HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-2025 TBID Agenda Packet
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
AGENDA
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Council Hearing Room, 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. Attendees of City Council or Advisory Body meetings are eligible to
receive one hour of complimentary parking; restrictions apply, visit Parking for Public Meetings for
more details.
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 must 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 Bates 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 JANUARY 8 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 & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY
REPORT
17
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT 33
4.PRESENTATIONS
4.a FUND BALANCE & BUDGET UPDATE
Staff will present the SLO TBID fund balance and budget status for the
Board's consideration.
5.BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a PRINTED COLLATERAL
The Board will consider a one time expenditure to print updated Visit
San Luis Obispo destination marketing brochures for distribution.
5.b MIDWEEKEND PROMOTION UPDATE
Staff and contractors will present the Board with options for reimagining
the MidWeekend promotion for their input and direction.
6.TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.d PCC UPDATE 43
6.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE
6.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
7.ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board
is scheduled for March 12 at 10:00 a.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
1
Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes
January 8, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
TBID Board Present: Member Winston Newland, Member Nipool Patel, Vice Chair
Clint Pearce, Chair Lydia Bates
Member Lori Keller, Member Prashant Patel
City Staff Present: 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 January 8, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in the Council
Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair Bates.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. CONSENT
Motion By Member N. Patel
Second By Member Newland
To approved Consent Items 3a to 3g.
Ayes (4): Member Newland, Member Nipool Patel, Vice Chair Pearce, and Chair
Bates
Absent (2): Member Keller and Member P. Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
3.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 11, 2024
3.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)
3.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT
Page 5 of 45
2
3.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT
3.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT
3.f NOBLE STUDIOS & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY
REPORT
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a MARKETING SERVICES QUARTER REPORT (25 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios and Uniquely Driven presented the
second quarter report for the marketing and public relations activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
4.b PUBLIC RELATIONS & GUEST SERVICES QUARTER REPORT (20
MIN)
Representatives from the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
provided the second quarter report on the Public Relations and Guest
Services contract activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
4.c CONTENT MARKETING QUARTER REPORT (15 MIN)
Representatives from Badger Branding presented the second quarter
report for the content marketing support and organic social media
activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
Page 6 of 45
3
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2030 (15 MIN)
Representatives from Whereabout presented the 2025-2030 Strategic
Plan.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Member N. Patel
Second By Member Newland
To approve the 2025-2030 Visit San Luis Obispo Strategic Plan.
Ayes (4): Member Newland, Member Nipool Patel, Vice Chair Pearce, and
Chair Bates
Absent (2): Member Keller and Member Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
5.b UNPACKING MARKETING STRATEGY (15 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios presented the marketing plan for
SLO's Unpacking episode which was created as part of a co-op with Visit
SLO CAL.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5.c SLO LIFE COACH STUDIO FILMING (10 MIN)
Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth, Tourism & Community Promotions Manager
presented an opportunity for staff to attend the SLO Life Coach studio
filming in Reno, NV funded through the available support/meetings
budget.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Page 7 of 45
4
Motion By Vice Chair Pearce
Second By Member N. Patel
To approve the budget of $1,590 for staff to attend the SLO Life Coach
studio filming.
Ayes (4): Member Newland, Member Nipool Patel, Vice Chair Pearce, and
Chair Bates
Absent (2): Member Keller and Member Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
6. TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
Chair Bates outlined Hotel SLO's partnership with the SLO International
Film Festival.
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE - None
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE - None
6.d PCC UPDATE - None
6.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE - None
6.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
provided an update on the tourism program.
