HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-14-2015 TBID Agenda Packet
City of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Tourism Business
Improvement District Board
TBID Board Agenda
Wednesday, October 14, 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, September 9, 2015
C.2 Smith Travel Report
C.3 Chamber Public Relations Report
C.4 BCA + StudioGood Marketing Report
C.5 Chamber Visitor Center Report
C.6 TOT Report
C.7 Letter of Resignation from Commissioner Kevin Phipps
PRESENTATIONS
1. MARKETING AGENCY QUARTERLY REPORT 20 mins
Representatives from BCA + StudioGood will present the activity report for the marketing
activities over the previous quarter for the SLO TBID.
2. CONTRACTOR QUARTERLY REPORT 20 mins
Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the activity report for the public relations
and phone/availability contracts from the previous quarter for 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.
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.
1. EROICA ADDITIONAL MARKETING SPONSORSHIP 10 mins
The Marketing Committee will present recommendation for the additional marketing
sponsorship for Eroica 2016.
2. HELIUM UPDATE 15 mins
The Management Committee will discuss the status of the Helium deliverable and contract for
the Board’s consideration and direction.
3. TMD BOARD DESIGNATION 5 mins
The Board will discuss the selection of the next SLO TBID representative to the TMD Board to
fill the appointed seat vacated by Commissioner Phipps.
4. MID-YEAR EVENT PROMOTION SPONSORSHIP PROCESS 10 mins
The Marketing Committee will present recommendation for the Mid-Year Event Promotion
Sponsorship process.
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: September 22, 2015
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: October 8, 2015
4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: September 9, 2015
5. VISIT SLO COUNTY UPDATE – Liaison Reports
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report
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
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
STR Report September 2015
Week of August 30 - September 5
Percent Change
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 68.3 69.5 135.59 129.27 92.68 89.90 -1.7 4.9 3.1 6.3 3.1 1.3
City of Pismo Beach 69.5 75.9 164.15 146.77 114.08 111.44 -8.5 11.8 2.4 2.4 0.1 -8.4
City of San Luis Obispo 66.1 68.1 142.45 128.61 94.14 87.58 -3.0 10.8 7.5 7.5 0.0 -3.0
Week of September 6 - 12
Percent Change
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 76.9 82.1 141.99 127.28 109.24 104.46 -6.3 11.6 4.6 7.8 3.1 -3.3
City of Pismo Beach 82.7 81.2 166.38 138.43 137.62 112.41 1.9 20.2 22.4 22.5 0.1 1.9
City of San Luis Obispo 80.1 75.9 148.91 128.15 119.23 97.27 5.5 16.2 22.6 22.6 0.0 5.5
Week of September 13 - 19
Percent Change
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 78.8 81.6 134.72 125.11 106.11 102.12 -3.5 7.7 3.9 7.1 3.1 -0.5
City of Pismo Beach 83.7 89.7 151.31 140.85 126.62 126.35 -6.7 7.4 0.2 0.3 0.1 -6.7
City of San Luis Obispo 80.7 88.1 138.43 131.89 111.69 116.23 -8.5 5.0 -3.9 -3.9 0.0 -8.5
Week of September 20 - 26
Percent Change
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 78.4 73.2 131.80 129.39 103.32 94.72 7.1 1.9 9.1 12.5 3.1 10.4
City of Pismo Beach 85.1 81.5 148.35 138.63 126.21 112.91 4.4 7.0 11.8 11.8 0.1 4.5
City of San Luis Obispo 82.5 74.7 131.82 122.05 108.70 91.12 10.4 8.0 19.3 19.3 0.0 10.4
Week of September 27 - October 3
Percent Change
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 75.8 70.7 133.32 129.59 101.01 91.61 7.2 2.9 10.3 13.7 3.1 10.5
City of Pismo Beach 84.1 79.2 145.77 138.58 122.54 109.78 6.1 5.2 11.6 11.7 0.1 6.2
City of San Luis Obispo 79.9 76.3 133.99 124.00 107.04 94.65 4.7 8.1 13.1 13.1 0.0 4.7
September
2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 77.5 76.9 135.48 127.74 104.95 98.23 0.7 6.1 6.8 10.2 3.1 3.9
City of Pismo Beach 83.9 82.9 152.93 139.17 128.24 115.37 1.2 9.9 11.2 11.2 0.1 1.2
City of San Luis Obispo 80.7 78.8 138.05 126.75 111.40 99.82 2.5 8.9 11.6 11.6 0.0 2.5
RevPARADR
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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
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT September 2015
HAPPENING NOW:
• Media planning for 2015-2016
• SAVOR wrap up
• Website Rebuild – development
• Cow Parade Planning
• Finalizing videos
• Brochures are done!
