HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-12-2025 TBID Agenda Packet
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
AGENDA
Wednesday, March 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 FEBRUARY 12 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 35
4.PRESENTATIONS
4.a NEW LODGING PROPERTY INTRODUCTION (10 MIN)
Elaina Jardini, Dual Director of Sales for Residence Inn/Springhill Suites
will make an introduction to the Board.
4.b PARTNER RECEPTION RECAP (5 MIN)
Staff will present a recap of the Partner Reception that was held
February 26 at Quality Suites.
5.BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a Q4 MEDIA PLAN REVIEW (15 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios will present the outlined media plan
for the fourth quarter as recommended by the Marketing Committee.
5.b SLO LIFE COACH IN MARKET FILMING (15 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios will present the opportunity to
extend the on location filming for the SLO Life Coach campaign in April.
5.c CONTRACTOR EVALUATIONS (15 MIN)
Staff will present the timeline and components of the contractor
evaluation process.
5.d ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR (10 MIN)
The committee will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for the term of April
2025 to March 2026.
6.TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE 45
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE 47
6.d PCC UPDATE 49
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 April 9, 2025 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
February 12, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
TBID Board Present: Member Lori Keller, Member Winston Newland, Member
Prashant Patel, Vice Chair Clint Pearce, Chair Lydia Bates
TBID Board Absent: Member Nipool Patel
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 Tourism Business Improvement
District Board was called to order on February 12, 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 Vice Chair Pearce
Second By Member P. Patel
To approve Consent Items 3a through 3g.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Ayes (5): Member Keller, Member Newland, Member Patel, Vice Chair Pearce,
and Chair Bates
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2
Absent (2): Member Nipool Patel, and Member Sandoval
CARRIED (5 to 0)
3.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 8
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 & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY
REPORT
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a FUND BALANCE & BUDGET UPDATE
Principal Budget Analyst Riley Kuhn presented the staff report and
responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a PRINTED COLLATERAL
Motion By Vice Chair Pearce
Second By Member Newland
To approve up to $30,000 for a Destination Marketing Brochure printing.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Ayes (5): Member Keller, Member Newland, Member Patel, Vice Chair
Pearce, and Chair Bates
Absent (1): Member Nipool Patel
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3
CARRIED (5 to 0)
5.b MIDWEEKEND PROMOTION UPDATE
Representatives from Noble Studios presented the report and responded
to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: The Board provided direction to move forward with Option #1
declaring SLO the MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the world while also
exploring Option #2 of the middle name giveaway as a secondary
campaign.
6. TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.d PCC UPDATE
Chair Bates provided a brief update on PCC activities.
6.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE
Vice Chair Pearce provided a brief update on Visit SLO CAL activities.
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 11:15 a.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for March 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 BOARD:
