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Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
10:00 am
Apple Farm
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Nipool Patel
PRESENT: Pearce, Hutton, Harris, Phipps, Walker, Patel
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager – Kevin Christian, Recording Secretary
Call to Order at 10:09 am
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
CONSENT AGENDA
Staff presented the committee with the June 2014-15 TOT Comparison values not shown in Item C6, as
follows: $ 727,028 with a change of 15.3%.
ACTION: Moved by Pearce/Hutton to approve the consent agenda.
Motion carried 6:0
PRESENTATIONS
1. VISIT SLO COUNTY YEAR END REPORT
Chuck Davison of Visit SLO County presented the 2014-15 year-end report with the following
highlights:
• The County Tourism Marketing District was approved June 10th. Reviewed the seated positions
for the 15 member 2015-16 Board of Directors. Noted that the Pismo Beach seat is still open and
that the Marketing Committee still has four vacant seats. The first marketing meeting was August
11th. Discussed the initial media plan and noted that a presentation should be available for the
September TBID meeting.
• “Catalyst” was selected as the marketing agency in July (went out for RFP in June).
• A $1 million line of credit was secured for the first year to offset timing until funds become
available from the new tax.
• Reviewed media coverage successes
• Represented Visit SLO County at the Visit CA Los Angeles Media reception 4/21/15.
• Reviewed June advertising (negotiated a two-page spread advertisement in Sunset for free).
• Partnered with PACE Communications to revamp the Visitors Guide (due out on 2/1/2016).
• Reviewed Visit SLO County website statistics. Overall site visits increased in triple digits (had
gone from approx. 40M visits down to 20M prior to recent changes).
• Attended the IPW conference in New Orleans in June. Based on experience there, they plan to
increase their booth size for 2016
• Working with communities to streamline film permitting throughout the county.
DRAFT
Tourism Board Improvement District Minutes Page 2
• Working to get regulation information to the communities concerning drone filming regulations
• SAVOR general admission tickets are 27% ahead of projections at this time.
2. SLO WINE COUNTRY YEAR END REPORT
Heather Muran presented the 2014-15 year-end report with the following highlights:
• Membership benefits include - referring partner, membership mixers, newsletter (with SLOTBID
logo), website branding, banner ads, placement in map, hosted travel writers.
• 135M unique visitors to web site, 453M page views, 75% were new visitors.
• Reviewed upcoming opportunities: Taste the Place Campaign (introduces wine/travel to writers),
Quarterly surf report, promotion packages in their newsletter, SLO Wine Trails (mapped
itinerary’s for wine tasting), Travel Shows, Cal Poly SOAR.
Commissioner Harris questioned if they have considered advertising in “Food and Wine Magazine”. Due
to costs, the only way they can do it at this time is by “co-oping” with others.
3. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY REPORT
BCA & StudioGood presented the monthly report with the following highlights:
• Working on website rebuild (metrics are up on all counts, SLO Vacation 35%, Share SLO 44%, Go
SLO 34% year over year)
• Social Media is up year over year as follows: 13M% new fans, 11M% total reach on Facebook,
Twitter 220% increase.
• Partnerships/Sponsorships formed (SLO Wine Newsletter, Cal Poly Athletics, CCTC Blogs)
• SAVOR artwork and planning – 44 days away
• Videography (still in process)
• Working on Event worksheets
• Continue to do SAVOR promotions in general across social media
• Helium is launching soon
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. TBID STRATEGIC PLAN REVIEW
Staff presened the status update on the strategic plan accomplishments and progress made during
the 2014-15 fiscal year toward the TBID Strategic Plan. Staff noted the 12% growth this year in TOT
and Reviewed scorecard and how to use.
2. TBID ANNUAL REPORT
Staff reviewed the annual report process. The report will be presented to City Council on October 20,
2015.
COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION
HOTELIER UPDATE
None.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
Has not met yet
MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Has not met yet
Tourism Board Improvement District Minutes Page 3
PCC UPDATE
Commissioner Pearce reviewed the minutes with the Board.
VISIT SLO COUNTY UPDATE
Commissioners Phipps and Pearce are liaisons, along with staff Cano being on the Board.
TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
• Helium is close to launching. Three tiers of integration have been built in to the process:
o Referral only
o Manually load and manage data by individual properties
o Full implementation (integration in to hotel’s current system electronic booking systems)
The current delay in implementation is from the “Autoclerk” platform as it is not yet ready to integrate
with Helium. Once this is complete a one month soft launch is planned, followed by full live rollout.
Eighteen properties attended the training session (22 participants).
• Staff reviewed promotion of SAVOR.
• Reviewed the process for the website rebuild which is expect to be presented to the committee at the
September meeting.
• Reviewed Central Coast Tourism partnership (CCTC). Looking at a retreat on Oct. 15-16. Expect
between 30 and 50 attendees.
• Reviewed Special Olympics Host Town event. Received very positive media coverage. 87 visiting
athletes participated.
Meeting adjourned at 11:42 pm