HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-14-2015 PCC Agenda Packet
City of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Promotional Coordinating Committee
PCC Agenda
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
5:30 pm
City Hall- Council Hearing Room
The goals of the City of San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee are to (1) improve the
quality of life available to all residents of and visitors to San Luis Obispo and (2) promote, in a
manner consistent with long-range community goals, the development of San Luis Obispo as a
regional and tourist center.
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Sasha Palazzo
PUBLIC COMMENT: Each speaker is limited to three minutes of public comment. At this time, you
may address the Committee on items that are not on the agenda but are of interest to the public and
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Promotional Coordinating Committee. The Committee
may not discuss or take action on issues that are not on the agenda other than to briefly respond to
statements made or questions raised, or ask staff to follow up on such issues.
CONSENT ITEMS
C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on September 9, 2015
C.2 Community Promotions Budget Report
C.3 Public Relations Report
C.4 Grants-in-Aid Support Report
C.5 Visitors Center Report
C.6 SLO Happenings Promotions Report
C.7 SLO Happenings Technology Report
C.8 TOT Report
PRESENTATIONS
1. SLO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY UPDATE 15 mins
Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the quarterly report for their contracts with
the PCC.
2. SLO HAPPENINGS PROMOTIONS QUARTERLY UPDATE 10 mins
Representatives from FreshBuzz will present the quarterly promotions activity report for the SLO
Happenings program.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. SLO HAPPENINGS COLLATERAL 15 mins
FreshBuzz Media will present the coaster design for the committee’s selection. The committee
will determine the number of coaster to be ordered.
2. SLO HAPPENINGS APP UPDATES & QUARTERLY ACTIVITY REPORT 15 mins
GFL will present the quarterly technology and development activity report for the SLO
Happenings program and the technology updates and approach for the feature implementation.
3. MID-YEAR EVENT PROMOTION SPONSORSHIP PROCESS 10 mins
The committee will discuss participation in the Mid-Year Event Promotion Sponsorship process
with the TBID.
PCC LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
At this time Committee members make announcements, report on activities, refer to staff issues for
study and report back to the Committee at a subsequent meeting.
1. GIA UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
2. TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Minutes September 9, 2015
3. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
ADJOURN.
POSTING STATEMENT: I, Molly Cano, Tourism Manager, do hereby certify that on October 9, 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.
Minutes
Promotional Coordinating Committee
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Regular Meeting of the
Promotional Coordinating Committee
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee was called to
order on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Palazzo.
ROLL CALL
Present: Committee Members Vice Chair Jill LeMieux, Deborah Lewis, Daniel Levi,
Patricia Loosley, Chair Sasha Palazzo, and Stephanie Roberson.
Absent: Clint Pearce
Staff
Present: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian
PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX,
CARRIED 6-0, to approve Consent Calendar Items C1 thru C8.
C1. MINUTES OF THE PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE
MEETING OF AUGUST 12, 2015
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the Minutes of the Promotional Coordinating
Committee meeting of August 12, 2015, as presented.
C2. COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS BUDGET REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the Community Promotions Budget Report.
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
Draft – PCC Meeting, September 9, 2015 Page 2
C3. PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the Public Relations Report.
C4. GRANTS-IN-AID SUPPORT REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the Grants-in-Aid Support Report.
C5. VISITORS CENTER REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the Visitors Center Report.
C6. SLO HAPPENINGS PROMOTIONS REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the SLO Happenings Promotions Report.
C7. SLO HAPPENINGS TECHNOLOGY REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the SLO Happenings Technology Report.
C8. TOT (TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX) REPORT
MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR
LEMIEUX, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the TOT Report.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. VOCAL ARTS ENSEMBLE FUNDING REQUEST
Sarah Maggelet, Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble,
presented a request for funding for the promotion of the "Vocal Arts Goes to the Movies"
events in March 2016. This consists of three concerts, one of which is outside of San Luis
Obispo. The proposal was for promotion of the San Luis Obispo events only. The group
had previously received $5000.00 in Grants In Aid (GIA) funding through the PCC for
their 2016 California International Choral Festival, but had to cancel that event. They
proposed shifting funding to the presented event, which also involves cross promotion
with the International Film Festival. Funding would be used for advertising in print,
radio, Facebook, and regional television, with a similar breakdown to the previously
approved GIA event-funding breakdown, for promotion of the San Luis Obispo events
only.