XX/XX/202X
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FEBRUARY 2025
2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 51.5 48.1 146.1 145.2 75.2 69.8 7.1 0.6 7.8 7.3 -0.4 6.7
City of Paso Robles 53.8 50.7 158.44 159.18 85.3 80.7 6.2 -0.5 5.7 5.7 0 6.2
City of Pismo Beach 47.4 43.8 173.36 173.08 82.1 75.9 8.1 0.2 8.3 10.4 1.9 10.2
City of San Luis Obispo 62.7 55.1 149.82 143.10 93.9 78.8 13.8 4.7 19.2 15.1 -3.4 9.9
City of Morro Bay 47.4 46.0 110.7 115.0 52.4 52.9 2.9 -3.8 -1.0 -0.5 0.5 3.4
2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 59.1 57.3 181.30 165.3 107.1 94.7 3.0 9.7 13 12.6 -0.4 2.6
City of Paso Robles 60.80 59.90 199.91 192.41 121.58 115.22 1.6 3.9 5.5 5.5 0 1.6
City of Pismo Beach 58.00 56.70 220.65 188.96 127.88 107.09 2.3 16.8 19.4 21.7 1.9 4.2
City of San Luis Obispo 66.70 61.80 174.34 163.38 116.36 100.90 8.1 6.7 15.3 11.3 -3.5 4.3
City of Morro Bay 54.90 54.30 137.53 126.80 75.55 68.90 1.1 8.5 9.7 10.3 0.5 1.7
2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 66.50 59.20 163.70 158.54 108.91 93.86 12.4 3.3 16 15.6 -0.4 11.9
City of Paso Robles 65.70 58.70 173.38 177.07 113.84 103.89 11.9 -2.1 9.6 9.6 0 11.9
City of Pismo Beach 70.60 60.10 198.20 182.99 139.84 109.99 17.4 8.3 27.1 29.6 1.9 19.6
City of San Luis Obispo 73.40 67.20 164.25 158.84 120.61 106.71 9.30 3.4 13 9.1 -3.5 5.5
City of Morro Bay 59.80 53.90 119.20 122.80 71.33 66.10 11.1 -2.9 7.8 8.4 0.5 11.6
2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 OCC ADR RevPar Room
Rev
Rom
Avail
Room
Sold
San Luis Obispo County 57.50 52.90 152.93 152.11 87.98 80.46 8.8 0.5 9.3 8.9 -0.4 8.3
City of Paso Robles 57.70 51.20 167.16 166.30 96.41 85.20 12.6 0.5 13.2 13.2 0 12.6
City of Pismo Beach 58.90 54.10 181.13 170.93 106.68 92.41 8.9 6 15.4 17.7 1.9 11
City of San Luis Obispo 65.90 60.60 153.78 156.62 101.40 94.88 8.9 -1.8 6.9 3.2 -3.5 5.1
City of Morro Bay 51.70 48.00 115.35 119.90 59.66 57.60 7.6 -3.8 3.6 4.1 0.5 8.2
updated 03/10/2025
RevPar
Percent Change
Current Week Totals - TY vs. LY
Percent Change
ADR RevPar
For the week of February 23-
March 1, 2025
For the week of February 16-22,
2025
For the week of February 9-15,
2025
Occupancy (%)ADR
For the week of February 2-8, 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
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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$ 1,296,733$ 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$ 1,118,544$ 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$ 916,491$ -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$ 921,773$ -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$ 825,272$ 9.0%
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$ 630,314$ 0.3%
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$ 673,352$ 8.3%
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$ 6,382,479$ -42.3%
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 54.2 62.4 15.1%140.24 144.12 2.8%76.00 89.99 18.4%
February
March
April
May
June
Total/Average 67.34 69.80 0.042 175.30$ 174.46$ -0.003571 120.01$ 123.29$ 0.04 Updated: 03/07/2025
Occupancy ADR RevPAR*Figures from Smith Travel
Research Report
TOT Comparison
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Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
February 2025
PR ACTIVITY
Implementation/Proactive Work
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 Linda Laban's upcoming stay
Continued planning for travel writer Meghan Rose's upcoming stay
Continued working with the City and Noble Studios/Uniquely Driven on overall tourism marketing campaign
Responsive leads
Pitched "Remarkable Restaurants" and "Professional Meetings & Events: Purposeful Play" story ideas to Visit California
Submitted quarterly SLO content to Central Coast Tourism Council
Partnerships
Hosted Thrillist writer James March in partnership with Visit SLO CAL
Attended Visit SLO TBID Partner Reception