SANLUISOBISPOVACATIONS.COM UPDATES
• New pages
-Celebrate Harvest on the Central Coast
-Central Coast Railroad Festival
• Ongoing SEO
SHARESLO UPDATES
• Joined Snapchat
• Community blog posts
-Favorite On-the-Go Eats in San Luis Obispo
-Favorite Wineries in SLO
-SLO it Down and SAVOR the Central Coast
-Painting the Town
-Festive Fall Things to Do in San Luis Obispo
• Ongoing community management
• Events attended
-SAVOR the Central Coast
PARTNERSHIP/SPONSORSHIPS
• Cal Poly Athletics
-New rotating graphics submitted for LED
banner at Mott Gym
-Banner ad in Sept. newsletter
-Facebook post on CP Athletics re: SAVOR
-Soccer Visiting Teams Guide
• CCTC Blogs
-ShareSLO Picture of the Week (x4)
-All Aboard for the Central Coast Railroad Festival
-SAVOR Weekend Passes $50 off
LOOKING AHEAD:
• Website launch
• New business traveler ads
• Harvest on the Coast
METRICS OVERVIEW
SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS UNIQUE
VISITORS REFERRALS
SanLuisObispoVacations.com 6,115 15,280 5,421
slocity.org
m.sanluisobispovacations.com
m.facebook.com
ShareSLO.com 4,356 5,271 3,845
m.facebook.com
facebook.com
l.facebook.com
GOSLO Mobile Experience 1,482 3,148 1,385
slocity.org
shareslo.com
centralcoast-tourism.com
FACEBOOK
New Fans
Total Fans
Total Reach
Average Reach per post
Average Daily Page Engaged Users
Total Engagements
3,111
34,397
559,481
4,224
417
4,892
TWITTER
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
46
3,030
262
275
INSTAGRAM
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
422
3,266
3,147
2,002
August 2015
Report to City of SLO – TBID
Phone Line and Availability Contract
September 2015
Response to TBID Advertising
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Sept 2015
Calls to
1-877-SLO-TOWN
4 4 4 8 3 23
Hotel Availability Tracker
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Sept 2015
Email Response 8 9 7 9 n/a 32
Phone Calls to
Hotels
30 29 31 29 n/a 120
Hotel Referrals
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Sept 2015
Visitors Served
(Walk-ins)
2225 1804 2334 1892
717 8,972
Farmers 500 500
Hotel Rooms
Referred
200 413 218 462
168 1461
TOT Comparision
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-2014-15 2015-16 Change +/-
July 565,637$ 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
From:Kevin Phipps
To:Cano, Molly
Subject:Board Resignation
Date:Thursday, September 17, 2015 1:31:43 PM
Good afternoon Molly. It is with regret that I have to resign my board position
with the City of SLO TBID. I have accepted a General Manger position in Las
Vegas which will begin first part of October. I have truly enjoyed being part of
the board and have enjoyed working with all of the board members. Please
don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance at all while I finish out
my assignment in SLO.