Committee Member Levi expressed concern that the proposed event is smaller than the
original funded event and that it may not have received this amount of funding had it
been the original proposal.
MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER
LEWIS, CARRIED 5-1 (COMMITTEE MEMBER LEVI VOTING NO), for the
reallocation of $5000 in funding from the Choral Festival to the presented “Vocal Arts
Goes to the Movies” event.
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
Draft – PCC Meeting, September 9, 2015 Page 3
2. SLO HAPPENINGS DESIGN
Tourism Manager Cano provided an overview of interface design changes made to the
SLO Happenings App following direction given to FreshBuzz Media by the committee at
the August 12, 2015 meeting. Also reviewed were the desktop design for both Facebook
and Twitter, a giveaway promotion contest page, branded posts, and advertisements
running on Facebook.
3. SLO HAPPENINGS COLLATERAL
Judith Cohen, of FreshBuzz Media, presented printed promotional coaster examples and
pricing information, per the Committee’s request from the August 12, 2015, meeting. The
example shown was a square design with rounded corners, 60-point paperboard stock,
and had full color – full bleed two-sided printing. She reported that the product is
available in quantities of 1000 at $0.155/unit, with price breaks beginning on orders
above 4000. General design ideas were introduced with a stress that the concept should
create an item that people would want to keep. The Committee discussed possible
quantity needs as well as potential events for distribution.
The Committee requested that staff provide a recommended listing of events for
distribution, along with providing price break points on product quantities.
MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER
LOOSLEY, CARRIED 6-0, to approve graphic design work on two design compositions
for the SLO Happenings promotional coaster, with a budget up to $625.
PCC LIASON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
1. GIA (GRANTS IN AID) UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
Vice Chair Lemieux reported that the United Way of San Luis Obispo County has a new
contact person.
Committee Member Roberson noted that SLO Symphony has a new director, Francie Levy,
and that they are starting over in their application process due to this change.
Committee Member Loosley noted that SLO Noor Foundation had questions on their
contract that were directed to Tourism Manager Cano.
Tourism Manager Cano noted that she would provide a sample of the contract to all GIA
liaisons.
2. TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Minutes August 12, 2015
No report was presented at this time.
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
Draft – PCC Meeting, September 9, 2015 Page 4
3. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano reported that the week of October 22, 2015 is the targeted launch
date for the new TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District) website. This was
followed by a brief review of the content and design of the site. It was also reported that
“Helium”, their booking engine, is expected to launch at the same time. The TBID annual
report draft was approved and will be presented to City Council during their October 22,
2015 meeting.
Tourism Manager Cano further reported on the following items: 1) She is seeking an
intern who can dedicate 15-20 hours of time to assist with the Tourism Program, 2) Event
promotion for SAVOR is underway, 3) The Concours car show event will not be taking
place this year, therefore the $2,500 grant will be returned, 4) the Central Coast Tourism
Council (CCTC) will have a mixer and marketing workshop at the Madonna Inn. The
mixer will be held on October 15, 2015 from 5:00–7:00 pm and it isn’t necessary to be a
CCTC member. The workshop will be held on October 16, 2015 and is for members only.
Vice Chair Lemieux reported that she attended the Mayor’s quarterly meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Palazzo adjourned the meeting at 6:37.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Christian
Recording Secretary
Community Promotions Budget 2015-16
Budget 2015-16 Amount
Budget 396,029$
2014-15 Released Encumbrances -$
Returned Funds (GIA)-$
Total Budget 396,029$
Expenditure Last Updated 10/8/2015
Expenditure Allocated Expended
Available
Balance Contractor
Grants-in-Aid Funding 95,000$ 88,900$ 6,100$ GIA Recipients
Grants-in-Aid Support Contract 28,000$ 4,666$ Chamber of Commerce
Event Promotion Funding 40,000$ 37,485$ 2,515$ City Administration
SLO Happenings Program - Technology 16,000$ -$ GFL
SLO Happenings Program - Promotion 28,300$ 7,650$ FreshBuzz
General Contract Services 12,000$ 625$ 11,375$ Various: FreshBuzz,
Visitors Center 103,000$ 17,166$ Chamber of Commerce
PR Contract 32,000$ 5,342$ Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Maps 8,500$ Chamber of Commerce
Support Cost 5,000$ 108$ City Administration
Administration 28,229$ 28,229$ City Administration
Total 396,029$ 19,990$
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
Media Releases
San Luis Obispo fall events
Distributed press release regarding upcoming fall events (including GIA events) in San Luis
Obispo.