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:13 a.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for February 12, 2025
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 BOA RD:
XX/XX/202X
Page 8 of 45
JANUARY 2025
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 66.9 54.6 168.68 154.4 112.9 84.3 22.6 9.3 34.0 33.3 -0.5 22
City of Paso Robles 63.3 52.5 173.86 162.12 110.06 85.1 20.5 7.2 29.3 29.6 0.3 20.9
City of Pismo Beach 74.7 62.9 210.48 187.05 157.28 117.6 18.8 12.5 33.7 35.8 1.6 20.7
City of San Luis Obispo 70.4 54.8 148.49 143.41 104.50 78.5 28.5 3.5 33.1 28.5 -3.5 24.1
City of Morro Bay 66.9 54.6 168.68 154.4 112.9 84.3 22.6 9.3 34.0 33.3 -0.5 22
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 51.0 49.5 142.18 142.37 72.6 70.5 3.0 -0.1 2.9 2.4 -0.4 2.6
City of Paso Robles 46.90 48.10 148.44 153.77 69.58 73.92 -2.50 -3.50 -5.9 -5.9 0 -2.5
City of Pismo Beach 51.00 50.00 166.77 161.08 85.10 80.50 2.10 3.50 5.7 7.8 1.9 4.1
City of San Luis Obispo 58.60 54.80 131.15 140.29 76.87 76.85 7.00 -6.50 0 -3.4 -3.5 3.3
City of Morro Bay 49.40 46.20 114.83 119.30 56.73 55.10 7.00 -3.80 3 3.2 0.2 7.3
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 54.60 49.80 152.22 140.02 83.16 69.71 9.70 8.70 19.3 18.8 -0.4 9.2
City of Paso Robles 56.30 52.60 159.96 152.15 89.99 79.97 7.00 5.10 12.5 12.5 0 7
City of Pismo Beach 52.40 51.30 179.15 158.58 93.85 81.35 2.10 13.00 15.4 17.6 1.9 4.1
City of San Luis Obispo 59.80 53.50 150.87 138.61 90.18 74.17 11.70 8.80 21.60 17.4 -3.5 7.9
City of Morro Bay 55.50 48.00 124.62 117.50 69.19 56.40 15.70 6.00 22.7 23 0.2 15.9
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 56.00 50.80 146.27 142.89 81.86 72.52 10.30 2.40 12.9 12.4 -0.4 9.8
City of Paso Robles 52.00 52.10 153.13 153.58 79.61 79.94 -0.10 -0.30 -0.4 -0.4 0 -0.1
City of Pismo Beach 56.20 53.50 172.64 162.12 97.09 86.80 5.00 6.50 11.8 14 1.9 7.1
City of San Luis Obispo 65.00 58.10 147.81 145.08 96.12 84.26 12.00 1.90 14.1 10.1 -3.5 8.1
City of Morro Bay 56.30 44.00 120.66 114.10 67.88 50.20 27.80 5.80 35.2 35.5 0.2 28.1
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 56.30 49.10 148.50 145.88 83.55 71.55 14.70 1.80 16.8 16.3 -0.4 14.2
City of Paso Robles 57.70 51.40 158.09 159.52 91.21 82.02 12.20 -0.90 11.2 11.2 0 12.2
City of Pismo Beach 53.80 46.00 178.70 171.67 96.16 79.01 16.90 4.10 21.7 24.1 1.9 19.2
City of San Luis Obispo 68.40 56.60 149.35 143.31 102.18 81.15 20.80 4.20 25.9 21.6 -3.4 16.7
City of Morro Bay 52.70 43.70 116.92 117.80 61.64 51.50 20.60 -0.70 19.8 20.2 0.3 21.1
updated 02/07/2025
RevPar
Percent Change
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
Percent Change
ADR RevPar
For the week of January 19-25,
2025
For the week of January 12-18,
2025
For the week of January 5-11,
2025
Occupancy (%)ADR
For the week of December 29-
January 4, 2025
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Percent Change
Occupancy (%)
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
Percent Change
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
For the week of January 26-
February 1, 2025
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Percent Change
Page 9 of 45
Page 10 of 45
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 2024-25
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$ 1,297,863$ 1,245,883$ 1,296,720$ 4.1%
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$ 1,057,478$ 1,037,434$ 1,118,496$ 7.8%
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$ 1,039,589$ 1,024,869$ 916,405$ -10.6%
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$ 993,400$ 986,681$ 921,571$ -6.6%
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$ 770,599$ 757,010$ 823,654$ 8.8%
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$ 628,735$ 628,260$ 625,230$ -0.5%
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$ 554,408$ 621,595$
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$ 735,450$ 687,480$
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$ 807,997$ 850,274$
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$ 1,056,663$ 1,025,966$
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$ 910,508$ 989,619$
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$ 1,160,330$ $1,201,226.00
