HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-2015 Item B6
Dear Interested Organization:
The City of San Luis Obispo's Community Promotions Program comprised of the Tourism Business Improvement
District (TBID) and the Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC), under direction of the City Council, recognizes
that cultural, social and recreational events make significant contributions to the overall quality of life in and
visitor attraction to the City of San Luis Obispo. Accordingly, the City maintains a local special event sponsorship
program, referred to as the Events Promotion through this application process, to assist in the development and
promotion of such activities within our community.
The City is seeking new destination events that showcase the attributes of our City to significantly attract tourists
to our destination and enhance the experience for the local community, or existing destination events that are
developing new features to their program. The purpose of the Event Promotion sponsorship grants is to develop
a year-round diverse calendar of destination events in the City of San Luis Obispo. Events applying should
maintain the intention to keep the event located in the City of San Luis Obispo even after the sponsorship
support has been termed out.
To be considered for local special event sponsorship funding, events must have clearly stated goals, and the
event producer must be able to demonstrate that their financial management practices are sound and insure
accountability. The City is unlikely to fund new projects which duplicate or conflict with existing programs,
services, or events. Project collaboration among organizations is encouraged.
Grant funding is subject to budget constraints. Based on the limited amount of funding available, applications will
be reviewed in consideration of all application submissions, and the submission of a complete application does
not guarantee funding. This application process does not limit the TBID or PCC from directly funding special
events outside of this application process.
The application must be submitted in the following manner:
A. One digital copy sent to mcano@slocity.org.
B. Eight sets (8) of the application (typed, clipped, and 3-hole punched).
C. One copy of:
• your event’s previous year financial statement or budget details for a start-up event
• a listing of all officers and/or staff
• tax exempt certification/ or business license in the City of SLO (City of SLO business license must be
obtained if funds are awarded)
• signed statement of limitations and payment disbursement (Attachment 4)
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WITH THE APPLICATION OR BIND/STAPLE YOUR
APPLICATION MATERIALS.
It is important that your application provide all the requested information. Clear, concise and original
applications are best. Your original application should be hand delivered or mailed to:
Community Promotions Program- Events Subcommittee
Attn: Tourism Manager
City of San Luis Obispo Administration
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Events Promotion Program Timeline
Please note the following dates:
1. April 13, 2015 - Application information available on the City’s website.
2. April 20, 2015 at 4:30 pm Special Meeting of the Events Promotion Subcommittee - An informational
workshop will be held at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, to answer questions regarding the special event
sponsorship process.
3. May 8, 2015 - Completed applications will be due to the City Administration Office by 5:00 p.m. LATE OR
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
4. Week of May 18- Events will be required to participate in a question and answer session with the
subcommittee members. (Applicants will be notified of this meeting by email).
5. June 10, 2015- Recommendations from the subcommittee will be made to PCC/TBID Boards during
regular committee meetings.
6. July 2015 – Grant contracting with organizations. Grants available to approved organizations when fully
executed agreements are returned.
If you have any questions, please contact Molly Cano at 781-7165 or mcano@slocity.org.
COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS PROGRAM
SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Applications submitted to the TBID/PCC will be evaluated both in terms of the applicant and the event proposal
using the following criteria:
APPLICANT CRITERIA
1. Applicant organization must have a clearly stated purpose and function and be responsible for the
planning and provision of a cultural, social or recreational program/event.
2. Applicant must demonstrate that it has the managerial and fiscal competence to complete the proposed
project. Repeat applicants must have a successful history of using prior sponsorship funds, as evidenced
by a completed and accepted Final Report.
4. The organization must give evidence that it has examined and weighed the financial ability of the target
population to support its program or event.
5. The organization must extend its program to the general public and may not exclude anyone by reason
of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical, mental or economic status.
6. The applicant organization must comply with the final report evaluation process as requested by the
Events Subcommittee. Final report must be received within 60 days of the conclusion of the event unless
otherwise approved in writing by the Tourism Manager.
7. Applicant does not need to maintain non-profit status for sponsorship consideration.
8. Events who have received funding through the PCC’s grants-in-aid (GIA) program for the current event
year, will not be eligible for additional event sponsorship funds through this application.
SPONSORSHIP CRITERIA & GUIDELINES
1. Priority will be given to organizations requesting “seed money” for new destination events or to enter
new promotional markets outside of San Luis Obispo.
2. Priority will be given to events that take place in the City of San Luis Obispo or events of special benefit to
the City of San Luis Obispo.
3. Event sponsorship requests must meet both of the purposes below:
• Of tourism promotion advantage to the City of San Luis Obispo and;
• Of cultural, social, and/or recreational benefit to the residents of the City of San Luis Obispo.
4. Priority may be given to events that take place in “non-peak” tourism months (October through
March) with the goal of bringing people to San Luis Obispo.
