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Home My WebLink About07-08-2026 TBID Agenda Packet Tourism Business Improvement District Board AGENDA Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 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.APPOINTMENT - OATH OF OFFICE Chris Morgan, appointed by the City Council on June 16, 2026 will take the oath of office to serve on the Tourism Business Improvement District ending June 30, 2027. 4.CONSENT 4.a MINUTES OF TBID REGULAR MEETING ON JUNE 10 5 4.b SMITH TRAVEL REPORT (STR)13 4.c TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT 15 4.d SLO CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY REPORT 17 4.e SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT 21 4.f NOBLE STUDIOS & UNIQUELY DRIVEN MARKETING MONTHLY REPORT 25 4.g BADGER BRANDING ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT 33 5.PRESENTATIONS 5.a PUBLIC RELATIONS & GUEST SERVICES ANNUAL REPORT (20 MIN) Representatives from the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and Uniquely Driven will present the year end activity highlights and data results for the 2025-26 Guest Services and joint Public Relations contracted work. 5.b CONTENT MARKETING ANNUAL REPORT (20 MIN) Agency representatives from Badger Branding will present the year end activity highlights and data results for the 2025-26 content marketing contracted work. 6.BUSINESS ITEMS 6.a FY 2026-28 VISIT SLO MARKETING & BUSINESS PLAN AMENDMENT APPROVAL (15 MIN) 43 The Board will review and approve the updated FY 2026-28 SLO TBID Strategic Marketing & Business Plan as recommended by Marketing Committee. 6.b SUSTAINABLE AG EXPO SPONSORSHIP (15 MIN)75 The Board will consider the proposal from the Vineyard Team on sponsorship of the Sustainable AG Expo. 6.c BROCHURE REPRINTING BUDGET CONSIDERATION (10 MIN) The Board will consider a reprint of the destination marketing brochure. 6.d FY 2025-26 TBID ANNUAL REPORT PREPARATION AND TIMELINE (15 MIN) 85 The Board will direct staff on development of the TBID’s written annual report to the City Council to be presented on October 6, 2026. The Board may review the 2024-25 report as an example of the format. 7.TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION 7.a HOTELIER UPDATE 7.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE 7.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE 7.d PCC UPDATE 117 7.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE 7.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE 8.ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for August 12, 2026 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 June 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo TBID Board Present: Member Mark Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Dante Specchierla, Chair Clint Pearce TBID Board Absent: Member Prashant Patel, Vice Chair Lori Keller City Staff Present: Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark- Charlesworth and Tourism Intern Olivia Roman _____________________________________________________________________ 1. CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on June 10, 2026 at 10:03 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 Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Member Nipool Patel Second By Member Specchierla To approve Consent Items 3.a through 3.g. Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) Page 5 of 122 2 3.a MINUTES OF TBID SPECIAL MEETING ON MAY 14 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. BUSINESS ITEMS 4.a CAL TRAVEL SUMMIT PARTICIPATION (10 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment— Motion By Member Nipool Patel Second By Member Specchierla To approve $3,658 in total funding for staff participation in the CalTravel Summit. Registration to come from FY2025-26 Conference Budget and remaining expenses occurred during the Summit to come from FY2026-27 Conferences Budget. Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) 4.b TBID CONTRACT APPROVALS (20 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: Garrett Olson Page 6 of 122 3 --End of Public Comment— Motion By Member Eads Second By Member Nipool Patel To approve the contractor agreements as recommended. Badger Branding • 1-year agreement as presented; utilizing City’s on-call communications list. SLO Chamber Guest Services • 1-year agreement as presented for Tier 1. Updated split 40% TBID/60% PCC. SLO Chamber Public Relations & Media Monitoring Service • 1-year agreement as presented for Tier 2. Updated split 60% TBID/ 40% PCC. Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) 4.c FY 2026-27 TBID PROGRAM BUDGET (25 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth provided an overview of the TBID Program Budget and reported on the recommendations of Management Subcommittee, comprised of Chair Clint Pearce, Member Prashant Patel, and Member Mark Eads. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Member Eads Second By Member Specchierla Page 7 of 122 4 Page 8 of 122 5 To approve the FY 2026-27 TBID Budget and program allocations as recommended by Management Subcommittee, Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) 4.d VISIT SLO CAL CO-OP MARKETING CONSIDERATIONS (20 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment— Motion By Member Eads Second By Member Specchierla To approve the budget spending on the presented cooperative marketing opportunities with Visit SLO CAL as outlined. Program Cost TBID Budget Sojern Media Buy $ 5,000 FY26 Co-op Marketing Economic Impact $ 8,000 FY26 Research & Program Development IPW $7,500 FY27 Tradeshows HotelBeds $6,000 FY26 Co-op Marketing Spartan Race Sponsorship $ 5,000 FY26 General Events Promotion Media & Meetings Mission - Dallas $ 3,000 FY26 Co-op Marketing Meetings & Groups Research $10,000 FY26 Research & Program Development House of Brand DAMS Content $10,000 FY26 Co-op Marketing Del Mar Food & Wine Festival $5,000-$7,000 FY27 Co-op Marketing Various FAM Hosting $500 - $ 1,500 FY27 FAM Trip Hosting Page 9 of 122 6 Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) 4.e ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR (10 MIN) To elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for the term of July 2026 to June 2027. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- To approve appointing Chair Clint Pearce as Chair and Vice Chair Lori Keller as Vice Chair for the term July 2026 to June 2027 and to re-appoint Dante Specchierla to the TBID seat on the Promotional Coordinating Committee. Motion By Member Eads Second By Member Nipool Patel Ayes (4): Member Eads, Member Nipool Patel, Member Specchierla, and Chair Pearce Absent (2): Member Patel and Vice Chair Keller CARRIED (4 to 0) 5. TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION 5.a HOTELIER UPDATE Members provided an update on graduation weekend and their observations on occupancy and bookings. 5.b MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE No marketing committee meeting was held. 5.c MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE No management committee updates. Page 10 of 122 7 5.d PCC UPDATE Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth, Tourism & Community Promotions Manager provided a brief update on PCC activities. 5.e VISIT SLO CAL UPDATE Chair Pearce provided a brief update on Visit SLO CAL activities. 5.f TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth provided an update on the tourism program including that the July 3 Concerts in the Plaza funding for Downtown SLO would be split $15,000 from Economic Development funding and $15,000 from TBID’s FY 2025- 26 General Events Promotion Line Item. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:22 a.m. The next Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for July 8, 2026 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 11 of 122 Page 12 of 122 JUNE 2026 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total California 198.07 203.49 199.74 198.07 203.49 199.74 137.18 157.13 142.88 6.71 3.03 5.51 6.71 3.03 5.51 8.75 4.06 7.23 City of Paso Robles 165.87 299.35 212.63 165.87 299.35 212.63 99.44 241.93 140.15 -6.96 2.58 -1.22 -6.96 2.58 -1.22 -19.55 -0.97 -11.35 City of Pismo Beach 221.39 336.00 261.61 221.39 336.00 261.61 127.94 262.45 166.37 3.92 4.30 3.30 3.92 4.30 3.30 8.16 0.59 4.61 City of San Luis Obispo 158.27 241.38 188.43 158.27 241.38 188.43 97.97 212.72 130.76 4.52 1.07 3.65 4.52 1.07 3.65 1.97 5.50 3.58 City of Morro Bay 128.13 200.01 153.60 128.13 200.01 153.60 75.03 160.68 99.50 6.77 3.37 5.34 6.77 3.37 5.34 9.92 7.92 8.99 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total California 72.20 81.80 74.94 199.50 236.28 210.97 144.03 193.28 158.10 -0.11 8.19 2.34 1.31 13.09 5.24 1.20 22.35 7.70 City of Paso Robles 65.00 89.67 72.05 173.17 339.56 232.34 112.56 304.47 167.39 0.07 0.12 0.09 3.40 5.48 4.48 3.46 5.61 4.57 City of Pismo Beach 68.91 86.03 73.80 238.70 450.52 309.25 164.49 387.58 228.23 -1.57 -1.35 -1.50 3.18 -1.93 0.67 1.56 -3.25 -0.83 City of San Luis Obispo 71.56 93.89 77.94 184.52 462.57 280.22 132.04 434.32 218.41 3.67 3.81 3.72 8.08 3.50 5.46 12.04 7.44 9.38 City of Morro Bay 69.72 90.90 75.77 137.58 285.35 188.24 95.92 259.40 142.63 7.71 11.23 8.89 8.53 12.38 11.10 16.91 25.01 20.98 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total California 74.26 83.20 76.82 216.08 231.95 220.99 160.47 192.97 169.76 6.67 -0.31 4.41 17.24 8.83 14.12 25.06 8.49 19.15 City of Paso Robles 70.46 88.15 75.51 178.67 303.84 220.41 125.89 267.83 166.44 -5.71 -5.03 -5.48 -1.39 5.91 1.92 -7.02 -7.02 -3.67 City of Pismo Beach 75.60 89.50 79.58 266.12 396.45 308.00 201.20 354.84 245.10 -1.19 -0.71 -1.04 4.82 -1.68 2.08 3.57 3.57 1.02 City of San Luis Obispo 77.99 95.02 82.85 199.37 274.24 223.90 155.49 260.57 185.51 0.06 0.80 0.30 5.15 1.49 3.72 5.21 5.21 4.03 City of Morro Bay 78.90 94.00 83.22 155.27 243.62 183.79 122.51 229.01 152.94 6.12 1.40 4.55 9.86 6.86 8.00 16.58 16.58 12.91 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total California 74.86 82.13 76.94 217.85 229.59 221.43 163.09 188.57 170.37 4.89 6.56 5.39 14.71 11.69 13.77 20.32 19.01 19.90 City of Paso Robles 62.72 82.95 68.50 170.79 280.42 208.72 107.12 232.61 142.98 -13.11 -4.25 -10.23 3.51 0.30 3.24 -10.05 -3.97 -7.32 City of Pismo Beach 76.44 88.76 79.96 266.94 377.20 301.91 204.04 334.81 241.40 3.88 3.25 3.68 5.37 1.24 3.64 9.45 4.54 7.45 City of San Luis Obispo 79.21 90.92 82.56 209.09 248.85 221.60 165.62 226.27 182.95 1.78 5.79 3.01 4.97 0.33 3.48 6.83 6.14 6.59 City of Morro Bay 76.67 86.99 79.62 146.43 226.91 171.56 112.27 197.40 136.59 8.35 5.19 7.34 8.09 6.61 7.14 17.11 12.14 15.01 Percent Change RevPar Percent Change Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) ADRFor the Week of May 31, 2026 to June 06, 2026 Current Week Totals Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Current Week Totals ADROccupancy (%) Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar For the Week of June 07, 2026 to June 13, 2026 Current Week Totals RevPar ADR RevPar Percent Change For the Week of June 21, 2026 to June 27, 2026 For the Week of June 14, 2026 to June 20, 2026 Percent ChangeCurrent Week Totals Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Occupancy (%) Occupancy (%) ADR RevPar Page 13 of 122 Page 14 of 122 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$ 952,359$ 1.78% 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$ 1,083,144$ 17.55% 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$ 845,440$ 2.46% 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$ 690,460$ 8.39% 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$ 732,270$ 5.12% 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$ 844,531$ 13.27% 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$ 943,659$ 17.03% 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$ 1,157,776$ 11.95% 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$ 1,117,209$ 8.96% 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$ 10,852,309$ 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 71.7 3.5% 178.25$ 188.88$ 6.0% 123.49$ 135.46$ 9.7% November 66.7 64.9 -2.7% 171.07$ 171.69$ 0.4% 114.06$ 111.36$ -2.4% December 59.7 60.1 0.7% 146.24$ 147.73$ 1.0% 87.35$ 88.76$ 1.6% January 62.3 61.7 -1.0% 144.11$ 145.77$ 1.2% 89.82$ 90.01$ 0.2% February 67.1 70.7 5.4% 160.58$ 167.18$ 4.1% 107.72$ 118.23$ 9.76% March 65.7 72.5 10.4% 161.64$ 162.88$ 0.8% 106.23$ 118.12$ 11.19% April 73.2 76.7 4.8% 183.34$ 195.07$ 6.4% 134.22$ 149.63$ 11.48% May 70.0 71.5 2.1% 181.87$ 192.74$ 6.0%127.37$ 137.79$ 8.18% June Total/Average 69.48 70.75 1.8% 173.59$ 177.94$ 2.5% 121.69$ 126.96$ 4.3%Updated: 07/01/2026 Occupancy (%) ADR RevPAR*Figures from Smith Travel Research Report TOT Comparison Page 21 of 29 Page 15 of 122 Page 16 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce Public Relations Contract Report to the City of San Luis Obispo – TBID & PCC June 2026 Page 17 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce Implementation and Proactive Work Hosted travel writer Linda Laban as a result of the May 2025 SoCal Media Mission Hosted influencer Sam Capaldi in partnership with SLO Wine Mixer Began planning for Forbes writer Michael Goldstein's upcoming visit in partnership w/Uniquely Driven Began planning for travel writer Jennifer Chen's upcoming visit in partnership w/Uniquely Driven Continued working with the City and Noble Studios/Uniquely Driven on overall tourism marketing campaign 2 Responsive Work & Partnerships Pitched "Discover California by Bike" and "Interactive wildlife tours and volunteering in California" to Visit California Participated in 30/60/90 planning with Noble Studios, Badger Branding, Uniquely Driven & City team Reviewed July social media calendar for Central Coast Tourism Council Media Features Proactive Work Travel + Leisure | I’ve Visited California’s Central Coast for 20+ Years—This Is the Most Charming Small Town in the Region | UVPM: 9,798,816 As a result of hosting Cu Fleshman in June of 2025 in partnership w/Uniquely Driven Instagram | UVPM: 327,000 | As a result of hosting Sam Capaldi in partnership w/SLO Wine Mixer I grew up going to San Luis Obispo every year…☀🫶🏼 slo Instagram | UVPM: 52,200 | As a result of hosting Nikole Sebergandio in partnership w/Pacific Surfliner San Luis Obispo If you’ve been following along the last few days, you’ve seen my recent trip to San Luis Obispo via the Pacific Surfliner. 🚆 @pacificsurfliner @shareslo We took the Pacific Surfliner to San Luis Obispo and spent the weekend exploring one of California’s most walkable downtowns with no car required. 🚆 Before you road trip to San Luis Obispo, hear me out: take the train instead. 🚆 Instagram | UVPM: 430,000 | As a result of hosting Camille Scherr on the Visit SLO CAL Highway 1 Influencer Co-Op SLO CAL is the stretch most people treat as the in-between. It isn’t. SLO CAL Spectrum 1 News SoCal | Exploring California's Central Coast: San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles | In Focus California | UVPM: 408,449.00 As a result of coordinating with the media team Travel + Leisure | We Asked 5 Travel Experts to Pick the Ultimate Summer Road Trip—and They Split Between These 2 Legendary Drives | UVPM: 9,798,816.00 As a result of proactive pitching in partnership w/Uniquely Driven Page 18 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce Media Features Media Monitoring JUNE TOTALS: Placements: 22 UVPM: 100,653,533 YEAR TO DATE TOTALS: Placements: 205 UVPM: 5,008,956,254 3 PUBLICATION PLACEMENTS UVPM LOS ANGELES TIMES The Ultimate World Cup 2026 Road Trip: Driving California’s Coast Between Matches 14,500,000.00 OBSERVER No Car, No Problem: The Best Summer Train Trips From L.A.546,776.00 USA TODAY What is Pride Month? Top Pride events to check out in California 61,930,308.00 SUNSET This Coastal California City Is a Must-Visit for Plant Lovers 178,100.00 YAHOO The most underrated U.S. coastal destinations to visit this summer 772,370.00 EDHAT Ways to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday in San Luis Obispo 191,912.00 FAR & WIDE Locals Reveal The Most Underrated Destinations To Visit In California 508,576.00 DECORHINT 11 Vintage Drive-In Theaters In California Still Screening Movies Under The Stars 126,367.00 DECORHINT 12 California Outings That Make A Normal Day Trip Feel Delightfully Strange 126,367.00 FAST FOOD CLUB One Of California’s Best-Kept Secrets Is This Stunning Coastal Drive 29,602.00 PASO ROBLES DAILY NEWS 4th of July festival expands SLO Concerts in the Plaza celebration 14,274.00 Page 19 of 122 Page 20 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce Guest Services Contract Report to the City of San Luis Obispo June 2026 Page 21 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce VISITOR INTERACTION June 2025 May 2026 June 2026 Walk-Ins 5,210 4,717 5,001 Phone Calls 169 131 147 Email & Digital 1,550 1,656 1,739 2 CALLS TO 877-SLO-TOWN June 2025 May. 2026 June 2026 Calls 29 41 39 HOTEL REFERRALS June 2025 May 2026 June 2026 Referrals 41 65 44 HOTEL AVAILABILITY TRACKER June 2025 May 2026 June 2026 Email 69 98 66 Phone Calls 102 114 138 INFORMATION REQUESTS June 2025 May 2026 June 2026 Fullfilled 14 0 0 EVENTS SHARED June 2026 YTD VisitSLO.com 52 184 DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT International Travelers Asia 7% Europe 60% Middle East 0% Australia/NZ 17% UK 12% North America 0% Central America 5% South America 0% Africa 0% Domestic Travelers West Coast 7% Southwest 14% Midwest 35% South 20% East Coast 24% California Travelers Northern CA 23% Central Coast 45% Central Valley 5% Desert 2% Southern CA 25% Page 22 of 122 SLO Chamber of Commerce Farmers’ Market The Visitor Center continued to connect with our visitors at our Farmers’ Market booth during our 2 market dates on June 4th and June 18th. “I am so glad we ended up here as we are having an amazing time exploring this beautiful city. It is truly a treasure ” A mother and her 3 daughters from Illinois that came to SLO after their originally scheduled European vacation was canceled. The group was very excited to learn about SLO Olive and our Edna Valley wine region as they had planned to go wine and olive tasting abroad. New Faces Other Highlights 3 This month the Visitor Center added 2 new Information Specialists, Alexis Brown and Maile Marinchak to our team. We are excited to have them help welcome our guest as we enter into our peak season. Guest Quote of the Month Page 23 of 122 Page 24 of 122 Monthly Activity Report Visit San Luis Obispo | June 2026 At-a-Glance Highlights ● Total Website Sessions: 86,576 (+22% YoY) ● Top Traffic Source: Paid Social ● Total Lodging Referrals: 4,920 (+22% YoY) ● Top Performing Ads by CTR on Meta: ○ SLC | 65+ | Video | Culinary | Long Form (10.55%) ○ SLC | Remarketing | Video | Intro | Long Form (8.73%) ○ SLC | Remarketing | Video | Midweekend | Long Form (7.46%) ● Earned Media Reach (Uniquely Driven PR Efforts): 21,808,684 ○ 6 national placements were secured, most notable was a press hit in Travel + Leisure: I’ve Visited California’s Central Coast for 20+ Years—This Is the Most Charming Small Town in the Region as a result of hosting Cu Fleshman (Reach: 9,798,816) FYTD KPI Performance Expected Pace