HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-13-2024 TBID Agenda Packet
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
AGENDA
Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
The Tourism Business Improvement District Board holds in-person meetings. Zoom participation will
not be supported at this time.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:
Public Comment prior to the meeting (must be received 3 hours in advance of the meeting):
Mail - Delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Address letters to the City Clerk's Office at 990
Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, 93401.
Email - Submit Public Comments via email to advisorybodies@slocity.org. In the body of your
email, please include the date of the meeting and the item number (if applicable). Emails will not
be read aloud during the meeting.
Voicemail - Call (805) 781-7164 and leave a voicemail. Please state and spell your name, the
agenda item number you are calling about, and leave your comment. Verbal comments must be
limited to 3 minutes. Voicemails will not be played during the meeting.
*All correspondence will be archived and distributed to members, however, submissions received
after the deadline may not be processed until the following day.
Public Comment during the meeting:
Meetings are held in-person. To provide public comment during the meeting, you must be
present at the meeting location.
Electronic Visual Aid Presentation. To conform with the City's Network Access and Use Policy,
Chapter 1.3.8 of the Council Policies & Procedures Manual, members of the public who desire
to utilize electronic visual aids to supplement their oral presentation are encouraged to provide
display-ready material to the City Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on the day before the meeting. Contact
the City Clerk's Office at cityclerk@slocity.org or (805) 781-7114.
Pages
1.CALL TO ORDER
Chair Pearce will call the Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business
Improvement District Board to order.
2.PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
At this time, people may address the Committee about items not on the agenda.
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.
3.CONSENT
3.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 14 5
3.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)9
3.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT 11
3.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT 13
3.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT 15
3.f NOBLE STUDIOS & DCI MARKETING MONTHLY REPORT 17
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT 33
4.PRESENTATIONS
4.a SLO CAL WELCOME (15 MIN)
A representative from Visit SLO CAL will present an update on the SLO
CAL Welcome program.
5.BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a SLO TBID APPOINTMENTS (10 MIN)
The Board will appoint the TBID Board Chair and Vice Chair with
appointment terms commencing in April 2024. The Board will also
approve the TBID Liaison assignment to the PCC.
5.b Q4 MEDIA PLAN REVIEW (30 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios will present the outlined media plan
and considerations for the fourth quarter for the Board’s review and
input.
5.c RFP UPDATE (10 MIN)
Staff will present an update to the Destination Marketing Services RFP
process and timeline.
6.TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE – LIAISON REPORTS
6.b PCC UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT 41
6.c VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
6.d TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – STAFF REPORT
7.ADJOURNMENT
The next Special Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board
is scheduled for March 26, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
LISTENING ASSISTIVE DEVICES are available -- see the Clerk
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) 781-7114 at least
48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the
Deaf (805) 781-7410.
Agenda related writings or documents provided to the Tourism Business
Improvement District Board are available for public inspection on the City’s
website, under the Public Meeting Agendas web page:
https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-and-
minutes. Meeting video recordings can be found on the City’s website:
http://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=61016&dbid=0&repo=CityCl
erk
Page 4 of 44
1
Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes
February 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
TBID Board Present: Member Lori Keller, Member Prashant Patel, Member Sandy
Sandoval, Vice Chair Lydia Bates, Chair Clint Pearce
TBID Board Absent: Member Winston Newland, Member Nipool Patel
City Staff Present: Economic Development & Tourism Manager Molly Cano,
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-
Charlesworth
_____________________________________________________________________
1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement
District Board was called to order on February 14, 2024 at 10:02 a.m. in the
Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair
Pearce.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
Dusty Colyer-Worth, GALA Pride & Diversity Center
LeBren Harris, Downtown SLO
--End of Public Comment--
3. CONSENT
Motion By Member Sandoval
Second By Vice Chair Bates
To approve the Consent Items 3a through 3g.
Ayes (5): Member Keller, Member Patel, Member Sandoval, Vice Chair Bates,
and Chair Pearce
Absent (2): Member Newland, and Member Nipool Patel
Page 5 of 44
2
CARRIED (5 to 0)
3.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 10, 2024.
3.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)
3.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT
3.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT
3.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT
3.f NOBLE STUDIOS & DCI MARKETING MONTHLY REPORT
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a BRAND SENTIMENT STUDY RESULTS (25 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios presented the results from the
recently deployed brand sentiment survey.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
ACTION: No action taken on this item.
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a SLO TBID FUND BALANCE & BUDGET UPDATE (20 MIN)
Jacob Nunez, SLO City Revenue Analyst presented the SLO TBID Fund
Balance for the Board's review and allocation.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
ACTION: No action taken on this item.