All Aboard for the 2015 Central Coast Railroad Festival
Edited and distributed press release regarding San Luis Obispo Railroad Festival.
Media/Community Relations
1. Coordinated trip for Masterchef TV personality, food journalist, restaurant critic and
recipe writer Matt Preston who is writing for Delicious Magazine.
2. Pitched San Luis Obispo as the perfect family friendly Halloween destination to Anne
Kay with Peter Greenberg Worldwide.
3. Worked with City of SLO to update San Luis Obispo information including recent press
mentions for the National Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship.
4. Worked with StudioGood to create About SLO and FAQ’s for
SanLuisObispoVacations.com.
5. Submitted Halloween and hiking pitched to Visit California Media site.
6. Staffed San Luis Obispo’s Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast booth.
7. Worked with Tourism Manager to prepare for Sunset editor breakfast pitches.
8. Provided Visit SLO County SLO city specific content for the Halloween section of their
site.
9. Met with leaders of proposed Love SLO day of service.
10. Worked with SLO City regarding content of way finding signs.
11. Coordinated itinerary for Yahoo travel writer Sid Lipsey’s press trip.
12. Coordinated behind the scenes experiences at Café Roma and Claiborne Churchill for
Peter Greenberg line producer Tim Hill.
13. Created example itinerary millennials visiting San Luis Obispo for Nancy Ransohoff.
14. Pitched San Luis Obispo as one of the top destinations for girlfriend getaways to Sheryl
Nance-Nash with Diversity Woman Magazine.
15. Continued to work with the city, Barnett Cox & Associates and StudioGood on overall
tourism marketing campaign.
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
Media Relations/Placement
1. 10 great wine destinations in the US (that aren’t Napa Valley)
Jason Heidemann lists Central Coast: California, first, as a great wine destination in his
Orbitz.com article describing San Luis Obispo as a ‘chic community.’
Unique Views: 33,647,468
http://www.orbitz.com/blog/2015/09/10-great-wine-destinations-in-the-us/
The Huffington Post
Unique Visitors Per Month:33,647,468
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/orbitzcom/10-great-wine-destination_b_8140294.html
2. Journeys and Destinations: The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
Article written by Palak Patel for the Daily Trojan describes the ease, convenience, and
efficiency of the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trip to San Luis Obispo.
Unique Views: 82,208
http://dailytrojan.com/2015/09/14/journeys-and-destinations-the-amtrak-pacific-surfliner/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
3. Photos: America’s 50 best towns to live in, 2016
Liveability.com ranks San Luis Obispo as the 29th best place to live in their annual list.
Rankings were picked up by multiple major outlets.
http://www.livability.com/best-places/top-100-best-places-to-live/2016?page=2
Yahoo
Unique Visitors Per Month: 109,892,550
https://www.yahoo.com/realestate/photos/photos-america-s-50-best-towns-to-live-in-
2016-1442297029-slideshow/29-san-luis-obispo-california-photo-1442298216708.html
4. California’s Best Road Trips on a Budget
Daisy Barringer with the Thrillist San Francisco shares how to travel on a budget in
San Luis Obispo. Recommending the Apple Farm hotel and restaurant as a place to stay
and eat, in addition to a SLO Blues baseball game and the Valencia Peak hike, as things
to do.
Unique Views: 4,028,666
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/san-francisco/11-california-road-trip-ideas-on-a-budget
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
5. Road Trip USA: The Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles
My Family Travels describes what to experience at each destination along the central
coast. The Madonna Inn, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Cal Poly, historic walking
tours, Victorian homes, and nearby wine country are among the San Luis Obispo
attractions and activities highlighted.