through June: 100% Page 25 of 122 Overall Performance Summary Strong monthly traffic (+22% YoY) couldn’t push us past our fiscal year goal for overall sessions, however overall site traffic for the fiscal year achieved a 2% increase compared to FY2024-25. An increase in paid media budget helped offset the 20% YoY decline in organic traffic. Despite the relatively flat growth in overall sessions, hotel referrals outpaced the FY26 goal, providing a 14% YoY increase compared to the previous fiscal year. We look forward to providing a more comprehensive overview of FY 2025-2026 Performance at the upcoming August Monthly TBID Meeting. Please note: This month we saw a spike in traffic from Singapore on June 9th, and that traffic has been excluded from this analysis (this only impacted Direct traffic and no other channels). Website ● Total Website Sessions: 86,576 (+22% YoY) ● Total Lodging Referrals: 4,920 (+22% YoY) ● Avg. Pages/Session: 1.82 (-4% YoY) ● Average Session Duration: 1m 51s (-26% YoY) ● Top Lodging Referral Channels: Paid Search, Organic Search and Cross-Network Paid Media Snapshot ● Paid Search ○ Sessions: 6,640 (+49% YoY) ○ Impressions: 60,617 (+61% YoY) ○ Clicks: 6,344 (+61% YoY) ○ CTR: 10.5% (Flat YoY) ○ Lodging Referrals: 2,897 (+46% YoY) ○ Cost: $15,461(+48% YoY) ● Paid Social ○ Sessions: 18,362 (+35% YoY) ○ Impressions: 1.5M (+51% YoY) ○ Clicks: 52.4K (+76% YoY) ○ CTR: 3.5% (+16% YoY) ○ Total Referrals: 42 (-31% YoY) ○ Cost: $17K (+61% YoY) ● Display, Demand Gen, & PMAX ○ Sessions: 17,845 (+138% YoY) 2 Page 26 of 122 ○ Impressions: 2.57M (+3% YoY) ○ Clicks: 21,452 (+12% YoY) ○ CTR: 0.83% (+8.6% YoY) ○ Lodging Referrals: 428 (+134% YoY) ○ Cost: $15,363 (+163% YoY) ● Demand Gen | Video ○ Sessions: 1,965 (+70% PoP) ○ Impressions: 284,641 (+22% PoP) ○ Clicks: 2,752 (+50% YoY) ○ CTR: .97% (+22% YoY) ○ Lodging Referrals: 76 (NA) ○ Cost: $3,630 (+184% YoY) Key Insight: Our budget injection has helped us boost sessions and lodging referrals by more than 53% compared to this time last year. We continued to push campaigns for those generating the most lodging referrals, helping us drive performance gains. We also continue to see an increase in lodging referrals from our demand gen and PMAX campaigns. We continue to use Meta for our awareness campaigns. We will evaluate and test conversion-focused campaigns with our retargeting audiences. Owned Channel Snapshot SEO + Content ● Organic Search Sessions: 17, 024 (-14% YoY) ● Organic Search Partner Referrals: 3,290 (-16% YoY) ● Organic Search Impressions: 1.5 Mil (-20% YoY) ● Organic Search Clicks: 11,695 (-20% YoY) ● Organic Search CTR: 0.77% (+0.1% YoY) ● Page 1 Keywords: 7K (+13% YoY) ● Sessions from LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc): 151 (-7% YoY) ● Partner Referrals from LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc): 41 (-21% YoY) ● Top Impression Gains: san luis obispo weather, slo, park cinemas, pet friendly hotels in san luis obispo, sensorio, nates on marsh, where is cal poly, luna red ● Top Click Losses: things to do in san luis obispo, sinsheimer pool, san luis obispo hotels Key Takeaway: June saw a 20% drop in both Impressions and Clicks. However, Organic Sessions are beginning to close the gap. While they remain down 14% YoY, this is a 2-percentage-point improvement over May's performance (-16% YoY), showing positive month-over-month momentum. 3 Page 27 of 122 In July, Noble will conduct a comprehensive SEO and AI Optimization (AIO) Audit to analyze VisitSLO.com’s organic reach and establish a data-driven, scalable optimization strategy for the year ahead. The output of this audit will be a detailed presentation deck outlining high-impact SEO/AIO opportunities that will inform our ongoing strategy. AI Share of Mind & Visibility ● Google AIO Dominance vs. ChatGPT: Google AIO consistently dominates the AI citation, leading with its highest presence on visitslo.com at 63% and slocal.com at 53%. We bounced back in ChatGPT this month, beating slocal.com with 40% of mentions compared to their 32%. ● Weekly Volatility: For the week of June 21, overall regional Brand Mentions stabilized at 21%, while active Brand Citations held a 50% share of voice. ● AI Ranking Stability: AI Overview opportunities slightly decreased from May to June (41.9K vs. 42.8K) while ranking URLs (6.7K vs. 6.7K) remained the same. ● AI Traffic Dip: While direct web referrals from LLMs show a slight YoY slowing trend (Sessions -7%, Partner Referrals -21%), this mirrors an industry shift. Chatbots are increasingly operating as enclosed "answer engines" rather than traditional traffic routers. Your rising share of voice ensures we capture maximum brand placement as these platforms evolve. AI Brand Citations for the Week of June 21, 2026 (compared to Week June 14, 2026) 4 Page 28 of 122 The Takeaway: While our Page 1 Keywords grew significantly (+13% YoY), the actual organic listings for those terms are increasingly being pushed below the fold or absorbed directly into Google's AI Overview feature cards. This means the -20% drop in impressions isn't a loss of rank or consumer interest in San Luis Obispo; it’s because Google is satisfying user queries entirely within the top 800 pixels of the page. Users read the AI summary, check the local map, and leave—classic zero-click behavior. We also currently have 5 separate URLs ranking across pages 1 through 8 for the single query "hotels san luis obispo" (Rank 3, 11, 23, 58, and 77). This internal competition dilutes our authority and prevents a clean user experience. 5 Page 29 of 122 Email Marketing Total Sessions fell -55% YoY (406 vs. 900), but this decline was due to campaign volume: last year we sent two emails (the June Newsletter and the SLO Life Coach email), whereas this year we only deployed a single monthly send (the Concerts in the Plaza / 4th of July Email). Despite the lower overall traffic volume, the single June send resulted in a +70% YoY increase in our Session Conversion Rate and successfully doubled total lodging partner referrals MoM (32 vs. 16). In June, we placed the "Places to Stay" CTA up into the second content block (compared to its lower placement in the third block in May). This layout change seemed to encourage more lodging conversions when positioned higher up in the email layout. ● Emails Sent: 1 - SLO Concerts in the Plaza & 4th of July Email ● Avg. Open Rate: 44.2% (34.4% Benchmark) ● Avg. Click Rate: 1.2% (3.8% Benchmark) ● Avg. Unsubscribe Rate: 0.34% (0.33% benchmark) ● Total Sessions: 406 vs 373 (+9% MoM, -55% YoY) ● Total Partner Referrals: 47 vs 69 (-32% MoM, -22% YoY) ● Total Lodging Referrals: 32 vs 16 (+100% MoM, -16% YoY) ● Session Conversion Rate: 8.37% (-13% MoM, +70% YoY) ● Engagement Rate: 54.43% (-4% MoM, -6% YoY) ● Average Engagement Time Per Session: 46s (-28% MoM, - 17% YoY) ● Page Views Per Session: 1.65 (-21% MoM, -35 YoY) There was also an A/B test for June 2026 testing the subject lines and the combo 1 was the winner. Our theory is that by late June, a consumer's inbox is flooded with generic "Plan your 4th of July!" or "4th of July Weekend Sale!" subject lines. Combo 2 fell right into that sea of holiday noise. Combo 1 may have won because it leaned into hyper-local exclusivity. "Turns 30!" creates immediate curiosity and community pride. It signals a major, distinct celebration that is unique to San Luis Obispo, making it feel like a "can't-miss" event compared to a generic holiday weekend planner. ● Combo 1: Concerts in the Plaza Turns 30! 🎉 ● Combo 2: Start July 4th Weekend in SLO 🎶 Web Maintenance & Creative Website Maintenance, Repair & Optimization (MRO) Services Updates ● visitslo theme – Map Block: mapType setting to choose map with clouds, map without clouds, or a custom uploaded image; block editor preview matches front-end output (SC-49784). 6 Page 30 of 122 ● visitslo theme – Footer / Theme Options: Visitor Guide Image field under Footer Options (Appearance → Theme Options); recommended 265 × 221 px; footer falls back to default visitor-guide.png when empty (SC-49784). Changes ● visitslo theme – Map Block: Default map asset uses slo-map-no-clouds.svg; animated clouds render only when “Map with clouds” is selected (SC-49784). ● visitslo theme – Footer: Visitor guide banner image reads from Theme Options instead of a hardcoded asset (SC-49784). ● advanced-custom-fields-pro: 6.8.2 → 6.8.4 ● gravityforms: 2.10.2 → 2.10.3 ● permalink-manager-pro: 2.5.3.4 → 2.5.3.5 ● redirection: 5.7.5 → 5.8.0 ● the-events-calendar: 6.16.2 → 6.16.3 ● wordpress-seo: 27.7 → 27.8 Website Services ● June Website Services Efforts: ○ 0h out of 120h were used for June 2026 ■ Remaining hours: 0 Creative Services ● June Creative Services Efforts: ○ 94.75h out of 150 hours were utilized for June 2026 ■ Remaining hours: 0 ○ SLO Days Form Setup ○ Marketing Plan Updates + Design ○ Concerts in the Plaza Ad Copy + Designs ○ Concerts in the Plaza special email send ○ Homepage map updates ○ Visitor Guide image updates ○ Fix of hero image on blogs ○ Updating tumbler swag pattern Earned Media Activity Earned Media Highlights Total Impressions/Circulation: 21,808,684 Placements: 6 7 Page 31 of 122 Press Coverage ● 6/11/26: Observer: No Car, No Problem: The Best Summer Train Trips From L.A. (Allie Lebos) (Reach: 546,776) ● 6/22/26: Sharael Travels Podcast: San Luis Obispo, CA: Wine Tasting, Outdoor Recreation, Award-Winning Dining (Sharael Kolberg) (Reach: 3,445*) ○ Spotify ○ Apple ○ iHeart Radio ○ Amazon ○ KXFM Radio ● 6/24/26: Travel + Leisure: I’ve Visited California’s Central Coast for 20+ Years—This Is the Most Charming Small Town in the Region (Cu Fleshman) (Reach: 9,798,816) ○ Syndications: ■ Yahoo News Malaysia (Reach: 549,280) ■ Flipboard (Reach: 1,111,551) ● 6/29/26: Travel + Leisure: We Asked 5 Travel Experts to Pick the Ultimate Summer Road Trip—and They Split Between These 2 Legendary Drives (Stacey Leasca) (Reach: 9,798,816) 8 Page 32 of 122 June 2026 SLO TBID - SHARESLO ORGANIC SOCIAL REPORT Date: 07/08/26Page 33 of 122 Followers: 44,210 ( 1%) Total Net Growth: 421 Total Posts: 240 Total Views: 578,943 ( 58%) Total stories: 223 Total Engagements: 4,458 ( 17%) Engagement Rate: .8 % ( 47%) INSTAGRAM In June, we saw an increase in followers by 421 new users! Our views increased by over 50% and our engagements only slightly decreased. Because of this, our engagement rate decreased. Our top performing posts for the month were a giveaway, a World Cup trend reel, and a New Businesses in SLO feature. TOP POSTS: Page 34 of 122 Page Followers: 109,202 ( .2%) Total Net Audience Growth: 250 Total Posts: 10 Total Impressions: 1,341,316 ( 30%) Total Organic: 81,153 ( 44%) Total Engagements: 1,709 ( 43%) Engagement Rate: .1% ( .1%) Video Views: 189,126 ( 37%) FACEBOOK TOP POSTS: In June, we saw an increase of 250 new followers! Our impressions, engagements, and engagement rate decreased this month. Meta overhauled its Page Insights API and deprecated several legacy metrics (see notification below), which causes analytics tools to suddenly report lower impressions and reach numbers. This, paired with the typical summer dip in organic reach, is why we are seeing these lower numbers. Page 35 of 122 Followers: 3,498 ( 3%) Followers Gained: 102 Impressions: 15,939 ( 72%) Engagement: 668 ( 75%) Engagement Rate: 4.2% ( 1.6%) In June, we saw an increase in performance across the board. We are back up in the 1k range for views and the new series that performed well on IG that we predicted would do well on this platform was our top performer. We will continue to repurpose IG reels on this platform. TIKTOK TOP POSTS: Page 36 of 122 Total Audience: 556 ( 1.8%) Total Net Growth: 12 Total Posts: 4 Impressions: 292 ( 28%) Engagements: 21 ( 9%) Engagement Rate: 7.2% ( 26%) LINKEDIN In June, we saw an increase in followers of 12 new users! Our impressions and engagements slightly decreased, but our engagement rate increased. This means that the users who are seeing our content are liking, sharing, and saving more per view. TOP POSTS: Page 37 of 122 Impressions: 7.04k ( 8%) Engagements: 309 ( 3%) Outbound Clicks: 0 Saves: 78 ( 28%) Total Audience: 3.51k ( 9%) Engaged Audience: 207 ( 19%) In June, we saw an increase in impressions and saves! Although the other analytics slightly decreased, we are happy with the success we are seeing on this platform. We will continue to mirror from IG to this platform since seeing the success over this past year. PINTEREST TOP POSTS: Page 38 of 122 WHAT WE WORKED ON THIS MONTH: - 3 Accepted Collaborations (Influencer Collabs) - @samanthasommelier (160k Views, 4.3k Interactions) - @nikoleynn.s & @pacificsurfliner (26.5k Views, 1.1k Interactions) - @nikoleynn.s & @pacificsurfliner (34k Views, 1k Interactions) - 2 Ticket Tuesdays - Renaissance Festival (15.9k Views) - Concerts in the Plaza 30th Anniversary Bundle (8.8k Views) - Trending Content - World Cup Guide (15.2k Views) - Summer Diet Loading (4.9k Views) - New Businesses in SLO Reel (14k Views) - BBQ in SLO Part 2 Reel (11k Views) - 4 invited collabs (@centralcoastrenaissancefest, @downtownslo, @concertsintheplaza, etc.) - SLO Life Coach & SLO Life Tip Reel & Stories - Events Highlight Updated Weekly / PR Placements Shared in Stories Page 39 of 122 JULY’S FOCUS: - July Events in SLO Reel - Outdoor / Summer Content - 3 Ways to Play in SLO Reel - Sandos & Beaches Pairing Reel - Wine Tasting Reel - Picnic Spots in SLO - Ticket Tuesday Giveaways - Shakespeare Festival - Blues Baseball - Railroad District To-Dos, Dinner & A Movie Reel - Pools in SLO, Build a SLO-Made Mocktail Reel - Trending Content - Vegan Options Reel - Local Interview Reel - Hub n Spoke : Mustang Waterpark & Adventure Park Page 40 of 122 THANK YOU! Page 41 of 122 Page 42 of 122 FY26-28 Strategic Marketing  & Business Plan DRAF T Page 43 of 122 Introduction SLO Life Tip #8: Always say “hi” first because, here, there are no strangers, just friends you haven’t met (yet). Hi, and welcome to the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District’s (SLO TBID) Strategic Marketing & Business Plan. This plan was developed at the end of FY 2025-26 in order to guide all tourism program efforts over a two-year period (FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28). As we enter the first year of the two-year plan, the TBID has reflected on the progress made towards the overarching 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, and has identified key focus areas for the year ahead. This plan outlines the FY 2026-27 TBID program efforts, while serving as a compass for creating unforgettable experiences that showcase what it means to Live the SLO Life. To keep us agile and responsive to changing economic, political and industry trends, we’ll implement this plan within a more detailed and tactical Quarterly Marketing Plan. What is in the following pages also aligns with our broader five-year 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, ensuring every action contributes to our long-term goals. DRAF T Central to these long-term goals is ensuring that our core values thoughtfully guide everything we do. Our five-year strategic plan envisions San Luis Obispo as a deeply welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. To make that a reality, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are wholeheartedly woven into our organization’s DNA, that we meet all people where they are, with genuine dignity and respect, just as they are. Alongside this commitment, San Luis Obispo is more than just a beautiful place to visit. It’s a community committed to preserving its natural beauty for generations to come. Our brand vision is to be a tourism organization that seamlessly balances business and sustainability, making San Luis Obispo a must-visit destination while actively contributing to the City's 2035 carbon neutrality goal. To bring this strategy to life, we have a handful of major initiatives shaping the year ahead. We are keeping the good vibes rolling by amplifying our SLO Life Coach brand campaign and continuing to lean into our title as the MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the World to inspire year-round midweek travel. Behind the scenes, we are taking a thoughtful look at our strategic events partnership landscape and jumping into meetings and group travel research with Visit SLO CAL to help inform our future strategies. We are also keeping our digital strategy as fresh and forward-thinking as our community, evolving our search strategies to meet travelers exactly where and how they find travel inspiration in this new era of AI. Get ready for fresh ideas, and a whole lot more as we continue to share the SLO Life far and wide! Page 44 of 122 The San Luis Obispo Tourism Landscape Sharing our love for San Luis Obispo means looking at the bigger tourism landscape picture.  On the global stage, Visit California supports our efforts by doing the incredible work of creating broad awareness and consideration for the state as a whole, reaching a massive audience through their domestic and international marketing. We also lean into the regional connection of the Central Coast Tourism Council, which beautifully brings together our neighboring destinations to showcase our iconic coastline and classic California road trips. From there, we work hand in hand with our partners at Visit SLO CAL, who take that regional inspiration and channel it into top of funnel excitement for our county. Once travelers' minds are set on the Central Coast, our strategy is to entice them to choose San Luis Obispo as their ultimate homebase away from home. Inviting visitors to stay in the city, unpack just once, and use our walkable streets and vibrant downtown as their natural anchor while they explore everything the region has to offer. Doing this successfully means keeping a thoughtful eye on how today's economic climate  shapes traveler habits. While overall visitation to SLO remains resilient, we are navigating a  K-shaped economy where consumer spending is divided. Travelers are increasingly price- sensitive and value-focused, thoughtfully planning their trips to ensure they get a genuine emotional and experiential return on their investment. Given this specific focus on midweek value and shifting traveler sentiment, we are prioritizing our key drive markets. At the same time, we are paying close attention to inbound flights, allowing us to dynamically adjust our targeting to include fly markets as opportunities shift. DRAF T Because of these economic realities, when we look at Average Daily Rate growth as a city, it is all about ensuring an authentic SLO experience that aligns beautifully with demand across all of our lodging options. From our cozy, budget-friendly spots, homestays or our luxury hotels, every single property plays a vital role in our ecosystem by delivering true, heartfelt value. Our focus is on attracting the right kind of mindful visitors who connect deeply with our way of life. While SLO County celebrated record-breaking visitation in 2025, upcoming hotel and motel projects across the region are set to increase significantly overall lodging supply. Because the city of San Luis Obispo currently holds the majority of the county's available room inventory at 24.6%, we must look closely at how we navigate this shifting landscape.   