HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-13-2015 TBID Agenda Packet
City of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Tourism Business
Improvement District Board
TBID Board Agenda
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
10:00 A.M.
City Hall- Council Hearing Room
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Nipool Patel
PUBLIC COMMENT: Each speaker is limited to two minutes of public comment for items not on the
agenda. Public comment for each agenda item will be called for separately and is also limited to 2
minutes per speaker.
State law does not allow the board to discuss or take action on issues not on the agenda, except that
members of the board may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by the person
giving public comment. Staff may be directed by the board to follow-up on such items and/or place
them on the next board agenda.
CONSENT ITEMS
C.1 Minutes of Regular Meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2015
C.2 Smith Travel Report
C.3 Visit San Luis Obispo County Report
C.4 BCA + StudioGood Marketing Report
C.5 Chamber Visitor Center Report
C.6 TOT Report
PRESENTATIONS
1. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY UPDATE 15 mins
Representatives from BCA + StudioGood will present an update to the Board on the marketing
activities during the previous quarter.
2. VISIT SLO COUNTY QUARTERLY UPDATE 20 mins
Representatives from Visit SLO County will present the quarterly report for their contract with the
SLO TBID.
BUSINESS ITEMS
Public comment will be taken for each individual agenda item. Each speaker will be limited to two
minutes of public testimony.
1. 2015-16 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 10 mins
The Management Committee will present the partnership recommendations for 2015-16:
• SLO Wine
• SLO Chamber of Commerce
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the TBID Board regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public
inspection in the Administration office of the City of San Luis Obispo at 990 Palm Street during normal business hours.
2. SAVOR 2015 BAG DESIGN RECOMMENDATION 10 mins
BCA will present the SAVOR 2015 bag design as directed by the Marketing Committee.
3. DIGITAL ASSETS EXPANDED PROPOSAL RECOMMENDATION 10 mins
The Marketing Committee will present the recommendation to expand the digital assets and
video project based on the video elevated concept and work scope.
4. 2015-16 BUDGET RECOMMENDATION 20 mins
The Management Committee will present the 2015-16 budget allocation and partnership
recommendations for the Board’s consideration and approval.
5. SUNSET CELEBRATION WEEKEND OPPORTUNITY 10 mins
The Marketing Committee will present the recommendation to participate in Sunset Celebration
Weekend June 6-7, 2015. Booth registration has been offered complimentary on behalf of Visit
SLO County and Sunset Magazine ($1600 value).
TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
At this time board members make announcements, report on activities, refer to staff issues for study and
report back to the board at a subsequent meeting.
1. HOTELIER UPDATE – Liaison Reports
2. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE –Minutes: April 28, 2015
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE –Minutes: April 23, 2015
4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: April 8, 2015
5. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report
ADJOURN.
POSTING STATEMENT: I, Molly Cano, Tourism Manager, do hereby certify that on May 8, 2015, by
5:00 p.m., a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside City
Hall. Internet access to agendas and related material is available at www.slocity.org.
Tourism Business Improvement District
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
10 am
City Hall
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Nipool Patel
PRESENT: Patel, Pearce, Wilkins, Walker, Hutton, Phipps
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano
Call to Order at 10:01 am
PUBLIC COMMENT
Gamaliel Anguiano, City’s Transit Manager, introduced himself and shared a brief statement about the
vision for the use of the trolley and other transportation modes within the City by visitors. He requested
the opportunity to present to the TBID Board a more detailed presentation at a later date at the direction
of the Board. The Board directed staff to agendize the topic within a future agenda as schedules allow.
Chuck Davidson, Visit SLO County, informed the Board of the process delay based on a noticing error by
the County. Due to this error a new public hearing has been scheduled for April 21st with the Board of
Supervisors. The final public hearing is expected to be scheduled on June 10th but information would be
shared once the dates were definite.
APPOINTMENTS
Kevin Phipps and Clint Pearce, appointed by the City Council on March 17, 2015, took the oath of office
to serve on the TBID Board.
CONSENT AGENDA
ACTION: Moved by Hutton/Pearce to approve the consent agenda.
Motion carried 6:0
PRESENTATIONS
1. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY UPDATE
BCA & Studio Good staff summarized recent promotional activity during the previous quarter. Updates
included mobile and desktop campaigns on sunset.com, bay area news group, LAtimes.com, google
display, trip advisor and weekend Sherpa as well as social media on facebook & twitter. The RaceSLO
arch was a major design focus as well as beginning the new digital asset production. SG noted recent
#ShareSLO blog updates and highlighted web traffic increase across all stats. BCA Staff noted that the
2015-2016 marketing plan is under development with the marketing committee and working on
promotions for events throughout the next quarter.
2. SLO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY UPDATE
Pam Roberts from the SLO Chamber presented the report to the Board. Roberts noted the most popular
item in the Visitor Center is the tear off map which we produce and contract with the PCC. These maps
were also distributed throughout the quarter to all hotel properties. A new feature of the Visitor Center is
selling local made products so visitors can take a little memento home with them. Roberts highlighted that
per the contract, the customer service and phone line is intended to support the TBID digital and print
advertising. This quarter, 547 calls were received on the SLO Town number. They also highlighted that
two weekends in February wee sell-out weekends for the hotels in SLO.
DRAFT
Tourism Board Improvement District Minutes Page 2
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. ADDITIONAL SAVOR BAG ORDER
The Board discussed the amount of SAVOR bags and the cost associated with the bags. Staff
presented the Board with information on ordering additional SAVOR bag for TBID specific use
and promotions. Staff recommended ordering 5000 bags based on the figure to use around 3500
for tradeshows, 500 for FAM, media, and conference attendees in market, and having around
1000 to use for other promotional opportunities throughout the year. Based on the cost of $1.45
plus tax and freight the expense was estimated around 8000.
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/Hutton to approve the order of 5000 extra SAVOR bags for the
TBID’s promotional use.
Motion carried 5:0
(Walker was absent during the vote)
The Board directed staff to apply the estimated cost figure to the 2015-16 budget since payment
for the bags would due in August.
2. ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP & FUNDING REQUESTS
The Board received presentations on the annual partnership requests for 2015-16. The
partnership requests were presented by:
• SLO Wine Country Association- The full partnership request was for $30,000 for 2015-16.
The breakdown of the costs included: $12,000 for annual membership for all TBID
members, $3000 for PR/Media hosting, $7000 for targeted tradeshow & media funding,
$8000 for web & social media advertising.
• San Luis Obispo Chamber-of Commerce - the Chamber presented 2 proposals for the
TBID’s consideration including the continuation of the TBID-Specific Telephone
Fulfillment & Availability Assistance program and the addition of the PR services and
media monitoring tool. The summary of the proposals was $31,000 for phone &
availability program and about $88,000 ($80,000 for PR & $8000 monitoring service) for
the complete the PR & media monitoring service. Within the proposal it was propsed for
the TBID and PCC to share the PR contract expense equally at around $44,000 total
each.
After receiving the proposals the Board briefly discussed them. They noted the value of
continued partnership with both organizations. Specially they discussed the addition of the
PR contract to the TBID’s marketing mix and supported that direction. They directed the
Management committee to review the proposal in depth and make recommendations back to
the Board in May for the contracts and based on the budget allocations for 2015-16.
3. 2015-17 BUDGET DISCUSSION
The Board discussed the general allocations for the 2015-16 budget for direction to the
Management Committee. The marketing committee proposed the recommendation for $70,000 to
be allocated for the redesign of the website. Hutton and Walker also discuss the consideration of
exploring the concept of a Big Idea fund to position the TBID to support the changing environment
of city and business community in SLO. Hutton also discussed with the Board the consideration
to pursue looking into staff support for the tourism manager.
