HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-12-2025 TBID Agenda Packet
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
AGENDA
Wednesday, November 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 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 OCTOBER 8, 2025 5
3.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)11
3.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT 13
3.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT 15
3.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT 21
3.f NOBLE STUDIOS & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY
REPORT
25
3.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT 35
4.PRESENTATIONS
4.a MARKETING SERVICES QUARTERLY REPORT (20 MINUTES)
Representatives from Noble Studios will present the first quarter report
for the marketing activities for the SLO TBID.
5.BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a YEAR-END MARKETING BUDGET RECONCILIATION (10 MINUTES)
Noble Studios will present the year-end budget reconciliation for FY
2024-25 and proposal for re-allocation of any remaining funds.
5.b 2026 SLO INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL
(20 MINUTES)
45
The Board will hear the recap of the 2025 event and consider the
funding request from SLO International Film Fest for sponsorship
support of the 2026 Film Festival. The marketing and public relations
teams will also present a proposal for complementary activities in
support of the film festival.
6.TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
6.d PCC UPDATE 53
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 December 10, 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
October 8, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
TBID Board Present: Member Mark Eads, Member Prashant Patel, Member Dante
Specchierla, and Chair Clint Pearce
TBID Board Absent: Member Christine Nelson, Member Lori Keller, Member Nipool
Patel
City Staff Present: 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 October 8, 2025, at 10:00 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:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. CONSENT
Motion By Member Eads
Second By Member Specchierla
To approve Consent Items 3a.to 3g.
Ayes (4): Member M. Eads, Member D. Specchierla, Member P. Patel, and Chair
Pearce
Absent (3): Member C. Nelson, Member L. Keller, and Member N. Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
Page 5 of 55
2
3.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
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 PUBLIC RELATIONS QUARTER REPORT (20 MINUTES)
Hayley Corbett from Noble Studios, Autumn Enoch from Uniquely Driven,
and Hollie West from the SLO Chamber presented the first quarter report
for public relations activities for the SLO TBID.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
4.b GUEST SERVICES QUARTER REPORT (10 MINUTES)
Brianna Harris from the SLO Chamber presented the first quarter report
on the Guest Services contract activities for the SLO TBID.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
4.c CONTENT MARKETING QUARTER REPORT (15 MINUTES)
Katy McGrath and Molly Leonardo from Badger Branding presented the
first quarter report for the content marketing support and organic social
media activities with the SLO TBID.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Page 6 of 55
3
4.d SECOND QUARTER MEDIA PLAN (10 MINUTES)
Drew Uhrig from Noble Studios presented a refresher to the Board on the
second quarter media plan.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a MISSION PREP CHRISTMAS CLASSIC (15 MINUTES)
Terrance Harris, Head Coach, and Darnell Harris, Director of
Advancement and Assistant Coach, from Mission College Prep High
School presented request for sponsorship support for the Mission Prep
Christmas Classic.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By: Member Eads
Second By: Member P. Patel
To approve $15,000 in sponsorship support for the Mission Prep
Christmas Classic from the general events promotions budget.
Ayes (4): Member M. Eads, Member P. Patel, Member D. Specchierla, and
Chair Pearce
Absent (3): Member C. Nelson, Member L. Keller, and Member N. Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
5.b BRAND SENTIMENT STUDY PROPOSAL (15 MINUTES)
Haley Corbett from Noble Studios presented the proposal for the
revaluation of the Brand Sentiment survey with Wiser Insights to the
Board.
Public Comment:
None
Page 7 of 55
4
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By: Member D. Specchierla
Second By: Member M. Eads
To approve $33,000 for the Brand Sentiment Study #4 with Wiser Insights
as a subcontractor of Noble Studios out of the research and program
development budget.
Ayes (4): Member D. Specchierla, Member M. Eads, Member P. Patel, and
Chair Pearce
Absent (3): Member C. Nelson, Member L. Keller, and Member N. Patel
CARRIED (4 to 0)
6. TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
6.a HOTELIER UPDATE
TBID board members shared their observations from the past month
regarding occupancy and bookings.
6.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
No marketing subcommittee meeting was held in September.
6.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
No management subcommittee meeting was held in September
6.d PCC UPDATE
Member Specchierla provided a brief update on PCC activities.
6.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE
Molly Cano, Vice President of Marketing from Visit SLO CAL, provided a
brief update on Visit SLO CAL activities, including updates on Highway 1
reopening timelines, the Turns Well Taken video shoot, and the return of
the seasonal flight from the SLO airport to Las Vegas.
6.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Economic Development & Tourism Manager Laura Fiedler provided an
update on the economic development and tourism program, including the
annual report presentation to City Council, TBID renewal process,
upcoming sponsored events, and upcoming support local campaigns.