Looking ahead, county-wide supply growth is projected to outpace demand growth throughout 2026  and 2027. This imbalance will inevitably put pressure on occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR across the region, making proactive demand generation (particularly during midweek and shoulder seasons) a top priority.   To help keep our local lodging community humming and vibrant, we will focus on reaching our returning visitors. Our research shows that these familiar friends are the most likely to visit again, because once you experience the SLO Life, it truly stays with you. By combining the loyalty of returning visitors with a strategic, proactive demand engine, we can dream up fresh ways to connect with travelers and give  them irresistible reasons to visit, stay just a little bit longer, and choose SLO as their ultimate homebase. Page 45 of 122 TABLE OF CONTENTS Our strategic foundation 5 SLO TBID Strategic Direction & Imperatives 6 Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Target Audiences 2025-2030 Strategic Plan DESTINATION PARTNERS Brand Strategy Brand Research Initiatives Research Findings & Takeaways Data-Driven Brand Foundations Looking Ahead: FY26-28 Research & Development Objectives DRAF T 10 12 13 11 8 7 9 Brand Campaign The Midweekend Campaign Sustainable SLO Influencer & CONTENT CREATOR Partnerships Paid Media Public Relations Meetings & Trade Travel Website Development & Maintenance Search Engine Optimization Content Development Organic Social Media Strategic Industry Partnerships Strategic EVENT Partnerships Constituent Relations BUDGET 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Page 46 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation Our Strategic Foundation DRAF T 5 Page 47 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation DRAF T 6 SLO TBID Strategic  Direction & Imperatives The SLO TBID stewards the brand of Visit San Luis Obispo and represents its lodging partners, driving overnight stays by:  Telling the San Luis Obispo story via targeted marketing content and activities. Serving as a convener and subject matter expert for tourism conversations impacting the destination. Advancing strategic partnerships that extend the reach and influence of Visit San Luis Obispo. Vision A welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. MISSION We share the abundance of SLO, driving the lodging economy and serving as the voice of our stakeholders. Values Service Leadership Adaptability Collaboration Objectives Ensure organizational excellence Deliver smart growth Build meaningful partnerships Activate the SLO Life Page 48 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan 2025-2030 Strategic Plan Vision Vision NO R T H S T A R MISSION Our Strategic Foundation 7 POSITION A welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. We share the abundance of SLO, driving the lodging economy and serving as the voice of our stakeholders. Maintain stakeholder sentiment of Visit San Luis Obispo performance. Increased engagement and participation with Visit San Luis Obispo’s Brand Book and promotional toolkits. Increase in resident sentiment. Increase mid-week occupancy. Increase length of stay. Create one net new signature brand partnership. Partnerships balanced across identified key sectors.DRAF T We believe in: Service Leadership Adaptability Collaboration STRATEGIC ACTION STRATEGIES The SLO TBID stewards the brand of Visit San Luis Obispo and represents its lodging partners, driving overnight stays by: Telling the San Luis Obispo story via targeted marketing content and activities. Serving as a convener and subject matter expert for tourism conversations impacting the destination. Advancing strategic partnerships that extend the reach and influence of Visit San Luis Obispo. G row organizational capacity. Invest in internal relationship building. Develop an innovation process. Communicate successes. Invest in stakeholder connections. P erform an audit of our partnership landscape. Develop partnerships to address key gaps. Develop an events strategy to complement Visit SLO CAL’s approach. F oster ongoing positive resident sentiment. Develop remote work messages as part of SLO Life. Advocate for conference center development. Partner with Visit California and Visit SLO CAL to bolster targeted segments of travel. F urther enhance the use of data to inform marketing programs. Maintain focus on social awareness & environmental responsibility. Maximize the evolution of the “Live the SLO Life” brand. Differentiate Visit San Luis Obispo while building  off Visit SLO CAL’s success. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Objectives Indicators Ensure Organizational Excellence Deliver Smart Growth Build Meaningful Partnerships Activate the SLO Life Lift in brand sentiment against baseline. Increase RevPAR. Increase awareness of SLO as a sustainable destination. Page 49 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation DESTINATION PARTNERS In 2008, San Luis Obispo established a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), allowing the hotel industry to raise funds solely dedicated to tourism marketing and promotions to attract visitors to San Luis Obispo. The TBID is inclusive of all lodging properties in the city of San Luis Obispo including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, inns and owner occupied homestays. The appointed TBID Board members in collaboration with City Staff and agency partners help to guide the marketing efforts for the public-facing destination brand Visit San Luis Obispo.  The SLO TBID partners with organizations at the state, regional, countywide and local level to leverage the reach and impact of our marketing programs for our tourism businesses in San Luis Obispo. These partnerships allow the SLO TBID to maximize investments and expand awareness in ways the organization would not be able to do alone. Central Coast Tourism Council Visit SLO CAL Visit san luis obispo VISIT CALIFORNIA DRAF T SLO Lodging + Tourism Businesses 8 Page 50 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation 9 Brand Strategy The Visit San Luis Obispo brand supports the TBID’s initiatives to share the abundance of SLO, drive the lodging economy and serve as the voice of our stakeholders. PURPOSE + Personality + PRINCIPLES (United brand & culture) PROMISE (Clear messaging & identity that connects) POSITION (Distinctly stand out among competition) DRAF T Homebase Away From Home You don’t just visit San Luis Obispo on vacation. You become part of our community and culture, an honorary local. The welcoming waves, neighborly nods and small- town California charm instantly make you feel welcome and invite you to start living The SLO Life. As you immerse yourself in our city, you bond with it and start to feel a sense of belonging that blends with the beauty of releasing life’s stresses, because it truly feels like a home away from home. And with the beaches, iconic sites and stunning beauty of the world-class Central Coast nearby, it’s also an incredible homebase during your vacation. A Chance To Live The SLO Life The SLO Life is a deep breath that releases life’s pressures. It’s a change of pace. It’s a fresh take. It’s a warm embrace. It’s a feeling of comfort and calm in a welcoming place filled with a special energy, connection, creativity and a wholehearted spirit. You can feel The SLO Life wrap its arms around you and pull you close. It’s tangible. And you’ll never want to let that feeling go, so you live The SLO Life to its fullest while you’re here and take a piece of it with you when you head back home. Hearts In Beds If putting “heads in beds” is our business purpose, putting “hearts in beds” is our brand purpose. We live to share all that San Luis Obispo stands for so we can emotionally connect with and welcome people who will fall in love with our community in such a way that they actually become part of it, caring for it like they live here and returning time and time again. Page 51 of 122 10 Brand Research Initiatives FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation Over the past few years, the TBID Board has made significant investments in a variety of brand research programs through self- directed and co-op commitments. These studies helped to increase the organization’s knowledge and ability to have specific data and valuable insights to help further guide our efforts to develop program actions. Over the next two years, we'll look to leverage the research  and data we've gathered to positively impact progress and performance towards our organizational objectives. Fall 2021 Brand Health & Equity Research An analysis of the San Luis Obispo destination brand from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. These insights and takeaways continue to guide our marketing efforts. Spring 2024 Brand & Emerging Market Research This custom research study leveraged audience insights and a partnership with Wiser Insights Group to better understand market influencers, perceptions and sentiments within new emerging markets as they pertain to San Luis Obispo. This study provided robust evidence for the effectiveness of current positioning strategies and identifies clear opportunities for expanding San Luis Obispo's appeal and market share. DRAF T Winter 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023 Brand Tracker & Local Sentiment This Brand Tracker research has allowed us to set a baseline and trackable measure of sentiment towards San Luis Obispo as a branded destination, among locals and prospective visitors. We’ll continually use these baselines in order to measure progress in key areas. FALL 2025 Brand Tracker & Co-Op Research D eployed the latest Brand & Local Sentiment Tracker to measure incremental progress towards brand strategy goals. Invested in co-op research opportunities in partnership with Visit SLO CAL focused around a 2025 Economic Impact Study as well as a Visitor Profile Study. Looking Ahead FY26-28 Research Initiatives See page 13 for more details on upcoming research initiatives Page 52 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation SLO Life Tip #18 STAY IN SLO. Research Findings & Takeaways In the fall of FY2025-26, we initiated the latest Brand & Local Sentiment tracker which measures brand sentiment progress and awareness against established benchmarks. We also partnered with Visit SLO CAL on their 2025 Economic Impact and Visitor Profile studies, which confirm that our strategic direction is on target. A few key takeaways include: Evolving Brand Perception: Visit San Luis Obispo has successfully continued its shift away from being perceived as just a university town or a quick pitstop on the way to somewhere else. Pillar Momentum: The core attributes we have been championing—"all the California good, none of the bad," "great for foodies," and "an eco-friendly destination"—all continue to move in a strongly positive direction. Campaign Stickiness: The SLO Life Coach campaign is proving its effectiveness. In-market travelers show a significantly higher awareness of the campaign, proving the message is breaking through the noise. Demographic Gains: We are making measurable positive progress with high-yield target segments, specifically women and travelers aged 45+.DRAF T 11 Page 53 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation DRAF T 12 Data-Driven Brand Foundations Sustainability remains our ultimate differentiator and will be woven as an intentional undercurrent through everything we do. To maximize impact, our ongoing messaging will focus on the specific ownable destination features that our research proves are the highest motivators for travelers: Core Destination Motivators Food & Beverage A Happy, Feel-Good Community Convenient Outdoor Hiking & Biking Emerging Market Drivers Great Outdoor Hiking & Biking Charming & Historic Downtown Great Climate Year-Round 15 Minutes from Multiple Beaches Page 54 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Our Strategic Foundation Looking Ahead:  FY2026-28 Research  & Development Objectives To keep our marketing program agile and responsive to evolving trends, we will continue exploring co-op research initiatives destination partners such as Visit SLO CAL and Visit California while seeking out new opportunities around: Advanced Location Data: Exploring third-party visitation data providers to help inform smarter targeting tactics and paid media investments. Meetings and Trade Research: A destination-specific meetings research study in partnership with Visit SLO CAL to help inform our broader meetings and events strategy. Continued exploration of the feasibility of a local conference center through the City's efforts. 2026 Economic Impact Study: A study in partnership once again with Visit SLO CAL to gain insight into visitation trends, visitor spending and localized macroeconomic impacts. Brand Sentiment Tracking: Deploying a Fall 2027 Brand Tracker and Local Sentiment Study to continue monitoring the success of brand campaign efforts.DRAF T 13 Page 55 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Visit San  Luis Obispo MarketinG  Plan DRAF T 14 Page 56 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 15 Target Audiences TARGET AUDIENCES (DEMOGRAPHICS & PSYCHOGRAPHICS) CORE AUDIENCES NICHE AUDIENCES 65+Sustainability All kinds of people are curious about the "SLO Life" and our job is finding them and inspiring them to come experience it firsthand! We are getting even smarter about how we do just that. By leaning into our latest website data, inbound flight trends and visitor profile research, we're uncovering deeper insights to reach the people most excited to pack their bags for San Luis Obispo.  We're also not doing it alone. We'll continue to team up and align our targeting tactics with Visit California and Visit SLO CAL. This keeps our marketing efficient, collaborative and perfectly positioned to deepen connections in our established markets while welcoming fresh faces from emerging ones. Here is how we are shaking up our audience strategy for this  next chapter: Agile Geographic Investments: To make sure our budget is always working its hardest, we're maintaining a flexible investment model that lets us shift responsively while continuing to nurture the critical fly markets that build long-term brand awareness. Trading Relaxation for Experience-Motivated Travelers: Moving away from our relaxation and wellness audience to focus on high- intent travelers who look for a compelling spark to plan their trip.  We’ll look to target experience-seekers who are motivated by a rich mix of seasonal offerings, local festivals, signature events, unique regional happenings, and one-of-a-kind activities that give them the perfect reason to visit. Winning Midweek with Flexible Professionals: To continue boosting midweek visitation, we'll additionally tap into hybrid workers, flexible professionals and self-employed individuals in our core drive markets, reminding them that their "remote office" looks a whole lot better from a sunny outdoor patio in SLO. DRAF T Potential travelers looking to be active and experience nature. OUTDOOR Potential travelers that seek seasonal offerings, local festivals, signature events, unique regional happenings, and one-of- a-kind activities. Events & Experience Potential travelers looking for unique culinary and beer/wine experiences. Culinary Potential travelers likely to book family or multi- generational group trips. Families Potential travelers that have showed intent by engaging with our ads/ website. Along with Cal Poly parents. Retargeting Potential travelers in the 65+ age range that are likely to book a trip to the Central Coast. Potential travelers that live more sustainable/ green lives and consider environmental impact. Replacing A udience Assumptions with Actionable Data: To make our targeting sharper than ever, we'll take the guesswork out by exploring visitation data providers to help inform smarter targeting tactics and paid media investments. Ages 25-54  HHI $110k+ Ages 25-54  HHI $110k+ Ages 25-54  HHI $110k+ Ages 25-54  HHI $110k+ Ages 25-65+   HHI $110k+ Ages 65+   HHI $110k+ Ages 25-54  HHI $110k+ Page 57 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 16 BRAND CAMPAIGN Plan a SLO Getaway Visit San Luis Obispo SLO Life Tip #13 Wine is a food group. DRAF T Learn More After a stellar first full year, our beloved SLO Life Coach campaign is officially reaching its stride! Launched at the tail end of FY 2024–25, this personality-driven campaign moved beyond standard tourism marketing to personify our brand. It shows travelers exactly how to Live the SLO Life with a refreshing mix of warmth, charm and a touch of humor. While the launch was a major success across our paid and owned channels, we're still just scratching the surface of what it can do.  For the FY 2026–28 cycle, we're taking this incredible momentum and shifting our focus from building broad awareness to converting that awareness into direct action. We want to take the SLO Life Coach off the screen and connect her directly to real-world experiences that inspire people to book their trip. Objectives Convert Awareness into Action: Transition the SLO Life Coach from a storytelling asset into a driver of  real-time visitation by linking her directly to timely bookable offers and interactive, planning-oriented digital web experiences. Maximize Efficiency Through Partnership: Partner closely with Visit SLO CAL so their assets do the heavy lifting on upper-funnel regional awareness. That frees us to focus our resources on hyper-targeted,  conversion-focused efforts. Create Unmissable Earned Media Hooks: Develop PR-worthy moments, activations and content-first approaches that give media outlets a compelling reason to talk about us. B uild a Turnkey Event & Promotion Framework with SLO Life Coach: Make the campaign agile enough  to adapt easily to timely events, seasonal moments and midweek promotions. D eepen In-Destination Presence: Bridge the gap between digital marketing and the in-person visit  by bringing the campaign into the Visitor Center and local activations. SLO Life Tip #34 Don’t drive thru SLO. Stay. Visit San Luis Obispo Sponsored Sip, savor and SLO your stroll. Your way, every day. 