Total/Average 4,478,481$ 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$ 11,013,020$ 11,056,297$ 5,702,076$ -48.4%
2023-24 2024-25 Change +/-2023-24 2024-25 Change +/-2023-24 2024-25 Change +/-
July 83.4 83.3 -0.1%200.16 203.25 1.5%166.97 169.32 1.4%
August 73.8 77 4.3%190.51 194.49 2.1%140.61 149.82 6.6%
September 71 70 -1.4%195.47 184.04 -5.8%138.84 128.89 -7.2%
October 70 69.3 -1.0%185 178.14 -3.7%129.42 123.46 -4.6%
November 62.6 66.8 6.7%165.42 171.03 3.4%103.48 114.16 10.3%
December 56.4 59.8 6.0%150.28 146.17 -2.7%84.73 87.41 3.2%
January 54.3 139.69 75.79
February 59.7 152.68 91.2
March 67.9 160.49 108.93
April 72.1 187.59 135.30
May 70.9 180.85 128.17
June 75.1 211.41 158.76
Total/Average 68.10 71.03 0.024 176.63$ 179.52$ -0.008777 121.85$ 128.84$ 0.02 Updated: 02/06/2025
Occupancy ADR RevPAR*Figures from Smith Travel
Research Report
TOT Comparison
Page 11 of 45
Page 12 of 45
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
January 2025
PR ACTIVITY
Implementation/Proactive Work
Hosted "Dog-fluencer" Group Fam in partnership with Hotel SLO
Continued planning for Arts + Culture Fam in partnership with Uniquely Driven
Continued planning for Sustainability Influencer Fam in partnership with Kind Traveler
Continued planning for SoCal Media Mission writer Chanin Victor's upcoming stay
Continued planning for travel writer Meghan Rose's upcoming stay
Continued planning for SoCal Media Mission writer Linda Laban's upcoming stay
Continued working with the City and Noble Studios/Uniquely Driven on overall tourism marketing campaign
Met with Bay Area Parent to pitch SLO
Responsive leads
Pitched "Game On" and SLO Restaurant Month story ideas to Visit California
Partnerships
Pitched SLO Restaurant Month
Pitched Buy Local Bonus recap
Assisted in coordinating KSNV Interview with the City of SLO and Uniquely Driven
Participated in Midweekend planning session with the City, Noble, Uniquely Driven, Verdin & Badger Branding
PUBLICATION PLACEMENTS UVPM AD VALUE PILLARS RESULT OF
ALO MAGAZINE SLO-cation 905,000.00 Cultural MEDIA HOSTING
YAHOO Loved SLO's restaurant week? It's expanding to a whole month. Here's how to get a deal 428,500,000.00 $36,236.78 Culinary PROACTIVE PITCHING
SLO TRIBUNE Loved SLO’s restaurant week? It’s expanding to a whole month. Here’s how to get a deal 377,000.00 $55.10 Culinary PROACTIVE PITCHING
PASO ROBLES DAILY NEWS San Luis Obispo launches first-ever restaurant month 85,000.00 $6.39 Culinary PROACTIVE PITCHING
VISIT CALIFORNIA Beyond Dry January: Year-Round Non-Alcoholic Delights in California 230,243.00 Beer/Wine PROACTIVE PITCHING
KSNTV Visit San Luis Obispo: Pure California Perfection 1,110,000.00 $87.63 Cultural PROACTIVE PITCHING BY UNIQUELY DRIVEN
MULTICULTURAL TRAVEL NEWS Reviving Lunar New Year Magic in San Luis Obispo – A Cultural Block Party You Won't Want to Miss!500.00 $0.40 Cultural PROACTIVE PITCHING BY UNIQUELY DRIVEN
TRAVEL & TOUR WORLD SLO CAL Offers Travelers New Reasons to Visit with Fresh Attractions and Experiences 500.00 Cultural PROACTIVE PITCHING BY VISIT SLO CAL
MSN TRAVEL The 14 Trending U.S. Travel Spots to Add to Your 2025 Bucket List 136,500,000.00 $10,687.04 Cultural
MSN TRAVEL 22 Picturesque College Towns Perfect for Retirement 136,500,000.00 $10,687.04 Cal Poly
MSN TRAVEL 10 Sunniest Cities in California Perfect for Retirement 136,500,000.00 $10,687.04 Outdoor
THE TRAVEL Book It Now: 8 Warm Places to Visit In The U.S. During February 2,520,000.00 $63.41 Outdoor
FAMILY DESTINATIONS GUIDE This Quirky Road Trip Will Take You To 12 Wonderfully Weird Roadside Attractions In California 1,130,000.00 $44.08 Cultural
HOME STRATOSPHERE 25 of the Best Small Towns in the USA that Enjoy Mild Weather Year-Round 661,000.00 $21.24 Outdoor
COOL MATERIAL 5 Outstanding Sustainable Luxury Stays Around the World 523,000.00 $32.54 Cultural
KSBY Residents, visitors celebrate Lunar New Year in San Luis Obispo 471,000.00 $36.95 Cultural
LOCALE ONLINE 11 of the Coolest Renovated Motels in California 96,000.00 $4.65 Cultural
FOX THE GAMBLER Need A Staycation? This Is The Best California City For That 1,000.00 $0.12 Cultural
TOTALS
16 846,110,243.00 $68,650.41
TOTAL YTD 3,118,561,049.00 $1,112,219.50