Best,
Kevin
KEVIN D. PHIPPS | General Manager
Embassy Suites San Luis Obispo
333 Madonna Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
d:(805) 547-6400
f: (805) 549-9138
Kevin.Phipps@WCGHotels.com
embassysuitessanluisobispo.com
San Luis Obispo Facebook
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VISIBILITY AT THE MAIN EVENT
$10,000 Musette and Road Book
Each cyclist receives at onsite registration
Riders keep as mementos
Musette has multiple future uses
Road Books and Musettes become collectors items
Musettes are worn by cyclists and remain visible during event
Road Books are stamped at each rest station
City of SLO materials can be included in Musettes
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
Tourism Business Improvement District
Management Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
September 22, 2015 – 3:00 pm
City Hall
PRESENT: Pearce; Wilkins
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Helium Milestone Review & Consideration
The committee discussed the status of the Milestone #4 deliverable and reviewed the recent
communication regarding the deliverable of the additional items requested within the check-list
provided by the Management Committee on 8/27. The committee discussed that many of the items on
the check-list had been addressed however not all were complete. Matt reported on the discussion that
took place with Chad regarding the items on the list. The committee discussed feedback from
AutoClerk regarding Helium the certification status. AutoClerk has advised the management
committee that Helium has not done the necessary testing to ensure that the system will work as
intended with the AutoClerk system. The committee discussed that this verification was required
within the delivery of Milestone #4 and they would not approve the delivery without receiving written
certification, verification or confirmation from AutoClerk. The committee also determined that the
communication from the vendor to staff and the agency was unproductive and unacceptable. The
committee requested that communication on this item be handled by the City’s Economic
Development Manager.
Action: Lee Johnson, Economic Development Manager is to email Chad McNeill requesting the
proof of written certification from AutoClerk for the integration of Helium. This certification or status
of certification is to be delivered by the October 14 TBID Board meeting for the Board’s
consideration of next steps.
The Committee also discussed with StudioGood the impact this will have on the launch of the new
website. StudioGood explained that Helium was the complete representation for hotel listings on the
new site and recommended the build out of a temporary hotel section. This build out would have a
minimal delay on the website launch. The Management Committee directed StudioGood to work on
the concept options for the hotel section design. The revised development schedule, design, and
budget would be presented to the Marketing Committee as part of the website rebuild project.
2. Update on Internship
Staff provided an update to the committee on the status of the internship recruitment. The applicant
pool has been narrowed and the request for references is being processed. The goal is to select the
intern and get him/her started by early October.
3. New Business Items
Staff mentioned the following meeting times to the Committee for future discussion. Committee
directed staff to schedule these accordingly:
• Week of October 5 for Milestone #4 re-review - tentative if needed
• October 27 at 3:00 pm
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
October 8, 2015 – 9:30 am
PRESENT: Hutton; Patel
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Emma Maltbaek, Tourism Intern
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. CowParade SLO
Tom Halen, a representative from CowParade SLO provided background on the international public
art exhibition known as CowParade. Halen discussed the three charities that would benefit from this
event and how CowParade appeals to cultural tourists. The representative then presented the potential
benefits for TBID and the economic impacts the event would have on the county. Then the
representative presented two marketing and event proposals for an auction and gala held in San Luis
Obispo in May 2017. The committee agreed to research CowParade prior to their next meeting
before moving forward with a sponsorship recommendation.
2. Eroica
Gracie Rey, Event Director for Hospice of SLO County presented background information about the
cycling event held in Paso Robles on April 8-10 2016. Rey discussed the benefits sponsors receive
and additional marketing and branding opportunities for the Eroica California event. The request was
for $10,000 for the sponsorship of the musettes (bags) and road book. Each item is available for
individual sponsorship of $5000 each. SLOT BID has first right of refusal for the sponsorship of
these additional items based on the prior year’s sponsorship program. The Committee reached
consensus to move forward with a sponsorship opportunity.