Page 8 of 55
5
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:49 a.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for November 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
Page 9 of 55
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OCTOBER 2025
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
California 64.37 78.67 68.46
181.62 203.31 188.74
116.91 159.93 129.20
-1.82 -0.97 -1.54
1.70 1.23 1.55
-0.15 0.25 -0.01
City of Paso Robles 53.35 81.10 61.28 161.39 293.08 211.18 86.11 237.67 129.41 -13.06 -2.90 -9.47 -2.48 3.09 1.84 -15.21 0.10 -7.81
City of Pismo Beach 60.48 86.39 67.88 197.10 300.64 234.75 119.21 259.73 159.35 -0.92 -2.11 -1.36 2.72 -1.65 0.50 1.78 -3.73 -0.86
City of San Luis Obispo 63.11 83.83 69.03 151.00 238.21 181.26 95.30 199.70 125.13 0.32 -3.08 -0.84 4.75 0.45 2.41 5.08 -2.64 1.55
City of Morro Bay 59.24 81.53 65.61 125.77 191.32 149.05 74.50 155.98 97.78 0.60 -3.84 -1.02 -2.59 0.25 -1.73 -2.01 -3.60 -2.74
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
California 70.82 82.92 74.28
193.48 210.73 198.98
137.02 174.74 147.80
1.87 3.74 2.46
4.52 3.86 4.34
6.48 7.75 6.90
City of Paso Robles 59.57 87.38 67.51 164.38 295.28 212.79 97.92 258.00 143.66 -10.84 2.45 -6.35 -7.44 1.55 -1.42 -17.47 4.03 -7.68
City of Pismo Beach 71.42 83.04 74.74 200.00 324.31 239.46 142.85 269.31 178.98 3.79 -6.96 0.12 1.70 7.20 2.86 5.56 -0.25 2.98
City of San Luis Obispo 70.55 87.80 75.48 159.81 251.19 190.18 112.75 220.54 143.54 2.12 1.25 1.83 3.45 2.65 3.00 5.64 3.93 4.88
City of Morro Bay 60.43 89.89 68.85 121.38 193.31 148.21 73.35 173.76 102.04 0.17 5.50 2.10 -6.34 -3.10 -4.27 -6.18 2.24 -2.27
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
California 71.32 80.99 74.08
220.48 209.20 216.96
157.25 169.42 160.73
1.87 0.23 1.35
15.02 1.88 10.70
17.17 2.12 12.19
City of Paso Robles 57.78 87.13 66.17 167.34 309.51 220.82 96.69 269.67 146.12 -9.83 3.31 -5.30 -4.03 5.85 2.68 -13.46 -13.46 -2.76
City of Pismo Beach 64.53 80.40 69.06 193.62 303.09 230.03 124.94 243.69 158.87 -1.34 -2.91 -1.87 -1.91 2.72 -0.08 -3.23 -3.23 -1.95
City of San Luis Obispo 66.05 84.71 71.38 155.71 237.66 183.49 102.85 201.31 130.98 2.03 5.16 3.07 6.03 3.25 5.13 8.19 8.19 8.36
City of Morro Bay 55.89 82.92 63.61 121.26 183.61 144.48 67.77 152.25 91.91 -5.74 2.04 -2.99 -5.24 -4.24 -4.03 -10.68 -10.68 -6.89
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
California 66.93 76.51 69.67 185.02 198.40 189.22 123.84 151.79 131.82 -5.58 -4.70 -5.30 -3.64 -3.44 -3.56 -9.01 -7.98 -8.67
City of Paso Robles 65.58 86.48 71.55 172.31 287.16 211.97 113.01 248.34 151.67 -3.46 2.05 -1.63 -2.07 0.98 -0.03 -5.45 3.05 -1.66
City of Pismo Beach 68.39 84.74 73.06 193.81 289.13 225.40 132.54 245.01 164.67 4.62 3.21 4.15 2.80 7.92 4.80 7.55 11.39 9.15
City of San Luis Obispo 72.74 88.14 77.14 171.15 261.12 200.52 124.50 230.15 154.69 6.13 9.32 7.15 10.32 12.71 11.63 17.09 23.21 19.62
City of Morro Bay 56.14 81.89 63.50 120.49 192.27 146.94 67.64 157.45 93.30 -3.26 2.47 -1.23 -6.33 8.66 0.79 -9.38 11.34 -0.45
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
WD WE Total
California 63.06 66.22 63.96
185.52 178.14 183.34
116.99 117.97 117.27
4.71 -6.28 1.20
5.28 -5.53 1.76
10.24 -11.46 2.98
City of Paso Robles 52.51 62.22 55.29 149.27 239.81 178.38 78.39 149.21 98.62 -1.04 -25.71 -10.59 -6.87 -11.72 -12.29 -7.84 -34.41 -21.57
City of Pismo Beach 55.14 71.20 59.73 177.10 260.06 205.36 97.66 185.17 122.66 15.42 -17.62 1.55 4.50 -11.19 -7.19 20.61 -26.84 -5.75
City of San Luis Obispo 57.54 71.02 61.39 152.08 277.29 193.47 87.51 196.95 118.78 7.94 -19.96 -3.02 8.79 -3.37 -2.30 17.42 -22.65 -5.25
City of Morro Bay 47.66 60.78 51.41 114.01 160.54 129.73 54.33 97.58 66.69 1.85 -26.28 -9.78 -3.80 -14.43 -11.80 -2.02 -36.92 -20.42
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar
RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADR
For the Week of October 26, 2025
to November 01, 2025
For the Week of October 19, 2025
to October 25, 2025
For the Week of October 12, 2025
to October 18, 2025
For the Week of October 05, 2025
to October 11, 2025
For the Week of September 28,
2025 to October 04, 2025
Page 11 of 55
Page 12 of 55
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 2025-26
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$ 1,296,972$ 1,310,543$ 1.05%
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$ 1,118,215$ 1,174,918$ 5.07%
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$ 935,689$ 951,898$ 1.73%
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$ 921,418$
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$ 825,128$
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$ 637,018$
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$ 696,606$
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$ 745,586$
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$ 806,319$
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$ 1,034,160$
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$ 1,025,327$
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$ 1,317,578$
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$ 11,360,016$ 3,437,359$
2024-25 2025-26 Change +/-2024-25 2025-26 Change +/-2024-25 2025-26 Change +/-
July 83.3 81.5 -2.2%203.44$ 203.66$ 0.1%169.32$ 166.07$ -1.9%
August 77.0 78.4 1.8%194.96$ 195.11$ 0.1%150.17$ 152.98$ 1.9%
September 70.0 68.6 -2.0%184.04$ 186.68$ 1.4%128.89$ 128.14$ -0.6%
October 69.3 178.14$ 123.46$
November 66.8 171.03$ 114.16$
December 59.8 146.17$ 87.41$
January 62.4 144.12$ 89.99$
February 67.1 161.94$ 108.66$
March 65.8 161.67$ 106.36$
April 73.2 183.34$ 134.22$
May 70.0 181.88$ 127.38$
June 75.9 216.12$ 165.02$
Total/Average 70.05 177.24$ 125.42$ Updated: 11/6/2025
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPAR*Figures from Smith Travel
Research Report
TOT Comparison
Page 13 of 55
Page 14 of 55
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Public Relations
Contract