Attended PCC CACP Informational Session
Coordinated Autumn Enoch's San Luis Obispo Immersion Trip
Attended Central Coast Tourism Council Marketing Meeting
Reviewed Central Coast Tourism Council March Social Media plan
PUBLICATION PLACEMENTS UVPM AD VALUE PILLARS RESULT OF
YAHOO 6 reasons this California town is one of the happiest places in the U.S. 428,500,000.00 $36,236.78 Cultural
MSN 10 Sunniest Cities in California Perfect for Retirement 136,500,000.00 $10,687.04 Cultural
MARKETWATCH 6 reasons this California town is one of the happiest places in the U.S. 14,740,000.00 $6,345.50 Cultural
NEWSBREAK New microbrewery with 'secret society' vibe is opening soon in SLO. What's on tap? 10,380,000.00 $353.35 Beer/Wine
UPGRADED POINTS These 10 US hotels offer a unique experience you have to try (and savor!)2,960,000.00 $59.20 Cultural
NEXT AVENUE Taking Flight: Small Airports With Off-The-Radar Restaurants 444,000.00 $10.82 Culinary
LIVABILITY Is This California Town the Happiest Place in America?251,000.00 $12.15 Cultural
JAM 94.5 This Is The Best Farmers' Market In California 29,000.00 $0.40 Family
WEEKEND SHERPA Live the SLO Life 22,000.00 $2.46 Cultural
NEW TIMES Family Day at the Dallidet 19,000.00 $7.11 Family
ART DAILY The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art opens a solo exhibition by Esteban Cabeza de Baca 50,000.00 $9.72 Cultural
VET EXPLAINS PETS Pet Friendly Hotels In San Luis Obispo Family
KINSHIP The 10 Most Dog-Friendly Cities for Summer Vacation Family
TOTALS
16 593,895,000.00 $53,724.53
TOTAL YTD 3,964,671,292.00 $1,180,869.91
91 4,558,566,292.00 $1,234,594.44
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Feb Jan Feb
2024 2025 2025 Asia 14%
Walk-ins 5,276 4,088 3,905 Europe 24%
Phone Calls 206 195 155 Australia/NZ 3%
Emails & Digital 979 797 1,313 UK 7%
N. America 17%
C. America 0%
Feb Jan Feb S. America 21%
2024 2025 2025
Calls 42 44 29 West Coast 21%
Southwest 4%
Midwest 34%
Feb Jan Feb South 19%
2024 2025 2025 East Coast 21%
Referrals 25 43 38
Northern CA 24%
Central Coast 45%
Feb Jan Feb Central Valley 1%
2024 2025 2025 Desert 1%
Email 112 121 74 Southern CA 30%
Phone Calls 124 97 106
Feb Feb Feb
2024 2025 2025 YTD
Fulfilled 5 40 VisitSLO.com 13 28
INFORMATION REQUESTS EVENTS SHARED
REPORT TO CITY OF SLO - TBID & PCC
GUEST SERVICES CONTRACT
FEBRUARY 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) Welcomed 2 new Info Speacialists, Quinn and Cameron
3) Hosted our guests in the Visitor Center, including President's Day weekend
2) Connected with our local hoteliers and brand partners at Visit SLO's Partner Reception
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Agency Repor t · February 2025
SLO-TBID
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Agency Repor t
February Activity & Performance
What’s Ahead:
● Quarterly Marketing Plan FY24-25:
Visit SLO - 30/60/90 Marketing Plan - FY24-25
YTD KPI Performance
Expected Pace: 66%
Paid Media
In February, Noble Studios proactively monitored and optimized paid media placements while
managing a total monthly spend of $52,050.
Paid Search
In February, paid search drove 41,487 impressions (+56% YoY), 4,274 clicks (+3% YoY), 10.30%
CTR (-34% YoY), a 54.4% conversion rate (+1% YoY), and 16,150 website sessions (+93% YoY)
while driving 1,854 lodging referrals (-3% YoY), 355 things to do referrals (+100% YoY), and 97
food and drink referrals (+111% YoY) at an 11% increase in cost YoY.
In February, our paid search campaigns brought in significantly more visibility and traffic compared
to last year, thanks to continued keyword and ad optimization. Last year, our paid search campaigns
drove a very large number of lodging referrals from our Pet Friendly Hotels campaign. This year, we
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prioritized driving more lodging referrals from a better mix of campaigns to ensure we’re helping
send a diverse group of individuals to SLO.