5. Priority will be given to requests pertaining to marketing and promotional efforts for the event in
order to drive visitors and tourists to the City of San Luis Obispo.
6. Organization must disclose other requests for City support that are being pursued (i.e support from Parks
& Rec, Public Works, etc).
7. Organization must state co-opportunities or other tourism sponsors that are actively pursued.
8. Demonstrated financial need is considered, although events with potentially greater promotional
benefit to the City of San Luis Obispo will be given higher consideration.
The following tiered structure provides guidelines that will be used to establish the consideration of the event
support.
Category One:
An existing event in pursuit of expanding current marketing outreach to draw in new attendees from
outside San Luis Obispo County and bring tourists to the City of San Luis Obispo. The organization
effectively brings tourists from outside San Luis Obispo County to the City of San Luis Obispo. The
organization agrees to at minimum: incorporate the City’s tourism logo, tourism website, and lodging
phone number on all marketing material and event website; the event must encourage overnight stays
with the City’s lodging partners; the organization must include City of San Luis Obispo visitor and tourism
information in its mailings and marketing outreach; event will provide tickets for
participation/promotion.
Category Two:
An existing event offering “new” event components, features, or experiences. Events that are expanding
their event offerings in addition to marketing reach beyond San Luis Obispo County. The organization
effectively brings tourists from outside San Luis Obispo County to the City of San Luis Obispo. The
organization agrees to at minimum: incorporate the City’s tourism logo, tourism website, and lodging
phone number on all marketing material and event website; the event must encourage overnight stays
with the City’s lodging partners; the organization must include City of San Luis Obispo visitor and tourism
information in its mailings and marketing outreach; if appropriate provide City promotional space
(booth) at the event; event will provide tickets for participation/promotion.
Category Three:
A new destination event applying for seed money to fund the event startup. This is a brand new event
that is looking for significant sponsorship to support the initial launch of the event. The event will
effectively bring tourists from outside San Luis Obispo County to the City of San Luis Obispo. The
organization agrees to at minimum: incorporate the City’s tourism logo, tourism website, and lodging
phone number on all marketing material and event website; the organization must include City of San
Luis Obispo visitor and tourism information in its mailings and marketing outreach; if appropriate provide
City promotional space (booth) at the event; event will provide tickets for participation/promotion. The
event will also exclusively promote the City’s lodging partners as the “place to stay”.
Sustainable Funding Process
The Sustainable Funding process allows an organization to receive up to three years of sponsorship funding.
Repeat recipients can anticipate a reduction in sponsorship funding. After the initial year of funding, repeat
recipient awards are typically reduced by one third each year for a total of three years of funding or as
budgets allow. This rule has been established to assure the Community Promotions Program will have the
opportunity to foster new events for the City of San Luis Obispo and encourage event organizers to become
self-sustaining by cultivating new community partners and securing ongoing diverse funding options. The TBID
and PCC request that in applying for sponsorship funds, the event has the intention to keep the event located
in the City of San Luis Obispo once the three-year sustainable funding model has been exhausted. Adherence
to this process is at the discretion of the TBID and PCC committees.
EVENT SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION FORM
DATE(S) OF EVENT: __________________________________________________
NAME OF EVENT: ____________________________________________________
EVENT LOCATION: ___________________________________________________
NAME OF ORGANIZATION:
ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION:
_______________________________________________________________________________
WEBSITE URL: ________________________________________________________________
NAME OF CONTACT PERSON:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED:
PURPOSE OF SPONSORSHIP REQUEST (check all that apply):
In-County Event Advertising/ Promotion
Out-of-County Event Advertising/ Promotion
Event Logistics
Event Production
Event Staff Compensation
Other: ___________________________________________________________________
Please select the category that best represents your funding request:
Category One: An existing event in pursuit of expanding current marketing outreach to draw in
new attendees from outside San Luis Obispo County and bring tourists to the City of San Luis
Obispo.
Category Two: An existing event offering “new” event components, features, or experiences.
Category Three: A new destination event applying for seed money to fund the event startup.
Please complete the entire application, answering all requests for information.
1. Provide a brief description of your organization and its cause.
2. Provide a brief description of your event.
3. Will your event be taking place within the City of San Luis Obispo?
Yes ___ No ____
Venue Name:
Venue Location:
4. Has a City permit been issued for your event or have contracted the venue for your event date?
Note: For use of City facilities, venues, or services, applications must be received no later than 90
days in advance and can be accepted up to 1 year in advance. The application form can be found on
the slocity.org. Application and fees are payable to the City of San Luis Obispo and can be submitted
directly to the Parks and Recreation Department located at 1341 Nipomo Street, San Luis Obispo, CA
93401. Event applicants shall be responsible for securing a separate Special Event Permit with the
City.