5.b PUBLIC RELATIONS MEDIA MISSION (20 MIN)
Siobhan Chretien, DCI presented a proposed public relations media
mission in Southern California.
Page 6 of 44
3
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Member Patel
Second By Vice Chair Bates
To allocate up to $30,000 from the research and program development
budget for the Southern California media tour.
Ayes (5): Member Keller, Member Patel, Member Sandoval, Vice Chair
Bates, and Chair Pearce
Absent (2): Member Newland, and Member Nipool Patel
CARRIED (5 to 0)
5.c EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY UPDATE (30 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios presented an update on Visit San
Luis Obispo's email marketing strategy.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
ACTION: No action taken on this item.
6. TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE – LIAISON REPORTS
No Reports.
6.b PCC UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
Chair Pearce provided a brief update on PCC activities.
6.c VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
Chair Clint Pearce and Economic Development & Tourism Manager Molly
Cano provided a brief update on Visit SLO CAL activities.
6.d TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – STAFF REPORT
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
provided a brief update on tourism program activities.
Page 7 of 44
4
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 12:05 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for March 13, 2024 at
10:00 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo.
APPROVED BY TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD:
XX/XX/202X
Page 8 of 44
February 2024
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
California 61.27 60.69 61.10 179.00 172.21 177.07 109.67 104.51 108.19 -4.01 -5.67 -4.49 0.05 -2.69 -0.72 -3.97 -8.21 -5.18
City of Paso Robles 47.40 58.87 50.68 138.68 202.35 159.81 65.73 119.13 80.99 -20.89 -23.66 -21.83 1.56 -1.95 -0.29 -19.66 -25.15 -22.06
City of Pismo Beach 39.59 61.03 45.72 152.10 205.71 172.55 60.22 125.55 78.88 -29.57 -11.76 -23.70 -0.38 -10.56 -3.16 -29.84 -21.07 -26.11
City of San Luis Obispo 52.48 61.44 55.04 129.01 164.75 140.41 67.71 101.23 77.28 -8.48 -20.03 -12.51 -0.70 -9.06 -5.00 -9.12 -27.28 -16.89
City of Morro Bay 41.64 59.09 46.63 103.99 131.00 113.77 43.30 77.40 53.04 -17.90 -3.79 -13.29 -3.31 -6.25 -3.63 -20.61 -9.80 -16.44
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
California 60.96 74.92 64.95 179.99 198.62 186.13 109.71 148.81 120.88 -2.01 -6.24 -3.45 1.85 -3.03 -0.07 -0.20 -9.08 -3.52
City of Paso Robles 52.76 77.75 59.90 152.45 256.32 190.97 80.44 199.28 114.39 -12.44 -14.07 -13.05 7.63 -1.99 2.33 -5.77 -15.77 -11.03
City of Pismo Beach 52.24 75.28 58.82 154.38 245.05 187.54 80.64 184.48 110.31 -11.28 -13.42 -12.07 -1.94 -9.52 -6.02 -13.00 -21.66 -17.36
City of San Luis Obispo 56.16 76.13 61.87 132.86 213.79 161.32 74.61 162.76 99.80 -3.62 -15.06 -7.98 0.11 -3.23 -3.01 -3.52 -17.81 -10.75
City of Morro Bay 50.13 66.87 54.92 104.00 159.52 123.32 52.14 106.68 67.72 -4.91 -16.97 -9.48 -2.55 -9.63 -7.42 -7.34 -24.96 -16.20
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
California 62.40 69.29 64.37 180.51 181.97 180.96 112.63 126.08 116.47 -7.71 -1.75 -5.95 -1.61 -3.23 -2.08 -9.19 -4.92 -7.91
City of Paso Robles 54.18 69.39 58.53 157.53 216.12 177.37 85.36 149.95 103.81 -18.36 -8.00 -15.12 3.49 -0.57 2.78 -15.51 -15.51 -12.76
City of Pismo Beach 55.69 78.37 62.17 167.12 209.25 182.29 93.07 163.99 113.34 -16.43 19.00 -6.40 -7.95 -4.81 -5.25 -23.08 -23.08 -11.31
City of San Luis Obispo 62.39 77.91 66.82 144.17 180.56 156.29 89.94 140.66 104.44 -9.17 -0.43 -6.43 -4.05 -0.32 -2.27 -12.85 -12.85 -8.56