Recommendation: The Committee to recommend $10,000 for sponsorship for musettes (bags) and
road book. Funding to be apportioned from the unallocated program budget.
3. Digital Asset Project Update
BCA provided background on the history of the viedo project. Robin Chilton from PMG Film started
filming promotional videos for San Luis Obispo in April of this year. The Committee reviewed the
videos. The Committee provided favorable reviews and discussed possible edits for final version of
videos. Comments including but not limited to: adding more visual arts (painting), bubble gum alley,
Mission Plaza, and highlights the downtown area of San Luis Obispo. After revisions to the videos
are made, the final videos will be presented at the November 18, 2015 monthly TBID Board meeting.
4. Website Project Updates: Timeline and Hotel Pages
Due to the delayed delivery of Helium, the Management Committee directed StudioGood to create a
temporary solution for the hotel section of the new website. The launch of the new website is delayed
three weeks to accommodate this new direction. The revised launch date will now be November 19,
2015. After previewing selected images pulled from the new website, the Committee decided for the
Hotels page to filter by property type, not by price range. The Committee also decided to make
“Homestays” a separate category under Hotels. After previewing a property page of the future
website, the Committee decided to keep the destination photo as the top banner for every property
page to make the website uniform and simple for the user. It was recognized by the Committee that
StudioGood has agreed to the development of this section at no additional cost to the current website
project contract.
5. Mid-Year Event Promotion Sponsorship
The Committee reviewed the prosed timeline for the mid-year cycle. They discussed the limited
coordination with the PCC for the process due to the PCC’s minimal remaining event budget. The
approved the proposed timeline for the mid-year event promotion sponsorship funding consideration
suggested by staff. The timeline needed to be approved by January.
Recommendation: To approve the mid-year event promotion timeline and cycle.
6. New Business
Staff suggested the following dates for the Committee’s upcoming meetings. The Committee
approved and directed staff to schedule accordingly.
a. Meeting Dates:
i. October 22 – Regular scheduled meeting
ii. November 12 – Rescheduled November meeting (due to Thanksgiving)
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
Visit
SLO
County
Honors
Fire
Services
of
San
Luis
Obispo
County
and
Past
President
Noreen
Martin
at
SAVOR
Opening
Ceremony
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
honored
the
Fire
Services
of
San
Luis
Obispo
County
with
the
first
annual
Tourism
Hero
Award
on
September
26th
during
the
opening
ceremony
of
Sunset
SAVOR
the
Central
Coast,
which
takes
place
each
year
before
the
Main
Event
at
the
historic
Santa
Margarita
Ranch
(top
photo).
Over
100
guests
gathered
together
for
the
ceremony,
which
concluded
with
the
traditional
ribbon
cutting,
officially
marking
the
opening
of
the
Main
Event.
The
Tourism
Hero
Award
was
presented
to
the
Fire
Services
of
San
Luis
Obispo
County
in
recognition
of
their
exceptional
valor
and
courage,
as
they
worked
tirelessly
to
extinguish
threatening
wildfires
impeding
Santa
Margarita
Ranch
this
summer.
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
also
presented
their
2015
Tourism
Champion
Award
to
Noreen
Martin,
CEO
of
Martin
Resorts
(bottom
photo).
The
Tourism
Champion
Award
is
given
each
year
to
individuals
who
go
above
and
beyond
in
their
dedication
and
commitment
to
tourism
for
San
Luis
Obispo
County.
-‐What’s
New
-‐
Activity
Report,
September
2015
Visit
SLO
County
Board
Chair
Kevin
Phipps
Announces
Resignation
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County’s
Board
Chair,
Kevin
Phipps,
announced
in
September
that
he
is
leaving
San
Luis
Obispo
County
to
pursue
a
new
opportunity
as
the
new
General
Manager
at
the
Embassy
Suites
by
Hilton
Convention
Center
Las
Vegas,
and
resigned
from
the
Board,
effective
October
2nd.