Report to the City of San
Luis Obispo – TBID & PCC
October 2025
Page 15 of 55
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Implementation and Proactive Work
Hosted Midweek Influencer Fam
Hosted travel writer Ligaya Malones in partnership with Uniquely Driven
Hosted travel writer Natalie Zimmerman in partnership w/Uniquely Driven
Attended Visit SLO CAL Los Angeles Media Mission
Continued outreach to TBID stakeholders to inform Visit SLO Influencer Strategy
Continued working with the City, Noble Studios, Uniquely Driven and Badger Branding on overall tourism
marketing campaign
2
Responsive Work & Partnerships
Partnerships
Reviewed November social media calendar for Central Coast Tourism Council
Reviewed CCTC “The Director ” Itinerary
Launched ARTober with the City, Badger Branding and Verdin
Continued planning for Buy Local Bonus with the City, Badger Branding and Verdin
Continued planning for SLO Restaurant Month with the City, Badger Branding and Verdin
Media Features
Proactive Work
Luxe Beat Magazine
Where to Lay your Hat in SLO CAL | UVPM: 3,603
Discovering the Outdoors In SLO CAL | UVPM: 3,603
Eating in SLO CAL: The Hip and Trendy Road to Food | UVPM: 3,603
Fresh Produce, Bakery & Local Shopping in SLO CAL | UVPM: 3,603
Explore SLO CAL’s Rich History - Luxe Beat Magazine | UVPM: 3,603
Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo County Wine Country | UVPM: 3,603
As a result of hosting Darla Hoffman in partnership with Visit SLO CAL in May of 2025
Paso Robles Daily News | Canzona Women's Ensemble to present 'Heart Strings: Ties That Bind' | UVPM:
22,858
As a result of proactive pitching
Social Media Coverage as a result of the Midweekend Influencer Fam (See Page 5)
Page 16 of 55
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Media Features
Media Monitoring
OCTOBER TOTALS:
Placements: 29
UVPM: 57,795,910
YEAR TO DATE TOTALS:
Placements: 55
UVPM: 2,236,781,520
3
PUBLICATION PLACEMENTS UVPM
AOL 11 Wildly Unique Themed Hotels You Can Only Find
in America 33,968,135.00
NEWSBREAK Budget Boutique Hotels in California 17,990,760.00
FAMILY DESTINATIONS
GUIDE
12 Outrageous Roadside Attractions In California
That Are Totally Worth The Detour 2,128,550.00
SECRET LA Over-The-Top And Unapologetically Kitsch, This
San Luis Obispo Staple Is Officially California’s Best 891,243.00
SECRET LA
This 12-Hour Train Ride Through The West Coast’s
Stunning Landscapes Is The Most Scenic In The U.S.
- Perfect For A Fall Escape
891,243.00
HER CAMPUS Top 5 Solo Dates to Do in SLO During Fall 508,416.00
KSBY Direct flights from San Luis Obispo to Las Vegas
return 439,313.00
KEYT California Main Street Conference Taking Over
Downtown SLO For The First Time 216,579.00
TRAVEL AWAITS 11 Small-Town Road Trip Stops on the Pacific Coast
Highway in California 142,769.00
CLAREMONT COURIER The California Wander 50,377.00
LOCAL ADVENTURER 7 Unique Things to do in San Luis Obispo County 45,191.00
PASO ROBLES DAILY
NEWS
Daily nonstop flights to Las Vegas return at SLO
County Airport 22,858.00
Page 17 of 55
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Midweekend Micro-Influencer Group Fam
Wednesday, October 1 through Friday, October 3
Influencers
Sally Garcia
Janae Lynn
Freddy Rodriguez
Lisa Rosanty
Cassie Yoshikawa
Itinerary Highlights (check out the full itinerary here)
Petit Soleil
Group stayed at Petit Soleil and were welcomed with Apertivo Hour with Dante & Laura, had
breakfast at the property and enjoyed all the amenities
Downtown Walking Tour
Great conversations took place about the importance of Midweek Travel and how SLO still felt
bustling on a Wednesday evening
Wine Tasting Experience in Edna Valley
The group headed to Edna Valley to experience La Lomita’s “Aromas of Wine” tasting experience
Dined at:
Petit Soleil | All five influencers raved about the quality of Petit Soleil’s freshly cooked breakfast and
pastry selection
Condesa | Petit Soleil’s new restaurant, the group had their first meal here and it was a huge hit,
solidifying SLO’s position as a foodie town
Ebony | met and dined with Feben Teffera and learned about the food culture in San Luis Obispo, the
history of Ebony and other awesome elements of arts and culture in SLO
Nate’s on Marsh | met and dined with Nathan Long and the group loved the restaurant and food
Linnaea’s | Had breakfast and coffee and talked about sustainability in SLO’s restaurant culture
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
The group got a tour of SLOMA and really loved Trish Andersen’s Little by Little exhibit
Understory Plant Shop
The owner of Understory, Sam, talked to everyone about biophilic design and the positive impact
plants can have on mental health, tying it in nicely with the importance of midweek travel for mental
health. The group then got to pick out plants to take home.
Thursday Night Farmers’ Market
We toured Farmers’ Market with Rachel Lackmann from Downtown SLO, and all five influencers were
amazed at the scale and scope of the market
Hike
All five influencers hiked Lemon Grove Loop on Cerro San Luis
4 Page 18 of 55
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Midweekend Micro-Influencer Group Fam (continued)
Wednesday, October 1 through Friday, October 3
Deliverables
Each of the five influencers committed to producing:
1 vertical video crossposted to Instagram and TikTok and
One of the following in addition:
A second Reel, crossposted to TikTok;
A static carousel on IG consisting of 7+ images;
An IG Story Set of 5 frames minimum detailing the trip and positioning SLO as a midweek vacation
destination (must live as a highlight for 120 days after posting)
Recap report within 30 days of visit that includes all content created and analytics (reach, shares, saves
etc.).
Content
Four of the five influencers shared stories while in market (in addition to the required deliverables, which is
an awesome added bonus!). Find screenshots and videos of this story coverage here.