91 3,964,671,292.00 $1,180,869.91
Page 13 of 45
Page 14 of 45
Jan Dec Jan
2024 2024 2025 Asia 4%
Walk‐ins 10,931 15,084 4,088 Europe 26%
Phone Calls 616 380 195 Australia/NZ 8%
Emails & Digital 1,587 2,135 797 UK 8%
N. America 22%
C. America 31%
Jan Dec Jan S. America 0%
2024 2024 2025
Calls 46 23 44 West Coast 18%
Southwest 12%
Midwest 26%
Jan Dec Jan South 8%
2024 2024 2025 East Coast 36%
Referrals 42 20 43
Northern CA 21%
Central Coast 62%
Jan Dec Jan Central Valley 2%
2024 2024 2025 Desert 1%
Email 94 55 121 Southern CA 14%
Phone Calls 82 110 97
Jan Jan Jan
2024 2025 2025 YTD
Fulfilled 22 47 VisitSLO.com 15 15
INFORMATION REQUESTS EVENTS SHARED
REPORT TO CITY OF SLO ‐ TBID & PCC
GUEST SERVICES CONTRACT
JANUARY 2025
DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT
International Travelers
VISITOR INTERACTION
CALLS TO 877‐SLO‐TOWN
HOTEL REFERRALS
HOTEL AVAILABILITY TRACKER
Domestic Travelers
California Travelers
VISITOR CENTER ACTIVATIONS
N/A
VISITOR CENTER HIGHLIGHTS
1) Shared information on the city's new Restaurant Month promotion
3) Getting back to our normal operations after Buy Local Bonus
2) Welcomed the Cal Poly students and families back
Page 15 of 45
Page 16 of 45
Agency Repor t · January 2024
SLO-TBID
Page 17 of 45
Agency Repor t
January Activity & Performance
What’s Ahead:
● Quarterly Marketing Plan FY24-25:
Visit SLO - 30/60/90 Marketing Plan - FY24-25
YTD KPI Performance
Expected Pace: 58%
Paid Media
In January, Noble Studios proactively monitored and optimized paid media placements while
managing a total monthly spend of $41,872.
Out of respect and compassion for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, and in close
consultation with City Staff, we paused our paid media campaign tactics specifically targeting the
Los Angeles area on January 10th. This decision aligns with the communication strategies
implemented by SLO CAL, and Visit California. It was essential for us to be sensitive to the situation
and avoid any appearance of insensitivity during this difficult time. This pause, which remained in
effect for the rest of January, only affected campaigns targeting Los Angeles. Campaigns targeting
other areas remained active, and we continued to make targeting adjustments at the zip code level
where possible as the situation improved.
In January, our efforts included launching a dedicated landing page for LA Fire Assistance (link) to
suppor t those displaced by the wildfires. To ensure visibility, we also implemented a specialty
2
Page 18 of 45
banner on the homepage, guiding visitors to this resource. This initiative reflects our commitment to
providing timely and meaningful support during challenging times.
Paid Search
In January, paid search drove 37,050 impressions (+42% YoY), 3,883 clicks (-2% YoY), 10.48% CTR
(-31% YoY), a 25% conversion rate (-10% YoY), and 11,286 website sessions (+122% YoY) while
driving 1,483 lodging referrals (-6% YoY) and 236 things to do referrals (+29% YoY) at a 10%
increase in cost YoY.
In January, our paid search campaigns brought in significantly more visibility and traffic compared
to last year, thanks to continued keyword and ad optimization.
Paid Social | Evergreen Brand Campaigns
Paid social drove 1,938,647 impressions (-29% YoY), 804,258 users reached (-3% YoY), and 35,095
clicks (-6% YoY) across Facebook and Instagram with a 1.81% CTR (+31% YoY) for 18,117 sessions
(+24% YoY) while driving 49 lodging referrals (+444% YoY), and 23 things to do referral (+1,050%
YoY) at a 7% increase in spend YoY.
In January, our paid social campaigns on Facebook and Instagram helped us reach a large audience and
drive engagement. While overall impressions and reach were slightly down from last year, we saw
3
Page 19 of 45
increases in clicks, sessions, and a significant boost in referrals for lodging and activities, showing
strong interest from those who interacted with our content.
Display | Evergreen Campaigns
Display drove 1,564,606 impressions (-13% YoY), 8,889 clicks (+86% YoY), a 0.57% CTR (+115%
YoY), a 1.1% conversion rate (+67% YoY) and 2,374 sessions (-29% YoY) while driving 19 lodging
referrals (-21% YoY) and 3 things to do referrals (+200% YoY) at a 5% increase in cost YoY.