4. FINAL REVIEW OF COMMITTEE BYLAWS
The Board reviewed amendments discussed during the March meeting to the bylaws for the
Tourism Business Improvement District for approval to be submitted to the City Council.
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/Walker to approved the bylaws as presented.
Motion carried 6:0
Tourism Board Improvement District Minutes Page 3
5. TMD BOARD DESIGNATION
The Management Committee presented the recommended approach for the selection of the SLO
TBID representative to the TMD Board. The Board held the self-nomination period.
Commissioners Phipps and Hutton nominated themselves. The Board discussed that while SLO
was to hold only one designated, the other interested member would be encouraged to apply for
one of the member at large seats. The Board discussed the importance of keeping continuity on
the TMD Board from the transition committee.
ACTION: Moved by Wilkins/Walker to appoint Kevin Phipps to the TMD Board and recommend
Dean Hutton to apply for a member at large seat.
Motion carried 6:0
6. HELIUM UPDATES
The Management Committee presented an update on the next Helium deliverable. The Board
discussed the list of reports, room and properties amenities for filtering, property information
outreach, and deadlines. New reports included: geographical reports, booking snapshot reports,
and day of the week booking report. The Management Committee also discussed that a fee might
be required by most PMS systems to allow Helium to connect.
7. 2015-16 EVENT PROMOTION APPLICATION
The Marketing Committee presented the proposed updates to the 2015-16 Event Promotion
program application and process.
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/Hutton to approve the letter as presented.
Motion carried 6:0
8. CCTC PRESENTATION TO VISIT CALIFORNIA
Staff presented the opportunity for the Board’s consideration to approve the participation and
funding for the Tourism Manager’s involvement in the Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC)
presentation to Visit California staff in Sacramento on May 14, 2015.
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/Wilkins to approve the Tourism Manager’s participation in the Visit
California presentation with CCTC and allocate up to $1000 for expenses.
Motion carried 6:0
COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION
HOTELIER UPDATE
None.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
Minutes were included.
MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Minutes were included.
PCC UPDATE
Minutes were included.
TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
No tourism update reported due to meeting length.
Meeting adjourned at 12:07 pm
STR Report April 2015
Week of March 29 - April 4
Percent Change
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 79.0 76.6 121.16 114.52 95.71 87.77 3.1 5.8 9.0 9.0 0.0 3.1
City of Pismo Beach 88.6 71.4 151.22 126.77 133.98 90.52 24.1 19.3 48.0 48.0 0.0 24.1
City of San Luis Obispo 86.6 72.2 126.65 113.96 109.65 82.24 20.0 11.1 33.3 33.2 -0.1 19.9
Week of April 5 - 11
Percent Change
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 83.1 81.3 128.34 120.74 106.64 98.21 2.2 6.3 8.6 8.6 0.0 2.2
City of Pismo Beach 86.9 76.7 154.66 137.10 134.33 105.18 13.2 12.8 27.7 27.7 0.0 13.2
City of San Luis Obispo 89.5 77.4 130.31 127.84 116.57 98.90 15.6 1.9 17.9 17.7 -0.1 15.5
Week of April 12 - 18
Percent Change
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 77.2 81.2 127.30 116.80 98.26 94.86 -5.0 9.0 3.6 3.6 0.0 -5.0
City of Pismo Beach 73.7 89.2 146.65 146.96 108.10 131.03 -17.3 -0.2 -17.5 -17.5 0.0 -17.3
City of San Luis Obispo 75.4 84.8 137.02 120.28 103.38 102.05 -11.1 13.9 1.3 1.2 -0.1 -11.2
Week of April 19 - 25
Percent Change
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 69.3 78.3 130.66 122.07 90.55 95.62 -11.5 7.0 -5.3 -5.3 0.0 -11.5
City of Pismo Beach 69.6 78.5 140.76 139.82 97.94 109.72 -11.3 0.7 -10.7 -10.7 0.0 -11.3
City of San Luis Obispo 72.3 77.6 133.66 122.64 96.70 95.23 -6.8 9.0 1.5 1.4 -0.1 -6.9
Week of April 26 - May 2
Percent Change
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 68.8 77.0 134.64 124.06 92.69 95.53 -10.6 8.5 -3.0 -3.0 0.0 -10.6
City of Pismo Beach 70.7 72.0 143.48 133.76 101.41 96.33 -1.9 7.3 5.3 5.3 0.0 -1.9
City of San Luis Obispo 73.6 74.2 133.18 123.95 98.03 92.02 -0.9 7.4 6.5 6.5 -0.1 -0.9
April
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 74.6 78.4 130.08 121.12 97.04 94.98 -4.9 7.4 2.2 2.2 0.0 -4.9
City of Pismo Beach 75.2 78.5 146.88 140.05 110.42 109.98 -4.3 4.9 0.4 0.4 0.0 -4.3
City of San Luis Obispo 77.8 77.8 133.11 123.78 103.53 96.34 -0.1 7.5 7.5 7.4 -0.1 -0.1
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Occ %ADR RevPAR
ADR
RevPAR
ADR
Occ %
Occ %
RevPARADR
RevPAR
Running 28 Days - TY vs. LY
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
RevPARADR
Percent Change
RevPAR
ADR
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Current Week - TY vs. LY
aaaaa
Activity Report, April 2015
Visit San Luis Obispo County
- What’s New -
March 2015 vs March 2014 Lodging Statistics
Occ % ADR RevPAR
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014
California 76.2 72.7 145.01 133.44 110.45 97.03
Santa Barbara/Santa Maria, CA 73.4 66.9 157.75 152.21 115.76 101.83
San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles, CA 68.5 65.4 122.87 112.98 84.13 73.91
Monterey/Salinas, CA 65.3 61.2 157.85 152.09 103.00 93.10
Tourism Vision Workshop – May 8th
We proudly invite you to the fifth annual Tourism Vision Workshop, on Friday, May 8, 2015 at
the Atascadero City Hall (6500 Palma Ave.). Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta and
Jim Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Kampgrounds of America, Inc., will discuss the importance of a
unified tourism direction in SLO County. In addition, the workshop will provide updates on our
programs and future initiatives. Following the workshop, we would like to invite you to join us in
celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (May 2-10) with a reception at the SeaVenture
Hotel (100 Ocean View Ave.) in Pismo Beach starting at 2:00pm. Raise a glass as we gather
together to capture a photo with a special Visit San Luis Obispo County beach mural! Wine and
small bites will be provided. Be sure to join the conversation with #NTTW2015.
To RSVP, call 805.541.8000 or email Brendan at info@visitsanluisobispocounty.com.
Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast Tickets On Sale Now!
After much anticipation, tickets for Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast, happening September 24-27th, are
now available for purchase! For the month of May only, food and wine lovers will receive huge savings
on a Main Event Weekend Pass, only $100 (normally $150). Find out the latest event information at
savorcentralcoast.com, and join the SAVOR conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
World Travel & Tourism Council Releases Annual Economic Impact Report
The World Travel & Tourism Council, the leading travel and tourism business organization in the world, recently released its
annual “Economic Impact” report, which shows the global size of the travel industry and its economic impact on countries. The
report estimates the GDP contribution of global travel touching $8 trillion in 2015 and rising to almost $12 trillion in 2025. It
also estimates that about 105 million people were employed directly in the travel industry in 2014, and by including other
indirect and induced sectors, it adds up to about 277 million jobs – about 10 percent of all employment in the world! For more
information, as well as five great charts and infographics depicting this data, check out: http://bit.ly/1F2DygZ
Visit San Luis Obispo County Announces New President & CEO
The Visit San Luis Obispo County Board of Directors announces its new President and CEO, Chuck
Davison. Davison replaces Stacie Jacob who has served in the role for the past four years. Davison
brings 25 years of career experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, lodging and management
expertise to SLO County. From managing hotels and working in the gaming industry in Las Vegas, to
a career at Expedia where he led the opening of the new Local Expert division across North America,
to his experience in managing an international non-profit organization, Chuck’s results-oriented
approach was widely recognized by the Board of Directors to make an immediate impact.