Paid Social | Evergreen Brand Campaigns
Paid social drove 2,083,139 impressions (+7% YoY), 866,846 users reached (+2% YoY), and 50,162
clicks (+36% YoY) across Facebook and Instagram with a 2.41% CTR (+26% YoY) for 23,611
sessions (+33% YoY) while driving 51 lodging referrals (-50% YoY), and 27 things to do referral
(-4% YoY) at a 60% increase in spend YoY.
For our evergreen Paid Social Campaigns, we prioritized driving more engaged traffic to the site as
opposed to pushing for more partner referrals. Paid social as a tactic is not typically a large
contributor to total partner referrals, and the 50% decrease we saw in lodging referrals equates to
about 25 total lodging referrals, however we saw a 33% increase in paid social sessions, driving
more engaged traffic and brand awareness to the site through this upper funnel tactic.
In February, we also launched the SLO CAL Unpacked videos as a test to see how they performed
against our current evergreen creative. The top 10 highest performing ads from a click-through rate
perspective were all SLO CAL Unpacked videos, with some reaching as high as 14% CTR (travel &
tourism benchmark 2.2% CTR). The SLO CAL Unpacked videos contributed about 4.8K sessions in
February and averaged a 20% engagement rate.
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Display | Evergreen Campaigns
Display drove 2,097,383 impressions (-50% YoY), 15,109 clicks (+74% YoY), a 0.72% CTR (+245%
YoY), a 1.78% conversion rate (+34% YoY) and 3,981 sessions (-13% YoY) while driving 145
lodging referrals (-14% YoY) and 8 things to do referrals (+100% YoY) at a 14% decrease in cost
YoY.
Last February we ran MidWeekend display campaigns that contributed 1,295,060 impressions,
2,677 clicks, and 1,383 sessions at $2,071 in spend. Even without pushing the MidWeekend deal
this year, we significantly improved our overall CTR and clicks to the website and came close to the
total website sessions we had last year at a 14% decrease in overall spend.
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Performance Max (PMAX) | Evergreen Campaigns
Performance Max campaigns drove 40,413 impressions (+87% YoY), 3,266 clicks (+24% YoY), an
8.08% CTR (-34% YoY), a 26% conversion rate (+2% YoY) and 3,484 sessions (+24% YoY) while
driving 125 lodging referrals (+98% YoY) and 656 things to do partner referrals (+23% YoY) at a total
spend of $1,497 (+56% YoY).
Demand Gen | Evergreen Campaigns
Demand Gen campaigns drove 117,864 impressions (+266% YoY), 1,997 clicks (+272% YoY), a
1.69% CTR (+2% YoY), a 2.5% conversion rate (-25% YoY) and 1,073 sessions (+157% YoY) while
driving 27 lodging referrals (+17% YoY) and 2 things to do partner referrals (+200% YoY) at a total
spend of $1,877 (+162% YoY).
Video | Evergreen Campaigns
Video campaigns drove 213,247 impressions (-48% YoY), 2,436 views (+101% YoY), 2,523 clicks
(-58% YoY), a 1.18% CTR (-18% YoY), a 26.5% view rate (+4% YoY), a 0.25% conversion rate (+153%
YoY) and 1,630 sessions (-60% YoY) at a total spend of $2,008. (+18% YoY).
In February, we saw a large increase in the Average CPM which contributed to the large decrease in
impressions and total clicks we saw in February. We are making additional campaign adjustments
to further improve the effectiveness of our video ads to improve awareness and site traffic. In
February we also added the SLO CAL Unpacked videos as an alternative video ad to serve and are
continuing to monitor performance. Three of the top five videos with the highest clicks were the
SLO CAL Unpacking videos.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Creation
Organic search traffic decreased 38% period-over-period and decreased 19% year-over-year.
Organic Search generated 631 hotel partner referrals (-30% YoY), 35 homestay partner referrals
(-41% YoY), and 1,609 things-to-do referrals (+15% YoY). Average engagement time has increased
5% YoY and pages per session have increased 16% YoY.