Performance Max (PMAX) | Evergreen Campaigns
Performance Max campaigns drove 40,555 impressions (+63% YoY), 2,678 clicks (+3% YoY), an
6.60% CTR (-37% YoY), a 25.2% conversion rate (+22% YoY) and 2,885 sessions (+5% YoY) while
4
Page 20 of 45
driving 103 lodging referrals (+26% YoY) and 519 things to do partner referrals (+57% YoY) at a total
spend of $1,250 (+23% YoY).
Demand Gen | Evergreen Campaigns
Demand Gen campaigns drove 56,248 impressions (+67% YoY), 901 clicks (-12% YoY), a 1.60% CTR
(-47% YoY), a 4.12% conversion rate (+8% YoY) and 461 sessions (-42% YoY) while driving 19
lodging referrals (-49% YoY) and 3 things to do partner referrals (-25% YoY) at a total spend of $969
(+24% YoY). Demand Gen campaigns are an awareness tactic and while we saw decreases in
sessions and partner referrals, we significantly increased our impressions for this channel year over
year, garnering more awareness and consideration of San Luis Obispo as a destination.
Video | Evergreen Campaigns
Video campaigns drove 299,753 impressions (-31% YoY), 3,551 clicks (-42% YoY), a 1.18% CTR
(-17% YoY), a 0.18% conversion rate (+11% YoY) and 2,215 sessions (-49% YoY) while driving 2
lodging referrals (-50% YoY) and 3 things to do partner referrals (+200% YoY) at a total spend of
$1,995 (+14% YoY). In January, we saw a decline in the performance of our YouTube videos
compared to previous years. In January, we added the SLO CAL Unpacked videos as an alternative
video ad to serve and are continuing to monitor performance. We are making additional campaign
adjustments to further improve the effectiveness of our video ads to improve awareness and site
traffic.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Creation
Organic search traffic increased 82% period-over-period and increased 32% year-over-year.
Organic Search generated 655 hotel partner referrals (-15% YoY), 54 homestay partner referrals
(-42% YoY), and 1,783 things-to-do referrals (+6% YoY). Average engagement time has increased
13% YoY and pages per session have increased 9% YoY.
5
Page 21 of 45
Page 1 keywords decreased to 4.7K (-2% YoY), and total keywords decreased to 22.5K (-3% YoY).
Google released a Core Update in December, which may have impacted our total organic rankings
on VisitSLO.com. We have provided some additional charts below to further explain how this Core
Update in December impacted our total organic keyword volume.
6
Page 22 of 45
The chart above shows a breakdown of our total keywords by their position on the Search Engine
Results Page. Since December we’ve seen a decrease in our total organic keywords, however upon
further investigation, the decrease came from our developmental keywords (positions 40-100).
Google released a core update in December, which are Google’s larger algorithm updates. Google
typically doesn’t provide much detail behind these core updates but uses them to further improve
the algorithm.
To further break this down, this chart shows the number of our keywords on page 1, which have
remained relatively steady over the last 12 months, with a slight decrease in hyper traffic keywords
(positions 1-3) since the December core update.
7
Page 23 of 45
When we look at the graph of our developmental keywords (positions 40-100), we see a stark drop
since December, when the core update took place. Developmental keywords are typically keywords
that we aren’t necessarily trying to rank for or focus on and don’t contribute much traffic due to their
positions on pages 4 - 10 of the Search Engine Results Page. This signals to us that in Google’s
attempt to improve the algorithm, our pages that were ranking for these keywords lost their rank, as
our content wasn’t targeted toward these keywords.
In January, we saw a 32% increase in organic sessions year over year to VisitSLO.com, so we aren’t
concerned with the drop we saw since December in our total keyword volume. We will continue to
monitor our organic rankings and prioritize key pages that may have slipped from positions 1-3
since the December core update as needed.
Email Marketing
January Newsletters
In January, we sent one newsletter to all subscribers. The email focused on promoting SLO
Restaurant Month. In January, our newsletter drove 1,062 sessions (+73% YoY), 137 total partner
referrals (-3% YoY), 53 hotel referrals (+130% YoY), had an average engagement rate of 62% (+22%
YoY), an average engagement time of 1m 10s (+36% YoY), and an average pages/session of 2.5
(-3% YoY).
Key Takeaway: The January newsletter held a strong open rate of over 50% and a very strong click
rate of 2.4%, which contributed to a large number of website sessions from the newsletter along
with strong engagement metrics, including long average session durations and high engagement
rates. The SLO Restaurant Month page garnered over a third of the clicks in the email, showing
reader engagement with the topic. Another 17% of clicks went to the ShareSLO Instagram page,
8
Page 24 of 45
showing that the gift card giveaway helped to send traffic to the Instagram page and gain additional
followers.