Unique Views: 83,449
http://myfamilytravels.com/content/10507-road-trip-usa-pacific-coast-highway-san-
francisco-los-angeles
6. San Luis Obispo Eats: Sidecar SLO
Mathew Liberty from ThreeAdventure.com describes his experience at Sidecar Cocktail
Co. as “hipster meets craft cocktail distillery/ bar feel. I liked the décor and …I could see
it being a regular stop for us.”
http://www.threeadventure.com/hootnannie/2015/09/22/san-luis-obispo-eats-sidecar-slo/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
7. The 50 Best Colleges By the Sea
Best College Reviews describes San Luis Obispo as one of California’s oldest
communities, known for its Mediterranean climate; ranking Cal Poly #49. Article was
picked up by multiple major outlets.
http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/colleges-by-the-sea/
Yahoo! Finance Canada
Unique Views: 421,185
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/best-college-reviews-names-top-123500928.html
CNBC
Unique Views: 17,876,135
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/21/pr-newswire-best-college-reviews-names-the-top-50-
colleges-by-the-sea.html
8. Fuel up on worldly wines at The Station
Hayley Thomas highlights The Station, as “SLO’s new unlikely neighborhood wine
bar/hangout nestled in one of the area’s first service stations,”in her New Times article.
Unique Views: 61,043
http://www.newtimesslo.com/food-wine/12870/fuel-up-on-worldly-wines-at-the-station/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
9. Top 10 Best American College Towns that Double as Vacation Spots
Tripping.com ranks San Luis Obispo 6/10 highlighting local sights including the
Bubblegum Alley, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Sunset Drive-In and Fremont
Theater.
https://www.tripping.com/explore/top-ten-college-towns-double-vacation-spots
10. Peter Greenberg Worldwide—San Luis Obispo County, California
Peter Greenberg articles highlights guests for their San Luis Obispo radio show.
Unique Views: 2,341,789
http://petergreenberg.com/2015/09/23/radio-guest-list-san-luis-obispo-california-
september-26-2015/
http://petergreenberg.com/2015/09/26/peter-greenberg-worldwide-san-luis-obispo-
county-california-september-26-2015/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
11. Happy Oktoberfest: 29 Top American Cities for Beer
Money Talks article ranks SLO as the seventh best city for beer saying “If you can’t
make it to Munich for the original Oktoberfest celebration, a small city in the might be the
next-best place to celebrate.”
Unique Views: 731,346
http://www.moneytalksnews.com/happy-oktoberfest-29-top-american-cities-for-beer/
12. Central Coast Railroad Festival
Santa Barbara Seasons highlights the Central Coast Railroad Festival.
Unique Views: 15,593
http://sbseasons.com/2015/09/central-coast-railroad-festival/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
September 2015
13. Registration for ‘City to Sea’ half marathon still open
Paso Robles Daily Press article encourages regional registration for the City to Sea
Marathon.
Unique Views: 31,720
http://pasoroblesdailynews.com/registration-for-city-to-sea-half -marathon-still-
open/42761/
14. Contemporary sculpture exhibit offers eclectic mix
Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record articles laud exhibition of contemporary fine
sculpture at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Unique Views: 71,583
http://santamariatimes.com/entertainment/contemporary-sculpture-exhibit-offers-eclectic-
mix/article_9aa0ba91-c8c9-543e-951d-9a6145e7f228.html
Unique Views: 39,531
http://lompocrecord.com/entertainment/contemporary-sculpture-exhibit-offers-eclectic-
mix/article_f8a09918-d2fd-57d4-883c-2efb09b3e34e.html
Grants- in-Aid Marketing Support September 2015 Report
Organization Event VC PR SM EC MTG ST PC
Almond Country Quilt Guild Seven Sisters Quilt Show X
Cal Poly Corporation: Cal Poly Arts
La Guitarra California Festival
2015 X X X
Canzona Women's Ensemble
Canzona Women's Ensemble
Concerts X X
Central Coast Arts International
SLO Multicultural Music & Dance
Showcase X
Central Coast Children's Choir Annual Concerts X X
Civic Ballet 2014 Nutcracker Ballet X
Ecologistics, Inc.