Kevin
has
served
on
our
Board
and
Executive
Committee
for
the
past
several
years,
transitioning
this
past
year
to
the
Board
Chair
under
the
formation
of
the
Tourism
Marketing
District
and
its
new
Board.
He
has
given
countless
hours
of
his
time
and
expertise
to
assist
with
the
set-‐up
and
structure
of
the
new
organization.
The
Board
will
be
tasked
with
addressing
the
vacancy
in
the
Board
Chair
position
at
the
October
20th
meeting.
This
will
also
open
a
seat
for
the
City
of
San
Luis
Obispo
to
appoint
a
new
board
member.
Coming
Soon:
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
Co-‐op
Opportunities
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
is
excited
to
provide
co-‐op
opportunities
in
print
publications
such
as
Westways,
Sunset,
VIA
Magazine,
AARP,
the
OC
Register,
the
LA
Times,
and
the
SF
Chronicle.
Co-‐ops
will
range
from
pictorial
to
advertorial
formats,
and
will
be
running
from
November
to
April,
with
a
focus
on
the
shoulder
season.
Digital
opportunities
will
also
be
available
in
food
&
wine
and
travel
sites
throughout
the
Los
Angeles,
San
Francisco,
and
Central
Valley
markets.
Partners
will
be
able
to
purchase
two-‐thirds
of
banner
space
on
these
digital
ads
to
feature
their
content.
Information
will
soon
be
available
on
the
Visit
SLO
County
website.
For
more
details,
please
contact
Brendan
Pringle
at
brendan@visitsanluisobispocounty.com.
Visit
SLO
County
Welcomes
New
Director
of
Travel
Trade:
Michael
Wambolt
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
is
pleased
to
announce
its
new
Director
of
Travel
Trade,
Michael
Wambolt.
Born
in
Torrance,
CA
and
raised
in
Santa
Clarita,
Michael
attended
CU
Boulder
on
a
full
athletic
scholarship
for
two
years
until
his
ball
playing
career
was
interrupted
by
a
battle
with
cancer.
After
vanquishing
the
illness,
he
discovered
a
passion
and
knack
for
hospitality
on
an
excursion
across
Europe
with
ConTiki
Holidays.
Michael
spent
the
next
few
years
in
Amsterdam,
Paris,
and
Hopfgarten,
Austria
working
for
ConTiki
as
a
cook,
site
representative,
bartender,
and
assistant
manager.
Missing
the
states,
Michael
returned
to
California.
He
started
as
a
Front
Desk
Agent
at
the
SeaCrest
OceanFront
Hotel
in
Pismo
Beach,
and
climbed
the
ranks
to
Director
of
Sales.
Most
recently,
Michael
served
as
the
Director
of
Sales
at
the
SpringHill
Suites
in
Atascadero,
where
he
helped
to
open
the
hotel.
As
the
Director
of
Travel
Trade
for
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County,
Michael
is
able
to
utilize
the
experience
and
relationships
he
has
cultivated
over
his
15
years
in
the
field
of
hospitality
and
tourism
to
best
suit
the
needs
of
the
county
he
calls
home.
Phipps
(left)
with
Chuck
Davison,
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
President
&
CEO
Visit San Luis Obispo County is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000.
Featured
in
Thomas
Cook
Travel
Magazine:
Cayucos’
Brown
Butter
Cookie
Company
(left);
and
in
Peter
Greenberg
Worldwide:
San
Luis
Obispo
County’s
local
farmers
markets
(SLO
Farmer’s
Market
featured
right).
Trending
VISIT
SLO
COUNTY
WEB
ACTIVITY
VISITS:
37,075
UNIQUE
VISITORS:
30,275
PAGE
VIEWS:
119,020
AVG.
PAGE
VIEWS/VISIT:
3.21
AVG.