Upon fur ther investigation into the difference in clicks in 2025 vs 2024, we narrowed the majority of
the click loss from keywords related to the Lunar New Year in SLO, the SLO Drive In, and restaurant
keywords. We saw some slight dips in the performance of our restaurants page in mid February and
prioritized optimizing the page to quickly address the dips in traffic we saw related to restaurants'
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keywords. We will look into optimizing the SLO Drive In page in March and will continue to monitor
for pages that have seen a decrease in traffic.
February 2025 Highest Clicks
February 2024 Highest Clicks
Page 1 keywords increased to 4.8K (+1% YoY), and total keywords decreased to 22.4K (-5% 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.
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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 majority of 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.
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To further break this down, the chart above shows the number of our keywords on page 1, which
have remained relatively steady over the last 12 months. Since the December Core Update, we’ve
seen a 23% decrease in hyper traffic keywords (positions 1-3). This is where the largest decrease in
our YoY organic traffic came from. While total page 1 keywords have remained steady YoY, those
position 1-3 keywords drive a large majority of the traffic to the website. In Q4, we are readjusting
the content plan to prioritize pages impacted during the December Core Update.
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.
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Email Marketing
February Newsletters
In February, we sent two newsletters to all subscribers. The first email focused on promoting the
SLO CAL Unpacked videos, the See + Stay package for Film Fest, and the wine tasting giveaway for
Ticket Tuesday. The second email was a dedicated Film Fest email aimed to drive additional
awareness of the event. In February, our newsletter drove 1137 sessions (-35% YoY), 123 total
partner referrals (-54% YoY), 72 hotel referrals (-63% YoY), had an average engagement rate of
49.3% (-13% YoY), an average engagement time of 54s (-7% YoY), and an average pages/session of
2.39 (-13% YoY).
Key Takeaway: Both February newsletters had above average open rates when compared to our
standard campaign performance. The first February newsletter had an open rate of 1.7%, which
exceeded the Travel & Tourism benchmark of 1.6%, while the Film Fest dedicated email had an open
rate of around 1%. When comparing year over year performance, it is worth noting that last February
we had sent two emails promoting the MidWeekend deal that both drove high levels of engagement,
sessions, and partner referrals. Of the 123 total partner referrals from email in February, roughly
60% of them were from the first February newsletter.
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February Newsletter Snapshot | SLO CAL Unpacking
● Send Date: Thursday, Feb 6, 2025
● Audience Reached: All Newsletters Subscribers
● Recipients: 33,342
● Open Rate: 46.5%
● Click Rate: 1.7%
● Number of Website Sessions: 580
● Average Session Duration: 2m 57s
● Average Engagement Time: 56s
● Pages / Session: 2.37
● Engagement Rate: 49%
● Total Partner Referrals: 67
● Total Lodging Referrals: 38
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February Newsletter Snapshot | SLO Film Fest
● Send Date: Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025
● Audience Reached: All Newsletters Subscribers
● Recipients: 33,342
● Open Rate: 52.8%
● Click Rate: 0.99%
● Number of Website Sessions: 403
● Average Session Duration: 1m 48s
● Average Engagement Time: 42s
● Pages / Session: 2.17
● Engagement Rate: 46%
● Total Partner Referrals: 33
● Total Lodging Referrals: 32
Website
In February, the website saw 80,269 total sessions (-6% YoY). The channels contributing to the
most lodging referrals this month were organic search, paid search, and Cross-Network. Across the
website in February, we saw an average of 1.69 pages per session (-5% YoY) and an average
engagement time of 0:25 (-15% YoY). In February, we saw 7,950 total partner referrals (-13% YoY),
2,985 hotel referrals (-32% YoY), 274 homestay referrals (-14% YoY), and 2,925 things-to-do
referrals (+23% YoY).
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In February, we saw an impact from not running the MidWeekend campaign as we have done in
previous years, but still saw good performance across the majority of the channels contributing to
our goals.
