board. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the 2020-21 Q2 paid media budget of up to $60k spend with the recommended channels from the agency, as well as the presented ads incorporating committee feedback and edits. 2. Co-Op Consideration Tourism Manager Cano presented two co-op opportunities for committee members to review and discuss. The first is the 2021 Spartan Race co-op with Visit SLO CAL for $5,000 participation. If the race does not happen due to COVID-19 then no dollars will be spent, but the DMO will still benefit from the marketing placed. The second co-op presented and discussed is the CCTC digital marketing package co-op for $1,500. Committee members provided feedback and agreed that both would be beneficial for the TBID. Both opportunities would be paid from the TBID’s co-op line item within the 2020-21 budget. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the TBID’s participation in the 2021 Spartan Race co-op with Visit SLO CAL at a partner price of $5,000. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PEARCE, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WARD, CARRIED 3-0, to approve the TBID’s participation in CCTC’S digital marketing co- op at a package price of $1,500. 4. New Business Items a. Committee Discussion - none b. Future Agenda Items- none c. Next Regular Meeting Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Meeting was adjourned at 12:22 p.m. TBID MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Teleconference Based on the threat of COVID-19 as reflected in the Proclamations of Emergency issued by both the Governor of the State of California, the San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services Director and the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as well as the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20 issued on March 17, 2020, relating to the convening of public meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of San Luis Obispo will be holding all public meetings via teleconference. There will be no physical location for the Public to view the meeting. Below are instructions on how to view the meeting remotely and how to leave public comment. Additionally, members of the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Board are allowed to attend the meeting via teleconference and to participate in the meeting to the same extent as if they were present. Using the most rapid means of communication available at this time, members of the public are encouraged to participate in TBID meetings in the following ways: 1. Remote Viewing - Members of the public who wish to watch the meeting can view: • Go to Webinar: • Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2515700606475975182 • Webinar ID: 749-401 -235 • You must register to view via Webinar. 2. Public Comment - The TBID will still be accepting public comment for only items on the agenda. Public comment can be submitted in the following ways: 3. Mail or Email Public Comment • Received by 8:00 AM on the day of meeting - Can be submitted via email to: (advisorybodies@slocity.org ) or U.S. Mail to City Clerk at: 990 Palm St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 • Emails sent after 8:00 AM up until public comment is opened on the item – Limited to one page emailed to cityclerk@slocity.org will be read aloud during the public comment period. 4. Verbal Public Comment - Call (805) 781-7164; state and spell your name, mention the agenda item number you are calling about and leave your comment. The verbal comments must be received by 8:00 AM on the morning of the noticed meeting and will be limited to 3 minutes. All voicemails will be forwarded to the TBID members and saved as Agenda Correspondence. All comments submitted will be placed into the administrative record of the meeting. 1. Strategic Plan Review 15 mins Staff and committee members will review the current 2019-24 Strategic Plan and will discuss next steps. 2. CHLA TBID 20-21 Renewal 25 mins Staff will update the committee on discussions with CHLA on negotiating a renewal amount for the 2020-21 fiscal year. 3. Budget Updates 10 mins Staff provide updates to the 2020-21 budget for committee member review and discussion. 4. New Business Items 10 mins a. Committee Discussion b. Future Agenda Items c. Next Regular Meeting Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 10:00 am DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of September 9, 2020 Page 1 Minutes - DRAFT PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE Wednesday, September 9, 2020 Regular Meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee was called to order on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 5:30 p.m., by Chair Matteson via teleconference. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Dana Matteson, Vice Chair John Thomas, Members Ryan Heath, Stephanie Stackhouse, Samantha Welch, Lori Lerian and John Conner Absent: None Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano and City Clerk Teresa Purrington PUBLIC COMMENT ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None --End of Public Comment-- CONSENT ITEMS ACTION: UPON MOTION BY VICE CHAIR CONNER, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WELCH, CARRIED 7-0 the Consent Agenda items 1 thru 6. C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on August 12, 2020 C.2 Minutes of the Special Meeting on August 20, 2020 C.3 2020-21 Community Promotions Budget Report C.4 Public Relations Report C.5 Visitors Center Report C.6 TOT Report DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of September 9, 2020 Page 2 PRESENTATIONS 1. PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY ACTIVITY UPDATE Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth, SLO Chamber provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Committee inquiries. Public Comment None. --End of Public Comment-- No action was taken on this item. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT CONTRACT SERVICES Jim Dantona and Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth, SLO Chamber provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Committee inquiries. Public Comment None. --End of Public Comment-- ACTION: UPON MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WELCH, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER STACKHOUSE, CARRIED 7-0, to approve the proposal as submitted in the amount of $30,000 from the general contract services line item allocation. 2. FLAG/BANNER PROGRAM UPDATE Tourism Manager Molly Cano provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Committee inquiries. Public Comment None. --End of Public Comment-- ACTION: UPON MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER THOMAS, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HEATH, CARRIED 7-0 to approve a not to exceed budget of $5000 for the design and production of an eighth banner with a traditional Christmas theme. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of September 9, 2020 Page 3 PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 1. COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE – COMMITTEE REPORT None. 2. TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Meeting Minutes: August 12, 2020 John Conner provided a brief overview of the TBID Board Meeting. 3. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE Tourism Manager Cano provided a brief Tourism Program update. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:51 p.m. The next Regular Promotinal Coordinating Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 5:30 p.m., via teleconference. APPROVED BY THE PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE: XX/XX/2020