Congratulations, Chuck!
Visit San Luis Obispo County is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000.
Featured in
Matador Network:
“America’s 20 Coolest
Outdoor Towns”
San Luis Obispo (left);
and in Vancouver
Sun: “Paso Pours a
Fine Wine”
Paso Robles Wine
Country (right)
VISIT SLO COUNTY
WEB ACTIVITY
TOTAL PAGE VIEWS:
149,668
TOTAL VISITS: 30,193
MOBILE/TABLET VISITS: 15,314
EVENT PAGE VIEWS: 80,406
MOST VISITED EVENT:
WINE, WAVES AND BEYOND
(1115 VIEWS)
TOTAL BLOG VISITS:
8,104
MOST SHARED BLOG: DOG FRIENDLY
BEACHES ABOUND IN SLO COUNTY:
http://bit.ly/1DcFz7s
VISIT SLO COUNTY
FACEBOOK
LIKES: 11,857 NEW: 140
TOT. IMPRESSIONS: 58,328
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: SLO IS #5
ON THE LIST OF COOLEST OUTDOOR
TOWNS IN AMERICA (352
ENGAGEMENTS)
MOST LIKED: SLO IS #5 ON THE LIST
OF COOLEST OUTDOOR TOWNS IN
AMERICA (95 LIKES)
TWITTER
FOLLOWERS: 5,060 NEW: 114
29.2K IMPRESSIONS
TWEETS: 5,625
PINTEREST
FOLLOWERS: 574 NEW: 8
PINS 771
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOWERS: 935 NEW: 47
POSTS: 287
VISITOR GUIDE DIST.
WEB DOWNLOADS: 75
MAILED REQUESTS: 633
TOTAL: 708
MONTHLY E-SPECIAL
SUBSCRIBERS: 29,433
# OF OPENS: 5,918
# OF CLICK-THROUGHS: 945
THIS WEEK IN SLO COUNTY
CIRCULATION: 791
MOST CLICKED LINK:
San Luis Obispo County
Upcoming Events
Public Relations
• Voyager Ici & Ailleurs, a French publication with a circulation of 532,782, featured the cities and
attractions along Highway 1 as its cover story http://bit.ly/1QFry8i
Media
• Vancouver Sun – Paso Robles Pours a Fine Wine http://bit.ly/1DTHJF9
• USA Today – 10 Best California Beaches http://bit.ly/1zWlhub
• Vacation Idea – 25 Best Small Town Honeymoon Destinations in the US http://bit.ly/1JrCtwC
• ABC - Vineyard Viewcation Contest http://abc.tv/1DZFZAs
• Examiner.com – Discovering What’s New in Paso Robles http://exm.nr/1GVzWuT
Travel/Trade
• International Pow Wow 2015 (Orlando, FL): May 30th-June 3rd
Trending
Sixel Airports Conference: April 21-23
On April 21-23, the SLO County Regional Airport
hosted the Sixel Airports Conference. This conference
was a great opportunity to showcase the SLO County
community to industry leaders responsible for route
planning decisions. Representatives from 36 airports
and 15 airlines had a chance to see what the county
offers and what it needs from service providers.
Amazon Local Features SLO County in New “Amazon Destinations” Hub
Amazon.com has launched Amazon Destinations, a hub that hopes to hook up getaway seekers with
hotels and other vacation destinations. SLO County destinations were prominently featured in the top
left portion of the new page. Check it out at http://local.amazon.com/travel.
Los Angeles Media Reception: April 21th
In April, we had the opportunity to attend the Visit CA Los Angeles Media
Reception. Held at the Mr. C Hotel in Beverly Hills, about 48 media were in
attendance, with a strong mix of broadcast, print, online and digital
influencers represented. Leading media outlets included CNN, Peter
Greenberg Worldwide, AAA Westways, Yahoo! Travel, Meetings & Events
and Modern Luxury. Visit SLO County was also the official wine sponsor for
the event. Thank you to Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and SLO Wine
Country for your generous wine donations.
Attendee Map
Rate
Calendar
339
Book
Now
1278
Reserve
a
Table
72
AcDvity
ReservaDon
130
Event
Ticket
/
ReservaDon
244
RESERVATION
Events
80,406
Profiles
36,220
Blog
8,104
Deals
4,320
PAGE
VIEWS
April
2015
TOTAL
VISITS
30,193
MOBILE/TABLET
VISITS
15,314
(51%)
TOTAL
PAGE
VIEWS
149,668
PROFILE
PAGE
VIEWS
363
839
5,008
2,690
4,146
REFERRALS
PROFILE
REFERRALS
Community
6,958
Dining
2,489
Lodging
4,987
AcLviLes
5,675
Events
35,253
Website
6,739
DirecDons
2097
Email
106
Smart
Phone
242
CONTACT
TOTAL
REFERRALS
14,209
Facebook
546
TwiTer
467
TripAdvisor
516
Yelp
392
SOCIAL
REFERRAL
RATE
47%
Deals
2,585
349
814
All
Other
Profiles
1,637
visitsanluisobispocounty.com
•
800.634.1414
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT May 2015
HAPPENING NOW:
• Celebration Weekend Planning
• New photography/videography
• SAVOR Bag Design/Production
• New order ShareSLO Sunglasses
• SIXEL comeback card, gift coordination
• SLO rack card design
• Helium integration
• Festival Mozaic promotion
SANLUISOBISPOVACATIONS.COM UPDATES
• Page updates:
• SLO Jazz Fest
• Roll Out the Barrels
• Cal Poly Open House
• SLO Concours
• Barrels in the Plaza e-newsletter
• Getaway Giveaways & e-blasts:
• Eroica
• Cal Poly Open House
SHARESLO UPDATES
• Community blog posts:
• Race Week: What to Eat and When
• A Beginner’s Obstacles
• Events attended by influencers:
• Earth Day Food & Wine Festival
• SLO Marathon
• Roll Out the Barrels
PARTNERSHIP/SPONSORSHIPS
• SLOTBID throws out first pitch at Hotelier
Appreciation Baseball Game at Cal Poly
• Festival Mozaic StayinSLO promotion
• ShareSLO/SLO Vacations presence at:
• Roll Out the Barrels
• SLO Marathon
• Cal Poly Open House
• Eroica
• CCTC blog posts
• Take home something sweet from Cal Poly’s open
house
• SLO is rolling out the barrels April 30
LOOKING AHEAD:
• ShareSLO Influencers Cal Poly Baseball
Game May 15th
• Event attendance SLO Jazz Festival May 16
• Event attendance SLO Concours May 29-31
• Celebration Weekend June 6-7
• Festival Mozaic July 16-26
• SAVOR Promotion – website, social, e-blast,
banners
METRICS OVERVIEW April 2015
SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS UNIQUE
VISITORS REFERRALS
SanLuisObispoVacations.com 9,912 25,692 7,992
slocity.org
m.sanluisobispovacations.com
tripadvisor.com
ShareSLO.com 1,666 3,048 1,370
m.facebook.com
l.facebook.com
facebook.com
GOSLO Mobile Experience 2,700 5,653 2,462
slocity.org
Travelwithkids.about.com
m.facebook.com
FACEBOOK
New Fans
Total Fans
Total Reach
Average Reach per post
Average Daily Page Engaged Users
Total Engagements
2,218
23,631
360,634
588
295
1,168
TWITTER
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
293
2,817
410
401
INSTAGRAM
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
147
1,758
1,525
Response to TBID Advertising Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 TOTAL
1-877-SLO-TOWN 5 16 5 4 30
Hotel Availability Tracker Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 TOTAL
Hotels Responded by email 11 11 5 7 34
Phone Calls to Hotels 27 27 33 31 118
Hotel Referral Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 TOTAL
Visitors Served (Walk-ins)1285 1514 4749 2381 9929
Hotel Rooms Referred 82 95 140 109 426