January Newsletter Snapshot | SLO Restaurant Month
● Send Date: Wednesday, 1/15/24
● Audience Reached: All Newsletters Subscribers
● Recipients: 33,391
● Open Rate: 50.9%
● Click Rate: 2.4%
● Number of Website Sessions: 820
● Average Session Duration: 4m 9s
● Average Engagement Time: 1m 10s
● Pages / Session: 2.20
9
Page 25 of 45
● Engagement Rate: 62%
● Total Partner Referrals: 100
● Total Lodging Referrals: 44
Website
In January, the website saw 94,124 total sessions (+35% YoY). The channels contributing to the
most lodging referrals this month were paid search, organic search, and referral. Across the website
in January, we saw an average of 1.83 pages per session (+/-0% YoY) and an average engagement
time of 0:38 (+21% YoY). In January, we saw 9,229 total partner referrals (+21% YoY), 2,522 hotel
referrals (-12% YoY), 212 homestay referrals (-38% YoY), and 2,778 things-to-do referrals (+18%
YoY).
In January, our efforts included launching a dedicated landing page for LA Fire Assistance (link) to
suppor t those displaced by the wildfires. To ensure visibility, we also implemented a specialty
banner on the homepage, guiding visitors to this resource. This initiative reflects our commitment to
providing timely and meaningful support during challenging times.
10
Page 26 of 45
MRO Updates:
○ Plugins and Updates
■ ACF Pro
■ Gravity Forms
■ Events Calendar
■ Events Calendar Pro
■ Tiny PNG
■ Yoast
○ Theme Updates
■ Fixed image alignment options in the Open Content block
■ Updated a deprecated PluginDocumentSettingPanel import
■ Fixed a php warning in the Listing Block
■ Added anchor support to appropriate blocks
■ Updated wp-scripts
■ Fixed the block blacklist, added some other core blocks to the list
Web Retainer
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance,
Coordination, and
Management
6.75 Chamber Updates, Fire Banner work, Syncs with Intern, Hompage
updates, city blog post
11
Page 27 of 45
12
Page 28 of 45
Creative Services
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance, Coordination,
and Management 21 B-roll updates, Marketing Plan updates,
13
Page 29 of 45
PR And Media Relations
In January, our pitching effor ts focused on positioning San Luis Obispo as a premier romantic
getaway destination and highlighting the city’s Lunar New Year celebrations. Through strategic
outreach, we emphasized SLO’s scenic beauty, intimate experiences, and cultural events to key
media publications. Additionally, a sponsored segment featuring Jacqui Clark-Charleswor th aired
on KSNV in Las Vegas, where she discussed the direct flights from Las Vegas to San Luis Obispo,
along with the city’s outdoor adventures, wine tasting, and two Michelin-mentioned restaurants. The
segment, which aired on National Plan a Vacation Day and was over four minutes long, reinforced
the Central Coast as an accessible and enticing destination for both relaxation and exploration. We
continued building momentum for the upcoming SLO International Film Festival FAM, further
showcasing the city’s rich arts and culture scene.
Below is a breakdown of earned media efforts, including proactive pitching, ongoing media
conversations and other activities for January:
● Multicultural Travel News & Newsletter – UVM 4,630
○ Multicultural Travel News and Multicultural Travel Newsletter published an ar ticle
featuring the below.
■ The article highlighted:
● SLO’s Lunar New Year Block Par ty
● All festivities and events for Lunar New Year
● Community participation in Chinatown heritage celebrations
○ A link to the news article can be found here.
○ A link to the newsletter can be found here.
Interviews:
● KSNV Channel 3: UVM – 605,061 – On January 22, Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth was
interviewed, highlighting the direct flights from Las Vegas to San Luis Obispo and
showcasing key destination pillars for visitors to experience SLO.
○ A link to the segment can be found here.
Bonus Inclusion:
● KSNV Channel 3: UVM - 605,061 - The segment lives on the KSNV Local Living homepage.
○ A link to the website article can be found here.