Sally Garcia
@shareslo I hope this inspires you to not have to wait for the weekend to have fun! There’s so much to
see and do in SLO. I can’t wait to be back! #shareslo
@shareslo Pssst 🙋🏽 come here and let me remind you that joy doesn’t have to wait for Friday! Midweek
is where the magic happens! no crowds, better rates, and that SLO sunshine waiting just for you.
Janae Lynn
Weekday getaway to San Luis Obispo 😍
Perfect itinerary in San Luis Obispo 🍷🌮🌄
Freddy Rodriguez
📌SLO is the midweekend vacation capital of the world for a reason 🤩 @shareslo 🌞🌈✨
📌SLO is the midweekend vacation capital of the world & LGBTQ+ travel friendly 🌈 @shareslo ✨
Lisa Rosanty
📌SAVE the best 3-day itinerary in San Luis Obispo
📌SAVE 15 best things to do in San Luis Obispo
Cassie Yoshikawa
No long waits. Better hotel rates. Easy access to locals’ favorite events. You’re gonna want to head to SLO
for the midweekend.✨
Midweek in SLO > weekend anywhere else 😍
5 Page 19 of 55
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SLO Chamber of Commerce
Guest Services
Contract
Report to the City of San
Luis Obispo
October 2025
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SLO Chamber of Commerce
VISITOR INTERACTION
Oct.
2024
Sept.
2025
Oct.
2025
Walk-Ins 5,893 4,368 4,613
Phone Calls 297 139 159
Email & Digital 751 1,675 1,274
2
CALLS TO 877-SLO-TOWN
Oct.
2024
Sept.
2025
Oct.
2025
Calls 52 23 36
HOTEL REFERRALS
Oct.
2024
Sept.
2025
Oct.
2025
Referrals 58 64 63
HOTEL AVAILABILITY TRACKER
Oct.
2024
Sept.
2025
Oct.
2025
Email 186 66 94
Phone Calls 167 110 124
INFORMATION REQUESTS
Oct.
2024
Sept.
2025
Oct.
2025
Fullfilled 44 4 0
EVENTS SHARED
Oct.
2025 YTD
VisitSLO.com 85 285
DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT
International Travelers
Asia 2%
Europe 55%
Middle East 0%
Australia/NZ 9%
UK 20%
North America 13%
Central America 2%
South America 0%
Domestic Travelers
West Coast 12%
Southwest 11%
Midwest 32%
South 17%
East Coast 28%
California Travelers
Northern CA 24%
Central Coast 37%
Central Valley 7%
Desert 1%
Southern CA 31%
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SLO Chamber of Commerce
Other Highlights
3
Guest Quote of the Month
“We typically stay in Solvang or Monterey on our trips but we
decided to give SLO a chance this time and we’re so glad we did.
We can’t wait to bring our friends next time.”
Taken from a couple visiting from Connecticut for their bi-annual trip
to the California coast.
Mustang Family Weekend
Cal Poly EIM Field Trip
Our Visitor Center team moved outside for
the weekend welcoming Cal Poly families
during Mustang Family Weekend. We
handed our our crowd pleasing Live the SLO
Life totes, answered questions, and raffled
off a $500 hotel credit for one lucky family.
Our Chamber team joined with Laura from the City to
give another group of Cal Poly EIM students a glimpse
of tourism in action. The class of 40 learned about the
role of the TBID, the economic impact of our tourism,
and the valuable partnership of the City of SLO and
the Chamber of Commerce.
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SLO Marketing Activities Report
Key Performance Highlights
October 2025
At-a-Glance Highlights
● Total Website Sessions: 85,449 (+18% YoY)
● Top Traffic Source: Paid Social (+80% YoY)
● Total Lodging Referrals: 4,031 (+6% YoY)
● Top Performing Ads: YoY, SLO Life Coach Ads across Display, Demand Gen, and
PMAX channels saw:
○ +153% increase in website sessions
○ +37% increase in impressions
○ +80% increase in lodging referrals
○ all at a +16% increase in cost
● Public Relations: 10/8/25: KING-TV 5 fall getaways that won't break the bank -
New Day NW (Brandon Schultz – P2P Opportunity) (Reach: 1,761,350)
YTD KPI Performance
Expected Pace through October: 33%
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Overall Performance Summary
Key Insight: Despite industry-wide decreases in organic traffic of roughly 20-40%, the outstanding
performance of the SLO Life Coach campaign has helped Visit SLO to achieve an 18% increase in
overall traffic YoY despite seeing organic search traffic declines of roughly 28%. This is in part due
to a 49% increase in Paid Social click through rates, leading to an 80% increase in Paid Social traffic
at a 3% increase in spend. We also saw a 153% increase in traffic from Display, Demand Gen, and
PMAX campaigns at a 16% increase in spend.
For context, organic search historically drives almost a third of total website traffic and almost half
of partner referrals on VisitSLO.com. While we’ve seen large increases in traffic from Paid Social
over the last few months, it is not a bottom-of-funnel channel and historically only drives 1% of
partner referrals despite historically driving 12% of total website traffic.
Total website partner referrals saw a slight decrease of 6% however, lodging referrals saw a 6%
increase YoY. The majority of the YoY decrease came from restaurant referrals coming from
Organic Search, which saw a 64% decrease YoY.
As the way that people search continues to rapidly evolve, our new SLO Life Coach campaign has
significantly helped Visit SLO to maintain YoY increases in total traffic and lodging referrals.
Next Steps: We are wrapping up the schema audit and implementation on VisitSLO.com
to provide clearer context cues to search engine crawlers and enhance page visibility.
We are also continuing to develop new SEO-informed SLO Life Coach itinerary-style
content designed to perform well in AI-generated responses and rich SERP features. We
will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving search landscape and adapt our strategies
to reach potential travelers in the right channels at the right time. In addition, we
continue to review TOT performance to gain deeper insight into visitation trends to
better inform future campaign strategies.