🍷 SLO Life Tip #26 The food is SLO fresh. Page 58 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan THE MIDWEEKEND CAMPAIGN SLO Life Tip #17: Embrace the MidWeekend. The fun doesn’t have to stop just because the weekend ends. Around here, every day feels like a Saturday!SLO Life Tip #17 Embrace the MidWeekend.Encouraging midweek travel is an evergreen priority for us. Since officially declaring San Luis Obispo the MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the World, we've transitioned this initiative from a standalone promotional push into a permanent, ongoing extension of our SLO Life Coach brand campaign. In FY 2026-28, we'll take our MidWeekend strategy to the next level. Instead of just telling people that midweek travel is great, we want to give them undeniable reasons to book. By focusing heavily on seasonal events, collaborating with our local businesses to create irresistible packages and targeting audiences who have the freedom to travel Sunday through Thursday, we're ready to turn those quieter weekdays into vibrant "MidWeekends." Objectives Solidify the MidWeekend Brand: Continue to firmly establish San Luis Obispo as the undisputed MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the World by exploring strategic regional partnerships, activations, and interactive programming concepts that amplify our messaging and help visitors plan their midweek trips. Drive Midweek Occupancy & Extend Length of Stay: Ongoing optimizations to midweek marketing efforts to steadily increase year-over-year growth in our weekday-to-weekend occupancy ratio and to increase the average length of stay for midweek travelers. Engage Flexible Travelers: R efining our audience targeting and messaging strategies to reach and influence audience segments most inclined to travel midweek, such as remote professionals, retirees and Cal Poly families. Co-Create Bookable Packages: D eepen partner and constituent relations to incentivize, develop and promote more exclusive, high-value lodging and experience packages that make booking a midweek trip effortless. Leveraging Events & Seasonal Happenings: Seasonal happenings, local festivals, events, and in-town activations will help to provide storytelling hooks that drive more immediate travel interest. DRAF T SLO Life Tip #7 Weekends don’t  get all the fun. Plan Your Trip SLO Life Tip #32 Don’t stress it. Live the SLO Life Get Away Live the SLO Life 17 Page 59 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 18 Sustainable SLO DRAF T Around here, protecting our beautiful backyard isn't a trend. It's just how we live the SLO Life. Our vision is to balance a thriving tourism economy with a deep commitment to the planet, doing our part to support the City's ambitious 2035 carbon neutrality goal. Sustainability is a huge differentiator for today's conscientious travelers. But we also know people rarely book a vacation based on a destination's green efforts alone. That's why we treat sustainability as a meaningful "feel-good layer" of the broader SLO story. It meets high-intent travelers at the perfect moment in their booking journey, reinforcing that choosing San Luis Obispo isn't just a fun choice, it's the right choice. Objectives Champion the Keys for Trees Initiative: Support the 10Tall initiative to plant 10,000 trees across our community by 2035 through emotional storytelling initiatives. Strategically placing sustainability messaging in front of travelers showing a strong intent to visit, giving them that final, heartwarming reason to choose SLO. Equipping lodging partners with ready-to-use materials, messaging guides, and frameworks that help them share the Keys for Trees program directly with guests. Incorporating Sustainability as an Undercurrent: Weave sustainability messaging naturally into our marketing efforts across our various owned channels, from organic social posts to our e-newsletters, and throughout the entire traveler experience. Elevate Our Reputation as a National Leader in Sustainable Tourism: Attract eco-conscious visitors and further solidify our reputation through intentional media pitching and sustainable travel content. Cultivate Strong Partnerships: Create meaningful partnerships with sustainable businesses to expand the Sustainable SLO initiative. Identifying ways to support and activate around the City's upcoming Climate Action Plan update and its community engagement opportunities. Working in partnership with ECOSLO to create physical signage for trees planted through our programs, turning them into tangible touchpoints for visitors and locals alike. Continuing our partnership with Kind Traveler to tap into their established community of passionate eco-tourists. Page 60 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Influencer & CONTENT CREATOR Partnerships Influencer and content creator partnerships are a powerful way to showcase San Luis Obispo. By collaborating with trusted voices, we reach targeted audiences and inspire travel to our destination. Objectives To maximize these partnerships, Visit San Luis Obispo will continue to take a strategic and collaborative approach. We will work together with our public relations and content marketing partners on a comprehensive influencer strategy that aligns with our overall marketing goals. Identify, vet and collaborate on partnerships with micro-influencers and niche content creators who resonate with specific target audiences, with a focus on those who live in our key drive markets. Explore partnerships based on mutual benefits and shared values, emphasizing authentic storytelling. Target influencers who align with key market segments: sustainability, LGBTQ+, solo travel, BIPOC travel, outdoor adventure, road trips, culinary and more. Empower our community of local hotel stakeholders by providing more education resources around how the City can support, elevate, and collaborate with their individual, property-level PR teams to maximize our collective reach. KEY INITIATIVE: Influencer FAM Trips We'll continue hosting micro-influencer FAM (familiarization) trips that bring trusted voices to SLO and put our destination in front of their highly engaged audiences. Each trip can flex around a different pillar to generate a breadth of content for our diverse drive markets, such as: F oodies and culinary creators Outdoor adventurers Sustainable travelers LGBTQ+ travel Midweek getaways DRAF T We'll require influencers to point their followers toward @ShareSLO and explore giveaways to drive added engagement and newsletter sign-ups. 19 Page 61 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 20 Paid Media DRAF T In FY 2025-26, we used a mix of tactics to increase San Luis Obispo's awareness and refine audience targeting. We incorporated Visit SLO CAL's "Unpacking" ads across YouTube and Meta, which performed exceptionally well. We also provided integrated paid media support for key initiatives, leaning hard into our new MidWeekend messaging (after declaring SLO the MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the World in March of 2025) and fine-tuning our SLO Life Coach brand campaign. Paid media will continue to be a key tactic to keep Visit San Luis Obispo top of mind among both new and existing audiences. Our strategy will increasingly adopt a video-first approach to spotlight our SLO Life Coach, along with our SLO Life Tips video campaign. Objectives Deploy an Integrated, Research-Guided Media Strategy: Execute an integrated paid media strategy to promote the brand, promotional and event campaigns, guided by data-driven research to drive impact toward our strategic objectives. Drive Brand Awareness & Intent-Driven Growth: Build future visitor demand by intercepting travelers in the early stages of trip planning. Establish a proactive, growth-oriented strategy that uses custom insights to enhance brand equity, maintains an always-on MidWeekend presence, and tests new media channels to connect with our target audiences. Inspire Engagement & Planning Behavior: Encourage further engagement and consideration of San Luis Obispo among potential travelers by driving them to VisitSLO.com. Strategically target higher-household-income audiences to inspire longer stays and greater spending in the destination. Explore and test new audience segments interested in signature events, festivals and cultural happenings to drive seasonal, intent-driven visitation. O ptimize for Conversions & Booking Behavior: Support local lodging partners by continuously refining and optimizing campaign strategies and digital ad placements by guiding high-intent audiences toward conversion focused content. Page 62 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan PUBLIC RELATIONS Effective public relations is essential to building and maintaining a strong destination brand. By working with local, regional and national media outlets, we generate positive press coverage, drive visitation and solidify San Luis Obispo's reputation as a must-visit destination. Through a collaborative effort with our partners, we'll execute a comprehensive PR strategy that highlights our destination's one-of-a-kind character. Objectives Expand Earned Media Awareness: Secure impactful media coverage across target drive, fly and national markets to drive visitation and economic impact through promoting longer stays, while layering in interest-based, community, and identity-focused storytelling that establish SLO as a welcoming, inclusive destination. Sustain always-on PR efforts, including responsive media request fulfillment, vetting advertorial opportunities  and crafting expert press visits with custom itineraries. Maximize the reach of our earned media successes by proudly featuring our best PR wins and press features throughout our paid and owned channels. Navigate Modern Media Landscapes: Cut through generic media noise and connect directly with travelers seeking a meaningful emotional reset by shifting our storytelling toward hyper-focused experiential angles, hyper-niche listicles, and emotional outcomes like calm, creativity, and connection. Proactively engage emerging media platforms, publication social networks, and hub-and-spoke editorial models with unique hooks that clearly differentiate SLO from competitors. Distribute LLM-readable press releases and collaborate on AI-optimized content planning to future-proof our earned footprint and maximize discoverability across modern AI search engines. Deepen Our Strategic Co-Op Partnerships: Collaborate closely with Visit SLO CAL, Central Coast Tourism Council, and Visit California on shared  editorial themes, coordinated press hosting initiatives, and reactive media opportunities to maximize  earned media exposure. Seek out relevant trade events, conferences and festivals through co-op opportunities to showcase our  unique multi-venue and group travel capabilities to event planners and industry professionals. DRAF T Ex plore New High-Impact Experiential Tactics and Partnerships: Bring our brand campaign to life physically and capture a wider editorial audience by developing PR-worthy experiential activations and collaborative event-based tactics that directly support the SLO Life Coach campaign. Execute dedicated Media Missions to show top-tier writers firsthand how to Live the SLO Life and team up with local stakeholders such as chefs and hoteliers, to create an engaging presence that translates experiences into impactful media coverage. 21 Page 63 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 22 Meetings & Trade Travel DRAF T When it comes to Meetings & Travel Trade, our focus over the coming year will be to uncover where our truest opportunities exist. As we look to develop a thoughtful, strategic foundation in close partnership with Visit SLO CAL, we intend to let research lead the way. To make sure we are moving forward as intentionally as possible, the objectives outlined below may be refined based on upcoming outputs of our co-op research initiative and ongoing collaboration with Visit SLO CAL. Objectives Enhance Regional Visibility and Planner Consideration: Elevate San Luis Obispo County's reputation as a premier business and meetings destination to drive greater consideration among corporate meeting and event planners. Pitch relevant media outlets, attend industry events, and optimize our professional LinkedIn presence to generate positive press coverage, share timely destination updates, and build meaningful connections directly with industry professionals. Compile information on available meeting spaces throughout SLO to update content across VisitSLO.com, ensuring planners have helpful resources during the destination evaluation phase. Shape a Dedicated Strategy: Build on existing relationships and co-op opportunities with Visit SLO CAL to help research, inform and shape our own strategy for meetings and events. Explore co-ops to attend industry events and showcase the destination. Drive Bleisure Travel: Position San Luis Obispo as an attractive destination for business travelers seeking leisure experiences. Page 64 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Website Development & Maintenance VisitSLO.com is the digital heart of our marketing efforts, acting as an online hub for travelers seeking information and inspiration. Our focus over the next year is maximizing its effectiveness and engagement across the site. We'll keep enhancing the user experience while making sure the site is optimized for visibility across traditional and AI search engines, connecting visitors with everything they need to plan their trips and Live the SLO Life. Objectives Maintain a Secure, Stable and High-Performing Website Infrastructure: Ensure the site remains healthy, stable and optimized for performance through continuous technical optimization (for both user experience and search crawlers) and proactive software, security and plugin updates. Keep Digital Storytelling Dynamic, Fresh and Relevant: Perform ongoing website enhancements and general content updates, including the creation of new web blocks and styles to accommodate fresh content types. Execute quarterly updates to the dedicated Media Page  to ensure journalists and press always have access to destination assets and inspiration. Create Personalized and Engaging Digital Experiences: Explore new digital experiences to support the SLO Life Coach campaign with a focus on enhancing paid landing pages and providing interactive trip-planning capabilities that drive booking behaviors. DRAF T 23 Page 65 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 24 Search Engine Optimization DRAF T Building a strong SEO strategy is critical for maximizing San Luis Obispo's online presence and attracting high-intent travelers. As AI-powered search engines evolve  to prioritize user intent and comprehensive content, a holistic SEO approach will strengthen VisitSLO.com's technical foundation and boost its visibility and authority. This ensures our destination remains discoverable by the right audience at  the right time. Objectives Build Authority Across Traditional & Generative AI Search Platforms: Future-proof our online presence by building website authority to improve VisitSLO.com's position and findability on search pages and within AI chatbots and agents, as well as Google and Bing hybrid search engines. Conduct a comprehensive SEO and AI Optimization Audit to inform ongoing optimization strategies. Integrate of paid, PR and organic search efforts to maximize real estate within search engine results pages. Scale Technical Optimization: Maximize organic visibility by addressing technical optimizations, ensuring crawlers can easily index and understand our site. Continually monitor for structured data markup opportunities to help VisitSLO.com surface within AI search results. Drive High-Intent Site Traffic: Attract qualified, high-intent visitors to VisitSLO.com through a focused owned content strategy and ongoing improvements to the site experience. Optimize toward Google's Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness ranking factors. Page 66 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Content Development The more people discover San Luis Obispo, the more they fall in love with the destination and want to stay longer. Compelling storytelling is essential to showcasing SLO's unique charm and helping people get to know the destination more intimately, ultimately inspiring them to Live the SLO Life. Through engaging and informative content across multiple platforms, Visit San Luis Obispo aims to deepen audience connections and drive increased visitation. Over the next year, our strategy will focus on producing versatile content that can be adapted for various channels, maximizing our reach and impact, all with the personal touch of our SLO Life Coach. Objective Create discoverable and educational content that keeps subscribers and SLO fans engaged through search-optimized itineraries and blogs plus regular email marketing. what to expect Email Marketing Continued focus on growing our email database, including: Creation of more gated content on the website. Exploration of new partnerships, giveaways, event partnerships, and paid media tactics to incentivize newsletter sign-ups. Deepening connections with subscribers: Develop a segmentation strategy that draws on past subscriber behavior and performance data to send e-newsletters to the right people at the right time. Continuing to engage segmented audiences with content relevant to their unique interests. Keeping those familiar with the destination engaged and excited, we'll design a tailored welcome series for high-value sub-audiences like the Cal Poly community (including parents, alumni and visiting families). This series will introduce them to the best of SLO through a lens that matches their lifestyle and calendar milestones (e.g., move-in weekend, graduation, parent weekends). Further integration of the SLO Life Coach into the email strategy, delivering SLO Life Tips, travel inspiration  and exclusive offers. To keep our metrics accurate and our deliverability pristine, we'll run regular list-hygiene checks. Website Content I nspiring travel through itineraries, theme-based and event-driven content with a focus on discoverability  for search and AI. Weaving the DEI and sustainability threads into every content piece where they show up authentically. Including clear calls to action in blog content to encourage trip-planning behaviors. Incorporating the SLO Life Coach's voice into priority landing pages, ensuring they resonate with key audiences. Prioritizing content that aligns with our SEO and AIO (AI optimization) strategies, developing supplemental blog content as needed to fill gaps and capture timely opportunities. DRAF T 25 Page 67 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan 26 Organic Social Media DRAF T Social media is a powerful tool for fostering engagement, building brand loyalty and reaching new audiences. By delivering compelling, authentic content, we cultivate a strong digital community of locals and visitors who feel connected to San Luis Obispo. Through strategic platform management and audience insights, we'll optimize our social presence to support visitation and strengthen our destination brand. Objective Connect, engage and grow our audience by providing timely and relevant information. what to expect Target audiences in our drive and fly markets by building partnerships with business owners, the SLO community and other DMOs and tourism-forward entities. Define and execute an influencer strategy in collaboration with the  TBID's public relations partners. Maintain an active presence on all platforms, engaging with comments  and social feedback. Focus on video-heavy evergreen and campaign-driven content, mixing  new and existing styles. Work toward making Sustainable SLO Instagrammable, including itineraries  and discoverable trails. Drive awareness of Visit SLO as the one-stop shop for all things visitor-facing. Work closely with partners to stay consistent across blog posts and messaging. Stay in the know on what's trending on social media