Highlighted Events Promoted through the Visitors Center
TBID / CHAMBER CONTRACTS
April-15
Phone line and Hotel Availability Tracker
Phone Number: 1-877-SLO-TOWN or 1-877-756-8696
TUESDAYS - Visitor Center email outreach to all TBID Properties
THURSDAYS - Telephone outreach to all non-responsive properties
82
95
140
109
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Chamber of Commerce Fulfillment
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
The SLO Literacy Council Tutor Training, SLO Big Brothers Big Sisters Volunteer Training, SLO Fitness Festival,
Latino Outreach Council presents Fiesta Latina, Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s Spring Forum,
Cal Poly Music Department Open House Student Recital, Cuesta College PAC presents Into The Woods, Cal Poly
Open House Concert, SLO Little Theatre presents After Hours, SLO Multicultural Music and Dance Showcase, Cal
Poly Presents The 75th Poly Royal Rodeo, Cal Poly Open House, Cal Poly Book and Author Series, SLO Symphony
presents Music on the Coast, Walk to Defeat ALS, The SLO Library presents Arts Live, Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library
Interactive Workshop, Cal Poly Presents The Merry Widow, SLO Little Theatre presents Time Stands Still, Cal Poly
presents St. Lawrence String Quartet, SLO Library presents a SLO LittleTheatre Production, SLO Children's Museum
presents Science After Dark, EDD presents an Employee or Independent Contractor Seminar, San Luis Obispo
Museum of Art presents Youth Art Classes, SLO Little Theatre Kids Spring Break Camp, Dinosaur Caves Park Easter
Egg Hunt, SLO Blues Society presents Kara Grainger
TOT Comparision
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Change +/-2014-15 2013-14 Change +/-2014-15 2013-14 Change +/-2014-15 2013-14 Change +/-
July 565,386$ 565,637$ 508,195$ 541,806$ 591,184$ 636,778$ 699,845$ 761,346$ 8.8%87.2 86.8 0.3 143.47$ 132.62$ 7.1 125.05$ 116.34$ 7.5
August 573,057$ 609,452$ 511,564$ 542,194$ 574,395$ 623,655$ 674,244$ 732,271$ 8.6%85.1 83.1 2.4 147.17$ 134.54$ 9.4 125.17$ 111.81$ 12
September 465,179$ 416,859$ 400,023$ 437,543$ 490,524$ 508,583$ 505,954$ 557,002$ 10.1%74.5 73.1 1.8 128.61$ 121.10$ 6 95.77$ 88.69$ 8
October 418,474$ 416,905$ 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 16.6%77.9 70.4 10.6 130.39$ 119.51$ 9.0 101.57$ 84.26$ 20.5
November 375,287$ 354,737$ 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 11.6%67.8 62.6 8.3 $120.89 113.79$ 6.1 $81.95 71.36$ 14.8
December 312,510$ 274,871$ 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 10.1%57 54.8 4 $110.50 107.30$ 3 $62.95 58.78$ 7.1
January 287,474$ 258,316$ 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 20.6%60.6 54.5 11.1 110.82$ 102.55$ 8.1 67.15$ 55.92$ 20.1
February 342,220$ 292,343$ 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 17.6%66.8 63.7 4.8 $116.20 108.59$ 7 $77.57 69.20$ 12.1
March 386,458$ 289,506$ 326,099$ 333,783$ 392,266$ 426,879$ 448,103$ 520,795$ 16.2%70.3 66.4 5.8 121.44$ 110.14$ 10.3 85.32$ 73.16$ 16.6
April 388,911$ 391,891$ 423,158$ 451,133$ 475,913$ 486,850$ 564,617$ 75.4 124.53$
May 435,516$ 393,431$ 372,997$ 433,874$ 447,116$ 489,862$ 546,916$ 70.3 128.38$
June 513,631$ 456,098$ 490,326$ 512,543$ 578,234$ 610,948$ 630,729$ 76.6 139.93$
Total/Average 5,064,103$ 4,720,046$ 4,478,481$ 4,859,400$ 5,249,181$ 5,578,460$ 6,059,758$ 69.81 120.25$
Occupancy ADR RevPAR
Figures from Smith Travel Research report
Annual Marketing Campaign 2015-2016
SLO Wine Country
SLO Wine Country represents 28 wineries throughout the Edna Valley AVA, Arroyo Grande
AVA, and surrounding growing areas including Pismo, Avila, Santa Margarita and Cambria.
Our focus is to promote and market our wine region to regional and national consumers, trade
and media contacts, and travel industry partners. We are a non-profit 501 C6 Organization.
SLO Wine Country established a dynamic partnership with the City of SLO and its lodging
group in 2014. Over the past year we have delivered a myriad of PR, media, marketing and
referral opportunities through SLO Wine Country:
-Membership Referrals, Online Promotion & Benefits
-Marketing/Advertising through SLO Wine
-PR/Media/Wine Writer hosting
This year, as part of our strategic planning, we have included the established partnership, as
well as a series of marketing activities that will continue to drive brand awareness to the SLO
Wine Region. Below are benefits SLOWCA is seeking funding for:
1. Membership & Marketing Benefits: All SLO City lodging continue associate
members hip to SLO Wine Country at discounted rate. Benefits include:
-Invitation to SLO Wine Country’s Annual Associate Member BBQ and membership
mixers
-Free full page advertisement in SLO Wine Country Map and event programs
-10% of ad space in SLO Wine’s popular “San Luis Obispo Wine Country Guide” for all
individual properties
-Website Branding
o Listing under associate members & “Stay” Section
o Website banner advertising (annually)
o Prominent logo placement online
-Event Tickets – 30 complimentary tickets to:
o Roll Out the Barrels & Harvest On the Coast
-E-Newsletter
o Logo placement in newsletter throughout the year
o Featured editorial, event placement annually in all e-newsletters (consumer,
winery, associate member)
Funding: $12,000
2. PR/Media Hosting: SLO TBID would provide funding to cover hotel costs for trade and
media when SLO Wine hosts trade in SLO. This would cover nightly stays and
additional hosting expenses for wine media/travel journalists who would be covering
SLO Wine and SLO TBID partners.
Funding: $3,000
3. Targeted Trade and Media Marketing: SLOTBID and SLO Wine Country to host
“roadshows” to targeted regional CA cities to build brand awareness of wine country and
SLO City destination. Partnership would include a sweepstakes giveaway to secure
emails/lists and social media promotion during event. Examples: SLO Wine Roadshow
to Fresno/Bakersfield with trade and consumer wine event/dinner, Pebble Beach Wine &
Food Festival, LA Food & Wine, Aspen Food & Wine (Target: 1 Roadshow, 1 Regional
Show)
Funding: $7,000
4. Web/Social Media Advertising: Build specific demographic information of customer for
SLO Wine and SLO City. Develop target list and spend for target markets (LA, SF, SD)
and run social media/web promotions to tie in the SLO Wine and SLO City destination
experience. Additional placement for sweepstakes, promotions and tie in wine weekend
tasting tours based on new SLO Wine Trails program.