Paid Media Snapshot
● Paid Search
○ Impressions: 51,140 (+32% YoY)
○ Clicks: 5,554 (+22% YoY)
○ CTR: 10.86% (-7% YoY)
○ Sessions: 5,684 (+12% YoY)
○ Lodging Referrals: 2,492 (+26% YoY)
○ Cost: $17,182 (+1% YoY)
2
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● Paid Social
○ Impressions: 1,513,778 (+27% YoY)
○ Clicks: 46,878 (+89% YoY)
○ CTR: 3.10% (+49% YoY)
○ Sessions: 22,677 (+71% YoY)
○ Lodging Referrals: 54 (+4% YoY)
○ Cost: $15,987 (+3% YoY)
● Display, Demand Gen, & PMAX
○ Impressions: 1,967,716 (+37% YoY)
○ CTR: 0.90% (-3% YoY)
○ Clicks: 17,679 (+33% YoY)
○ Sessions: 19,207 (+153% YoY)
○ Lodging Referrals: 352 (+80% YoY)
○ Cost: $8,100 (+16% YoY)
● Video
○ Impressions: 175,662 (-72% YoY)
○ CTR: 2.11% (+110% YoY)
○ Clicks: 3,709 (-41% YoY)
○ Sessions: 3,075 (-24% YoY)
○ Lodging Referrals: 31 (+343% YoY)
○ Cost: $4,200 (+3% YoY)
Key Insight: Since the launch of the new SLO Life Coach campaign, we’ve seen
outstanding performance improvements compared to last year. In October, at a +7%
3
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YoY increase in spend, paid channels saw a +40% increase in total website traffic, a 13%
increase in impressions, a 46% increase in total partner referrals, and a 31% increase in
lodging referrals. Our new campaign is reaching more potential travelers in a way that
resonates and ultimately drives more engaged website traffic and partner referrals.
Owned Media Snapshot
Email Marketing
We sent one email in October that spotlighted Artober, a giveaway on social media, and
encouraged readers to book a stay, resulting in a 5% increase in lodging referrals YoY.
Despite a lower click rate compared to the benchmark, the October newsletter saw a
+33% YoY increase in total partner referrals and an open rate that was 40% higher than
the benchmark. The October newsletter also resonated well with readers, shown by
strong YoY improvements in engagement metrics across the board. Readers were more
engaged overall (+2% increase in engagement rate), spent more time actively engaged
on the website (+57% increase in the average engagement time per session), and
visited more pages in their session on VisitSLO.com (+21% increase in pages per session).
● Emails Sent: 1
● Avg. Open Rate: 49.9% (33.25% Benchmark)
● Avg. CTR: 1.4% (2.56% Benchmark)
● Total Sessions: 475 (-50% YoY)
● Total Partner Referrals: 88 (+33% YoY)
● Total Lodging Referrals: 38 (+6% YoY)
● Engagement Rate: 60% (+2% YoY)
● Average Engagement Time Per Session: 1m 15s (+57% YoY)
● Page Views Per Session: 2.97 (+21% YoY)
4
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Website
● Total Sessions: 85,449 (+18% YoY)
● Lodging Partner Referrals: 4,031 (+6% YoY)
● Avg. Pages/Session: 1.68 (-15% YoY)
● Average Session Duration: 2m 00s (+13% YoY)
● Top Lodging Referral Channels: Paid Search (61%), Organic Search (16%),
Cross-Network (9%)
5
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SEO + Content
● Organic Search Sessions: 14,747 (-28% YoY)
● Organic Search Partner Referrals: 2,360 (-43% YoY)
● Organic Search Impressions: 1.36 Mil (-18% YoY)
● Organic Search Clicks: 10.8K (-38% YoY)
● Organic Search CTR: 0.8% (-20% YoY)
● Page 1 Keywords: 4.5K (-11%)
● Sessions from LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc): 240 (+2,300% YoY)
● Top Losses: things to do in San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, Sunset Drive-In
Key Takeaway: While organic traffic is down 28% in October, we’ve been improving Visit
SLO’s ability to be cited as a source in Google’s AI Overviews. YoY we’ve seen a 3,618%
increase in the number of AI overviews the website has been cited in, while we’ve only
6
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seen a 411% increase in the total opportunities to be cited in. As organic search pages
continue to increasingly have Google’s AI overview responses, the way that people
search continues to change, and organic traffic declines are felt across the Travel and
Tourism industry, among many others.
Insight: YoY drops in Organic traffic are industry-wide and are tied to a roughly 20%
decrease in organic CTRs related to a rapidly evolving search engine results page,
which now features AI responses and significantly more SERP features, allowing
searchers to get more information without the need to click through to a website. A
study done by Simpleview across over 400 DMOs showed that the average decrease in
organic search traffic was 20-40% in 2025. We’re continuing to lean into new strategies
to improve Visit SLO’s visibility in this new era of search.
7
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Traffic trends for 400+ DMOs
Creative & Web Maintenance
Website Maintenance, Repair & Optimization (MRO)
● Plugins and Updates
○ ACF Pro
○ Enable Media Replace
○ Gravity Forms
○ Events Calendar
○ Events Calendar Pro
○ Tiny PNG
○ Wordpress Importer (removed)
○ Yoast
Website Services
● October Website Services Efforts:
○ 10h out of 120 hours were utilized for October 2025 (Remaining hours: 96.25)
○ Work Accomplished: Stakeholder Portal Build, New Featured Block, Mustang
Weekend Form
Creative Services
● October Creative Services Efforts:
○ 4.25h out of 150 hours were utilized for October 2025 (Remaining hours: 135)
○ Work Accomplished: New Biz Blog and QC of work.