TIME
ON
SITE:
2:25
TOTAL
ORGANIC
TRAFFIC:
26,914
%
OF
ORGANIC:
73%
MOBILE
VISITS:
20,534
MOST
VISITED
EVENT:
FARMERS
MARKET
–
SAN
LUIS
OBISPO
(443
VIEWS)
TOTAL
BLOG
VISITS:
7,129
MOST
SHARED
BLOG:
CAYUCOS
IN
THOMAS
COOK
TRAVEL
MAGAZINE
HTTP://BIT.LY/1IYO4TE
VISIT
SLO
COUNTY
FACEBOOK
LIKES:
12,716
NEW:
177
TOT.
IMPRESSIONS:
95,315
HIGHEST
ENGAGEMENT:
CENTRAL
COAST
MAKES
THE
HUFFPOST’S
LIST
OF
5
GREAT
WINE
DESTINATIONS
IN
THE
US
(779
ENGAGEMENTS)
MOST
LIKED:
CENTRAL
COAST
MAKES
THE
HUFFPOST’S
LIST
OF
5
GREAT
WINE
DESTINATIONS
IN
THE
US
(392
LIKES)
FOLLOWERS
NEW
TWITTER:
5,590
128
32K
IMPRESSIONS
TWEETS:
6,112
PINTEREST:
617
9
PINS:
792
INSTAGRAM:
1,356
105
POSTS:
393
VISITOR
GUIDE
DIST.
WEB
DOWNLOADS:
61
GUIDES
DISTRIBUTED:
2332
TOTAL:
2393
MONTHLY
E-‐SPECIAL
SUBSCRIBERS:
36,154
#
OF
OPENS:
6,860
#
OF
CLICK-‐THROUGHS:
855
THIS
WEEK
IN
SLO
COUNTY
CIRCULATION:
891
MOST
CLICKED
LINK:
2016
San
Luis
Obispo
County
Visitors
Magazine
Media
Kit
Public
Relations
•Sid
Lipsey,
Yahoo!
Travel
–
San
Luis
Obispo,
Cayucos:
Oct.
8-‐10
(re-‐scheduled)
Media
•Peter
Greenberg
Worldwide
–
San
Luis
Obispo
County
http://bit.ly/1j8JBHO
•AwesomenessTV
–
Beach
Buggies
with
JennXPenn
and
ThatsSoJack
http://bit.ly/1NeEnXn
•Thomas
Cook
Travel
Magazine
–
Surf
town
Cayucos
is
a
hit
with
local
tourists
after
small
town
charm
http://bit.ly/1Lc5kZH
•KSBY
–
Sunset
SAVOR
the
Central
Coast
Kicks
Off
http://bit.ly/1OdZlED
•KEYT
–
Sunset
SAVOR
the
Central
Coast
Set
to
Begin
http://bit.ly/1ORAYhD
•Travel
Channel
–
Top
10
Locals
List
with
Shane
Reynolds:
Pacific
Coast
Highway:
http://bit.ly/1FOeICE
•Orbitz
Travel
Blog
–
5
Great
Wine
Destinations
in
the
US
http://huff.to/1iOZMcH
Travel
Trade
•China
FAM
–
Nov.
6
•Australian
SuperFAM
–
Nov.
12
Visit
SLO
County
Attends
Visit
California
SF
Media
Event
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County’s
Kylee
Jepsen
recently
represented
our
region
at
the
Visit
California
SF
Media
Reception
at
The
Village
in
downtown
San
Francisco.
Over
70
Bay
Area
media
attended
and
had
the
opportunity
to
learn
about
San
Luis
Obispo
County.
Media
included
representatives
from
Weekend
Sherpa,
Trekaroo,
KGO,
SF
Chronicle,
VIA
Magazine,
Bay
Area
Family
Travel
and
many
other
publications.
Most
media
inquired
about
Family-‐Friendly
activities
and
Cultural
Events.
Visit
San
Luis
Obispo
County
will
be
following
up
with
all
leads
to
ensure
our
area
continues
to
receive
great
media
exposure
in
the
Bay
Area
market.
