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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/12/2026 Item 4a, Harris Dear Members of the PCC, On behalf of Downtown SLO, I would like to express our gratitude for the continued support of the events that our organization presents, which bring vibrancy to the San Luis Obispo community. Concerts in the Plaza (CIP) has been a much-loved community event for the last 30 years, showcasing the incredible talent of the local music scene, and bringing in foot traffic to the restaurants, wineries, breweries, and retail shops in the heart of downtown and the center of this community. This summer marks the 30th season that Downtown SLO has hosted this summer concert series, and we are proud to have the opportunity to continue this longstanding community tradition. We recently submitted an application for CACP grant funding to support the local marketing efforts of the 2026 CIP season. We are grateful that this committee has recommended $10,000 in CACP funding, and appreciate your recognition of the potential that Concerts in the Plaza has to garner more out-of-county visitors. The proposed funding that we submitted in our CACP grant application was based on the marketing and promotional strategy set by our team months ago. This plan is already well underway, as the Concerts in the Plaza season is less than 4 weeks away. A successful season of Concerts in the Plaza relies on locals. While we are excited to balance out our zip code charts this year and reach more out-of-county residents, a majority of our marketing efforts are tailored toward bringing SLO County residents downtown. While we appreciate your excitement about the possibility of bringing more out-of-town visitors, receiving this $10,000 with that restriction will mean pulling away from the tried and true promotional practice of marketing to our local community. Complying with the recommended funding requirement of marketing, which is only to be utilized for out-of-county visitors, will require a sharp pivot from the promotions already underway. Many summer publication advertising deadlines have passed, and even a pivot as seemingly simple as a switch in social media ad regional targeting will mean realigning our target demographics and potentially changing our expected weekly concert attendance. With our July 3rd Festival Expansion in partnership with TBID and Visit SLO, Concerts in the Plaza will already be reaching more out-of-area audiences than ever before. With this in mind, we respectfully request that the committee consider a split in the recommended grant funding: 75% ($7,500) for funding as requested (local-targeted), and 25% ($2,500) for promoting to out-of-county visitors. This effort would ensure we are spending PCC The mission of Downtown SLO is to foster an economically vibrant downtown. We help people and business grow and thrive; We foster a feeling of belonging; We create community; We like to bring people together; We celebrate diversity; We practice optimism; We are resilient; We actively promote a walkable, bike-able, accessible community; We cultivate sustainability; We value the outdoors and respect our natural environment; We believe that a thriving economy depends on authentic connection. dollars in the local community as intended while casting a wider net in out of county marketing, an area we have not targeted in the past. This would allow Downtown SLO to add new out-of-area audiences to our promotional efforts without neglecting marketing to the local community that has made this program a success for 30 seasons. We are sincerely thankful for every partnership that helps us keep this event free and offer a third space where families, friends, residents, and visitors can connect and celebrate the local music community. Thank you once again for your continued support of Downtown SLO and your investments in downtown San Luis Obispo. Sincerely, LeBren Harris CEO, Downtown SLO The mission of Downtown SLO is to foster an economically vibrant downtown. We help people and business grow and thrive; We foster a feeling of belonging; We create community; We like to bring people together; We celebrate diversity; We practice optimism; We are resilient; We actively promote a walkable, bike-able, accessible community; We cultivate sustainability; We value the outdoors and respect our natural environment; We believe that a thriving economy depends on authentic connection.