HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-19-2025 TBID Minutes
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Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes
August 19, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
TBID Board Present: Member Mark Eads, Member Christine Nelson, Member Nipool
Patel, Member Prashant Patel, Member Dante Specchierla, Vice
Chair Lori Keller, and Chair Clint Pearce
City Staff Present: Economic Development & Tourism Manager Laura Fiedler
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1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement
District Board was called to order on August 19, 2025, at 10:02 a.m. in the
Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair
Pearce.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. APPOINTMENTS - OATH OF OFFICE
Deputy City Clerk Sara Armas administered the Oath of Office to Mark Eads.
4. BOARD INTRODUCTIONS
Board members introduced themselves to new Member M. Eads.
5. CONSENT
Motion By Vice Chair L. Keller
Second By Member P. Patel
To approve Consent Items 5a. to 5g.
Ayes (6): Vice Chair L. Keller, Member P. Patel, Member C. Nelson, Member N.
Patel, Chair Pearce, and Member D. Specchierla.
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Abstain (1): Member M. Eads
CARRIED (6 to 1)
5.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 9, 2025
5.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)
5.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT
5.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT
5.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT
5.f NOBLE STUDIOS & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY
REPORT
5.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
6. PRESENTATIONS
6.a MARKETING SERVICES YEAR-END REPORT (30 MINUTES)
Hayley Corbett and Danni Winter from Noble Studios and Autumn Enoch
from Uniquely Driven presented the year-end activity highlights and results
data for the FY2024-25 marketing agency contracted work as well as Q4
performance.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action was taken on this item.
6.b ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TOURISM
INDUSTRY (20 MINUTES)
Tom Duffy, Head of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy from Noble Studios
presented and discussed with the Board Noble's AI philosophy, its
approach to leveraging AI (including for the tourism industry), and AI's role
in sustainability.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
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Action: No action was taken on this item.
7. BUSINESS ITEMS
7.a ANNUAL MEDIA PLAN (30 MINUTES)
Danni Winter from Noble Studios presented the annual paid media plan to
the Board for review and approval.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By: Vice Chair L. Keller
Second By: Member M. Eads
To approve the annual media plan as presented.
Ayes (7) Vice Chair L. Keller, Member M. Eads, Member C. Nelson,
Member N. Patel, Member P. Patel, Chair Pearce, and Member D.
Specchierla.
CARRIED (7 to 0)
7.b PROMOTIONAL ITEM PURCHASE APPROVAL (5 MINUTES)
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development and Tourism Manager, presented
an estimate order of Visit SLO branded socks to be approved by the
Board and distributed at the Spartan Race and for other promotional
purposes.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By: Member N. Patel
Second By: Member D. Specchierla
To approve the purchase up to $3,000.00 of Visit SLO branded socks for
distribution at the Spartan Race and for other promotional purposes. The
budget line of Events and Activation will be used for this purchase.
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Ayes (7): Member N. Patel, Member D. Specchierla, Member M. Eads,
Vice Chair Keller, Member C. Nelson, Member P. Patel, and Chair Pearce.
CARRIED (7 to 0)
8. TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
8.a HOTELIER UPDATE
No update at this time.
8.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
No meeting was held in July.
8.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
No meeting was held in July.
8.d PCC UPDATE
Member D. Specchierla provided a brief update that PCC liaisons have
been established for the CACP grant recipients and the PCC received an
update on the Mission Plaza construction project.
8.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE
Molly Cano, Vice President of Marketing with Visit SLO CAL , provided a
brief update on Visit SLO CAL activities and the upcoming Visit SLO CAL
Summit.
8.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development and Tourism Manager provided an
update on the Tourism program. Molly Burchett from Badger Branding
shared that a @ShareSLO video reel went viral and hit 1.2 million views, a
record for Visit SLO social media channels.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:47 a.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for September 10,
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:
09/10/2025