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MRO Updates:
○ Plugins and Updates
■ WP 6.7.2
■ Gravity Forms
■ Gravity Forms Email Blacklist
■ Events Calendar
■ Events Calendar Pro
■ Yoast
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○ Theme Updates
■ Fixed styling of figcaptions under images and videos
■ Fixed horizontal scroll in editor caused by featured topic block width
Web Retainer
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance,
Coordination, and
Management
2.25 Stakeholder and Homepage updates
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Creative Services
Task Hours Accomplishments
Monthly Maintenance, Coordination,
and Management 30.5 Long and Short Brochure edits, marketing
plan update
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PR And Media Relations
In February, our pitching efforts focused on positioning San Luis Obispo as a premier romantic
getaway destination for the long holiday weekend, the SLO Film Festival, a budget-friendly wine
country getaway, eco-friendly vacation destination and wildflower viewing spot. Through strategic
outreach, we emphasized SLO’s hidden gems, intimate couples' experiences, and cultural events to
key media publications. Additionally, a sponsored segment featuring Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
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 was more than four minutes long and aired on “National Plan a Vacation
Day.” Engaging this target market reinforced San Luis Obispo as an easily accessible Central Coast
destination for relaxation and exploration. We continued building momentum for the upcoming SLO
International Film Festival 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 February:
● Next Avenue PBS – UVM 142,300
○ The article highlighted:
■ SBP airpor t’s The Spirit of San Luis restaurant, a great place for plane
spotting and local gem.
○ A link to the news article can be found here.
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SLO International Film Festival FAM RSVP’s:
● Michael Goldstein, Forbes, UVM – 88,209,424
● Caterina Balzano, La Opinion/El Diario Nueva York, UVM – 1,726,703
● Lesley Balla, Freelance/Taste of Home, UVM – 17,282,459
● Brenda Medley-Alexander, Blavity, UVM – 1,873,697
● 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 the Valentine’s 3-day Weekend”
● “Unique Vacation Ideas for 2025”
● “Where to Go in April 2025: Arts, Culture + Wine”
● “Look No Further than this Central CA Destination for an Outdoor Adventure”
Pending Individual Press Trips:
● Meghan Rose, PS (PopSugar): UVM – 3,752,358
○ TBD; FAM trip postponed due to LA fires. Trip rescheduling in progress.
● Ronny Maye, Essence: UVM – 2,035,079 / Fodor’s Travel: UVM – 2,641,983
○ April 5-7, 2025 press trip.
● Reuben Mourad, Thrillist: UVM – 1,371,632
○ April 17-19, 2025 press trip.
● Laura Powell, Organic Spa Magazine: Circulation – 140,000; UVM – 3,128
○ TBD; 2025 press trip.
● Rosa Gamazo, Telecinco Spanish media: UVM - 4,976,592 - Luxury hotel and destination
feature
○ TBD; 2025 press trip.
● Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes: UVM – 99,621,955 / Slow Living Kitchen: UVM – 5,370
○ TBD; 2025 press trip.
● Christina Silvestri, Arizona Foothills Magazine: UVM - 26,039 - History, dining, SLO life
○ TBD; Press trip in ‘25-26 fiscal year.
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February 2025
SLO TBID - SHARESLO
ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
Date: 03/12/25Page 35 of 51
Followers: 37,337 ( .6%)
Total Net Growth: 257
Total Posts: 185
Total Impressions:1,503,780 ( 5%)
(includes both organic & paid)
Total stories: 165
Total Engagements: 9,515 ( 23%)
Engagement Rate: .6% ( 25%)
INSTAGRAM
In February, we saw an increase of 257 new followers. We saw decreased impressions due to the high spike in the previous
month. Our impressions only decreased by 5% when they are being compared to the 324% increase last month, which is still
impressive. Our engagements and engagement rate decreased due to Meta no longer allowing access to information from
collaborations that are not published by our account.