5. If you are a for-profit organization, do you give a percentage of your income from this event to
a charity? Yes ___ No ____
If yes, please complete the following questions:
Is the charity local or national? Local _____ National _____
Name of the Charity/ies): ___________________________
How does the charity benefit for your donation? Cash ______ In-Kind_______
Explain:
How do you select the charity?
6. Is this a first year the event will take place? Yes ___ No ____
If yes, skip to question number 13
7. If not, how many years has it taken place?
8. Where has it taken place previously?
9. How is this year’s event different this year from prior years?
10. Historical Attendance:
11. Historical percentage breakdown of in-county vs. out-of-county attendees:
12. What is the return on investment trend for your event?
13. Expected Event Attendance:
14. Expected percentage of in-county vs. out-of-county attendees:
15. Who is your target audience?
16. Where is your primary and secondary geographic target market?
Primary _____________________ Secondary ______________________
17. Do you sell tickets or is it a free event? Tickets____ Free____
If tickets are required, please provide the price range.
18. Have you requested funding from other organizations/entities? Yes ___ No ___
If yes, please provide the names of these organizations and funding entities.
19. When are the funds needed for the event?
20. What is the overall budget for the event?
21. What are you willing to offer the City and TBID members in exchange for the sponsorship funds
for your event? (Ex. Exclusive lodging partnership, discounted tickets for lodging packages,
complimentary tickets for promotional use, etc)
22. Is it your intention to keep the event located in San Luis Obispo once City sponsorship funding is
exhausted? Yes ___ No ___
23. What is the anticipated longevity of the event to take place in the City of San Luis Obispo?
Event Worksheets
The worksheets below are simplified examples of what information we are looking to review.
Please use a separate sheet if more space is needed.
Line Item Funding Request: Indicate total amount requested from the City of San Luis Obispo, including a
prioritized list of individual line items making up the total.
Event Component Amount
Total $
Line Item Event Budget: Provide a detailed budget for the complete event, listing all available support
and income sources.
Source Amount
TOTAL $
Detailed Media Plan: Provide a detailed Media Plan including traditional and online media.
Media Outlet Type & Frequency Cost of advertising
Example:
LA Times Online Banners / 1,000 impressions $ XXXXX
The Tribune ½ page ads / 3 times $ XXXXX
Crowd control plan: Provide your crowd control and safety plan (parades or large special events only).
Please provide any additional information you would like to share.
Be sure to include all supplemental materials as requested. Thank you.
Return Application to:
Community Promotions Program – Events Subcommittee
Attn: Tourism Manager
City of San Luis Obispo Administration
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Post-Event Final Report Guidelines
Organization: ___________________________________________
Event Dates: ___________________
** Final report must be received within 60 days of the conclusion of the event unless otherwise approved
in writing by the Tourism Manager.
The report must include the following:
Administrator’s Report: A brief synopsis of the event. Please include a statement describing
activities, services, or programs provided, and any changes that have occurred during the reporting
period.
Statistical Survey: Include the number of participants in the event. Survey should also include, to
the best of your ability, the demographic make-up of participants, i.e., residents, non-residents, and
age groups (youth, teens, adults or senior citizens), and the source the data is based on. This section
should also include the return-on-investment details from the event for the City of San Luis Obispo
and TBID members.
Financial Report: A financial statement that details how the Events Promotion sponsorship funds
have been expended.
Recognition: Provide proof of your organization’s acknowledgement of the City’s support in
promotional materials used for the event and how City Tourism message was integrated into the
overall event campaign. Please submit reports that illustrate how the event generated leads and
traffic.
COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS PROGRAM
STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS AND PAYMENT DISBURSEMENT
Please read the following document and sign to indicate that you have read and understand it.
Limitations:
This application does not commit the sponsor to award sponsorship or to pay any costs incurred in the
preparation of this application or to procure or contract for services or supplies. The City reserves the right
to accept or reject any or all applications received, to fund on a line item basis, to negotiate with all
qualified applicants, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this program, if it is in the best interest of the City
to do so.
Payment of Funds:
All duties, obligations, and disbursements of funds are shall be governed by the provisions of the
agreement between the City and the applicant receiving funds.
• An applicant that is awarded funds shall enter into a contractual agreement with the City of San Luis
Obispo for stated program during the current grant period, July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016.
• The payment schedule will be stated in the contractual agreement.
• The contracting agency will agree to provide reports in such form and detail as may be required by the
City and the TBID/PCC to monitor contract performance prior to payment for programs.
• The contracting agency will provide the City with an annual audit by an independent auditor to be
approved by the City, if the City should so request.
• Should the funds not be used in the manner specified within the contract, the organization will be
required to return the funds to the City of San Luis Obispo,
(Sample copies of standard City contract forms can be provided by the Tourism Manager upon request.)
I, , (printed or typed name of authorized applicant organization
representative), have read the above statement and fully understand its contents and implications. I
further attest that all the information contained in this application is accurate to the best of my
knowledge.
Signature Date
Title
Applicant Organization