City of Morro Bay 48.60 66.46 53.70 110.09 135.68 119.14 53.50 90.17 63.98 -17.18 12.78 -8.59 -8.40 -3.00 -5.32 -24.13 -24.13 -13.45
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
California 65.11 67.01 65.65 180.66 176.35 179.40 117.63 118.18 117.79 1.33 -6.91 -1.22 2.84 -5.24 0.28 4.20 -11.80 -0.95
City of Paso Robles 48.82 56.83 51.11 142.66 215.34 165.75 69.64 122.37 84.71 -10.02 -26.45 -15.98 4.20 -4.87 -2.14 -6.24 -30.03 -17.78
City of Pismo Beach 53.03 62.83 55.83 148.85 212.01 169.16 78.94 133.22 94.45 17.23 -4.42 9.27 0.93 -11.46 -6.69 18.32 -15.37 1.96
City of San Luis Obispo 55.92 72.61 60.69 134.36 194.60 154.95 75.13 141.30 94.04 -2.64 -11.80 -5.98 -2.51 1.86 -1.44 -5.08 -10.16 -7.33
City of Morro Bay 45.09 55.40 48.03 107.46 138.47 117.68 48.45 76.71 56.53 0.04 -14.33 -5.20 -2.10 -8.79 -5.93 -2.06 -21.86 -10.82
For the Week of February 25, 2024
to March 02, 2024
For the Week of February 18, 2024
to February 24, 2024
For the Week of February 11, 2024
to February 17, 2024
For the Week of February 04, 2024
to February 10, 2024
RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Page 9 of 44
Page 10 of 44
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Change +/- to
previous FY
July 508,195$ 541,806$ 591,184$ 636,778$ 699,845$ 761,346$ 844,845$ 877,391$ 861,241$ 884,317$ 913,019$ 530,064$ 1,214,080$ 1,300,061$ 1,244,066$ -4.3%
August 511,564$ 542,194$ 574,395$ 623,655$ 674,244$ 732,271$ 774,501$ 765,232$ 728,932$ 775,513$ 826,465$ 623,523$ 992,620$ 1,089,326$ 1,035,032$ -5.0%
September 400,023$ 437,543$ 490,524$ 508,583$ 505,954$ 557,002$ 643,127$ 650,117$ 693,704$ 682,810$ 720,414$ 660,405$ 965,595$ 1,040,391$ 1,024,818$ -1.5%
October 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 642,221$ 628,049$ 601,208$ 650,101$ 711,393$ 632,733$ 889,485$ 986,882$ 986,381$ -0.1%
November 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 468,016$ 497,162$ 513,487$ 556,885$ 593,403$ 422,488$ 722,487$ 772,110$ 747,844$ -3.1%
December 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 429,600$ 434,836$ 473,701$ 488,296$ 488,757$ 236,391$ 638,253$ 630,527$ 630,325$ 0.0%
January 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 387,304$ 396,559$ 415,690$ 465,547$ 520,813$ 302,621$ 557,369$ 526,691$ 539,507$ 2.4%missing 2 hotels
February 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 466,915$ 439,735$ 503,451$ 524,327$ 596,021$ 426,144$ 716,045$ 718,467$
March 326,099$ 333,783$ 392,266$ 426,879$ 448,103$ 520,795$ 559,235$ 549,642$ 577,285$ 602,781$ 268,458$ 614,973$ 820,473$ 805,947$
April 423,158$ 451,133$ 475,913$ 486,850$ 564,617$ 610,894$ 609,439$ 708,724$ 641,919$ 741,364$ 69,184$ 742,477$ 1,068,408$ 1,057,701$
May 372,997$ 433,874$ 447,116$ 489,862$ 546,916$ 601,614$ 598,093$ 645,114$ 630,820$ 665,603$ 174,982$ 760,006$ 919,831$ 910,444$
June 490,326$ 512,543$ 578,234$ 610,948$ 630,729$ 727,028$ 731,038$ 765,362$ 796,899$ 835,727$ 409,945$ 973,975$ 1,100,000$ 1,147,826$
Total/Average 4,478,481$ 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$ 6,925,799$ 10,604,646$ 10,986,373$ 6,207,974$
2022-23 2023-24 Change +/-2022-23 2023-24 Change +/-2022-23 2023-24 Change +/-
July 82.6 83.5 1.1%206.04 199.85 -3.0%170.2 166.97 -1.9%
August 75.8 74 -2.4%191.58 190.04 -0.8%145.18 140.59 -3.2%
September 72.7 71.2 -2.1%192.94 194.69 0.9%140.26 138.57 -1.2%
October 69.9 70.1 0.3%182.95 184.24 0.7%127.88 129.19 1.0%
November 61.6 62.7 1.8%168.42 164.58 -2.3%103.79 103.23 -0.5%
December 54.1 56.5 4.4%151.40 149.65 -1.2%81.88 84.56 3.3%
January 50.4 54.3 7.7%136.18 139.69 2.6%68.59 75.79 10.5%
February 66 157.11 103.64
March 64.1 159.05 101.91
April 74.0 188.24 141.32
May 67.5 181.38 122.36
June 74.2 206.77 153.52
Total/Average 67.74 0.02 176.84$ 0.00 121.71$ 0.01 Updated: 03/07/2024