TOP POSTS:
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Page Followers: 97,776 ( .03%)
Total Net Audience Growth: 103
Total Posts: 22
Total Impressions: 1, 385,264 ( 3.2%)
Total Organic: 55,602 ( 48%)
Total Engagements: 2,374 ( 38%)
Engagement Rate: .1% ( 50%)
FACEBOOK
TOP POSTS:
In February, our followers increased by 103 new followers. We saw an increase in total impressions, even with the 558%
increase it is being compared to from the previous month. We foresaw a decrease in total organic impressions,
engagements, and engagement rate due to the huge spike from the previous month. We expect everything to even out next
month.
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Followers: 1,630 ( 9%)
Followers Gained: 141
Impressions: 18,400 ( 11%)
Engagement: 532 ( 30%)
Engagement Rate: 2.9% ( 17%)
Video Views: 18,400 ( 11%)
In February, we saw an increase of 141 new followers! We saw a decrease in impressions and engagements, although compared to
the previous month that was a 154% and 148% increase, we expected this. 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:
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Total Audience: 430 ( 3.4%)
Total Net Growth: 15
Total Posts: 4
Impressions: 335 ( 55%)
Engagements: 24 ( 50%)
Engagement Rate: 7.2% ( 2.7%)
LINKEDIN
TOP POSTS:
In February, we saw an increase in followers by 15 new users. We saw an increase in impressions and engagements as well.
We focused on business travel-related posts, per client suggestion and it saw high performance.
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Total Posts: 2
Story Views: 707 ( 1.8k%)
Story Impressions: 615 ( 1.3k%)
Interaction Rate: 73.7% ( .3%)
(Average Rate: 67%)
Completion Rate: 66.4% ( 19%)
(Average Rate: 52%)
CA TRAVEL STORIES - CROWDRIFF
TOP POSTS:
In February, we saw a decrease in story views and impressions. We foresaw a decrease in analytics due to the extremely high
performing story from the previous month, also shown below. We saw an increase in interaction rate and completion rate
due to the success of the popular story continuing this month, as well as, our other stories engagements and viewership.
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Total Posts: 2
Impressions: 1.37k ( 34%)
Engagements: 35 ( 25.5%)
Outbound Clicks: 4 ( 300%)
Saves: 9 ( 36%)
Total Audience: 1.09k ( 35%)
Engaged Audience: 25 ( 42%)
PINTEREST
In February, we saw an increase in outbound clicks by 300%, these are users that clicked on our link to the website this
month. We saw a decrease in the other analytics this month. We believe this is due to the type of content we posted. We
switched up the type of content this month to utilize Unpacking SLOCA, but are pivoting back to itinerary, event, and to-do
based content.
TOP POSTS:
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WHAT WE WORKED ON THIS MONTH:
- Black History Month / Black-Owned Businesses
- Valentine’s Day in SLO (27k Views, 267 Sends)
-Galentine’s Day in SLO (13.6k Views)
-4 Accepted Collaborations (No Longer Included in our Analytic Overview)
- Dog-Friendly SLO - @harlow_thegolden & @dogsofslobrew (9.1k Views,
314 Interactions)
-Hotel Spotlight - @coreymarshall, @goodlionhospitality, &
@petitsoleilslo (9.5k Views, 313 Interactions)
-Nate’s on Marsh - @coreymarshall (9.8k Views, 390 Interactions)
-Flavortown - @slocal (35.2k Views, 1.5k Interactions
-Total Insights: 63.6k Views, 2.5k Interactions
-2 Invited Collaborations - Giveaway w/ @slofilmfest & Sustainability Feature w/
@downtownslofarmersmarket
-Food / Bev (Pizza in SLO Reel, Fine-Dining Bucket List Part 3 Reel)
- Artsy Strolls in SLO Reel, Sustainability Award Post, New Public Art Post,
Midweek Activities Post, etc.Page 42 of 51
MARCH’S FOCUS:
- Women’s History Month
-Featuring Women Makers, Musicians, Business
Owners, etc., in the Community
- At Her Table SLO City Events Collaboration
-Outdoor / Green Rolling Hills Focus
-Ntnl Day of Unplugging in SLO Reel
-Hiking for All Levels Reel
-First Day of Spring To-Dos
-Dallidet Adobe Flower Market, Wine Tasting, Scenic
Drive
-Patio Seating in SLO, Ntnl Book Lover’s Day in SLO Reel
-Upcoming Events (Beaver Brigade, Children’s Day in the Plaza)
-Ticket Tuesday Giveaway
-@calpolyarts & @rose_the_slo_way Page 43 of 51
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Tourism Business Improvement District Board
MARKETING COMMITTEE MINUTES
Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 10 a.m.