UK
SuperFAM
Explores
Paso
Robles
From
September
26-‐27,
Visit
SLO
County
hosted
a
UK
SuperFAM
in
partnership
with
Visit
California
and
Black
Diamond.
The
SuperFAM
was
composed
of
10
travel
experts
from
companies
throughout
the
UK.
During
their
two-‐day
whirlwind
adventure
of
the
Paso
Robles
area,
the
SuperFAM
enjoyed
a
host
of
activities:
lunch
at
Hunter
Ranch
Golf
Course,
wine
tasting
at
Cass
Winery,
a
farm
tour
at
FARMstead
Ed,
wine
and
cheese
pairing
at
Allegretto
Resort,
stagecoach
rides
at
Harris
Stage
Lines,
ziplining
at
Margarita
Adventures,
an
afternoon
at
Sunset
SAVOR
the
Central
Coast
and
dinners
at
Firestone’s
Taproom
and
Enoteca
Restaurant.
The
La
Quinta
Inn
in
Paso
Robles
hosted
them
during
their
stay.
Visit
SLO
County’s
Kylee
Jepsen
and
Michael
Wambolt
joined
back
up
with
the
group
in
Sacramento
for
their
Finale
Event
on
September
29.
August
2015
vs
August
2014
Lodging
Statistics
(STR,
Inc.)
Santa
Barbara/
Santa
Maria
Monterey/Salinas
California
Date: October 2, 2015
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: April 1 - September 30, 2015
Total Traffic Overview:
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Visits:30,648 37,667 42,305 46,651 37,447 37,075
Unique Visitors:25,365 31,136 35,058 38,075 30,571 30,275
Bounce Rate:48%49%52%50%49%47%
Pageviews:96,341 116,951 128,578 138,129 113,518 119,020
Avg Pageviews Per Visit:3.14 3.10 3.04 2.96 3.03 3.21
Avg Time on Site:0:02:23 0:02:21 0:02:19 0:02:17 0:02:19 0:02:25
Total Organic Search Traffic:22,385 27,209 28,464 33,837 27,187 26,914
% of Traffic Organic Search:73%72%67%73%73%73%
Entry Pages From Search:1,826 1,996 2,013 2,185 2,012 2,040
Mobile/Tablet SnapShot:
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Visits:15,574 19,643 22,486 26,406 20,530 20,534 Industry Averages:
% of visits 51%52%53%57%55%55%Pages / Visit Avg. Visit Duration Bounce Rate
Bounce Rate:51%51%54%53%52%50%2.60 0:02:19 55.21%
Pageviews: 42,501 54,217 59,681 69,141 55,887 59,683
Avg Time on Site:0:02:01 0:02:03 0:01:59 0:01:57 0:02:08 0:02:12
* Visits increased 60% compared to last year.
* Unique Visitors on the main site increased 57% year over year.
* Pageviews increased 57% compared over this time last year.
* Organic traffic increased 70% year over year.
* Organic entries to the Activities page increased by 24%, and by 203%
on the Events page sorted by Fairs & Festivals.