Film Festival FAM RSVP’s:
● Michael Goldstein, Forbes, UVM – 88,209,424
● Rafael Cores, La Opinion/El Diario Nueva York, UVM – 1,726,703
14
Page 30 of 45
● Jennifer Chan, People Magazine, UVM – 67,076,409
● Lesley Balla, Freelance/Taste of Home, UVM – 17,282,459
● Fiona Chandra, Freelance
● Sharael Kolberg, Freelance
Proactive Pitch Angles:
● “This Overlooked CA City is the Ultimate Silent Travel Destination for 2025”
● “Where to Go for Lunar New Year”
● “Where to Go for the Valentine’s 3-day Weekend”
● “Unique Vacation Ideas for 2025”
● “Where to Go in April 2025”
● “Romantic Getaways in the US”
● “Look No Further than this Central CA Destination for an Outdoor Break”
● “You’re Invited: Arts, Culture + Film FAM on the Central Coast”
Pending Press Trips:
● Meghan Rose, PS (PopSugar): UVM – 3,752,358
○ TBD; FAM trip postponed due to LA fires. Trip to be rescheduled in February.
● Noel Burgees, Forbes: UVM – 99,621,955
○ TBD; March 2025 press trip.
● Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes: UVM – 99,621,955 / Slow Living Kitchen: UVM – 5,370
○ TBD; March 2025 press trip.
● Christina Silvestri, Arizona Foothills Magazine: UVM - 26,039 - History, dining, SLO life
○ TBD; Press trip in the next fiscal year.
● Reuben Mourad, Thrillist: UVM – 1,371,632
○ TBD; April 2025 press trip.
● Ronny Maye, Essence: UVM – 2,035,079 / Fodor’s Travel: UVM – 2,641,983 – Arts & Black
culture, history and culinary
○ TBD; requesting an April 2025 press trip.
● Rosa Gamazo, Telecinco Spanish media: UVM - 4,976,592 - Luxury hotel and destination
feature
○ Setting up a visit in 2025.
15
Page 31 of 45
Page 32 of 45
January 2025
SLO TBID - SHARESLO
ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
Date: 02/12/25Page 33 of 45
Followers: 37,080 ( 1.6%)
Total Net Growth: 586
Total Posts: 186
Total Impressions:1,587,788 ( 324%)
(includes both organic & paid)
Total stories: 167
Total Engagements: 12,313 ( 15%)
Engagement Rate: .8 % ( 80%)
As of January 1, 2025, Instagram has
updated and deprecated several metrics.
Minor changes to this report have occurred.
INSTAGRAM
In January, we saw an increase of almost 600 new followers. We also saw a 324% increase in impressions. Because of this high
fluctuation in impressions and a decrease in engagements, the engagement rate dropped. When the impressions even back out
the engagement rate will also. Highest performing content was food / bev content for SLO Restaurant Month.
TOP POSTS:
Page 34 of 45
Page Followers: 97,738 ( .5%)
Total Net Audience Growth: 451
Total Posts: 19
Total Impressions: 1, 342,019 ( 558%)
Total Organic: 107,705 ( 142%)
Total Engagements: 2,374 ( 174%)
Engagement Rate: .2% ( 58%)
FACEBOOK
TOP POSTS:
In January, we saw an increase in followers, impressions (both paid & organic), and engagements. Our engagement rate
decreased due to our 558% increase in impressions. Remember, engagement rate is measured by engagements per
impression. Fine Dining, Kid-Friendly Outdoor To-Dos, and Local Events were top performing on this platform.
Page 35 of 45
Followers: 1,489 ( 5.3%)
Followers Gained: 80
Impressions: 20,712 ( 154%)
Engagement: 728 ( 148%)
Engagement Rate: 3.5% ( 2.7%)
Video Views: 20,712 ( 154%)
In January, we saw an increase in followers by 80 new users. We also saw an increase in impressions, engagements, and video
views. We are continuing to repurpose our IG reels on this platform at this time, we are still following everything closely for what
happens next.
TIKTOK
TOP POSTS:
Page 36 of 45
Total Audience: 416 ( .9%)
Total Net Growth: 4
Total Posts: 4
Impressions: 216 ( 2.9%)
Engagements: 16 ( 6%)
Engagement Rate: 7.4 % ( 8.6%)
LINKEDIN
TOP POSTS:
In January, we saw an increase in audience and impressions which means more users saw our content and decided to
follow our page than the previous month. We saw a slight decrease in engagements and engagement rate. We are focusing
on business travel-related posts in February, per client suggestion.
Page 37 of 45
Total Posts: 2
Story Views: 35.5k ( 94%)
Story Impressions: 43.1k ( 95%)
Interaction Rate: 73.5% ( 1.7 %)
(Average Rate: 67%)
Completion Rate: 55.9% ( 3%)
(Average Rate: 52%)
CA TRAVEL STORIES - CROWDRIFF
TOP POSTS:
In January, we saw an increase in story views, impressions, and interaction rate. This means that we gained way more
exposure from Google Search & Google Discovery than in the previous month. Higher interaction rate, means more
interactions which direct clicks to our Visitslo.com site. Our completion rate lowered slightly, although still above the
industry standard of success.