Funding: $8,000
Total Funding Requested: $30,000
We believe a partnership at this level will leverage both SLO Wine and the City’s efforts to
brand SLO as the place to see, stay, eat/taste and explore when traveling to the Central Coast.
Looking long-term, we think this partnership will create top of mind awareness for wine
enthusiasts when booking their stay in SLO County. While cross promoting SLO City lodging
partners, we feel SLO Wine is the perfect platform for creating symbiotic relationships and that
wine tasting is becoming more and more an integral part of our traveler’s central coast
experience. By becoming members, SLO City will be included in all aspects of promotions and
events.
Proposals 2015-16
1
Proposal to City of San Luis Obispo
Tourism Business Improvement District
April 2015
Customer Service, Availability and Public Relations
Purpose: Build on the partnership between the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the
City of San Luis Obispo’s Tourism Business Improvement District in order to strengthen San Luis
Obispo as an unforgettable place where visitors engage in a unique lifestyle they aspire to live,
become emotionally attached and return to for renewal.
Expertise: The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce looks forward to building on our existing
strengths including a successful track record of promoting San Luis Obispo, strong relationships
throughout the community, extensive experience providing public relations and visitor services,
and powerful online reach.
Looking forward: For more than 40 years, the Chamber has worked with the City of San Luis
Obispo to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of our community. We continue to
seek new opportunities to deepen our partnership and further the understanding of San Luis
Obispo as an exceptional place to live and visit.
Proposals 2015-16
2
Table of Contents
Cover letter 1
Qualifications 3
Project Team 4
2014-15 Proposals 5
Summary 11
Proposals 2015-16
3
Qualifications
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce offers a distinctive and powerful combination of
strengths to assist the Tourism Business Improvement District in fulfilling its mission and
strategic direction.
• Direct relationships with nearly 1,450 local business members who represent more
than 34,000 employees throughout the county. These long-term relationships allow us
to work cohesively with local businesses to execute promotions, projects and media
visits.
• Constant interaction with visitors in our downtown Visitor Center. More than 75,000
visitors were personally greeted and assisted in 2014. The center, which is open seven
days a week, is staffed by visitor information professionals who are trained to answer
questions and accommodate requests of visitors and travel writers.
• Productive relationships with the media, rooted in our 40+ years of work in San Luis
Obispo public relations. We are the go-to resource for travel writers due to the strength
of the “Chamber of Commerce” brand and the strong relationships we have built
through the years.
• We have a nimble, responsive PR team, which is well informed about what is happening
in the city and is able to get journalists timely information and contacts.
• Long-term strategic alliances with local organizations and events that attract visitors
and enhance the tourist experience, including Hearst Castle, SLO Wine Country, Cal Poly,
Festival Mozaic, the PAC, the SLO Film Festival and more.
• Access to a library of more than 50,000 current and historical images of San Luis Obispo
and the surrounding area. The award-winning images have appeared in publications
such as National Geographic Traveler, Los Angeles Times, Outside Magazine, San
Francisco Chronicle and many more.
• Connected with more than 385,000 unique visitors a year through our local websites
and engage with both locals and visitors multiple times a day in person, over the phone
and digitally.
• Produce and distribute a high-quality visitor guide on an annual basis that highlights the
assets of the city and surrounding areas and supports our media relations. Each year the
guide contains current information as well as new photos of the best things to see and
do throughout San Luis Obispo County.
• The Chamber continues to stay on top of the trends in tourism marketing, working with
regional, statewide and national partners to identify and act on emerging trends and
best practices.
Proposals 2015-16
4
Project Team
The SLO Chamber has an experienced, professional staff of 18, who work together to execute
projects to completion with a track record of success. The key team members who will lead the
work for the Tourism Business Improvement District include:
Pam Roberts
Visitor Center Manager
Pam Roberts is responsible for making sure everyone who comes in contact
with the Visitor Center staff, whether by phone, e-mail, or in person, is
provided with friendly, helpful and knowledgeable assistance. Joining the
Chamber in 2014, she brings years of experience managing the Visit
California Welcome Center in Pismo Beach.
Molly Kern
Marketing Coordinator
Molly Kern leads the tourism PR efforts for the City of San Luis Obispo,
working closely with local, national and international journalists to share the
“why” San Luis Obispo is a wonderful place to vacation, live, work and
generally enjoy life. She joined the Chamber in December 2012.
Melissa Godsey
Marketing Director
Joining the Chamber staff in 2014, Melissa Godsey leads the Chamber’s
marketing team, specializing in using social media to enhance the region’s
tourism promotion efforts. Godsey’s prior professional work includes
marketing roles at Rosetta, iFixit and Apple.
Aaron Lambert
Communications Director
Aaron Lambert manages and produces the Chamber’s website content,
including blogs, photographs, videos and social media entries as well as all
editorial for printed Chamber materials. A professional photographer,
Lambert’s work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles
Times, The Washington Post and USA Today among others.
Ermina Karim
President / CEO
Ermina Karim’s focus is on helping local businesses thrive. She brings her
professional experience and personal passion in economic development to
assisting on the contracts with the TBID and PCC. In addition, she has an
extensive background in journalism including as a local reporter for The
Tribune as well as many years in both print and online media in New York.
Proposals 2015-16
5
TBID-Specific Telephone Fulfillment & Availability Assistance
To further enhance the customer service and friendly experience for visitors to our region, the
Chamber is proposing to continue its current contract with the TBID in which the Chamber
provides a TBID-only phone line with a ‘live’ person answering the phone and ‘hotel availability’
service to assist visitors seeking a hotel room during our busiest times and help TBID properties
fill vacant rooms. We would like to propose enhancements in this coming year that can further
the TBID’s goals and maximize exposure of the TBID’s new booking engine.
The 1-877-SLO-TOWN number, which is a dedicated phone number that serves as a response
tool to the TBID’s advertising efforts and digital presence, creates the option for a ‘real’
planning experience, namely connecting with someone to talk to and answer questions.
The telephone number, 1-877-SLO-TOWN, is a separate line that rings into the Chamber and is
for TBID use only. 1-877-SLO-TOWN is answered by a Visitor Center employee during the hours
of operation and includes voicemail for after-hours in which calls are returned during the next
day’s hours of operation. The Visitor Center is open seven days a week, 55 hours a week,
Sunday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
In addition, the Chamber provides a “hotel availability” service for the TBID. Visitor Center staff
contact every TBID property each week and maintain a record of which hotels are sold out and
which have availability for every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night as well as busy/impacted
times throughout the year to help guests who would otherwise need to call each property on
their own. This service also allows for TBID properties to refer their clients directly to the Visitor
Center instead of referring them from one property to the next. In addition, this information is
widely utilized to assist visitors to the Visitor Center in keeping the traveler in San Luis Obispo.
For the prior nine months of this program (this year’s contract year), the Chamber was able to
refer TBID properties 2,464 times, an average of nine per day.
Proposals 2015-16
6
Scope of work
For the coming year, we propose maintaining the customer service line and availability service
and augment in the following ways:
1) Directly book guests that call the customer service line seeking tourist information on 1-
877-SLO-TOWN
2) Train Visitor Center staff on the individual hotel property attributes through materials
provided by TBID constituents
3) Utilize the booking tool on www.sanluisobispovacations.com to personally assist guests
in the Visitor Center who have interest in staying in a SLO hotel
4) Utilize a Chamber-provided iPad in the Visitor Center to allow visitors to directly book
their own room using Helium.