8
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Earned Media Activity
Earned Media Highlights
Total Impressions/Circulation: 1,762,287
Placements: 2
Press Coverage
● 10/8/25: KING-TV: 5 fall getaways that won't break the bank - New Day NW
(Brandon Schultz – P2P Opportunity) (Reach: 1,761,350)
● 10/8/25: KING-TV YouTube: 5 fall getaways that won't break the bank - New Day
NW (Brandon Schultz – P2P Opportunity) (Reach: 937)
Upcoming Individual Press Trips:
● November 12-14: Christina Silvestri (Arizona Foothills Magazine)
9
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October 2025
SLO TBID - SHARESLO
ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT
Date: 11/12/25Page 35 of 55
Followers: 41,689 ( 1.6%)
Total Net Growth: 662
Total Posts: 247
Total Views: 994,097 ( 46%)
Total stories: 229
Total Engagements: 7,066 ( 9%)
Engagement Rate: .7% ( 38%)
INSTAGRAM
In October, we saw an increase of 662 new followers! Our views increased by 46% with top performing posts of trends we hopped
on, giveaways, and seasonal content. Our engagements slightly decreased, which caused the engagement rate to decrease with
the increase in views.
TOP POSTS:
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Page Followers: 107,924 ( .1%)
Total Net Audience Growth: 92
Total Posts: 18
Total Impressions: 1,598,343 ( 21%)
Total Organic: 198,939 ( 25%)
Total Engagements: 1,723 ( 70%)
Engagement Rate: .1% ( 75%)
FACEBOOK
TOP POSTS:
In October, we saw an increase in followers by 92 new users! Our impressions increased by 21% and our engagements
decreased, which caused the engagement rate to decrease as well. Our top performing pieces of content were reels,
including a timely relevant trend, which was the top performer on IG, Tiktok, & FB this month.
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Followers: 2,945 ( 2.7%)
Followers Gained: 104
Impressions: 21,910 ( 38%)
Engagement: 788 ( 65%)
Engagement Rate: 3.6% ( 43%)
In October, we saw an increase in followers by 104 new users! Our impressions, engagements, and engagement rate decreased
due to the viral Tiktok losing its traction and analytics balancing back out. Top performers were a popular trend, cideries in SLO,
and an outdoor aesthetic trend. We are still mirroring from IG to this platform.
TIKTOK
TOP POSTS:
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Total Audience: 500 ( 2.5%)
Total Net Growth: 12
Total Posts: 8
Impressions: 753 ( 307%)
Engagements: 43 ( 291%)
Engagement Rate: 5.71% ( 4%)
LINKEDIN
TOP POSTS:
In October, we doubled the amount of posts we usually do due to the mixup last month with our scheduling platform. With
this we saw an increase in audience, impressions, engagements, and post link clicks. These will likely decrease next month
when we go back to our normal cadence.
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Impressions: 3.18k ( 10%)
Engagements: 105 ( 6%)
Outbound Clicks: 6
Saves: 22 ( 15%)
Total Audience: 1.89k ( 7.2%)
Engaged Audience: 78 ( 9%)
PINTEREST
In October, we continued to perform a trial of mirroring Instagram posts to Pinterest and still are seeing great success. We
saw increases in impressions, engagements, total audience, and outbound clicks this month. We believe we are bringing
many users over to IG from this platform.
TOP POSTS:
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WHAT WE WORKED ON THIS MONTH:
- ARTober and Piano in the Plaza Launch
-Weekly ARTober Series Reel & Weekly Adam on the Air Collab Reel
-Collaborations / Influencer Content Roll-Out
-Adam Montiel / ARTober Collabs (18k Views)
-Giveaway Collab w/ Lure & San Luis Creek Lodge (27.2k Views)
-SLOCAL Collab w/ 4 others (41.8k Views)
-Influencer @cassiescompass (66.7 Views, 2.2k Interactions)
-Influencer @freddynotfred (56.7k Views, 2.2k Interactions)
-Influencer @janaelynneats (36.4k Views, 614 Interactions)
-Influencer @lisarossa (8.5k Views, 404 Interactions)
-Influencer @callmeflowerchild (19.1k Views, 750 Interactions)
- Viral Trend Reel Continues to Grow
-Tiktok : September (99.1k Views) —> October (102.8k Views)
- 3 Ticket Tuesdays (Sichuan Kitchen & Farm House, Lure Fish House & San Luis Creek Lodge, &
Autumn Soiree: The SLO Way)
-Successful Trend
-Life of a SLO Girl (49.5k Views)
-SLO Life Coach & SLO Life Tip Reel & Stories Page 41 of 55
NOVEMBER’S FOCUS:
- Spartan Race Training in SLO Reel
- National Vegan Month / Vegan Options in SLO
- Local’s Guide to SLO Reel
- Holiday Homebase Carousel / Upcoming Activations
- Buy Local Bonus Launch
-Small Business Saturday Gift Guide
- Ticket Tuesday Giveaways
- SLO Melted Dinner for Two, Reserved Table at
Christmas at the Carrisa for Christmas Parade
- Date Night Experiences in SLO
- SLO Life Tip Reel
- New Businesses in SLO
- Upcoming Events in SLO
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THANK YOU!
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November 5, 2025
Dear San Luis Obispo Tourism Board,
This year, the SLO Film Festival will proudly celebrate its 32nd year where it will continue to
be a vibrant community and cultural event. Our most recent festival was record-breaking,
featuring Bob Mackie, Neil Young, Daryl Hannah and Jay Duplass. We have gained distinct
notoriety in the past year as we have received the highest ever volume of submissions to the
2026 festival and have been distinguished as an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival for
Documentary Short Films and have been named one of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals
worldwide by MovieMaker Magazine. With this renewed spirit for showcasing the best, most
relevant and fresh independent films of the year, the upcoming 2026 SLO Film Fest, centered
on the theme “Where Our Stories Live” is shaping up to be an outstanding event.
As the SLO Film Fest continues to expand its reach and solidify its place as a premier
regional destination, we remain focused on growth and improvement. Our ultimate goal is to
amplify diverse community voices, share new perspectives through our programming, and
provide an elevated experience to our attendees and filmmakers as we work to position San
Luis Obispo County as a vibrant hub for arts and culture between San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
In July 2025, we celebrated one year of operating the Palm Theatre as the SLO Film
Center, offering daily programming and monthly events to more than 20,000 patrons alongside
our annual festival. This new venture has expanded the opportunity for partnerships across
local hospitality, tourism, and the expansive local wine industry, broadening our reach and
attracting new audiences to the festival. We’ll also be launching a Film Center App in the
coming months to better engage our community, deliver timely updates, and strengthen our
relationship with our audience.