Occupancy ADR RevPAR*Figures from Smith
Travel Research Report
TOT Comparison
Page 11 of 44
Page 12 of 44
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
February 2024
PR ACTIVITY
Implementation/Proactive Work
Continued planning for travel writer Alexa Mellardo's upcoming visit
Updated Visit SLO Media Page
Distributed 2 press releases: Midweekend launch on February 1 and Eat Local Bonus/Restaurant Week results on February 27
Continued working with the City and Noble Studios/DCI on overall tourism marketing campaign
Responsive leads
Pitched "Women's History Month", "Sustainable Superblooms", "Midweekend" and "The Great Indoors" story ideas to Visit California
Pitched "Family & Multigenerational Travel Travel Opportunities", "Sustainable Travel & Alternative Transportation", "Outdoor Activities and Highlights" and Agritourism & Farm Offerings" to CCTC
Partnerships
Continued planning for SoCal Spring Media Mission with DCI
Began working with Badger Branding on Downtown Neighborhood Map
Particpated in working session with the City, Noble Studios and Badger Branding
Met with Cision team to go over mid-year software review
Continued working with the City, DCI, Hotel SLO and the SLO International Film Festival to plan The Art of SLO(wing) Down group media trip
Met with Visit SLO CAL team to discuss hosting partnerships
PUBLICATION PLACEMENTS UVPM AD VALUE PILLARS RESULT OF
THE COAST NEWS No car, no problem in San Luis Obispo 101,000.00 $11.20 Sustainability MEDIA HOSTING
SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT ONLINE S.L.O.-cation 218,000 $61.14 Cultural MEDIA HOSTING
PASTE The 10 Best Road Trips from Los Angeles 2,790,000.00 $663.15 Cultural MEDIA HOSTING IN PARTNERSHIP W/DCI
TRAVEL DREAMS MAGAZINE San Luis Obispo, California, Is Giving Visitors $100 Cash For a Winter Midweek Stay 8,000.00 $0.22 Support Local PROACTIVE PITCHING IN PARTNERSHIP W/DCI
TRAVEL + LEISURE I've Lived in California All My Life — and These Are the Most Underrated Destinations in the Golden State 15,298,774.00 $141,513.00 Cultural PROACTIVE PITCHING IN PARTNERSHIP W/DCI
TAKING THE KIDS Visit SLO-Cal and get a Benjamin 5,000.00 $0.42 Support Local PROACTIVE PITCHING IN PARTNERSHIP W/DCI
MUSTANG NEWS SLO Buy Local Bonus Program injects nearly $1 million into local economy 500.00 $0.12 Support Local PROACTIVE PITCHING
KCBX San Luis Obispo celebrates Lunar New Year and historic building 22,000.00 $1.21 Cultural PROACTIVE PITCHING
YAHOO LIFESTYLE SLO recognized for water conservation - and it's one of few in nation to get top honor 180,340,000.00 $34,344.70 Sustainability
YAHOO NEWS Boutique hotel in downtown SLO reopens with new owners — and a cocktail bar on the way 180,340,000.00 $34,344.70 Cultural
USA TODAY 10 family-friendly winter weekend getaways in the US 66,340,000.00 $15,188.24 Family
TIMEOUT This is the most popular hidden gem in the U.S.19,000,000.00 $895.51 Cultural
AOL 10 family-friendly winter weekend getaways in the US 16,640,000.00 $6,664.08 Family
FLIPBOARD 3 Day San Luis Obispo Itinerary - Best Hidden Gems In San Luis Obispo, California + Famous Things To Do – Travel With Me 24 X 73,760,000.00 $298.16 Cultural
TRAVEL LEMMING Where to Stay in San Luis Obispo (By an Area Local)1,170,000.00 $77.56 Cultural
TRAVEL LEMMING 19 Best California Breweries (By a Local)1,170,000.00 $77.56 Beer/Wine
AFAR The Ultimate Trip Ideas for Travelers in California 1,430,000.00 $94.94 Cultural
KSBY Public art installations continue development in San Luis Obispo 478,000.00 $39.54 Cultural
THE TRIBUNE Crowds pack downtown SLO as block party celebrates Lunar New Year with drone light show 21,000.00 $2,668.27 Support Local
GOOD MEN PROJECT 5 Romantic Road Trips for Couples This Valentine's Day 691,000.00 $42.45 Cultural