and deeply familiar with  San Luis Obispo and its lodging, businesses, community events and campaigns, establishing our brand as the one-stop shop for all things SLO travel. Promote MidWeekend offers and itineraries year-round while driving traffic   to the right VisitSLO.com landing pages. Integrate the SLO Life Coach through captured content and potential  voice-over opportunities. Page 68 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Strategic Industry Partnerships We know success is never achieved alone. To maximize our impact, the TBID Board and staff nurtures strategic partnerships with destinations, agencies, industry and community organizations. Through knowledge sharing and open communication, we'll collaborate with partners to drive impact toward shared goals. partnerships, sponsorships and memberships Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) Cal Poly Athletics & Office of Student Affairs Cal Travel Downtown SLO Gala Pride & Diversity Center Kind Traveler SLO Chamber SLO Coast Wine Collective Visit California Visit SLO CAL what to expect Further collaboration with Visit SLO CAL through co-ops and partnership opportunities aligned with their new campaign creative direction. Working with Gala Pride & Diversity Center to create more inclusive content, tools and trainings. Exploring ways to capitalize on our presence at SLO Days, Parent Weekend and Cal Poly Open House. Supporting Downtown SLO to showcase our charming downtown as the heart of the city through signature events, intentional growth with real economic impact, and improved wayfinding, giving visitors real reasons to fall in love with it and come back. Maximizing awareness of SLO through digital cross-promotion. Expanding destination awareness through B2B sales and trade shows with industry partners. DRAF T 27 Page 69 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan DRAF T 28 Strategic Event Partnerships Over the past few years, we have loved supporting the vibrant festivals and events that make our community shine, from collaborating on regional strategies with Visit SLO CAL to spearheading our city's staple annual events. Over the coming year, we are keeping that collaborative momentum going while actively shaping our own dedicated events strategy. This means defining exactly how we show up, support, and amplify the happenings that matter most to our community and drive visitation and economic vitality across the city. Objectives Grow Event Tourism & Impact: Position Visit San Luis Obispo as a premier destination partner for events, sharing the city's unique experiences and offerings to attract increased visitation, inspire longer stays, and build long-term economic growth. Deploy a Partnership Audit: We are launching a comprehensive audit of our existing events and partners landscape. This thoughtful evaluation will help us clearly understand how we currently support local events, ensure our resources are being used effectively, and maximize our collective impact. Explore a New Signature Event: We are actively exploring fresh opportunities to bring an entirely new signature event to San Luis Obispo. Align Regionally, Focus Locally: We will continue to participate in Visit SLO CAL's regional efforts to attract visitors through a county-wide event strategy, all while maintaining strong, wholehearted partnerships that support the city's beloved existing festivities. Page 70 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Constituent Relations Objective Engage TBID constituents in the work of Visit San Luis Obispo, deepening connection and raising awareness of growth opportunities. DRAF T what to expect Visit San Luis Obispo will keep finding ways to educate and involve constituents in the tourism program through these initiatives: Continue biannual Partner Receptions, fostering connection and collaboration. Explore training and education opportunities  with strategic and industry partners. Develop constituent resources to boost  and engagement. Maintain ongoing outreach to constituents, including newsletters and other relevant communication. 29 Page 71 of 122 FY2026-28 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan Visit San Luis Obispo Marketing Plan Budget For FY 2026-27, the TBID's revenue is projected to be $2,299,130. Budget allocations fall across four primary categories, with over half of the annual budget going to marketing and contract services. The TBID also directs essential funds to operations, which include staffing and tourism program expenses, plus strategic partnerships and key tourism organizations. 6% DRAF T 22.1% 15.6% 56.3% 2025-26 TBID Budget Expenditure Allocations 56.3% MARKETING & CONTRACT SERVICES 15.6% OPERATIONS/STAFFING 22.1% PARTNERSHIPS, EVENTS & TRADESHOWS 6% tourism organizations, research & hard costs 30 Page 72 of 122 DRAF T Page 73 of 122 Page 74 of 122 SLO Happenings Event Promotion Sponsorship APPLICATION EVENT NAME: Sustainable Ag Expo EVENT DATE(S): November 10-11, 2026 EVENT VENUE LOCATION: Madonna Inn Expo EVENT WEBSITE URL: sustainableagexpo.org EVENT ORGANIZATION: Vineyard Team X NON-PROFIT ___FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ADDRESS: _PO Box 1061, Grover Beach, CA 93433 ORGANIZATION’S WEBSITE URL: vineyardteam.org PHONE NUMBER: 805.466.2288 POINT OF CONTACT: Beth Vukmanic POSITION/TITLE: Executive Director PHONE NUMBER: 805.466.2288 EMAIL: beth@vineyardteam.org IS APPLICATION WRITER DIFFERENT FROM LISTED POINT OF CONTACT: ___SAME ___ *Please add application writer’s contact information here if different: _________________________________________________________________________________ FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY Application Date: Application Status: Committee Review Date: Total Net Score: Estimated # of Room Nights: Committee Notes: Page 75 of 122 EVENT QUESTIONS 1. Event Description: The Sustainable Ag Expo is California's premier educational event for sustainable winegrowing, bringing together growers, pest control advisors, researchers, agricultural professionals, and industry leaders from across California and beyond. Hosted by Vineyard Team, the multi-day conference and tradeshow takes place each November in San Luis Obispo County during the tourism off-season, generating valuable overnight stays and economic activity for the region. Celebrating more than 20 years of agricultural education, the Sustainable Ag Expo delivers practical, science-based information through expert-led sessions focused on climate resilience, soil health, water management, pest management, emerging technology, and business sustainability. Attendees earn continuing education credits while learning directly from leading researchers, experienced growers, and industry innovators. The event attracts more than 475 agriculture professionals annually and features over 60 exhibitors showcasing products and technologies that support sustainable farming. Attendees consistently cite the opportunity to learn from experts and connect with peers as one of the event's greatest strengths. By combining world-class education, meaningful networking opportunities, and the hospitality of San Luis Obispo County, the Sustainable Ag Expo has become a must-attend conference for sustainable winegrowing professionals throughout California and the western United States. 2. Describe how you track your event, success and attendees (ticket sales, actual event attendance, attendee demographics, survey of event satisfaction, etc.) Event success is measured through ticket sales, attendance, attendee demographics, and post-event evaluations. Registration is managed through a CRM system that captures attendee location data, allowing us to track the percentage of visitors traveling from outside the region and estimate the event's tourism impact. Following the event, attendees complete satisfaction surveys that evaluate the quality of educational content, speakers, networking opportunities, and overall experience. Survey feedback, exhibitor input, and attendance trends are reviewed annually and used to guide improvements for future Sustainable Ag Expo events. 3. Describe your event’s target audience (including but not limited to age, interests, area of residence, household income, families/couples, etc.) The Sustainable Ag Expo attracts a diverse group of sustainability-focused agriculture professionals. Attendees include winegrape growers, vineyard managers, pest control advisors, researchers, agricultural suppliers, government agency representatives, university personnel, and members of the agricultural press. The event draws participants from throughout California and beyond, with 61% of attendees traveling from outside the region in 2025. This broad geographic reach reflects the Expo's reputation as a leading source of practical, research-based education and industry networking opportunities. Page 76 of 122 4. Historical event attendance (n/a if first time or startup event. An annual event with a new series, speaker, team, musician or show does not constitute as a new event) In 2025, the Sustainable Ag Expo attracted 479 attendees, with 61% traveling from outside the local area. With out-of-region attendees staying an estimated two to four nights, the event generated between 584 to 1,168 room nights. This figure does not include additional spending at local restaurants, wineries, retail businesses, transportation providers, and other San Luis Obispo County attractions and services. 5. Historical percentage of in-county versus out-of-area event attendees (must equal 100%) a. _39% of Local/In-County Event Attendees b. _61% of Out-of-Area Event Attendees (Resides 50+ miles outside of San Luis Obispo) c. _ n/a of New startup event 6. Expected total number of event attendees: The Sustainable Ag Expo thrives on the power of in-person connection, giving attendees valuable opportunities to engage directly with leading researchers, experienced farmers, and industry peers. This face-to-face interaction remains a cornerstone of the event's success and is consistently cited as one of the most valuable aspects of attending. As Zach Merkel of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines shared, "Vineyard Team has given me access to some of the top minds in the wine industry. In particular, the Sustainable Ag Expo brings speakers and experts from around the world." Based on recent attendance trends, we anticipate 475+ attendees in 2026. The Expo attracts participants through expert-led educational sessions, a 60+ exhibitor tradeshow, continuing education opportunities, and popular networking events including Sustainable Beer & Gear and the Donut Social. Two-day ticket holders also receive access to 10+ hours of online courses featuring additional continuing education opportunities. With more than 20 years of history, the Sustainable Ag Expo continues to be a premier destination for sustainable winegrowing education, industry networking, and professional development in California. 7. Expected percentages of in-county and out-of-area event attendees a. _40% of Local/In-County Event Attendees b. _60% of Out-of-Area Event Attendees (Resides 50+ miles outside of SLO) 8. Provide information on event ticketing (ticket requirement, price range, ticket platform used, etc.) Event passes range from $225 to $545 depending on the package. Tickets are sold through the user- friendly sustainableagexpo.org website. 9. Have you requested funding from other organizations/entities: ___Yes _X_No a. If yes, please provide the names of these organizations and funding entities: Page 77 of 122 10. What are you willing to offer the City and TBID members in exchange for the sponsorship funds for your event? SELECT ALL That APPLY ___ Exclusive lodging partnership _X_ Promotion for event attendees tied to SLO lodging ___ Complimentary tickets for additional promotional use ___ Other: 11. Please provide any additional information on what sets your event apart from others taking place in San Luis Obispo: The Sustainable Ag Expo stands apart as California’s premier midweek, off-season event focused on sustainable winegrowing education. Unlike larger trade shows or fully online webinars, the Expo delivers real, actionable value through expert-led seminars, 30+ speakers, a 60+ exhibitor tradeshow, continuing education opportunities, and networking events such as Sustainable Beer & Gear and Donut Social. The 2026 program is already attracting respected experts from leading institutions, including Cal Poly, Cornell University, Oregon State University, and more. Headliner Dr. Michelle Moyer, Professor and Viticulture Extension Specialist at Washington State University, is a highly anticipated speaker whose Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast episode on powdery mildew management remains one of Vineyard Team's most downloaded episodes. Attendees consistently cite the quality of the speakers and networking opportunities as reasons they return year after year. As Amy Whiteford of Our Lady of Guadalupe shared, the event delivers “Timely topics, practical tools, and seamless organization — the Expo makes it easy to earn CE units and stay connected to the grape growing community.” New for 2026, two-day ticket holders will have access to 10+ hours of online courses through mid- December, extending availability by two additional weeks. This added flexibility is especially valuable for growers and agricultural professionals managing fall harvest demands, allowing them to complete continuing education and access technical content when their schedules allow. Held during San Luis Obispo County’s tourism off-season, the Expo is projected to attract 475 attendees in 2026, with approximately 60% traveling from outside the region. Many out-of-area attendees arrive the day before the conference begins to accommodate Tuesday morning sessions and exhibitor load- in activities. Based on an estimated two-to-three-night stay and the 2025 average daily hotel rate of $140.96 (average of $141.09 on Tuesday 11/11/25 and $140.82 on Wednesday 11/12/25), the event is projected to generate between $80,370 and $120,555 in lodging revenue. The Expo also helps drive off-season visitor spending across local restaurants, wineries, retail businesses, and the broader hospitality sector. This year’s outreach activities will include a targeted promotional campaign featuring digital advertising using lookalike audiences, industry partnerships, email marketing, and social media outreach to ensure strong visibility for both the Sustainable Ag Expo and San Luis Obispo County as a destination for agricultural education, innovation, and professional networking. Page 78 of 122 Page 79 of 122 PROMOTIONAL PLAN –Please provide a promotional plan containing a detailed strategy outlining the below: 1) Media Plan. Out-of-area advertising/marketing sponsorship of the event including where, when, and how often advertisements will be placed. If available, it is strongly encouraged to include specific details on media placement (print, radio, tv, out of home media, social media, programmatic advertising, etc.) with projected reach, engagement and ROI of media tools. Must be included in media plan, but not limited to: • Media outlet • Target audience • Media placement • Media timing • Media cost • TBID Stay in SLO Messaging Sustainable Ag Expo Media Plan: Media Type Target Audience Media Placement Media Timing Media Message Media Cost Digital Trade Facebook, Instagram, Google search, industry press, etc. Fall Attend Expo – Welcome to the SLO Life $7,300 Print Trade Event promotional postcard and mailing (~1K+) Fall Attend Expo – Welcome to the SLO Life $700 Digital Trade Event website and event promotion of Welcome to the SLO Life (see 2025 website image below) Summer - Fall Attend Expo – Welcome to the SLO Life $0 Total $8,000 Sustainable Ag Expo Program Funding: Out-of-area attendees are drawn to the Sustainable Ag Expo for the opportunity to learn from and interact with leading researchers and experienced growers in person. The event team has already secured highly sought-after experts from Oregon State University, UC Berkeley, and other respected institutions, and plans to host 11 out-of-area researchers and growers as part of the 2026 program. To help offset speaker lodging expenses, $2,000 of the requested funding will be allocated toward hotel accommodations. Based on an estimated two- to three-night stay and the 2025 average daily hotel rate of $140.96, total lodging costs for these presenters are projected to range from approximately $3,101 to $4,652. 11 presenters × 2–3 nights × $140.96 ADR = $3,102–$4,653 Total Grant Requested: $10,000 Page 80 of 122 Sample of 2025 Visit SLO Promotions Event Website Email Marketing Page 81 of 122 2) Event Budget. Please provide a detailed event budget listing all available support and income sources. Budgeted marketing dollars should be included in your event budget. Budget Plan: Item Income Source Estimated Amount Partners and Sponsors Vineyard Team Partners $105,000 Attendees Event Income $105,000 TBID Grant $10,000 Total $220,000 2025 Financials Page 82 of 122 Staff • Beth Vukmanic, Executive Director • Hayli Macomber, Outreach & Education Coordinator • Whitney Brownie, SIP Certified Coordinator Board of Directors • Molly Bohlman, Niner Wine Estates • Carter Collins, Viticulture Management Inc. (Vice President) • Melissa Egger, Coastal Vineyard Services • Gregory Gonzalez, Miller Family Wine Company (President) • Emma Gray, JUSTIN Winery • Andrew Heilbrun, Presqu'ile and ARC Vineyards • Matt Helm, Monterey Pacific • Rawley Hermreck, Mesa Vineyard Management • Jeanine Madson, Bozzano & Co. • Oliver Matthews, Vineyard Professional Services • Lauryn Meissner, Treasury Wine Estates • Zachary Merkel, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines • Mindy Record, Treasury Wine Estates (Secretary) • Denise Shurtleff, Cambria Wines (Treasurer) Page 83 of 122 Page 84 of 122 SLO TBID ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025 Page 85 of 122 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Advisory Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Advisory Body Bylaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 2024-2025 Year By The Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Strategic Plan Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Constituent Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Partnering for Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Marketing Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Brand Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Brand Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Brand Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Brand Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 SEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Digital Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Email Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Print Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Guest Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Strategic Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Industry Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 2024-2025 Awards & Accolades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Financial Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Looking Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Transient Occupancy Tax FY 2014-15 to FY 2024-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Transient Occupancy Tax Distribution 2024-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Transient Occupancy Tax Month To Month 2024-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Occupancy Month To Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Average Daily Rate Month To Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Revenue Per Available Room Month To Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 TBID 2025-2030 Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 CONTENTS Page 86 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 3 In June 2008, the City Council adopted Ordinance 1517, establishing the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) in the City of San Luis Obispo as requested by the local lodging industry . The assessment of 2% of gross receipts for the district became effective on October 1, 2008, and the use of funds as defined in Section 12 .42 .030 of the Municipal Code states: “This ordinance is made and enacted pursuant to the provisions of the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 (Sections 36500 et seq . of the California Streets and Highways Code) . The purpose of forming the district as a business improvement area under the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 is to provide revenue to defray the costs of services, activities and programs promoting tourism which will benefit the operators of hotels in the district through the promotion of scenic, recreational, cultural and other attractions in the district as a tourist destination .” The use of the assessment fund is based on the recommendation of the Tourism Business Improvement District advisory board (TBID Board) which is staffed by City of San Luis Obispo hotel owners, operators and/or managers . The board members are appointed by the City Council and serve for an initial term of four years with the opportunity to serve a second term for a maximum of eight years . 