We believe these enhancements would further the visibility of the TBID’s booking tool for those
who are coming through the region and planning a visit.
$31,000 a year for Availability Assistance and TBID Specific Telephone
Fulfillment (*cost to install Helium on iPad not included)
Proposals 2015-16
7
Public Relations Services
For the 2014-2015 year, the Chamber has served as the contractor for public relations services
with the City of San Luis Obispo’s Promotional Coordinating Committee. In this role, the
Chamber is responsible for responsive public relations service as well as proactively generating
out-of-area media attention. Contract elements include: pitching to media, bringing in media,
coordinating media trips, following up with media, sending out media releases, responding to
natural media inquiries, use of the Chamber’s photography library for media requests and press
releases, planning and executing press trips and developing media kits. We do all of this public
relations work for just one client – San Luis Obispo.
This focused effort is paying off; 2014-15 was a tremendous year of public relations successes.
Highlights to date include placements in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post and
the Chicago Tribune. For a complete list of placements, please see attached clip book (pg. 11).
To most effectively maximize resources, we propose aligning our public relations efforts with
TBID marketing to amplify impact of overall messaging, extend the reach of our targeted
proactive efforts and share costs between PCC and TBID. We believe that additional efforts
including attending tourism trade shows and working more closely with the TBID’s marketing
agencies will increase the impact of our efforts on your behalf.
After assessing your strategic clarity document, we believe that the Chamber is in a unique
position to execute targeted public relations to advance many of your strategic initiatives
including:
• Identify, map and prioritize our target audiences for marketing and PR; align our efforts
to targets
• define current audience for marketing and PR
• identify the key target markets
• evaluate strategic partner audience to leverage opportunities and reduce
duplication of efforts
• Aligning PR and Marketing Plans to capture attention of target audiences
• regular meetings between agency and Chamber
• communicate strategy and opportunities
• Elevating SLO brand awareness via targeted PR
• maintain relationships with Chamber
• calculate marketing, social, public relations efforts that align the SLO brand and
make it easy to recognize and access
• Clarify and strengthen the SLO brand platform
• execution of the marketing plan, focus on social, digital and public relations
Proposals 2015-16
8
Strategy Overview
Objectives
1. To continue to strengthen San Luis Obispo’s position as a sought after tourist
destination
2. To promote events and attractions that are meaningful to visitors and support the high
quality of life enjoyed in SLO
3. Work in close partnership with the TBID marketing agencies to develop/coordinate
messaging to maximize the city’s PR and marketing effectiveness
Tactics to Reach Potential Visitors
Focused Messaging:
The current major demographic of visitors to SLO is people ages 40-69. While this remains an
important segment of tourists to engage with, we will be increasingly focused on younger
travelers who are a good fit for San Luis Obispo based on their interests. We will work with
targeted media to focus delivering content and stories that appeal to what people value, and
what is important to them. Some areas of focus include:
1. Families – newer travelers, interested in outdoor activities, child-friendly events as well
as family friendly restaurants. Safety, ease and fun are their main concerns.
2. Outdoor Enthusiasts – interested in outdoor activities as well as events, food, wine and
beer. Looking to get away from an urban environment or explore a new challenge.
3. Foodies – interested in the locally grown and sourced foods throughout the area as well
as wine and beer. They care about the process behind every bite.
4. Millennials – seeking boutique destinations, insider knowledge, and hidden gems.
Millennials are the ultimate experience seekers and value travel as an integral part of
their lives.
5. Business Travelers – Seeking seamless customer service and facilities that allow them to
be productive during the day and have engaging after-hours experiences. Highlighting
San Luis Obispo’s unique offerings as a great match for corporate travelers to meeting
planning media as well as executive retreats, team-building opportunities and small
conferences (80-100 attendees).
Additional – although narrower – target demographics will be:
• The LGBT Community – interested in an open minded, welcoming/accepting
community.
Proposals 2015-16
9
• Cal Poly Alum and Parents – interested in re-visiting their college stomping grounds and
knowing about where their children are going to school, looking for fun local
experiences while they’re here.
• Travelers with Pets – interested in knowing their pets are warmly welcomed. They feel
valued and comfortable when their pet is.
• Girls Getaway – interested in spending time together while bonding and experiencing
San Luis Obispo.
• History Buffs – interested in the historical and cultural things to do and see. Always
looking for facts you can’t find online or in a book.
• On a Budget – interested in experiencing all a destination has to offer for a good price.
• Couples Getaway – interested in a relaxed, memorable experiences
Reach
National Reach
Primary targets will be to reach to media outlets in California and the Western United States.
Western United States defined to include Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and
Arizona. In addition, the Chamber will proactively outreach to major national media outlets
including magazines and newspapers with a national reach as well as target guide books for
updated and enhanced content.
International Reach
The Chamber will collaborate on international public relations efforts with California’s State
Office of Tourism on their international public relation campaigns. Themes, timing and support
will be determined by the organization. Chamber will be responsive to their needs.
Digital Reach
Primary targets include influential lifestyle and travel bloggers with engaged audiences that are
in line with San Luis Obispo’s focused messaging efforts. The Chamber will proactively connect
with bloggers and collaborate with the City’s social marketing partners for a seamless digital
experience.
Cross Marketing/ Strategic Alliances
The Chamber will proactively seek ways of working with other organizations to both cross
market through public relations initiatives as well as through building strategic alliances. In the
upcoming year we are excited to deepen our collaboration with your marketing agencies as well
as other partners to promote and market San Luis Obispo.
Proposals 2015-16
10
Media monitoring
Over the past year, the PCC enhanced its PR strategy with a media monitoring tool and in 2014-
15 upgraded to a service called Vocus. This tool has allowed better access to journalists,
assesses media impact and has allowed the PCC to know that the Chamber is effectively fulfilling
the contract. This year, we recommend that the PCC and TBID invest in this pass-through
contract. Vocus recently merged with Cision and is now able to provide us an enhanced version
of the Vocus PR Suite that brings together the best features including access to 1.6 million
writers and editors, an expanded press release distribution network and expanded monitoring
through partnerships including Associated Press, LexisNexis, Critical Mention and Twitter.
Scope of work
The scope of work within this proposal includes:
• Proactively pitching story ideas on a monthly basis to national, regional and online
media as well as travel and lifestyle bloggers.
• Writing at least 12 press releases a year and distributing through all channels including a
media management online tool.
• Hosting travel writers on individual trips throughout the year.
• Fulfilling all media requests that are received.
• Proactively tying in with the State Tourism Office’s public relations efforts to enhance
local visibility
• Attending three travel shows with the city’s tourism marketing team
• Working in coordination with TBID marketing agencies, including regular meetings and
information sharing
$80,000 a year for PR Services, 50% of which to be funded by the TBID
$7,950 for Media Monitoring Services, 50% of which to be funded by the TBID
Proposals 2015-16
11
Summary
TBID-Specific Telephone Fulfillment & Availability Assistance $31,000 a year
(*cost to install Helium on iPad not included)
Public Relations Services $40,000 a year
$80,000, 50% funded by the TBID
Media Monitoring Services $3,975 a year
$7,950, 50% funded by the TBID
Public Relations Proposal to City of San Luis Obispo
Tourism Business Improvement District &
Promotional Coordinating Committee
2015-16
1
Existing Services contracted by the PCC
• Proactively pitching story ideas on a monthly basis to national, regional and online media as
well as travel and lifestyle bloggers.
• Key markets of focus include: families, outdoor enthusiasts, foodies and experience
seekers.
• Writing at least 12 press releases a year and distributing through all channels including a
media management online tool.
• Hosting travel writers on individual trips throughout the year.