FINE HOMES AND LIVING Discovering San Luis Obispo's Most Enchanting Wedding Venues 50,000.00 $1.93 Cultural
TOTALS
21 489,873,274.00 $236,988.10
TOTAL YTD 1,295,350,921.00 $836,512.79
109 1,785,224,195.00 $1,073,500.89
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Page 14 of 44
Feb Jan Feb
2023 2024 2024 Asia 14%
Walk‐ins 5,495 10,931 5,276 Europe 59%
Phone Calls 535 616 206 Australia/NZ 3%
Emails & Digital 925 1,587 979 UK 3%
N. America 14%
C. America 0%
Feb Jan Feb S. America 7%
2023 2024 2024
Calls 92 46 42 West Coast 31%
Southwest 6%
Midwest 28%
Feb Jan Feb South 11%
2023 2024 2024 East Coast 24%
Referrals 936 42 25
Northern CA 24%
Central Coast 61%
Feb Jan Feb Central Valley 2%
2023 2024 2024 Desert 0%
Email 91 81 112 Southern CA 13%
Phone Calls 286 101 124
Feb Feb Feb
2023 2024 2024 YTD
Fulfilled N/A 5 VisitSLO.com 17 34
VISITOR CENTER ACTIVATIONS
No external activations
VISITOR CENTER HIGHLIGHTS
1) Starting the MidWeekend travelers program
3) Helping the snowbirds find their way around SLO
2) Bringing some new team members in to the VC
INFORMATION REQUESTS EVENTS SHARED
REPORT TO CITY OF SLO ‐ TBID & PCC
GUEST SERVICES CONTRACT
FEBRUARY 2024
DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT
International Travelers
VISITOR INTERACTION
CALLS TO 877‐SLO‐TOWN
HOTEL REFERRALS
HOTEL AVAILABILITY TRACKER
Domestic Travelers
California Travelers
Page 15 of 44
Page 16 of 44
Agency Report ·February 2024
SLO-TBID
Page 17 of 44
Agency Repor t
February Activity &Performance
What’s Ahead:
●Quarterly Marketing Plan FY23-24:
Visit SLO - 30/60/90 Marketing Plan - FY23-24
Paid Media
Paid Search
In February,paid search drove 27,472 impressions (+1%YoY),4,303 clicks (+37%YoY),15.66%
CTR (+37%YoY),a 53%conversion rate (+55%YoY),a $3.87 average CPC (-19%YoY)and 8,548
sessions (+68%YoY)while driving 1,822 hotel referrals (+79%YoY),150 homestay referrals
(+249%YoY),and 182 things to do referrals (+344%YoY)at an 11%increase in cost YoY.
This graph shows PoP data as YoY comparisons within the GA4 dashboard are not available,as GA4 was
implemented less than one year ago.
2
Page 18 of 44
Paid Social
Paid social drove 3,512,505 impressions (+20%YoY),1,204,805 users reached,and 60,747 clicks
(+57%YoY)across Facebook and Instagram with a 1.73%CTR for FB/Instagram (+31%YoY)for
24,160 sessions (+69%YoY)while driving 224 hotel referrals (+133%YoY),18 Homestay referrals
(+125%YoY),and 35 things to do referral (+338%YoY)at a 10%increase in cost YoY.
Display
Display drove 4,277,903 impressions (+4%YoY),8,874 clicks (-34%YoY),a 0.21%CTR (-37%YoY),
a 1.06%conversion rate (+153%YoY)and 4,721 sessions (-60%YoY)while driving 50 hotel
referrals (+47%YoY),5 homestay referrals (-58%YoY),and 4 things to do referral (-50%YoY),at a
30%decrease in cost YoY.
As Google transitions away from traditional static display ads,we expect to continue to see
decreases in performance for these types of static ads.New ad formats such as Performance Max
and Demand Gen ads allow Google to utilize machine learning and AI to improve performance by
dynamically switching out headlines,descriptions,and other assets.We will continue to build out
more ads for these types of ads to utilize these new tools and continue to drive higher levels of
engagement and performance across the display networks.
3
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This graph shows PoP data as YoY comparisons within the GA4 dashboard are not available,as GA4 was
implemented less than one year ago.
Video
Video campaigns drove 414,820 impressions (-1%YoY),5,995 clicks (+190%YoY),a 1.45%CTR
(+193%YoY),and 4,088 sessions (+300%YoY)while driving 2 hotel referrals,2 things to do referral
(+100%YoY),and 4 newsletter signups,at a 51%decrease in cost YoY.