Page 38 of 45
Total Posts: 2
Impressions: 2.07k ( 25%)
Engagements: 47 ( 22%)
Outbound Clicks: 1 ( 0%)
Saves: 14 ( 33%)
Total Audience: 1.67k ( 44%)
Engaged Audience: 43 ( 0%)
PINTEREST
In January, we saw an increase in impressions and total audience. This means more users discovered our content than in the
previous month. We saw a decrease in engagements and saves. We believe this is due to the decrease in inspirational
California travel with the L.A. fires.
TOP POSTS:
Page 39 of 45
WHAT WE WORKED ON THIS MONTH:
- SLO Restaurant Month (60.6k Views Total)
-Adam Montiel Collaborative Weekly Interviews/Launch Reel /Closer
Reel / Highlight Maintained
-2 Ticket Tuesday Participant Gift Card Bundle Giveaways
-Food Focused Itineraries (Gluten-Free SLO, Fine Dining Bucket List Part
2, Asian Cuisine in SLO)
-Lunar New Year Celebration Farmers’ Market
-Collaboration w/ @downtownslo, @ahlouisstore,
@downtownslofarmersmarket (34.9k Views)
- Unpacking SLOCAL Launch (On IG & YouTube)
-Collaboration w/ @slocal, @highway1roadtrip, @visitatascadero
- 12.6k Views
-Thrift Stores in SLO, Kid-Friendly Outdoor Adventures, Art After Dark Return
-L.A. Wildfire Resources Re-posting, Supportive Story Graphic
- Halt / decrease posting on multiple platforms during the initial devastation of
the L.A. wildfires. Page 40 of 45
FEBRUARY’S FOCUS:
- Black History Month
-Black-Owned Businesses in SLO
-SLO Film Fest Collaborative Giveaway
-New Murals in SLO
(SLO Airport, Chorro St. Bridge, Movie Experience Plaza)
-MidWeek Activities Round-Up
-Trivia, Open Decks, Live Music, etc.
-SLO Awards: TWO Platinum-Level Beacon Spotlight Awards
-Unpacking SLOCAL
-Valentine’s Day Things To-Do, Galentine’s Things To-Do
-Bikes & Bites, Dog-Friendly Hotels, Ultimate Weekend Guide
-National Pizza Day in SLO, Fine Dining Bucket List Part 3
-3 Artsy Strolls in SLO, Experience Sustainable SLO at
Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market Page 41 of 45
Page 42 of 45
1
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
January 8, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
PCC Members
Present:
Committee Member Lydia Bates, Committee Member Maureen
Forsberg, Committee Member John Thomas, Committee
Member Anni Wang, Committee Member Robin Wolf, Chair
Samantha Welch
City Staff Present: Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-
Charlesworth, Economic Development & Tourism Manager
Laura Fiedler
_____________________________________________________________________
1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee
was called to order on January 8, 2025 at 5:30 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
Item 3a pulled from Consent agenda and will be brought back at the next
meeting.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Committee Member Thomas
Second By Committee Member Bates
To approved Consent agenda items 3b through 3f.
Page 43 of 45
2
Ayes (6): Committee Member Bates, Committee Member Forsberg, Committee
Member Thomas, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Wolf, and
Chair Welch
Absent (1): None
CARRIED (6 to 0)
3.b 2024-25 COMMUNITY PROMOTION BUDGET REPORT
3.c SLO CHAMBER MONTHLY PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT
3.d SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES REPORT
3.e SLO CHAMBER GRANT SUPPORT REPORT
3.f TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT
3.a MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18, 2024
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a PUBLIC RELATIONS, GRANT SUPPORT, AND GUEST SERVICES
QUARTER REPORT (20 MIN)
Representatives from the SLO Chamber presented the Q2 report for
Public Relations, CACP Support and Guest Services activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a SLO RESTAURANT MONTH UPDATE (15 MIN)
Tourism and Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
presented an update on SLO Restaurant month.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5.b CULTURAL ARTS & COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM (25 MIN)
Page 44 of 45
3
The Committee discussed the status of the Cultural Arts & Community
Grants Program and appointed Chair Welch, Committee Member Thomas
and Committee Member Bates to review the applications and provide
recommendations as the subcommittee.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
6. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a CACP LIAISON REPORT – Liaison Assignments - None
6.b COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE – Committee Report - None
6.c TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Meeting Minutes: November 13 &
December 11
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
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 6:30 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for February 12, 2025, 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
Page 45 of 45