All-Star Benefit Concert to SLO
Down Cancer X
Foundation for San Luis Obispo County Public
Libraries Library Foundation Literary Salon
History Center of San Luis Obispo County
SLO Souls: Meet the Eternal
Residents of San Luis Obispo X X X X
Institute for Sustainable Living
ReSkilling Expo 2016: Learn
Practical Skills for Living
JCC - Federation of San Luis Obispo SLO Jewish Film Festival X
Opera San Luis Obispo
Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci: A
City-Wide Arts Collaboration X X X X
Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church Evening in Greece X X X
San Luis Obispo County Arts Council
Children's Day in the Plaza with
Passport to the Arts X
San Luis Obispo Little Theatre 2014-15 Season X X
San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum Central Coast Railroad Festival X X X X X X
San Luis Obispo Soccer Club SLO Summer Classic X
San Luis Obispo Symphony New Year's Eve Celebration X X
San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble
2016 California International
Choral Festival X
Senior Volunteer Services 7th Annual Giveaway Raffle X X X X
SLO Children's Museum Via Dei Colori SLO X X X X
SLO Downtown Association 40th Annual Holiday Parade X
SLO Downtown Association 20th Annual Concerts in the Plaza X X
SLO Noor Foundation
50 Shades of Color Fashion Revue
+ MusicFest X
United Way of San Luis Obispo County Flavor of SLO 2016 X
Wilshire Hospice
Dia de los Muertos in Mission
Plaza X X X
Black is current month, gray is past work
Returned or forfeited grant
25 Total; 23 served to date or in progress
VC- Dropped off materials for display in Visitor Center; brochures, posters, etc.
PR- Sent out Press Release
SM- Ran event through Social Media outlets
EC- Included in Event Calendar
MTG- Meet with Groups in person to offer public relations advice and support
ST- Sell Tickets for events through the Visitor Center
PC- In place of in person meeting, had phone call with group to discuss details.
Report to City of SLO – PCC
Visitor Services Contract
September 2015
Visitor Interaction
September
2014
August
2015
September
2015
Walk-ins 6,372 10,129 8.972
Farmers’ Market n/a 2,000 500
Phone calls 526 601 584
Emails 110 420 481
Visitor Center Highlights
Sold tickets for the Homes of Distinction tour
Participated in WOW week for Cal Poly with Visitor Center booth
Sold tickets for the San Luis Obispo Rail Road Museum’s Wine-Rail Excursion
Staffed visitor resource booth at the downtown SLO Farmers’ Market
Enjoyed helping every single visitor that came through our doors
Demographic Snapshot
International travelers 549
Asia 7.8%
Africa .5%
Europe 30%
Australia/New Zeeland 9.5%
United Kingdom 30.4%
Canada 10.6%
South America 10.9%
Domestic travelers
(outside of CA.)
194
West Coast 12.4%
East Coast 27.8%
South West 11.9%
Mid-West 31.4%
South 16.5%
California travelers 1103
Northern CA 19.2%
Southern CA 25.39%
Central Coast 48.3%
Central Valley 5.7%
Desert 1.5%
Calendar of Events
September
2015
October
2015
Events in calendar 226 193
SLO HAPPENINGS MONTHLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD: September 1 – 30, 2015
PROGRAM SERVICES & APP RESULTS SUMMARY
Services Delivered: Social & Content Marketing, App Promotions Strategy,
Tactical Planning & Execution, Final App and Splash Designs and Contest
Design, Launch and Mgt.
App Performance:
Number of App Sessions: 2,019
Number of Active Users: 1,215
Number of App Downloads: 529
Number of Page Views within the App: 2,188
Splash Page Link Clicks (bit.ly/SLOHappenings): 214
ADVERTISING
MEDIA OUTLET Impressions Clicks Click-thru Rate
Facebook Ads for Page Likes / Awareness 86,474 1,315 1.89%
Facebook Ads for Website Splash Page 8,236 106 1.29%
Facebook Ads for Contest Page 9,880 251 1.71%
SOCIAL CHANNELS
In September, we posted upcoming events and local information on all channels and launched the first giveaway contest, incrementally
growing all channels The ad campaign launched in September. With the hyper-targeting focused on local awareness, mobile users, as
well as likes and contest outreach, we saw the expected jump in engagement and reach as the community has become more engaged.
The new Instagram channels (followers) continued to expand with +89 and Twitter with +257 over last month. We continue to adjust the
ratio and growth by following active influencers in our community with the focus on SLO -based users. We foucsed on growing the
Twitter community and have seen great increases in followers.
FACEBOOK August 2015 September 2015 +/-
Like: 20,175 20,436 +261
Emails / Contest Entries 0 172 +172
TWITTER August 2015 September 2015 +/-
Tweets 578 620 +42
Following 1,274 1,686 +412
Followers 943 1,200 +257
Favorites 69 74 +5
INSTAGRAM August 2015 September 2015 +/-
Posts 10 24 +14
Followers 85 174 +89
Following 238 366 +128
3765 S. Higuera St. Suite 120
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
SLO Happenings September Report
October Events: 71
Submissions: 10
From Chamber: 61
Development Status
Development is on track. The homepage including the sliding nav menu, is functional. The event listing for the default
categories is complete, and the "ongoing events" and "this week" categories are nearly complete. The new styling for
displaying the event detail is complete, also. The new search function and and swipe are under heavy development but
still remain on track.