• Fulfilling all media requests that are received.
• Proactively tying in with the State Tourism Office’s public relations efforts to enhance local
visibility
• Access to image and video library usage for Chamber-executed public relations work
Estimated time commitment: 20 hrs./week
2015-16 contract price: $62,000
Expanded Services
In addition to the existing services outlined above, expanded offerings would include the following:
• Build media relationships in new key, untapped target markets: business travelers and
millennials
o Market research on most trusted outlets for these key segments
o Design outreach strategy across multiple media platforms and micro-markets to
reach business travelers and millennials
o Develop relationships in these market segment, which is key to proactive and
responsive media mentions
Strategy for business travelers includes leveraging existing business-to-
business and Chamber industry relationships to highlight San Luis Obispo
as a business travel destination
Strategy for millennials includes an increased focus on bloggers and out-
of-area digital influencers
• Attending three travel shows with the city’s tourism marketing team
o Expected cost: $1,000 hard expenses per show
o Expected hours: 25 hours per show
(assumes six nights in total for three shows)
• Provide public relations support for five significant TIBD-supported events
o Writing press releases and distributing to local, regional and national media outlets
o Including events in event calendars to local tourism-related businesses
o Meeting in-person, or by phone with groups
Public Relations Proposal to City of San Luis Obispo
Tourism Business Improvement District &
Promotional Coordinating Committee
2015-16
2
• Working in coordination with TBID marketing agencies in order to achieve comprehensive
marketing plan and increase brand awareness across all platforms
o Partner with market agencies to develop comprehensive marketing plan
o Collaboration hours, including regular meetings and information sharing based on
current meeting schedule; does not include meeting prep time or travel:
1.5 hrs./week group marketing meetings = 78
1.5 hrs./month sub-committee meetings = 18
1.5 hrs. /month TBID meetings = 18
114 hours per year
Estimated time commitment: 25 hrs./week
2015-16 contract price: $80,000
Comparable SLO public relations agency billable rates range from $75-$225/hr.
Public Relations Proposal to City of San Luis Obispo
Tourism Business Improvement District &
Promotional Coordinating Committee
2015-16
*Alternate possibilities to travel show attendance:
Visitor Center on the Road
• Visitor center staff presence at three TBID sponsored events in San Luis Obispo County.
• Work with tourism manager and TBID marketing agencies who would provide collateral, booth,
etc. to ensure that visitors have best information and want to return to san Luis Obispo
• Hours estimated at 20 per event
Targeting lifestyle influencers
• Focus on bringing prominent influencers that speak to key target markets such as design, art,
music and outdoor to San Luis Obispo
• Would be a partnership with ShareSLO to get the most out of our efforts
TBID Budget Planning 2015-17
Income Source 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
TOT Revenue Assumption 6,289,800$ 6,844,000$ 7,170,000$
TBID Assessment (20% of TOT Revenue)1,257,960$ 1,368,800$ 1,434,000$
Administration Overhead (2% of TBID Assessment)25,159$ 27,376$ 28,680$
Tourism Manager Salary (.75 FTE)78,800$ 84,686$ 89,788$
TBID Program Budget 1,154,001$ 1,256,738$ 1,315,532$
Carryover 121,500.00$
Expenditure
Current Projected Projected
Expenditure (section in gray)2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Notes
Contracts 914,500$ 791,950$ 5,000$
Marketing Contract 650,000$ 700,000$ contracted amount
Visit San Luis Obispo County 105,000$ -$
Chamber of Commerce- Phone 28,000$ 31,000$ $31,000 request for 2015-16
RaceSLO Arch 10,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$
Helium 121,500$ -$
Chamber of Commerce- PR 48,000$ $48K PR (60% of contract)
Chamber of Comm- Media Monitor 7,950$ Cover full cost for service
Marketing/ Advertising -$ 8,000$ -$
SAVOR Bags 8,000$ Estimated amount for 5000 bags at $1.45 + tax & shipping
Partnerships 106,500$ 113,500$ 95,000$
Cal Poly Athletics 95,500$ 95,500$ 95,000$ $35,000 in sponsorship; 605 r/n @ $100
SLO Wine 11,000$ 18,000$ $30,000 request for 2015-16
Events Promotion 107,501$ 195,000$ -$
General Events Promotion 107,501$ 195,000$
Tradeshows 30,500$ 30,500$ -$
LA/SF/SD Travel Show 25,000$ 25,000$
SAVOR Booth Build Out 2,500$ 2,500$
Tourism Conferences 3,000$ 3,000$
Tourism Organizations/Research 2,500$ 2,500$ -$
CCTC 1,000$ 1,000$
Smith Travel Report 1,500$ 1,500$
Support/ Meetings 37,500$ 86,000$ -$
Tourism Manager Expenses 2,500$ 3,000$
Digital Assest 35,000$ 8,000$ $8000 for expanded workscope
Website Redesign -$ 70,000$ $70000 reccomendation from Marketing Committee
FAM Trip Hosting 5,000$
Total Committed 1,199,001$ 1,227,450$ 100,000$
Funds Remaining 76,500$ 29,288$ 1,215,532$
Total 1,275,501$ 1,256,738$ 1,315,532$
Tourism Business Improvement District
Management Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2015 – 3:00 pm
PRESENT: Wilkins; Patel
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Chamber of Commerce Proposal Follow Up
The Chamber of Commerce addressed the committee’s request for more information on the
contract proposal. The Chamber presented the expanded description of the services and
opportunities for potential for different elements to replace the tradeshow representation.
2. 2015-16 Budget Development
The committee reviewed the budget documents, considered direction given by the Board,
funding requests received, and commitments already made for the upcoming fiscal year.
The committee then established initial budget allocations for the recommendation to the
Board for the 2015-16 budget.
3. Helium Update
The committee discussed the status of the Helium project including property information
status, subdomain URL, and next steps. Studio Good recommended using
hotels.sanluisobispovacations.com as the subdomain URL. The committee approved this
subdomain.
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
April 23, 2015 – 9:30 am
PRESENT: Walker; Phipps
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Video Proposal
The committee continued the discussion on the video project and additional budget for
elevated concept. Robin Chilton from PMG Film and musician Dan Curcio presented the
project vision for the marketing committee.
Recommendation: To allocate the additional $7825 for the video project.
2. SAVOR 2015 Bag Design
BCA presented the SAVOR bag design concept options for the committee’s review and
input. The committee was happy with the bag direction. They required that the website and
the phone number be added to the bag. They also asked the marketing agency to use
vibrant photos and take a look at the design only using 3 images. The bag design will go to
the Board for final approval in May.
3. Marketing Plan Development
The marketing agencies updated the committee on development of the FY 2015-16
Marketing Plan. In May the marketing plan draft will be presented to the marketing
committee for review and input before it is finalize form for presentation to the full Board in
June for final approval.
4. New Business
• Sunset Celebration Weekend booth opportunity June 6-7: Visit SLO County has offered
the SLO TBID complementary registration and booth space. The TBID’s commitment
would be only for the booth operations and travel expenses.
Recommendation: To allocate funding to attend Celebration Weekend. Staff to put
together budget to be presented at Board meeting in May.
• Event Strategy outline for May meeting: The marketing agency will put together an event
strategy template and plan to share with the committee in May.
Promotional Coordinating Committee
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
5:30 pm at Embassy Suites
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Sasha Palazzo
PRESENT: Pearce, LeMieux, Palazzo, Roberson, Lewis
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
Meeting to order at 5:36 pm
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
APPOINTMENTS
Deborah Lewis and Stephanie Roberson were sworn in to the PCC by Molly Cano.
CONSENT AGENDA
ACTION: Moved by LeMieux/Lewis to approve the consent agenda.