Proactively monitored and optimized paid media placements ($48,434 spend).
4
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Email Marketing
Monthly Newsletter
In February,we sent two monthly newsletters to all subscribers that highlighted the MidWeekend
deal and provided different ways to experience SLO on a trip.Both emails drove significant
awareness via sessions and clicks,as well as partner referrals for the Midweekend deal while
showing higher levels of engagement period over period.
Key Takeaway:Deal and event-specific emails tend to resonate well with our audience,and we
recommend continuing to leverage these when possible in future emails.
February Newsletter #1 Snapshot |The MidWeekend
●Send Date:2/1/24
●Audience Reached:All Newsletters Subscribers
●Recipients:22,737
●Open Rate:57.8%
●Click Rate:2.4%
●Number of Website Sessions:838 (+100%PoP)
●Average Session Duration:2:56 (+31%PoP)
●Pages /Session:2.88 (+19%PoP)
●Engagement Rate:56%(+2%PoP)
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●Total Partner Referrals:175 (+54%PoP)
●Total Lodging Referrals:151 (+331%PoP)
February Newsletter #2 Snapshot |How to Spend Your MidWeekend
●Send Date:2/20/24
●Audience Reached:All Newsletters Subscribers
●Recipients:22,737
●Open Rate:61%
●Click Rate:2.5%
●Number of Website Sessions:713 (+70%PoP)
●Average Session Duration:2:17 (+2%PoP)
●Pages /Session:2.44 (+0.5%PoP)
●Engagement Rate:58%(+6%PoP)
●Total Partner Referrals:60 (-47%PoP)
●Total Lodging Referrals:50 (+43%PoP)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)&Content Creation
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Organic search traffic increased 5%period-over-period and increased 50%year-over-year.
Year-over-year organic search generated 860 hotel partner referrals (+147%YoY),65 homestay
partner referrals (+124%YoY),and 1,450 things to do referrals increased by (+48%YoY).YoY
Average Session Duration decreased 13%,while pages per session increased 11%.
Page 1 keywords increased to 1,200 (+6%PoP),and total keywords increased to 4,754 (+5%PoP).
In February,we performed an optimization of the shopping and the places to eat page.We are
continuing to monitor SEO performance across all of our pages since our new website launched in
July,and are seeing good organic improvements across the board.
Dinner Page (Optimized in August)
LGBTQ+Page (Optimized in September)
Golf Courses Page (Optimized in November)
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Page 23 of 44
Cal Poly Page (Optimized in November)
Website
In January,the website saw 88,322 total sessions (+46%YoY).The highest engagement rates came
from cross-network,organic search,and email.February saw an average of 1.76 pages per session
(-4%YoY)and an average session duration of 1:32 (-7%YoY).In February we saw 4,490 Hotel
Referrals (+81%YoY),331 Homestay referrals (+108%YoY),and 2,449 Things to Do referrals (+73%
YoY).
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MRO Updates:
●WP core updated to 6.4.3
Plugins:
●Events Calendar,Events Calendar Pro,and Events Calendar Community Events
●Gravity Forms
●ACF
●WP SMTP Mail
●Yoast
●WPS Hide Login
●Permalink Manager Pro
●Redirection
●Relevanssi Premium
Theme Updates
●Re-organized block-specific front-end scripts into the block directories for better code
organization and management (takes advantage of new WP capabilities)
●Configured js linting to more easily catch script errors and optimization opportunities
●Removed some redundant code from block edit scripts
●Registered some new image sizes to optimize homepage images
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Web Retainer
Includes the injection of 10 hours for the approved SLO International Film Festival and Harvest on
the Coast campaign support.