TOT Comparision
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-
July 565,637$ 508,195$ 541,806$ 591,184$ 636,778$ 699,845$ 761,346$ 844,845$ 11.0%87.2 88.2 1.2 143.53$ 159.40$ 11.1 125.19$ 140.66$ 12.4
August 609,452$ 511,564$ 542,194$ 574,395$ 623,655$ 674,244$ 732,271$ 774,501$ 5.8%84.7 84.7 0 144.08$ 150.35$ 4.3 122.01$ 127.37$ 4.4
September 416,859$ 400,023$ 437,543$ 490,524$ 508,583$ 505,954$ 557,002$ 74.5 128.61$ 95.77$
October 416,905$ 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 77.9 130.39$ 101.57$
November 354,737$ 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 67.8 $120.89 $81.95
December 274,871$ 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 57 $110.50 $62.95
January 258,316$ 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 60.6 110.82$ 67.15$
February 292,343$ 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 66.8 $116.20 $77.57
March 289,506$ 326,099$ 333,783$ 392,266$ 426,879$ 448,103$ 520,795$ 70.3 121.44$ 85.32$
April 391,891$ 423,158$ 451,133$ 475,913$ 486,850$ 564,617$ 610,894$ 78 133.83$ 104.34$
May 393,431$ 372,997$ 433,874$ 447,116$ 489,862$ 546,916$ 601,614$ 70.4 137.58$ 101.05$
June 456,098$ 490,326$ 512,543$ 578,234$ 610,948$ 630,729$ 727,028$ 82 149.08$ 122.30$
Total/Average 4,720,046$ 4,478,481$ 4,859,400$ 5,249,181$ 5,578,460$ 6,059,758$ 6,803,224$ 1,619,346$ 73.10 86.45 128.91$ 154.88$ 95.60$ 134.02$
Occupancy ADR RevPAR
Figures from Smith Travel Research report
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. November 1, 2015 - Application information available on the City’s website.
2. TBD 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. November 30, 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 December 14, 2015- 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. January 2016- Recommendations from the subcommittee will be made to TBID Board during regular
committee meetings.
6. February 2016 – 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. Provide a brief description of how the funds requested will be used?
4. Will your event be taking place within the City of San Luis Obispo?
Yes ___ No ____
Venue Name:
Venue Location:
5. 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.
6. 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?
7. Is this a first year the event will take place? Yes ___ No ____
If yes, skip to question number 13
8. If not, how many years has it taken place?
9. Where has it taken place previously?
10. How is this year’s event different this year from prior years?
11. Historical Attendance:
12. Historical percentage breakdown of in-county vs. out-of-county attendees:
13. What is the return on investment trend for your event?
14. Expected Event Attendance:
15. Expected percentage of in-county vs. out-of-county attendees:
16. Who is your target audience?
17. Where is your primary and secondary geographic target market?
Primary _____________________ Secondary ______________________
18. Do you sell tickets or is it a free event? Tickets____ Free____
If tickets are required, please provide the price range.
19. Have you requested funding from other organizations/entities? Yes ___ No ___
If yes, please provide the names of these organizations and funding entities.
20. When are the funds needed for the event?
21. What is the overall budget for the event?
22. 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)
23. Is it your intention to keep the event located in San Luis Obispo once City sponsorship funding is
exhausted? Yes ___ No ___
24. 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.
• 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
Minutes
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Regular Meeting of the
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District Board was
called to order on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 10:04 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room,
located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Patel.
ROLL CALL
Present: Committee Members Dean Hutton, Kevin Phipps, Matthew Wilkins, and Chair
Nipool Patel
Absent: Committee Members Kimberly Walker, LeBren Young-Harris, and Vice-Chair
Clint Pearce
Staff
Present: Tourism Manager Molly Cano and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian
PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Tom Halen, Managing Partner of the town of Harmony, introduced the “Cow Parade Art
Exhibit” concept and discussed various charities that the exhibit benefits. He requested to be
agenized in a future meeting to do a full presentation as they are bringing this exhibit to the area
in 2016.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PHIPPS, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER WILKINS,
CARRIED 4-0, to approve Consent Calendar Items C1 thru C6.