2024-2025 TBID Board Members BACKGROUND ADVISORY BODY *Lydia Bates served as Chair for a portion of FY 2024-25 . **Clint Pearce served as Vice Chair and also served as acting Chair for a portion of FY2024-25 following Lydia Bates’ resignation . NAME PROPERTY STATUS TERM CONCLUDES Clint Pearce**Madonna Inn Appointed May 2022 3/31/2026 Lydia Bates*Hotel San Luis Obispo Appointed September 2022 Resigned 5/14/2025 Winston Newland Quality Suites Appointed April 2022 Resigned 2/28/2025 Lori Keller Apple Farm Inn Appointed June 2022 3/31/2026 Prashant Patel Vagabond Appointed September 2022 3/31/2029 Nipool Patel Lamplighter Inn & Suites Appointed October 2023 3/31/2028 Christine Nelson TownePlace Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites Appointed April 2025 3/31/2027 Dante Specchierla Petit Soleil Appointed April 2025 3/31/2029 Page 87 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 4 In addition to the governing City ordinance, the TBID Board established its advisory body bylaws and further defined its role and functions as: The functions and duties of the TBID Board shall include, but not be limited to, the following: A . Planning a comprehensive program to promote tourism to the City of San Luis Obispo and prepare an annual marketing program consistent with industry goals and objectives . B . Develop advertising and promotional programs and projects to benefit the lodging industry in San Luis Obispo . C . Present an annual assessment report to the City Council regarding the implemented promotional programs and projects . D . Perform any other lawful tasks as directed by the Council . The TBID Board meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 10 a .m . for its regular board meeting . In fiscal year 2024 -25 the board approved the formation of marketing and management subcommittees in lieu of a second monthly special meeting . The marketing subcommittee meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday while the management subcommittee meets monthly on the fourth Thursday of every month . In total, the Board met 15 times for regularly scheduled monthly board meetings and special meetings during the fiscal year and held 7 subcommittee meetings and one member event—representing an average of 45 volunteer hours annually per each of the seven board members . ADVISORY BODY BYLAWS Page 88 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 5 In the 2024 -25 fiscal year, the City of San Luis Obispo again collected a record-breaking figure of transient occupancy tax (TOT) totaling more than $11 .4 million . This number represents a 4 .6% increase over the forecast for the year in the FY 2023-25 Financial Plan adopted in June 2023 and a 7 .9% increase over the forecast in the FY 2024-25 Supplemental Budget adopted in June 2024 . San Luis Obispo saw five $1 million revenue-collection months in July, August, April, May and June . This incredible contribution of TOT revenue to the City’s General Fund is one of the direct benefits of tourism for the City, as the full collection of TOT revenue is retained by the City . Separately, the TBID retains the revenue collected through its special assessment of 2%, which in FY 2024-25 resulted in nearly $2 .3 million . The fiscal year 2024-25 occupancy level in the City slightly increased by nearly 3% compared to the 2023-24 fiscal year, with an average annual occupancy rate of 70% for the year . This growth reflects a continued recovery in overnight travel, with the average occupancy rate now approaching the pre-pandemic level of just below 71% seen in the 2018-19 fiscal year . The growth of the Average Daily Rate (ADR) in the City has stabilized . In fiscal year 2024-25, the annual ADR was approximately $177 . This rate is relatively flat compared to the previous year (a 0 .2% increase) but remains $24 higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2018-19 . However, the current ADR is below the peak of $195 achieved in fiscal year 2021-22 . The last key indicator used by the TBID to gauge impact is RevPAR, defined as Revenue Per Available Room . In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the annual average RevPAR was up nearly 3% from the prior year at the rate of $125 on average . While these numbers present a snapshot status of lodging properties, the TBID Board also tracks visitation to the downtown Visitor Center to represent the foot traffic . In fiscal year 2024-25, the Visitor Center served approximately 74,000 guests . 2024‑25 YEAR BY THE NUMBERS CHECK THE APPENDIX FOR COMPLETE GRAPHS (GRAPHS FOR TOT/ADR/REVPAR/OCC) MEASUREMENT FY 2024-25 RESULT % CHANGE FROM FY 2023-24 TOT $11,417,888.00 +3.2% TBID Revenue $2,283,578.00 +3.2% Occupancy 70.05%+2.9% Average Daily Rate (ADR)$177.18 +0.2% Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)$125.31 +2.9% Page 89 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 6 In the fall of 2024, the TBID Board undertook a significant effort to establish a refreshed Strategic Plan that will guide efforts from 2025 through 2030 . This foundational work included a dedicated workshop led by Whereabout, a destination consultancy specializing in stewardship, which facilitated a comprehensive session to align the TBID Board around a shared vision and strategic direction . The resulting 5-year Strategic Plan provides a clear and unified framework for the Board’s priorities and decision- making . It outlines the TBID’s key roles in stewarding the Visit San Luis Obispo brand, representing its lodging partners and driving overnight visitation through targeted marketing strategies, strategic partnerships and destination advocacy . Central to the plan are four newly defined Strategic Objectives that will shape the TBID’s focus over the 2025-2030 period: • Ensure Organizational Excellence • Deliver Smart Growth • Build Meaningful Partnerships • Activate the SLO Life Each Strategic Objective is supported by specific strategies and measurable indicators of success, ensuring accountability and progress over time . Throughout this annual report, examples of accomplishments aligned with these objectives are highlighted, demonstrating the TBID Board’s commitment to implementing the Strategic Plan and advancing the long-term vitality of San Luis Obispo’s tourism economy . CHECK THE APPENDIX TO VIEW THE FULL TBID 2025-2030 STRATEGIC PLAN MATRIX STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Page 90 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 7 As a commitment to the Strategic Objective to “Ensure Organizational Excellence” the TBID Board continued to support constituent-relations efforts in 2024-25 . To keep the lodging constituency abreast of all TBID business, the TBID Board was assigned properties to liaise . Each board member was responsible for communication with their respective group of hotels and then asked to report their findings during the “Hotelier Update” portion of each Board meeting . The TBID also leveraged the outreach support of the SLO Chamber’s contracted services to perform weekly lodging call-arounds and quarterly hotel visits . This resulted in 2,927 touchpoints with San Luis Obispo hotels through phone calls, emails and property visits to distribute important visitor-serving collateral . In addition, the TBID hosted a partner reception in February 2025 to encourage networking and share updates on TBID projects and programs, including a sneak peek of the new SLO Life Coach brand campaign . In post-event surveys, constituents rated the presentation and updates from the TBID and partners—as well as the ability to network—as most valuable . In addition to creating opportunities for networking and education, the TBID also created marketing resources to support the lodging properties’ connection to promotional efforts . Visit San Luis Obispo’s MidWeekend promotion to support off-peak, shoulder-season travel was once again turned into a toolkit that was shared with lodging properties to utilize across their own channels . In addition to the marketing efforts of the TBID, the toolkit allowed individual properties to utilize draft messaging and promotional creative to more easily speak to their audiences, incentivizing travel to their property and San Luis Obispo . CONSTITUENT RELATIONS Page 91 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 8 DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION The TBID is proud to stand with the global movement to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and it prioritizes these values through thoughtful marketing and business strategies . In partnership with destination organizations such as Visit SLO CAL, the TBID is committed to reinforcing San Luis Obispo’s identity as a welcoming and inclusive destination for all . As an active ally, the TBID listens, learns and evolves to meet the growing call for more intentional and authentic engagement . At the heart of the organization’s mission is a deep-rooted belief in the dignity and worth of all individuals—across race and ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, language, age, abilities, veteran status, pregnancy status and spiritual or religious beliefs . As part of its commitment to DEI, the TBID welcomed a new public relations partner in 2024: Uniquely Driven, a firm recognized for its expertise in multicultural marketing . This partnership has played a vital role in expanding the TBID’s reach to more diverse audiences, ensuring inclusive storytelling and broader representation in media and PR efforts . The TBID’s commitment to DEI is reflected through tourism marketing initiatives such as: • Creating content that resonates with and reflects diverse audiences • Showcasing the authentic diversity of San Luis Obispo through inclusive imagery, narratives and community partnerships • Leveraging paid, earned and owned media channels to engage wider, more representative audiences • Offering destination materials in Spanish to foster accessibility and inclusion • Amplifying the voices and visibility of diverse-owned businesses • Building and maintaining strategic relationships, including the partnership with the Gala Pride & Diversity Center Through these efforts, the TBID continues to foster a tourism environment that reflects the full richness of San Luis Obispo—and ensures all who visit or live here feel welcomed, respected and celebrated . Page 92 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 9 SUSTAINABILITY Visit San Luis Obispo’s brand vision is to be known as a tourism organization that balances business and sustainability . In doing so, the TBID supports the City’s ambitious 2035 carbon neutrality goal while striving to serve as a model for sustainable tourism leadership . San Luis Obispo is more than just a beautiful place to visit—it’s a destination deeply committed to preserving its natural beauty for generations to come . Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of the community and is a key differentiator in attracting conscientious travelers . Through its initiatives, partnerships and marketing strategies, Visit San Luis Obispo works to embed sustainability into every aspect of the tourism experience—ensuring that the destination remains vibrant, responsible and resilient . A central pillar of this work is the Sustainable SLO sub-brand, developed to create a consistent visual and messaging identity that resonates with both visitors and locals . From this foundation emerged the Keys for Trees program, a meaningful initiative that brings visibility to the City’s climate goals while facilitating real-world impact through tree planting and education . In FY 2024–25, the TBID significantly amplified its sustainability efforts through several key initiatives: • Partnering with Kind Traveler, a responsible travel platform, to engage their sustainability-focused audience and expand the reach of San Luis Obispo’s eco-conscious offerings . • Continuing the Keys for Trees program, developed to help offset the carbon impact of travel; 1% of the TBID’s projected revenue supported local tree planting in partnership with the City’s Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources and EcoSLO . • Launching a short-form educational video to raise awareness of the Keys for Trees program . • Integrating sustainability messaging into the new SLO Life Coach campaign . • Supporting citywide collaborations, including efforts with Solid Waste and Parks & Recreation to co-brand Big Belly trash receptacles and enhance signage at trailheads . • Promoting off-season and mid-week travel through the Midweekend campaign and messaging tactics, which encourages lower-impact visitation and helps distribute tourism more evenly throughout the year . • Hosting a sustainability-themed familiarization trip with Kind Traveler featuring four Southern California-based content creators, which generated strong social reach and culminated in a hands-on community tree-planting experience . These efforts not only elevated the visibility of Sustainable SLO, but also reinforced Visit San Luis Obispo’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship . While the initiative serves as a cornerstone of this commitment, it is just the beginning . The TBID will continue to support the City’s sustainability objectives through intentional programming, passionate partnerships and a long-term vision for a thriving, sustainable destination . Page 93 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 10 PARTNERING FOR IMPACT CONTRACTED AGENCY PARTNERS: Noble Studios Uniquely Driven SLO Chamber of Commerce Badger Branding Executing a year-round marketing strategy requires not only expertise, but close collaboration . The TBID works alongside City Staff and a dedicated team of contracted partners to ensure cohesive, creative and performance- driven marketing across all efforts . Each agency brings specialized capabilities that, together, create a fully integrated marketing ecosystem . Regular coordination, shared strategic planning and cross-functional execution between the TBID and its partners ensure that all tourism marketing elements—from media buying to public relations to social content—are aligned in tone, message and purpose . Agency-of-record leading integrated marketing strategy, brand development, creative direction, campaign execution and media planning/buying . National public relations agency focused on multicultural marketing and audience-specific storytelling . PR and guest services partner, supporting media relations and in-market visitor experience . Content marketing partner responsible for developing and managing organic social media content across Share SLO channels . Page 94 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 11 MARKETING ACTIVITIES To effectively influence travel decisions, the TBID’s marketing strategy is intentionally mapped to the traveler journey— from the earliest stages of dreaming to the final step of sharing . By leveraging a multi-channel approach, the TBID ensures that Visit San Luis Obispo messaging reaches audiences at the right time, with the right content, through the right platforms . This integrated strategy spans a wide mix of tactics, including paid media, public relations, social media, content marketing and website engagement—each tailored to key touchpoints in the traveler’s experience . • Aim to create brand awareness & connection • Create shareable content that inspires travel • Bring prospects to the website to encourage research and discovery about what makes the destination special and unique • Help prospective travelers plan with destination- specific content • Encourage travelers to visit key stakeholder pages to book & plan their trip SERVICES • Organic Social • Paid Social • Display Ads • Email • PR • Influencers SERVICES • Website Experience • Organic Search • Paid Search • Organic Social • Paid Social • Display Ads • 3rd Party Ads • Email • Public Relations • Print SERVICES • Organic Search • Paid Search • Paid Social • 3rd Party Ads • Website Experience • Email SERVICES • Website Experience • Email • Organic Social • Visitor Center SERVICES • Organic Social • Keep the conversation going to amplify our message • Utilize website to plan in-destination moments and activities • Find up-to-date travel information DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARING MARKETING ACTIVITIES BY STAGE OF TRAVELER’S JOURNEY Page 95 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 12 POSITION (Distinctly stand out among competition) PROMISE (Clear messaging and identity that connects) PURPOSE + PERSONALITY + PRINCIPLES (United brand & culture) BRAND STRATEGY Visit San Luis Obispo is the official tourism brand for the destination . The inclusion of “Visit” is an intentional choice, clearly signaling the brand’s purpose as a tourism entity and inviting travelers to experience and explore San Luis Obispo . The Visit San Luis Obispo brand supports the TBID’s mission to share the abundance of SLO, drive prosperity to the lodging economy and serve as the voice of all stakeholders . In FY 2024–25, Visit