SEO Overview:
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Visits Year-Over-Year
Prior Year This Year
72.59%
16.59% 7.84%
2.44%
0.53%
Traffic Sources
Organic Search Direct Referral Social Email
Page 2 of 17
Date: October 2, 2015
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: September 1-30, 2015
Organic Traffic % of Total
Site Traffic
Visits 26,914 72.59%
Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement
Pageviews Per Visit 3.37 5.10%
Avg. Time on Site 0:02:33 5.27%
New Visits 73.82%0.09%
Bounce Rate 44.13%-6.95%
Search Engine Visits Percent
google 24,053 89.37%
yahoo 1,678 6.23%
bing 956 3.55%
aol 156 0.58%
ask 50 0.19%
baidu 9 0.03%
Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent
(not provided)25,001 92.89%/events 6,237 23.17%
san luis obispo 133 0.49%/2,797 10.39%
san luis obispo county 27 0.10%/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 1,293 4.80%
san luis obispo events 23 0.09%/activities 688 2.56%
san luis obispo ca 15 0.06%/our-area 549 2.04%
slo events 15 0.06%/lodging 494 1.84%
antique faires in san luis obispo county 14 0.05%/events/461/thursday-farmers-market 443 1.65%
san luis obispo calendar 13 0.05%/events/570/i-madonnari-italian-street-chalkfestival 279 1.04%
slo county events 13 0.05%/events/1346/avocado-margarita-festival 250 0.93%
san luis obispo farmers market 11 0.04%/community/cambria 249 0.93%
Organic Search Traffic:
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Organic Visits Comparison
Prior Year Current Year
Page 3 of 17
Date: October 2, 2015
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: September 1 - 30, 2015
Demographics & Interests
Affinity Categories:
Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits
Movie Lovers 134
TV Lovers 127
Travel Buffs 104
Technophiles 96
Cooking Enthusiasts/Aspiring Chefs 92
Home Decor Enthusiasts 92
News Junkies & Avid Readers/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 92
News Junkies & Avid Readers 91
Music Lovers 86
Shoppers/Shopaholics 77
Other Categories:
Top 10 Categories Visits
News/Weather 62
Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 61
Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 43
Internet & Telecom/Email & Messaging 41
Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 34
Shopping/Consumer Resources/Coupons & Discount Offers 31
Real Estate/Real Estate Listings 26
Travel/Hotels & Accommodations 26
Reference/General Reference/Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 24
Travel/Tourist Destinations/Beaches & Islands 20
Affinity Categories broaden the scope to identify users in terms of
lifestyle; for example, Technophiles, Sports Fans, and Cooking
Enthusiasts. These categories are defined in a similar way to TV
audiences, and represent an opportunity to understand the behavior
of your audience.
Other Categories are used to classify groups of users based on the
specific content they consume, along with how recently and
frequently they consume that content. This category data provides a
more focused view of your users, and lets you analyze behavior more
narrowly than Affinity Categories.
* Per Google
5.61%
14.02%
6.07%
11.21%
20.09%
7.01%
0.00%
7.01%
5.14%
9.35%
9.35%
5.14%
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age Group by Gender Male
Female
Page 4 of 17
Date: October 2, 2015
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: September 1 - 30, 2015
Top Content:
Top Landing Pages Entrances Top Content Pages Pageviews
/events 7,386 /events 13,900
/5,236 /7,844
/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 1,470 /events/all/fairs_and_festivals 3,954
/poly-parents 1,032 /events/1346/avocado-margarita-festival 2,262
/activities 776 /events?page=1 2,056
/our-area 684 /our-area 1,898
/lodging 607 /events/2489/avila-apple-festival 1,605
/events/461/thursday-farmers-market 501 /poly-parents 1,260
/events/1346/avocado-margarita-festival 431 /events/all/childrens_activities 1,247
/blog/873/cayucos-in-thomas-cook-travel-magazine 319 /activities 1,162
Geographic:
12%
11%
10% 4%
3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1%
51%
Top Cities
San Luis Obispo San Francisco Los Angeles Atascadero
Paso Robles Arroyo Grande Santa Maria Morro Bay
San Diego Fresno Other
85.7%
1.5%
1.2% 0.9%
0.8%
0.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.6%
0.6%
6.2%
Top States
California Texas Arizona Washington
Nevada Colorado New York Illinois
Oregon Michigan Other
Page 5 of 17
Date: October 2, 2015
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: September 1 - 30, 2015
In-MarketVs Vistor:
5,192
11,348
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000
In-Market
Out of Market
Desktop Visits
5,202
15,332
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000
In-Market
Out of Market
Mobile/Tablet Visits
68.61%
31.39%
74.67%
25.33%
Page 6 of 17