PRESENTATION ITEMS
1. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY REPORT
Representatives of BCA + StudioGood presented a report on the marketing activities over
the past month with the following highlights: 1) Interactive painting activity at the booth
during the SAVOR event, 2) Video review – PNG Films is working to provide materials
in time to coordinate release with the new website, 3) Event Worksheets have been
created to help document and track event goals and expectations, and 4) the Visitors
Brochure will debut at SAVOR. A metrics overview was presented showing increases
since September 2014, with the exception of GOSLO mobile being down. It was noted
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
Draft – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes of September 9, 2015 Page 2
that #ShareSLO is making progress in use. Twitter ads are no longer being run. They may
be used in the future, to be decided on a case by case basis.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. TOURISM WEBSITE REDESIGN
TBID Marketing Committee and StudioGood, presented the final website design,
discussing usability and content on both desktop and mobile platforms. Integration to
#ShareSLO was specifically noted, along with multiple ways to link to the booking tool.
The “All Things To Do” feature was highlighted and a description on how it will work on
the mobile interface was provided, along with a demonstration of how users can sort by
categories.
The committee gave input on how to rank what items should display at the top of the
interface in the “Things To Do” category.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PHIPPS, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HUTTON, CARRIED 4-0, to approve the design as presented.
2. 2014-15 TBID ANNUAL REPORT
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the draft annual report, noting that it is necessary as
part of the TBID bylaws and will be presented to City Council on October 20, 2015.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HUTTON, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
WILKINS, CARRIED 4-0, to approve the report as presented.
3. TOURISM BROCHURE PRINTING BUDGET
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the tourism brochure print budget and noted that there
is a need for additional pages in the brochure as well as additional quantity, resulting in a
higher than budgeted cost. Advised that the original budget was for 35,000 copies of a 30
page brochure for a total budget of $12,500. Presented a variety of quantity options for
the Board’s consideration, recommending a year’s supply of 40,000 copies of a 46-page
brochure.
The Board discussed concerns about the perishable nature of the content and their
understanding of the demand for the product.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HUTTON, CARRIED 4-0, to approve the additional expenditure for a quantity of 45,000
brochures, an expenditure increase of $7,102, with funding coming from the TBID
unallocated program budget.
TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
1. HOTELIER UPDATE
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
Draft – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes of September 9, 2015 Page 3
John Lozano, Director of Sales at the Courtyard Marriot, was introduced by Tourism
Manager Cano.
2. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
Board Member Wilkins commented on the “punch list” items being worked on for the
launch of Helium and the need to complete them quickly. Tourism Manager Cano noted
that once these are done, “Milestone 4” will return to the committee for approval. The
completion of “Milestone 4” signifies that booking tool is launch ready.
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE
Referred to the presentation given earlier.
4. PCC UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the Promotional Coordinating Committee meeting
minutes of August 12, 2015.
5. VISIT SLO COUNTY UPDATE
Board Member Phipps noted that Visit SLO County’s Board seats are filled, with the
exception of Pismo Beach, and its bylaws have been updated. Noted that there was concern
about continuing with SAVOR’s “Opening Night” in the future due to a lack of sales, but
also noted the concept of it being paired with San Luis Obispo’s Thursday night Farmers
Market as a cost saving effort.
Tourism Manager Cano advised that if the County Tourism Marketing District’s (TMD)
“prism” study, which profiles visitors to San Luis Obispo County, goes live that hotels will
be approached for consumer data. It was noted that a presentation to the Visit SLO County
Board would occur in the future to vote on the study.
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano advised that an intern is still being sought and indicated that it
should be someone who can work 15-20 hours per week. It was noted that the Central
Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) will have a mixer and marketing workshop at the
Madonna Inn. The mixer will be held on October 15th and it isn’t necessary to be a CCTC
member. The workshop will be held on October 16th and is for members only.
Tourism Manager Cano reminded the Board that the presentation of the Annual Report to
City Council will be on October 20, 2015, and the Public Hearing will be held November
3, 2015. Other important dates reviewed were the Marketing Committee meeting to be
held on October 1, 2015 and the Management Committee meeting to be held on
September 22, 2015.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 11:09 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Christian
Recording Secretary