The 32nd SLO Film Festival will span six days, featuring independent films at venues
throughout downtown San Luis Obispo. Alongside showcasing our insightful movies, we’ll
expand networking and educational opportunities through additional panels, workshops,
mixers, and filmmaker Q&As, fostering deeper collaboration within our community.
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Our goal is to create a meaningful festival experience that inspires attendees to return each
year while highlighting the very best of San Luis Obispo County. Our festival lounge serves as
a dynamic hub for filmmakers, sponsors, media, and local businesses to connect. Our
relationship with the area is top of mind and your generous support would help strengthen our
local economy and bring the community together through the unifying power of film.
Building on our successful partnership from the past three years, we plan to offer the TBID
an exclusive pass that will incentivize visitors to “See+Stay” in San Luis Obispo. Through
targeted outreach to film industry groups such as the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences and
Directors Guild of America and key markets like Los Angeles and San Francisco, we aim to
boost tourism, support local hotels, and drive local economic growth.
As in previous years, we will survey attendees to gather data and measure the impact of
our marketing efforts. Last year’s festival drew over 8,000 attendees with a steady increase
each year, and revealed that out-of-town visitors stayed an average of 2.5 nights as well as
data regarding how they heard about the festival and their demographic information. With
additional support, we aim to increase both attendance and visitor stays at the upcoming
festival.
We hope these initiatives will offer you and others a deeper connection to everything we
strive to do as the region’s main resource for independent cinema and education. We couldn’t
succeed without you and are most grateful for your past generosity. We hope that you will help
us continue our vital mission.
Sincerely,
Skye McLennan
Executive Director of SLO Film Festival
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EVENT NAME: SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SLO FILM FESTIVAL)
EVENT DATES: April 23 - 28th, 2026 in downtown San Luis Obispo
EVENT VENUE LOCATION: Exclusively Downtown San Luis Obispo: Fremont, The Palm
Theatre, Downtown Centre Cinemas and Hotel SLO
WEBSITE: www.slofilmfest.org
EVENT ORGANIZATION: SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, LLC
NON-PROFIT: Yes
ORGANIZATION URL: www.slofilmfest.org
PHONE NUMBER: 805-546-3456
POINT OF CONTACT: Skye McLennan
EMAIL: skye@slofilmfest.org
FESTIVAL NEEDS:
● $20,000 to support lodging for out-of-town filmmakers, journalists and
industry professionals during the Festival at SLO partner hotels, specifically
on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. We are looking for at least
150 hotel nights (please note this number may change depending on filmmaker,
journalist and industry professional attendance.) We currently have 50
complimentary nights donated with various hotel partners around the county. This
concept would act similarly to that of the Cal Poly Athletic program. Hoteliers would
opt in to participate and be paid for the nights using this funding.
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● See + Stay Package - To qualify you must book a minimum of two nights at any
hotel in San Luis Obispo and will receive two "See + Stay" passes that each include
four regular screening tickets, access to special events, and access to our festival
lounge. This year we are not asking the TBID to reimburse us for the value of the
tickets, but would appreciate help promoting the package.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is a non-profit organization centered around
celebrating independent films and filmmakers. With a six-day highly regarded annual event, a
week-long virtual festival, and other exciting events and screenings throughout the year, the
SLO Film Festival is a pillar of the arts in our community, and provides a year-round destination
for international independent cinema promoting diversity, understanding, education, and
inclusion through engaging storytelling to an ever-expanding range of audiences to new ideas
and experiences. Exciting, fun, and impactful the SLO Film Festival screens over 100 films
throughout the week, hosts a VIP Festival Lounge, Red Carpet events, live music, educational
conversations with filmmakers and industry leaders, and capstone events each night to bring
the community together, celebrate the arts, and expose our audience to important topics
around the world.
DESCRIBE HOW YOU TRACK YOUR EVENT, SUCCESS AND ATTENDEES
(Ticket Sales, event attendance, attendee demographics, event satisfaction results, etc.)
Our organization utilizes a few different metrics and platforms to measure and track success.
Our ticketing database allows us to track ticket and pass sales and redemption uses. It
captures our audiences' residences, gives insight on their interests, if they are a returning
customer and also measures which events are most successful. We also circulate surveys to
attendees throughout and after the festival that help us retrieve feedback about the event as
well as demographic information, where out of town attendees are lodging, the length of their
stay, if they’ve traveled to the area before, etc.
DESCRIBE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES
Our festival has two branches it must market to: the audience and the filmmakers. From there
we can break down our key target audiences. The audience is primarily older and local, with
nearly 71% aged 55 or older and 42% residing in San Luis Obispo. Additional attendees come
from nearby areas including the Five Cities (15%), North Coast (10%), and North County (6%),
with 17% from outside SLO County, including 10% from out of state. The majority identify as
female (66.9%), with 31.4% male and a small percentage identifying as non-binary or
preferring not to self-describe. The audience is predominantly White (83.4%), with smaller
representation from Hispanic or Latino (5.1%), Asian (3.4%), Black or African-American
(2.3%), and other multiracial or ethnic backgrounds. Financially, the audience trends are
affluent, with over half earning above $100,000 annually—26.9% reporting $150,000 or more
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and 24.6% between $100,000–$149,999. Overall, our audience is well-educated,
higher-income, older demographic with strong local engagement and moderate regional and
out-of-state participation. We have seen steady growth in these areas by increasing the
diversity of our filmmakers and programming.
HISTORICAL EVENT ATTENDANCE
Between 2020-2022 we had between 5,000 to 10,000 in-person admissions per year with an
additional 8,000-16,000 virtual viewers. At the 2025 event we had 8,000 in-person admissions.
Attendees surveyed were asked how they heard about the festival, their demographic
information, and if they are from outside SLO County they were asked where they are from
and where they were staying. This offers us insight on our lodging impact, where we’ve
determined that visitors stay an average of 2.5 nights which we hope to increase this year with
more marketing assistance.