Motion carried 5:0
PRESENTATIONS
1. SLO HAPPENINGS QUARTERLY UPDATE
Christiana Newcomb from Verdin presented the quarterly activity report for the SLO Happenings
program. Quarter highlights included: the app metrics of 813 total app downloads, 4,989 app sessions,
and 3,633 page views. The media summary noted the new ad artwork launched for Facebook in late
January that have been very successful at boosting engagement and driving traffic to both the
Facebook page and Splash page.
2. SLO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY UPDATE
Molly Kern from the SLO Chamber presented the quarterly report for the Chamber contracts with the
PCC. Highlights included: that all GIA groups have been served to-date; the event sheets have been
updated; outstanding PR mentions for GIA and regular press efforts have been achieved from
international, national, regional, and statewide level. To date this quarter over 12 journalists have
been hosted in the City of San Luis Obispo. Since January the visitor center traffic is up to nearly
18,000 visitors into the center, over 1300 calls, and 400 emails.
DRAFT
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
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BUSINESS ITEMS
1. SAN LUIS OBISPO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Ermina Karim and Molly Kern from the Chamber of Commerce presented the future contract
opportunities and funding requests for the consideration of the committee. The requests included:
- Visitor Center Operations: In-person visitor traffic is up 19 percent during the two-year contract
period. The increase in traffic is driving increased staffing to adequately meet the needs of the
visitors. The Chamber proposed that the City continue its historic support level of 44 percent of
total ongoing costs for a contract of $103,000.
- Public Relations: The Chamber has served as the contractor for public relations services over the
past years. Contract elements include: pitching to media, bringing in media, coordinating media
trips, following up with media, sending out media releases, responding to natural media inquiries,
use of the Chamber’s photography library for media requests and press releases, planning and
executing press trips and developing media kits. The Chamber proposed aligning the public
relations efforts with TBID marketing to amplify impact of overall messaging, extend the reach
of our targeted proactive efforts and share costs between PCC and TBID. The proposed contract
amount for the PCC $40,000 a year for PR Services and $3,975 for Media Monitoring Services.
- GIA Support: Chamber has provided event promotion and public relations support to the grants-
in-aid recipients. This contract has been aimed at driving attendance and support by residents and
visitors to events in the city. The Chamber proposed enhancing the existing scope by providing
the same in-kind public relations support to events that meet the same requirements for GIA
support but have ‘graduated’ the sustainability track. The proposed contract amount of $28,000.
- Tear-off Map: The Chamber proposed another print run of 150,000 to keep up with the demand
for distribution. The requested amount was $8,500 for 150,000 maps with minor edits.
The committee asked a few questions that related to the requests and the media monitoring systems.
In addition the Chamber presented the concept of iBeacons to the committee for future consideration to
add gamification, new content and extended use of the apps ability to inform users of things to do in San
Luis Obispo.
2. SCIENCE AFTER DARK
Event representative, Dawn Hitchman presented the Science After Dark request to retain the
remaining 2013-14 GIA funding for promotional use in 2014-15 & 2015-16 years. Hitchman
acknowledged that Science After Dark hadn’t realized that they were outside the contract for the use
of the funds beyond the granting year. She presented the results of the events and showed how the
funding has been used and the plan to use it for promotional efforts into 2015-16. She shared that
$617 of the remaining funds had been used for 2014-15 and that $564 was planned to be used for
2015-16. The committee agreed that the funds were being used appropriately but they were in
violation of the contract. The committee agreed to continue to support the events extension of the
funds but did not want the event to have the ability to receive any GIA funding in 2015-16.
ACTION: Moved by LeMiuex/Pearce to amend the contract with Science After Dark to allow the
remaining GIA funds in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Any remaining funds after June 2016
must be returned.
Motion carried 5:0
3. SLO HAPPENINGS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
GFL Systems presented the update on the SLO Happenings technology enhancement project. GFL
has reached an agreement to source the event listing content from the SLO Chamber site to the SLO
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
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Happenings app. They presented a wireframe for the listings, submission tool, and event
management. The committee discussed with GFL that there should not be a webpage that would show
the calendar of events like a listing. The information should only be displayed in the app then drive
back to an existing web page for the calendar of events. They also discussed the ability to have a
spreadsheet of events, like a season. Imported instead of added manually by the event organizer. GFL
would be able to create that form with predetermined fields. The committee also discussed the area
that would be allowed to be in the app and determined that it could be managed by zip-codes. Cal
Poly events and events in Edna Valley would be allowed in the app but not any non-City funded
events outside the City limits.
The committee also received the proposal for on-going technology services for the committee’s
consideration for the SLO Happenings app beginning in fiscal year 2015-16. The cost for the
technology of the app would be $16,000 which would include hosting and minimal maintenance of
the app at $200 per month and the cost for the content feed through the SLO Chamber.
4. 2015-17 BUDGET PROCESS
The committee received the general budget update from staff and began to discuss the initial
allocations for the 2015-17 Community Promotions budget. Staff informed the committee that the
SOPC was not recommended to City Council however adjustments were made to the budget to
provide a minimal $10,000 increase per year starting in 2016-17 to account for increase in cost of
business for contracts and staffing expenses by the PCC. Based on this information the PCC’s initial
budget would be $396,029 in 2015-16 and $401,930 in 2016-17. The committee began general
discussion for budget allocations for 2015-16 based on the information and requests they had received
to date.
5. SLO HAPPENINGS PROMOTIONAL SERVICES RFP
The taskforce will presented the draft RFP document for the committee’s review and approval. The
committee discussed allocating $28,300 from the 2015-16 budget for the promotional plan and
services RFP.
ACTION: Moved by Roberson/Lewis to approve the RFP document and recommend the release of
the RFP to City Council.
Motion carried 5:0
6. 2015-16 EVENT PROMOTION APPLICATION
The Events subcommittee presented the proposed updates to the 2015-16 Event Promotion program
application and process. The
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/LeMieux to approve the 2015-16 Event Promotion application.
Motion carried 5:0
7. SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
The committee reviewed the assignments of the new committee members to the PCC’s Events
Promotion subcommittee and GIA subcommittee. The committee discussed the assignments and the
responsibilities of the committees.
COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION
GIA Report:
Sasha Palazzo reached out to Children’s Day in the Plaza coming up next weekend to check-in.
EVENTS SUBCOMMITTEE Report:
Jill LeMieux reported on the Events Subcommittee.
Promotional Coordinating Committee Minutes
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TBID Report:
Pearce reported on the TBID updates.
Tourism Program Update:
Molly Cano presented the Tourism Program update:
- April is a busy Event Month
o Eroica this weekend
o Cal Poly open House next weekend
o Sixel conference week of April 21-23
o SLO Marathon April 24-26
o Roll Out the Barrels- happening now, Barrels in the Plaza on April 30 and the media
FAM on 29-30
- FAM
o IGLTA Media FAM
o April 12-15- coming to SLO April 14
o 4 travel journalists
- CCTC
o Board retreat in March in Ventura
o Great strategic planning led by Carl Ribaudo and presentation by Lynn Carpenter VC
o Focusing efforts on the international visitor and promotion of Hwy 1 and the Original
Road Trip
o I have been asked by the incoming Board Chair to considering Vice Chair role
o Bring the annual retreat to SLO
- Interviews for the Board seats
o End of April applications due
o May interview
o June new committee member
Key Dates:
o Advisory Body work shop on April 30 5:30 RSVP to City Clerk
GIA 2015-16
• 25 events applied (28 last year)
• $172,000 in requested funds ($166,000)
Meeting adjourned at 8:09 pm