HR Conference Room, 994 Mill Street, SLO
Marketing Committee
Members Present:
Member Lori Keller, Chair Lydia Bates
City Staff Present: Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-
Charlesworth, Economic Development & Tourism Manager Laura
Fiedler
1. CALL TO ORDER
The February Marketing Committee Meeting was called to order on February 26, 2026, at
10:05 a.m. in the HR Conference Room, 994 Mill Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair Bates.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. Q4 MEDIA PLAN (30 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios presented the proposed media plan and considerations
for the fourth quarter including an increase in video to support the forthcoming SLO Life
Coach campaign.
4. CAMPAIGN UPDATES (30 MIN)
Representatives from Noble Studios presented updates to the SLO Life Coach, MidWeekend
and SLO Film Fest campaigns.
5. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:07 a.m.
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Tourism Business Improvement District Board
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES
Thursday, November 27, 2025, 10:30 a.m.
Quality Suites, 1631 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo
Management
Committee Members
Present:
Member Prashant Patel, Member Winston Newland, Vice Chair
Clint Pearce
City Staff Present: Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-
Charlesworth, Economic Development & Tourism Manager Laura
Fiedler
1. CALL TO ORDER
The February Management Committee Meeting was called to order on November 27, 2025, at
10:30 a.m. in the meeting room at Quality Suites, 1631 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, by
Vice Chair Pearce.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. TBID CONTRACTOR EVALUATIONS (30 MIN)
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff
report, reviewing timeline, content and process with input from the committee.
4. 2025-26 BUDGET STATUS & PROGRAM PRIORITIES (30 MIN)
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the current
budget and facilitated discussion among the committee of priorities for FY 25-26.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned at 11:37 a.m.
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1
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
February 12, 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, Chair Samantha
Welch
PCC Members Absent: Committee Member Anni Wang, Committee Member Robin Wolf
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 February 12, 2025 at 5:3 2 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 Committee Member Bates
Second By Committee Member Forsberg
To approve Consent items 3a through 3f.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Ayes (4): Committee Member Bates, Committee Member Forsberg, Committee
Member Thomas, and Chair Welch
Absent (2): Committee Member Wang, and Committee Member Wolf
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2
CARRIED (4 to 0)
3.a MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18 &
JANUARY 8
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
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a BIKE SHARE PROGRAM UPDATE
Lucia Pohlman, Sustainability Analyst presented the staff report and
responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
4.b PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY ACTIVITY UPDATE
Hollie West, SLO Chamber presented the public relations activities report
for January.
Action: No action taken on this item.
4.c BUY LOCAL BONUS RECAP
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth,
Ashlee Akers of Verdin, Hollie West and Brianna Harris of SLO Chamber
and Molly Burchett of Badger Branding presented the report and
responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action taken on this item.
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3
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a MID YEAR BUDGET & PROGRAM PRIORITIES
Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth
presented the staff report and responded to inquiries.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
ACTION: The Committee brainstormed ideas for projects to implement
during the remainder of the fiscal year.
6. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a CACP LIAISON REPORT – Liaison Assignments
6.b COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE – Committee Report
6.c TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Meeting Minutes: January 8
Committee Member Bates 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 6:57 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for March 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
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