San Luis Obispo branding was consistently applied across all marketing initiatives to ensure a cohesive and unified brand presence . The brand book outlines what the destination marketing organization stands for, how it benefits travelers and locals and why it stands out . It captures the brand’s essence and spirit, and outlines how the brand comes to life visually, verbally and culturally . It includes everything from messaging, logo usage and color palettes to brand philosophies, values and partnership examples . At its core, the brand book reinforces a powerful distinction: while putting heads in beds is Visit San Luis Obispo’s business purpose, putting hearts in beds is its brand purpose . The organization exists to share everything San Luis Obispo stands for—so that visitors connect emotionally, care for the community as their own and return time and time again . Page 96 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 13 PURPOSE HEARTS IN BEDS If putting “heads in beds” is our business purpose, putting “hearts in beds” is our brand purpose . We live to share all that San Luis Obispo stands for so we can emotionally connect with and welcome people who will fall in love with our community in such a way that they actually become part of it, caring for it like they live here and returning time and time again . PROMISE A CHANCE TO LIVE THE SLO LIFE The “SLO Life” is a deep breath that releases life’s pressures . It’s a change of pace . It’s a fresh take . It’s a warm embrace . It’s a feeling of comfort and calm in a welcoming place filled with a special energy, connection, creativity and a wholehearted spirit . You can feel the “SLO Life” wrap its arms around you and pull you close . It’s tangible . And you’ll never want to let that feeling go, so you live the “SLO Life” to its fullest while you’re here and take a piece of it with you when you head back home . POSITION HOMEBASE AWAY FROM HOME You don’t just visit SLO on vacation, you become part of our community and culture, an honorary local . The welcoming waves hello, neighborly nods and small-town California charm instantly make you feel comfortable and allow you to start living the “SLO Life .” As you immerse yourself in our city, you bond with it and start to feel a sense of belonging that blends with the beauty of life’s stresses being released because you’re away–it truly feels like a home away from home . And with the beaches, iconic sites and stunning beauty of the world-class Central Coast nearby, it’s also an incredible homebase during your vacation . SLO is the ideal homebase away from home . BRAND PLATFORM Page 97 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 14 BRAND CAMPAIGN In FY 2024–25, Visit San Luis Obispo took a bold step forward in evolving its core brand message with the development and launch of the SLO Life Coach campaign . This creative platform builds on the success of the established brand line, “Live the SLO Life,” which has served as a powerful anchor for the destination’s messaging over the past few years . The SLO Life Coach campaign marked a significant investment in creative storytelling and brand amplification . It introduced a fresh, personified expression of the Visit San Luis Obispo brand—embodied by a charismatic, laid- back and witty character who shares “SLO Life Tips” with charm and a touch of bold energy . As a personality-driven approach, the SLO Life Coach brings the brand to life in a way that’s relatable, engaging and distinctly San Luis Obispo . Launched at the tail end of FY 2024–25, the campaign represented a major milestone . It was seamlessly integrated across Visit San Luis Obispo’s owned, earned and paid media channels, supported by refreshed brand visuals and optimized landing pages tailored to target audiences . This cross-channel execution helped ensure brand consistency and impact at every stage of the traveler journey . The SLO Life Coach is more than a campaign—it’s an invitation to experience San Luis Obispo in a deeper, more personal way . As the campaign continues to roll out in the year ahead, it will remain a key tool in showcasing the destination’s welcoming spirit and reinforcing what it truly means to “Live the SLO Life .” DISPLAY ADS META ADS Page 98 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 15 PROMOTIONS Encouraging midweek travel continues to be a strategic priority for the TBID to support their Strategic Objective and commitment to Deliver Smart Growth and sustainable tourism practices . By driving visitation outside of peak periods, the MidWeekend initiative helps support lodging businesses while easing pressure during high-demand times . 1 | Summer MidWeekend Promotion (July–August 2024) In the summer of 2024, the MidWeekend promotional campaign returned to help drive midweek stays in San Luis Obispo . From July 1 to August 31, visitors who booked a qualifying two-night midweek stay (Sunday–Thursday) at participating TBID properties received a $100 cash incentive . The promotional campaign was integrated across owned, earned and paid marketing initiatives . Key results from the promotional campaign included: • 462 Midweek Room Nights Booked • $90,288 Booking Revenue Across SLO’s Lodging Properties 3 | Mayoral Declaration & Middle Name Giveaway (April 2025) To support this strategic evolution and help drive shoulder-season visitation, Mayor Erica A . Stewart officially declared San Luis Obispo the MidWeekend Vacation Capital of the World . To mark the occasion and generate awareness, Visit San Luis Obispo launched the Middle Name Giveaway in April 2025, inviting travelers whose middle name (or a variation of “Luis”) matched the city's namesake to enter for a chance to win a midweek vacation . The promotion was supported through dedicated paid media placements, PR outreach, social amplification and featured on VisitSLO .com . Key results included: • 781 Newsletter Sign-Ups (Giveaway Entries) • 191,136 Page Views • 78 Lodging Partner Referrals on VisitSLO .com 2 | Strategic MidWeekend Evolution Following the success of the summer promotion and in recognition of the need for a year-round approach to midweek travel, the TBID made a strategic decision in the latter half of FY 2024–25 to evolve MidWeekend into an evergreen campaign . This pivot moved away from short- term cash incentives in favor of sustained, brand-forward messaging integrated into the broader brand campaign . The shift supports an “always-on” strategy designed to build long-term travel habits and align with Visit San Luis Obispo’s broader brand values . Page 99 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 16 WEBSITE SEO VisitSLO .com serves as the City’s official tourism website and is the primary digital platform for promoting the destination . While designed primarily for consumers, it also provides valuable resources for travel trade professionals, meeting planners, TBID members and media . As the central hub of Visit San Luis Obispo’s marketing efforts, all campaigns and communications are strategically connected to and supported by the website—making it the cornerstone of the organization’s digital presence . Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains essential to driving visibility, authority and engagement for VisitSLO . com . By deepening content and optimizing key pages, SEO efforts support the site’s discoverability and the broader effectiveness of Visit San Luis Obispo’s digital strategy . In FY 2024–25, SEO performance was challenged by rapid shifts in the search landscape—particularly the rise of AI-generated results and evolving formats on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) . Despite these changes, a proactive and comprehensive SEO strategy continued to deliver results . Strengthened technical foundations and content authority ensured Visit San Luis Obispo remained discoverable by the right audiences at the right time . 25% Increase in Overall Traffic 13% Increase in Average Session Duration 33% Increase Things To Do Partner Referrals (39,179 vs 29,439) 26% Increase in Hotel Partner Referrals (43,923 vs 34,758) 26% Increase in New Users 2% Increase in Newsletter Sign Ups (1,006 vs 804) WEBSITE PERFORMANCE YOY 2% Increase in Organic Traffic 11% Increase in Pages per Session 8% Increase in Organic Hotel Partner Referrals (10,168 vs 9,427) 19% Increase in Average Session Duration SEO PERFORMANCE YOY Page 100 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 17 DIGITAL MEDIA Visit San Luis Obispo significantly expanded its digital media strategy, supported by a 24% increase in paid media budget compared to the previous year . This investment allowed for greater emphasis on upper-funnel awareness- building tactics while continuing to balance performance-driven, lower-funnel strategies aimed at driving bookings and measurable conversions . This approach directly supports the TBID’s Strategic Objective to Deliver Smart Growth, ensuring both long-term brand health and near-term economic impact . Our digital media efforts employed an integrated, cross-channel strategy designed to connect with travelers at all stages of their journey . Campaigns were informed by performance data and market insights to optimize reach, relevance and return on investment . EMAIL MARKETING Visit San Luis Obispo continued to deepen subscriber engagement by integrating branded content like SLO Life Tips, exclusive promotions and introducing the SLO Life Coach . Email remained a key channel for delivering personalized travel inspiration to key audience segments, guided by performance insights . Tactics such as gated content, giveaways and prominent sign-up opportunities across VisitSLO .com supported steady list growth while fostering strong connections with both new and existing subscribers . 57% Increase in Paid Traffic 38% Increase in Paid Social Click- Through Rate 56.7 Million Total Paid Impressions 10.2% Paid Search Click-Through Rate (Benchmark 8 .7%) 54% Increase in Google Ads Partner Referrals 42% Increase in Google Ads and Facebook Clicks 50% Average Newsletter Open Rate (45 .2% Industry Benchmark) 11,645 Sessions Driven to VisitSLO .com 16 Total Emails Sent 48% Growth in Newsletter Subscribers Email Marketing Performance YOY Digital Media Performance YOY Page 101 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 18 PRINT ADVERTISING Visit San Luis Obispo continued to include limited print placements within its media mix . While digital remains the primary focus, strategic print advertising served as a valuable tool to reach niche and mature market segments, reinforcing travel inspiration and supporting broader brand awareness efforts . Print Placements Included: • Cal Poly Program Ad & Visiting Teams Guide • Central Coast Tourism Council Map (cover & listing) • Certified Folder destination-brochure distribution • Visit California Visitors Guide • Visit SLO CAL Visitors Guide • SLO International Film Festival Program Guide Certified Folder destination-brochure distribution SLO International Film Festival Program Guide Page 102 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 19 SOCIAL MEDIA @ShareSLO—Visit San Luis Obispo’s official social media presence—continued to be a powerful platform for engaging locals and inspiring visitors through dynamic, trend-driven and brand-aligned content . In FY 2024–25, efforts expanded reach and engagement across platforms, introduced new content formats and integrated key brand campaigns including SLO Life Coach, MidWeekend and SLO Restaurant Month . Social Media Highlights: • Nearly 7,000 new organic followers across all platforms • Produced 170 original Reels, executed 26 giveaways and facilitated 88 collaborations • Maintained a cohesive visual aesthetic across Reels covers, Linktree, banners and Highlights • Established successful content series including Generational To-Dos and SLO Fine Dining • Increased community engagement through Ticket Tuesday giveaways and campaign support Top Performing Content: • Cozy Cafes in SLO 154k IG views | 40 .7k TikTok views • Reservoir Canyon Waterfall 122k IG views | 57 .4k TikTok views Visit San Luis Obispo Social Media Channels: Cozy Cafes in SLO Reel Sunset Drive- In Reel Reservoir Canyon Waterfall Reel Demure Trend Reel Page 103 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 20 PUBLIC RELATIONS Visit San Luis Obispo maintained its shared public relations model through a joint contract between the TBID and the Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) with the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce . This collaborative approach was strengthened by the addition of Uniquely Driven, a national PR agency specializing in multicultural marketing . The SLO Chamber focused on regional outreach, while Uniquely Driven led national efforts—working together to implement an integrated PR strategy . Together, these partners executed a comprehensive program aimed at building awareness, securing high-quality media coverage and amplifying the Visit San Luis Obispo brand by highlighting the community’s unique character and vitality . Our PR strategy this year included 19 individual media visits and the coordination of two group familiarization (FAM) trips . One of these, a sustainability-themed FAM in partnership with Kind Traveler, brought four Southern California- based content creators to San Luis Obispo . The trip delivered strong social media reach and concluded with a community tree-planting event aligned with the Keys for Trees initiative . The second group FAM welcomed five journalists and showcased the "Essence of SLO(w) Travel," spotlighting the destination's unique, mindful pace and immersive local experiences . Collectively, these PR efforts resulted in 84 media placements, generating over 6 .7 billion impressions . Coverage appeared in prominent national and regional outlets such as National Geographic, Forbes, Thrillist, USA Today, NBC Los Angeles, La Opinión, Travel + Leisure, Sacramento Bee and AARP . With the PR landscape continuing to evolve—marked by newsroom reductions and a growing reliance on freelancers— Visit San Luis Obispo is exploring new media formats such as satellite interviews, advertorials and pay-to-play opportunities to ensure sustained visibility and reach . 6,717,238,130 Circulation 6.7 Billion Media Impressions 84 Total Number of Placements PR Performance Travel & Leisure Feature USA Today 10Best Feature Men's Journal Feature Page 104 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 21 GUEST SERVICES Through a dedicated contract with the TBID, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce continues to provide a comprehensive suite of guest services that support Visit San Luis Obispo’s mission to create welcoming experiences for travelers . In FY 2024–25, the Visitor Center served as a key resource for prospective and in-destination visitors, providing personalized guidance and hospitality across multiple touchpoints . The center welcomed 73,999 walk-in visitors, responded to 16,066 digital inquiries (via email and web chat) and fielded 2,592 phone calls throughout the year . Included in this service offering is the 1-877-SLO-TOWN line—a dedicated phone number tied directly to Visit San Luis Obispo’s marketing efforts . This line, managed by Chamber staff, provides live assistance to travelers planning their trips and is used exclusively to promote San Luis Obispo lodging properties and experiences . In FY 2024–25, the line handled 411 calls, offering friendly, real-time support to visitors looking for tailored trip planning . These guest services play an essential role in extending the Visit San Luis Obispo brand, ensuring travelers receive personalized attention and up-to-date destination information . Page 105 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 22 EVENTS Destination events continued to play a key role in attracting visitors to San Luis Obispo . The TBID Board reviewed funding requests on a case-by-case basis, using the established application process . Events Sponsored: • VINEYARD TEAM, SUSTAINABLE AG EXPO — NOVEMBER 11-13, 2024 The Sustainable Ag Expo was a three-day, mid-week, off-season educational symposium and tradeshow attracting over 500 wine industry professionals to San Luis Obispo . The Expo in 2024 marked the 19th year of the event . Visit San Luis Obispo sponsored lodging for event speakers and presenters and was featured in event promotions . • MISSION COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL, MISSION PREP CHRISTMAS CLASSIC — DECEMBER 19-23, 2024 The Mission Prep Christmas Classic is a four-day premier California High School Basketball tournament featuring some of the best high school basketball players from the state and beyond . The event draws a majority of out-of-area attendees and livestreams to thousands more . Visit San Luis Obispo was the exclusive lodging partner, providing hotel accommodations for visiting teams in exchange for inclusion in event advertising . • SLO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 31ST FESTIVAL — APRIL 24-29, 2025 The 31st edition of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival hosted a six-day event and screened over 100 films throughout the week . The event featured a VIP Festival Lounge, Red Carpet events, live music, educational conversations with filmmakers and industry leaders and capstone events each night that brought the community together to celebrate the arts and expose our audience to important topics around the world . Visit San Luis Obispo supported the festival in various promotional ways including funding and managing the out-of-area paid media campaign, funding to provide lodging for filmmakers, media and industry professionals and promoting a complimentary See + Stay film fest package in exchange for overnight reservations . • GALA PRIDE & DIVERSITY CENTER, PRIDE AND CULTURAL PROGRAM — YEAR ROUND The TBID maintained its legacy partnership with the Gala Pride & Diversity Center in FY 2024–25, supporting both the annual Central Coast Pride celebration and year-round Pride & Cultural programming . Visit San Luis Obispo remained committed to amplifying authentic, community-rooted storytelling—collaborating with Gala to help develop LGBTQIA+ content for VisitSLO .com . The partnership also included promotion of Central Coast Pride through owned channels and select paid media tactics, reinforcing the destination’s inclusive values and welcoming spirit . In addition, Visit San Luis Obispo continued its participation in the Events & Festivals Working Group (EFWG)—a multi- jurisdictional working group of 18 destination partners, event organizers and community leaders convened by Visit SLO CAL . The group played an ongoing role in the development and implementation of the SLO CAL Events & Festivals Strategy, aimed at increasing countywide overnight visitation, supporting economic growth and enhancing quality of life for residents . Key focus areas included strategic planning for existing and future events, optimizing off-peak periods, fostering event collaboration and guiding the process for regional event support and investment . Page 106 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 23 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS In FY 2024–25, Visit San Luis Obispo continued to strengthen its collaboration with numerous community partners and industry nonprofit organizations to amplify destination marketing efforts . These collaborations increase the efficiency and impact of promotional activities by providing new platforms, audiences and alignment with shared values . Now in its second year, the TBID’s partnership with Kind Traveler—a responsible travel platform—continues to serve as a meaningful channel for engaging sustainability-minded travelers . Through Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program, Visit San Luis Obispo showcased its Keys for Trees initiative via a dedicated destination landing page and annual community impact report . The collaboration also extended to influencer engagement, supporting a sustainability-themed media FAM that helped bring San Luis Obispo’s story to life through content creators aligned with environmental values . Partnerships with Cal Poly remained a cornerstone of outreach efforts . Through ongoing collaborations with the Office of Student Affairs, Visit San Luis Obispo participated in SLO Days, Mustang Family Weekend and Open House, providing direct access to thousands of students, parents and supporters . The partnership with Cal Poly Athletics also continued, including destination sponsorship, marketing exposure and lodging coordination with TBID properties . Key partnerships in FY 2024–25 included: • Cal Poly’s Office of Student Affairs (New Student & Transition Programs and Parent Program) • Cal Poly Athletics (Mustang Sports) • Kind Traveler • ECOSLO (in support of Keys for Trees) • Gala Pride & Diversity Center Page 107 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 24 INDUSTRY RELATIONS CALIFORNIA HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION (CHLA) The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) protects the rights and interests of the California lodging industry . Legislative advocacy, educational training, communication and cost-saving programs are provided for all segments of the industry . Through the TBID, all lodging properties in the City of SLO are members of CHLA and can utilize the services offered . VISIT CALIFORNIA The Visit California partnership has been critical in the growth of Visit San Luis Obispo’s brand within the California Tourism product . SLO has received coverage through the marketing activities performed by Visit California including travel trade, press and industry outreach . Monthly submissions are uploaded to Visit California for media leads, trade contacts and newsletter content . CENTRAL COAST TOURISM COUNCIL (CCTC) The Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) is an organization of tourism and hospitality professionals whose marketing efforts accomplish collectively what no single tourism entity can do alone: promote the entire California Central Coast as a destination and maximize our members’ tourism revenue . The CCTC serves as the Central Coast's voice in Sacramento and partners with California Tourism's global marketing and advertising campaigns . The TBID is actively involved in CCTC with a seat on the board from staff and the SLO Chamber public relations representative on the PR committee . VISIT SLO CAL The TBID maintains participation with Visit SLO CAL by having a representative on the Board of Directors and the Tourism and Community Promotions Manager on the Marketing Committee . The TBID Board leverages the partnership with Visit SLO CAL to promote San Luis Obispo on a national and international level—beyond the local and state reach the TBID’s marketing plan focuses to achieve . The TBID’s participation in Visit SLO CAL also encompasses group sales, film commission, countywide public relations and countywide strategic planning like the SLO CAL Events & Festivals Strategy . Page 108 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 25 2024‑25 AWARDS & ACCOLADES AAF RENO ADDY Silver - Specialty Advertising / Merchandise W3 Silver - General Websites – Tourism (VisitSLO .com) AAF RENO ADDY Silver - User Experience (VisitSLO .com) Page 109 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 26 2024‑25 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS INCOME SOURCE 2024-25 FY 2024-25 TOT Revenue Assumption, per FY 2023-25 Financial Plan $10,918,080 FY 2024-25 TOT Revenue Assumption, per FY 2024-25 Supplemental Budget $10,586,256 FY 2024-25 TOT Revenue Collection $11,417,888 FY 2024-25 TBID Revenue Assumption, per FY 2023-25 Financial Plan $2,183,616 FY 2024-25 TBID Revenue Assumption, per FY 2024-25 Supplemental Budget $2,117,251 FY 2024-25 TBID Revenue Collection $2,283,578 FY 2024-25 TBID Projected Expenditures*$2,174,457 FY 2024-25 TBID Projected Surplus*$109,121 TBID PROGRAM BUDGET ALLOCATED Operations/Staffing Administration Overhead (2% of TBID Assessment)$43,672 Staffing Staffing Contingency $275,084 $85,000 Contracts & Marketing Services Marketing Contract - Noble Studios/DCI $1,250,000 Chamber of Commerce - PR $50,000 Chamber of Commerce - Guest Services $51,975 Chamber of Commerce - Media Monitoring Service Fee $3,713 Co-op Marketing Program Funding $30,000 Content Marketing Services - Badger Branding $87,800 Partnerships Cal Poly Athletics $65,000 EcoSLO - Sustainability Initiative $21,836 Kind Traveler $12,495 SLO Coast Wine Collective Membership $5,000 Events & Promotions General Events Promotion $50,000 Event Activation + Collateral $5,000 Seasonal Promotion $25,000 Tradeshows Tradeshows $19,500 Tourism Conferences $9,500 Tourism Organizations CCTC Dues $1,000 Smith Travel Report $3,500 CalTravel Membership $1,000 California Hotel & Lodging Association $30,000 Research + Program Research + Program Development $30,000 Support / Meetings Tourism Program Expenses $7,500 FAM Trip Hosting $12,500 Services/Online Tools/ Fulfillment (Dropbox, Crowdiff, Survey Monkey)$15,000 Contingency Contingency Fund $7,550 Totals Commited $2,198,625 *Actuals will be reported to City Council at the Year End Budget Report in November 2025. Audited financials will be available in February 2026. Page 110 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 27 LOOKING AHEAD As Visit San Luis Obispo enters FY 2025–26, the TBID remains committed to advancing the goals outlined in the newly established 2025–2030 Strategic Plan while ensuring the continued execution of the amended 2024–2026 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan . This two-year Strategic Marketing & Business Plan serves as a comprehensive guide for Visit San Luis Obispo’s overarching marketing direction, as well as the tactical efforts that support destination stewardship, overnight stays and represent the voice of stakeholders . The following priorities will guide the work ahead: • Deploying a Fall 2025 brand tracker and local sentiment study to measure progress in brand perception and inform ongoing tourism program development • Ongoing amplification and integration of the SLO Life Coach campaign to strengthen destination storytelling and deepen audience engagement • Securing impactful partnerships to broaden reach and elevate Visit San Luis Obispo’s marketing efforts • Continuing to evolve MidWeekend messaging as part of the SLO Life Coach brand to promote year-round midweek travel through an evergreen, always-on approach • Developing a comprehensive influencer strategy, including hosting a micro-influencer midweek FAM, to authentically showcase San Luis Obispo and connect with niche travel audiences • Advancing business meetings and trade travel efforts, including a test-and-learn sponsorship of the California Main Street Conference to explore a multi-venue conference model • Optimizing paid and organic search efforts to keep VisitSLO .com discoverable amidst the rise of AI- generated search results • Embedding sustainability and DEI authentically across all programs, reinforcing the brand’s core values and long-term vision While these are not the only areas of focus for the TBID, they represent key priorities requiring significant attention as Visit San Luis Obispo works toward meaningful, measurable implementation in the year ahead . LOOKING AHEAD (FY 2025‑26 PRIORITIES) Page 111 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 28 APPENDIX TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX FY 2014-15 TO FY 2024-25 TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX DISTRIBUTION 2024-25 $12,000,000 $8,000,000 $4,000,000 $6,000,000 $10,000,000 20% Homestay 80% Hotel 0 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-222017-18 Homestay Hotel 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Page 112 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 29 TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX MONTH TO MONTH 2024-25 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $750,000 $1,250,000 $500,000 0 July Aug .Sept .Oct .Nov .Dec .Jan .Feb .Mar .Apr .May June 50% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 60% 70% 80% OCCUPANCY MONTH TO MONTH 90% 40% 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Oct .Sept .Aug .July JuneMayApr .Mar .Feb .Jan .Dec .Nov . Page 113 of 122 30 AVERAGE DAILY RATE MONTH TO MONTH SLO TBID Annual Report 2023-24 REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM MONTH TO MONTH (R e v e n u e $ ) $140 $220 $160 $180 $200 $240 $120 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Oct .Sept .Aug .July JuneMayApr .Mar .Feb .Jan .Dec .Nov . 80 70 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 100 120 140 200 60 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Oct .Sept .Aug .July JuneMayApr .Mar .Feb .Jan .Dec .Nov . Page 114 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 31 TBID 2025-2030 STRATEGIC PLAN Vision A welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike . Values We believe in: • Service • Leadership • Adaptability • CollaborationMission We share the abundance of SLO, driving the lodging economy and serving as the voice of our stakeholders Position The SLO TBID stewards the brand of Visit San Luis Obispo and represents its lodging partners, driving overnight stays by: • Telling the San Luis Obispo story via targeted marketing content and activities . • Serving as a convener and subject matter expert for tourism conversations impacting the destination . • Advancing strategic partnerships that extend the reach and influence of Visit San Luis Obispo . NORTH STAR STRATEGIC ACTION • Grow organizational capacity . • Invest in internal relationship building . • Develop an innovation process . • Communicate successes . • Invest in stakeholder connections . • Perform an audit of our partnership landscape . • Develop partnerships to address key gaps . • Develop an events strategy to complement Visit SLO CAL’s approach . • Foster ongoing positive resident sentiment . • Develop remote work messages as part of SLO Life . • Advocate for conference center development . • Partner with Visit California and Visit SLO CAL to bolster targeted segments of travel . • Further enhance the use of data to inform marketing programs . • Maintain focus on social awareness & environmental responsibility . • Maximize the evolution of the “Live the SLO Life” brand . • Differentiate Visit San Luis Obispo while building off Visit SLO CAL’s success . STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Ensure Organizational Excellence Objectives ObjectivesIndicators Indicators Build Meaningful Partnerships Activate the SLO Life • Maintain stakeholder sentiment of Visit San Luis Obispo performance . • Increased engagement and participation with Visit San Luis Obispo’s Brand Book and promotional toolkits . • Create one net new signature brand partnership • Partnerships balanced across identified key sectors • Lift in brand sentiment against baseline . • Increase RevPAR . • Increase awareness of SLO as a sustainable destination Deliver Smart Growth • Increase in resident sentiment . • Increase mid-week occupancy . • Increase length of stay . Page 115 of 122 SLO TBID Annual Report 2024-2025 32Page 116 of 122 1 Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes June 10, 2026, 5:30 p.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo PCC Members Present: Committee Member Dan Fredman, Committee Member Dante Specchierla, Committee Member Anni Wang, Committee Member Samantha Welch, Vice Chair Robin Wolf, Chair John Thomas City Staff Present: Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark- Charlesworth _____________________________________________________________________ 1. CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee was called to order on June 10, 2026 at 5:31 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: Megan Souza Hollie West --End of Public Comment-- 3. CONSENT Motion By Committee Member Welch Second By Committee Member Wang Ayes (6): Committee Member Fredman, Committee Member Specchierla, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Welch, Vice Chair Wolf, Chair Thomas CARRIED (6 to 0) 3.a MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ON MAY 12 3.b 2025-26 COMMUNITY PROMOTION BUDGET REPORT 3.c SLO CHAMBER MONTHLY PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT 3.d SLO CHAMBER GUEST SERVICES REPORT Page 117 of 122 2 3.e SLO CHAMBER GRANT SUPPORT REPORT 3.f TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX (TOT) REPORT 4. PRESENTATIONS 4.a PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY ACTIVITY UPDATE (15 MIN) Hollie West from SLO Chamber presented the public relations activities report for the months of April and May. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- Action: No action taken on this item. 5. BUSINESS ITEMS 5.a PCC CONTRACT APPROVALS (25 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment— Motion By Committee Member Welch Second By Committee Member Fredman To approve the contractor agreements as recommended. SLO Chamber Guest Services  1-year agreement as presented for Tier 1. Updated split 60% PCC/40%TBID. SLO Chamber Public Relations & Media Monitoring Service  1-year agreement as presented for Tier 2. Updated split 40% PCC/60% TBID. SLO Chamber CACP Grant Marketing Support  1-year agreement as presented with cost analysis done this FY. Page 118 of 122 3 Budget 2026-27 FY 27 Projected Budget 352,000$ Carryover Total Budget 352,000$ Expenditure 2026-27 Notes Expenditure Grant Funding 100,000$ Funding available for CACP Grants Grant Promotional Contract 30,000$ Grant Support agreement w SLO Chamber; one-year agreement Community Placemaking & Cultural Vitality Projects 22,750$ Available for projects deemed important by the PCC to advance the goals of the committee ARTober 15,000$ Available for paid media and promotions as part of ARTober campaign. Lunar New Year Activation 15,000$ Available to support a 2026 Lunar New Year celebration. Guest Services 112,200$ Agreement w SLO Chamber; Shared commitment w/TBID - updated to 60/40 spilt PCC/TBID; one-year agreement PR Contract 46,000$ Agreement w SLO Chamber; Shared commitment w TBID - updated to 40/60 split PCC/TBID; one-year agreement Media Monitoring Service 2,800$ Agreement w SLO Chamber; Shared commitment w/TBID - updated to 40/60 spilt PCC/TBID; one-year agreement Tear-off Maps 3,250$ Agreement with the SLO Chamber to update design and reprint downtown tear- off maps Support Cost 5,000$ Staff expenses: meetings, materials, conferences/travel etc. Administration 35,938$ Staff salary - to be adjusted by Finance & HR based on actuals Total Committed 352,000$ Ayes (6): Committee Member Fredman, Committee Member Specchierla, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Welch, Vice Chair Wolf, Chair Thomas CARRIED (6 to 0) 5.b FY 26-27 COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS PROGRAM BUDGET (30 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment— Motion By Committee Member Wang Second By Vice Chair Wolf To approve the FY 2026-27 PCC Budget and program allocations as recommended. Page 119 of 122 4 Ayes (6): Committee Member Fredman, Committee Member Specchierla, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Welch, Vice Chair Wolf, Chair Thomas CARRIED (6 to 0) 5.c CULTURAL ARTS & COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS GRANT LIAISONS (10 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: Megan Souza --End of Public Comment-- Board Member Liaison assignments to the FY 2026-27 Cultural Arts & Community Promotions Grant recipients are as follows: AAPI SLO - Committee Member Samantha Welch Cal Poly Arts - Committee Member Dan Fredman Central Coast Comedy Theatre - Committee Member Anni Wang Central Coast Shakespeare Festival - Vice Chair Robin Wolf City Farm SLO - Committee Member Dante Specchierla Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo - Committee Member Samantha Welch Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo - Vice Chair Robin Wolf Downtown SLO - Vice Chair Robin Wolf ECOSLO - Committee Member Anni Wang Festival Mozaic - Committee Member Dan Fredman History Revisited - Chair John Thomas Hospice of SLO County - Chair John Thomas Latino Outreach Council - Committee Member Samantha Welch Performing Arts Center SLO - Committee Member Anni Wang Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church - Chair John Thomas Page 120 of 122 5 SLO Beaver Brigade - Committee Member Anni Wang SLO Botanical Garden - Vice Chair Robin Wolf SLO Int Film Fest - Yet to be confirmed Committee Member Megan Souza SLO Master Chorale - Yet to be confirmed Committee Member Megan Souza SLO Museum of Art - Committee Member Samantha Welch SLO Repertory Theatre - Chair John Thomas SLO Symphony - Committee Member Dan Fredman SLO Climate Coalition - Yet to be confirmed Committee Member Megan Souza The GALA Pride & Diversity Center - Committee Member Dante Specchierla The History Center of SLO County - Committee Member Dante Specchierla 5.d ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR (10 MIN) Tourism & Community Promotions Manager Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth presented the staff report and responded to inquiries. Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Committee Member Wang Second By Committee Member Fredman To approve appointing Vice Chair Robin Wolf as Chair and Committee Member Dante Specchierla as Vice Chair for the term July 2026 to June 2027. Ayes (6): Committee Member Fredman, Committee Member Specchierla, Committee Member Wang, Committee Member Welch, Vice Chair Wolf, Chair Thomas CARRIED (6 to 0) Page 121 of 122 6 6. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 6.a CACP LIAISON REPORT – Liaison Assignments No CACP Liaison report updates. 6.b COMMITTEE OUTREACH UPDATE – Committee Report Committee Member Welch provided brief information regarding the America's 250th Celebration and Concerts in the Plaza 30th Anniversary Festival 6.c TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Meeting Minutes: May 14, 2026 Committee Member Specchierla 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 7:05 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for July 8, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. _________________________ APPROVED BY PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE: XX/XX/202X Page 122 of 122