HISTORICAL PERCENTAGE OF IN-COUNTY VS OUT-OF-AREA EVENT ATTENDEES
● 75% - Local / In-County Event Attendees
● 25% - Out-of-Area Event Attendees (Resides 50+ miles outside of SLO)
EXPECTED TOTAL NUMBER OF EVENT ATTENDANCE
For 2026 we are expecting to return to between 9,000-10,000 in person attendees
IN-PERSON FILMMAKER ATTENDANCE
- 114 total films shown across 137 screenings and events
- We had special guests and filmmakers in attendance from 71 main competition films, bringing
in over 204 known filmmakers from the filmmaking teams (not including their guests) to San
Luis Obispo, with an average stay of 2.84 nights. 54 filmmaking teams traveled from California
(only 3 from within the county), 11 teams from out of state, and 6 teams from other countries.
RESULTS OF TBID SUPPORT:
FILMMAKERS: $16,028 was used to help support filmmakers and journalists attending the
festival ($15,000 reimbursed through TBID funding). Using these funds, these guests were
booked at Springhill Suites, Madonna Inn, La Quinta and Hotel Buena Vista based on the
lowest offered group rates available.
Total Rooms Booked for the Festival: 146
Rooms Donated: 82 ($40,163 Donation Value / $490 average rate)
Rooms Booked Through TBID Funding: 64 ($16,028 Spend / $250 average rate)
- Springhill Suites: 36 room nights
- Madonna Inn: 6 room nights
- La Quinta: 13 room nights
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- Hotel Buena Vista: 9 room nights
SEE + STAY PACKAGE:
2024: 17 qualified stays, $14,003.90 hotel revenue, average 2-3 nights
2025: 33 qualified stays, average $20,000 hotel revenue, average 2-3 nights
LESSONS LEARNED:
● Toolkit for hotels to easily use on their website about the See + Stay package
● More promotion earlier on through SLO Film Festival and Visit SLO
● Reduce clicking and easier access to booking hotel
● Make pass more accessible in terms of redeeming tickets
PROVIDE INFORMATION ON EVENT TICKETING
We use the ticketing platform Eventive. Eventive attendees are able to purchase passes,
packages and individual tickets in advance or through our Box Office if more help is required.
Eventive allows us to scan (passes and tickets, each attached to a customer profile) and track
the attendance and attendees of each event. The following is a breakdown of our available
passes and tickets for our annual film festival event.
PASSES + TICKETS
● MOGUL+ ALL ACCESS PASS ($350 Value) Grants one person access to all
in-person screenings, special events, festival lounge, and encore screenings. Plus,
in-person priority line access.
● MOVIE STAR+ PASS ($225 Value) Grants one person access to all in-person
screenings. Includes daytime access to the festival lounge. Does NOT include
access to special events such as Surf nite, King Vidor, Opening and Closing night.
Also includes priority line access at in-person screenings.
● FAN PACK 6 ($80 Value) A ticket package of six individual general admission
tickets for in-person and virtual regular screenings. Does NOT grant access to
special screenings, special events, red carpet events, or priority line access. Brings
each ticket down from $15 to $12.
● RED CARPET EVENT TICKET ($25 Value) Grants one person attendance to one
Red Carpet Event or Special Presentation Screening
● ADMIT ONE GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET ($15 Value) General admission
tickets for in-person and virtual regular screenings. Does NOT grant access to
special screenings, special events, red carpet events, or priority line access.
HAVE YOU REQUESTED FUNDING FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS/ENTITIES?
Yes
PLEASE PROVIDE THE NAMES OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND FUNDING ENTITIES:
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Yes. We receive funding and in-kind support from the City of San Luis Obispo, The Community
Foundation and Visit SLOCal.
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Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
October 8, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
PCC Members
Present:
Committee Member Maureen Forsberg, Committee Member
Dan Fredman, Committee Member Anni Wang, Committee
Member Samantha Welch, Vice Chair Robin Wolf, and Chair
John Thomas
PCC Members Absent: Committee Member Dante Specchierla
City Staff Present: Laura Fiedler, Economic Development &Tourism Manager, and
McKenzie Taffe, Economic Development Analyst
1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee
was called to order on October 8, 2025, at 5:32 p.m. in the Council Hearing
Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair Thomas.
2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
3. CONSENT
Motion By: Vice Chair Wolf
Second By: Committee Member Fredman
To approve consent items 3a. through 3f.
Ayes (6) Vice Chair Wolf, Committee Member Fredman, Committee Member
Welch, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Forsberg, and Chair
Thomas
Absent (1) Committee Member Specchierla
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CARRIED (6-0)
3.a MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
3.b 2025-26 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 PUBLIC RELATIONS, GRANT SUPPORT AND GUEST SERVICES
QUARTERLY REPORT (15 MINUTES)
Brianna Harris and Hollie West from the SLO Chamber of Commerce
presented the quarterly report for Public Relations, CACP Grant Support
and Guest Services activities.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action was taken on this item.
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.a ARTOBER PROGRAM UPDATE (10 MINUTES)
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development & Tourism Manager, shared an
update about the arts and cultural program, ARTober.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action was taken on this item.
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5.b BUY LOCAL BONUS UPDATE (15 MINUTES)
McKenzie Taffe, Economic Development Analyst, shared an analysis of
the first five years of the Buy Local Bonus program and preview of the
program for the 2025 holiday season.
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Action: No action was taken on this item.
6. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
6.a CACP LIAISON REPORT
The PCC voted to form a subcommittee consisting of John Thomas, Dan
Fredman, and Samantha Welch to review the FY 2026 -27 CACP grant
program application and make recommendations on any revisions. This is
to be separate from the subcommittee that will review the applications.
6.b COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE
No update at this time.
6.c TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Meeting Minutes: SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development & Tourism Manager, provided an
update on items the TBID has been working on.
6.d TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development & Tourism Manager provided an
update on the Tourism Program.
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:43 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the
Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for November 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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