Monthly Progress
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance,
Coordination,and
Management
38.50 Updating Neighborhood page (map images),new filter work,Chamber
Stakeholder updates,Film Fest updates,CrowdRiff pattern work,
removing Big Sky from the site,Grange Hall updates
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Creative Services
12
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Monthly Progress
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance,
Coordination,and
Management
18.75 Cal Poly ad updates,Film Fest creative work and QC
PR And Media Relations
Proactive Pitching:
●One Town,Many Audiences (empty nesters,wine and food,,cultural celebrations)
●SLO Midweekender
●Lunar New Year
●Women’s History Month
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Media Relations:Pitching and Outreach
●Noel Burgess,Forbes,Food &Wine Travel
●Johnny Motley,Paste Magazine,California Road Trips
●Mark Ellwood,AFAR,Where to Go in June
●Scott Hartbeck,Travel Pulse,Where to Go in Spring
●Eileen Ogintz,Taking the Kids,SLO Midweek
●Johnny Jet,Midweekender
●Alex Caspero,Associated Press,Family Travel 2024 (Midweekender)
●Katie Jackson,Hidden Gem Travel Dupes,NY Post
●Stephanie Vermillion,Hotel Foraging,Business Traveler
●Rachael Paley,Wine Enthusiast,Midweekender
●Steve Martin,Splash Magazine,Midweekender
●Linda Laban,NY Post/Gannett,Midweekender
Hosted Media Visits (3-5 visits/partnerships in 2023-24)
●Individual Media Visits -4 Complete
○Lina Lecara,LA Weekly,August 2-4
○Eileen Ognitz &Andrew Yemma,Taking the Kids,August 9-11
○Susan Lanier-Graham,North Peoria Lifestyle,October 26
○Erica Zazo,Backpacker Magazine,December 6-9
●Upcoming Individual Media Visits (Confirmed)
○Alexa Mellardo,Eat This,Not That,March 6-9
○Matt Meltzer,Fifty Grand,December 20 (Canceled)
●Group FAM,April 23-27 (4-6 media)
○Mae Hamilton,AFAR,AARP,TripAdvisor (confirmed)
SoCal Coastal Media Mission:
●Los Angeles,May 13 (Event:The Potting Shed 6:15pm-8:45pm)
○Daytime Desksides
●Pasadena,May 14 (Event:Venue TBD 5pm-8pm)
○Daytime Desksides
●Orange County,May 15 (Event:Dine +Duffy 5-7:30pm)
○Daytime Desksides
●San Diego,May 16
○Desksides only
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DCI’s All Client Pitch Initiative
Proposed:(4-6 pitches throughout 2023-24)
Progress:
6 Complete:What’s New in 2024 (July 2023),Hispanic Heritage Month (August
2023),Foodie Destinations (September 2023),Babymoons (October 2023),
Accessibility (November 2023),Story Starters (February 2024)
DCI 2023-24 SLO Coverage Grid:
●https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X5vv8eqMyV4HSLq4nod-fio_XtbqSyap54Hau1w
V7yY/edit#gid=1486951543
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Page 32 of 44
February 2024
SLO TBID - SHARESLO
ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
Date: 3/13/24Page 33 of 44
Followers: 29,637 ( 2.7%)
Total Follower Gain: 769
Total Posts: 193
Total Impressions: 759,259 ( 31%)
(includes both organic & paid)
Total stories: 172
Total Engagements:15,517 ( 15%)
Engagement Rate: 2.04% ( 12%)
INSTAGRAM
TOP POSTS:
In February, we gained almost 800 new followers growing our average monthly increase. We saw an increase in both
impressions and engagements, which means more people are seeing our content and liking, sending, saving, and commenting
on it. Our top three posts were all reels which help boost analytics across the board.
Page 34 of 44
Page Followers: 98,365 ( 0.1%)
Total Net Audience Growth: 146
Total Posts: 23
Total Impressions: 3,290,031 ( 7.5%)
Total Organic: 99,674 ( 111%)
Total Engagements: 63,286 ( 24%)
Engagement Rate: 1.92 % ( 15%)
FACEBOOK
TOP POSTS:
In February, we saw increases across the board with new followers, growth in overall impressions and organic
impressions, and engagements. Our Lunar New Year content performed very well, which coincides with local events
always outperforming others on this platform.
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Followers: 59
Total Net Growth: -1
Total Impressions: 2.5 ( 15%)
Total Saves: 31
Engagements: 102 ( 16%)
Total Audience: 1.56k ( 1.5%)
Engaged Audience: 63 ( 18%)
In February, we did lose a single follower, although our impressions and total audience increased. This means other users,
outside our follower base, had our content in front of them.
TOP POSTS:
PINTEREST
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Total Audience: 241
Total Net Growth: 27
Total Posts: 4
Impressions: 1,692 ( 321%)
Engagements: 146 ( 371%)
Engagement Rate: 8.6% ( 12%)
LINKEDIN
TOP POSTS:
In February, we saw great success across this platform. We brought on 27 new followers, raised impressions and
engagements by over 300%, and have an incredibly high engagement rate. We are gaining more interest from new
followers and keeping our consistent audience interactive and engaged.
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Total Posts: 2
Story Views: 55 ( 40%)
Story Impressions: 6.1k ( 16%)
Interaction Rate: 69% ( 6.6%)
(Average Rate: 67%)
Completion Rate: 57.6% ( 9.8%)
(Average Rate: 52%)
CA Travel Stories - Crowdriff
POSTS THIS MONTH:
In February, we increased our interaction rate and completion rate which means the people who saw our stories likely
shared, saved, went to our website, and interacted with the content. We remain above the industry average for those
analytics. These stories are entirely exposure-based and depend on high quality images, clear content focusing on SEO, and
short duration.
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WHAT WE WORKED ON THIS MONTH:
- MidWeekend Campaign (2 Reels)
-Reel: 12.9k Views, Reel: 16k Views
-Lunar New Year Block Party Celebration
-Gift Basket Giveaway Collaboration w/ @ahlouisstore,
@sichuankitchenslo, @meehenglow
-Black History Month
-Black-Owned Business Features
-Pizza in SLO Reel
- +27k Views, Reached +16.3k non-followers
-Traveling Sustainably in SLO
-Collaborations w/ @littleeyes.bigworld, @edibleslo, etc.
-Live Performances in SLO (SLO Rep, Fremont Theatre)
- Giveaways w/ @thepennyslo, @kelseywine, @athertable,
@dairycreekgolfcourse Page 39 of 44
MARCH’S FOCUS:
-National Women’s History Month
-At Her Table, Local Woman Musicians, Local Woman Artists
-MidWeekend Campaign
- Vintage Murals, Art After Dark
-SLO Film Fest Introduction
- Food / Bev Features
-Oyster Round-Up, Tea Round-Up, Mules in SLO
-First Day of Spring
-Sustainable SLO, Travel Green in SLO
-Spring Break in SLO, Superbloom (if appropriate)
-San Luis Obispo Direct Flights feature
-Kind Traveler Introduction
-Beaver Brigade
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1
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
January 10, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
PCC Members
Present:
Committee Member Maureen Forsberg, Committee Member
Clint Pearce, Committee Member John Thomas, Committee
Member Anni Wang, Vice Chair Lori Lerian, Chair Samantha
Welch
PCC Members Absent: Committee Member Robin Wolf
City Staff Present: Economic Development & Tourism Manager Molly Cano,
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-
Charlesworth, City Clerk Teresa Purrington
_____________________________________________________________________
1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee
was called to order on January 10, 2024 at 5:31 p.m. in the Council Hearing
Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair Welch.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. CONSENT
Motion By Vice Chair Lerian
Second By Committee Member Wang
To approve Consent Items 3a through 3f.
Ayes (6): Committee Member Forsberg, Committee Member Pearce, Committee
Member Thomas, Committee Member Wang, Vice Chair Lerian, and Chair Welch
Absent (1): Committee Member Wolf
CARRIED (6 to 0)
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2
3.a MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 13, 2023.
3.b 2023-24 COMMUNITY PROMOTION BUDGET REPORT
3.c SLO CHAMBER MONTHLY PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT
3.d SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES REPORT
3.e SLO CHAMBER GIA SUPPORT REPORTS
3.f TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a SUPPORT LOCAL QUARTER REPORT
Ashley Scarcella, Verdin presented the second quarter report for the
Support Local Marketing activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
4.b PUBLIC RELATIONS, GIA SUPPORT, AND VISITOR SERVICES
QUARTER REPORT
Jim Dantona and Hollie West, SLO Chamber presented the second
quarter report on the Visitor Services Center, GIA, and Public Relations.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a CACP GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE APPROVAL
The Committee reviewed and approved the components of the grant
program for FY 24-25.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
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3
Action: By consensus, the Committee approved the 24-25 CACP Grant
Program and canceled the February 14, 2024 PCC meeting. A mandatory
informational session for interested applicants will be held on February 8,
2024.
5.b EAT LOCAL BONUS & SLO RESTAURANT WEEK UPDATES
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
presented an update on Eat Local Bonus and SLO Restaurant Week and
responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5.c LUNAR NEW YEAR PROGRAM UPDATE
Amber Karson, Karson Butler Events presented the program plan for the
Lunar New Year Activation and responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Committee Member Pearce
Second By Committee Member Wang
To approve funding of $15,000 from community placemaking and recovery
projects for a drone show at the end of the Lunar New Year Celebration.
Ayes (6): Committee Member Forsberg, Committee Member Pearce,
Committee Member Thomas, Committee Member Wang, Vice Chair
Lerian, and Chair Welch
Absent (1): Committee Member Wolf
CARRIED (6 to 0)
6. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a GIA LIAISON REPORT – Liaison Assignments
6.b COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE – Committee Report
6.c TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Special Meeting Minutes: December 18,
2023
Page 43 of 44
4
Committee Member Pearce provided an update on items the TBID has
been working on.
6.d TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
provided an update on the Tourism Program.
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for March 13, 2024 at 5:30
p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo.
APPROVED BY PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE: XX/XX/202X
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