HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-13-16 - TBID Agenda PacketCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Tourism Business
Improvement District Board
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.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
10:00 A.M.
City Hall- Council Hearing Room
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Matthew Wilkins
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.
APPOINTMENT - OATH OF OFFICE
Matthew Wilkins and Pragna Patel, appointed by the City Council on March 15, 2016, will take the oath of
office to serve on the TBID Board.
CONSENT ITEMS
C.1 Minutes of Regular Meeting on Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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
PRESENTATIONS
1. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY REPORT 15 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.
2. MARKETING AGENCY QUARTERLY REPORT 15 mins
Representatives from BCA + StudioGood will present the activity report for the marketing activities over
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.
1. ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP & FUNDING REQUESTS 40 mins
The Board will receive presentations on the annual and strategic partnership requests for 2016-17. The
partnership requests will be presented by:
• San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
• SLO Wine Country Association
2. SAN LUIS OBISPO MUSEUM OF ART 20 mins
The Management Committee will introduce the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art request for funding of a
grant for the establishment and marketing of a creative community designation and to create a Strategic
Partnership with the TBID based on the grant.
3. 2016-17 BUDGET DISCUSSION 15 mins
The Board will discuss the general allocations for the 2016-17 budget for direction to the Management
Committee.
4. 2016-17 ANNUAL EVENT PROMOTION APPLICATION 5 mins
The Marketing Committee will present the 2016-17 Annual Event Promotion Application and timeline for
Board approval and for direct staff to release the application contingent of the PCC’s approval.
5. BACON & BARRELS SAN DIEGO EVENT 5 mins
The Marketing Committee will present the recommended budget allocation for the travel and event costs
for Bacon & Barrels San Diego event in May.
6. PROPERTY LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS 5 mins
The Board will review the revised property liaison assignments.
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: March 22, 2016 and March 28,2016
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: April 4, 2016
4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: March 9, 2016
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 April 8, 2016, 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, March 9, 2016
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, March 09, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room,
located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Patel.
ROLL CALL
Present: Board Members Dean Hutton, Matthew Wilkins (arrived at 10:06), LeBren
Young-Harris, Vice-Chair Clint Pearce, and Chair Nipool Patel
Absent: Board Members Kimberly Walker
Staff
Present: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, Economic Development Manager Lee Johnson,
Tourism Intern Emma Maltbaek, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian
PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
There was no public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
C1. MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HUTTON, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the Minutes of the Tourism Business Improvement
District Board meeting on February 10, 2016.
C2. SMITH TRAVEL REPORT
By consensus, the Committee directed staff to receive and file the Smith Travel Report.
C3. CHAMBER PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT
By consensus, the Committee directed staff to receive and file the Chamber Public
Relations Report.
Draft – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes of March 9, 2016 Page 2
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
C4. BCA + STUDIOGOOD MARKETING REPORT
By consensus, the Committee directed staff to receive and file the BCA + StudioGood
Marketing Report.
C5. CHAMBER VISITOR CENTER REPORT
By consensus, the Committee directed staff to receive and file the Chamber Visitor
Center Report.
C6. TOT (TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX) REPORT
By consensus, the Committee directed staff to receive and file the TOT Report.
PRESENTATION ITEMS
1. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY UPDATE
Representatives from BCA + StudioGood presented an activity report for their marketing
efforts in the previous month. They highlighted that the SLO TBID won the “Poppy
Award” at the Visit California Outlook Forum; reported that the Rainy Day marketing
promotion has garnered over 900 room nights booked; announced that the upcoming
April issue of the American Airlines magazine will include an 8-page feature on San Luis
Obispo County; reviewed positive results from surveys and email subscriptions
completed at recent tradeshows; reported the metrics on various print and online
marketing activities; and announced that pages for Homestays, Race SLO, and San Luis
Obispo Travel Videos have been added to SanLuisObispoVactions.com.
2. PUBLIC RELATIONS MONTHLY UPDATE
Molly Kern from the SLO Chamber of Commerce announced that last year’s Visit
California China Fam Promotional Coordinating Committee sponsorship has resulted in
print and online articles in Chinese magazine tiles of GQ, Esquire, Trading Up, National
Geographic Traveler, and Traveler Weekly, each having circulation rates greater than
450,000 in China. She also reported that the Chamber will be partnering with the Central
Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) to sponsor Yahoo writer, Lisa McElroy, for a return trip
to write a family focused piece on the area. For upcoming activities she reviewed eight
journalists that will be covering events in San Luis Obispo in the next few weeks, with a
focus on arts and the outdoors.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. TOURISM PROGRAM SUPPORT
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the duties, salary, and costs of the proposed Tourism
Coordinator position, noting that it would be fully funded by the TBID budget, with the
Draft – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes of March 9, 2016 Page 3
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
City supplying overhead costs. Additionally, an action timeline was presented,
culminating at the June 14, 2016 City Council meeting, should the board recommend
going forward with the proposed position.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HUTTON, CARRIED 5-0, to recommend the establishment of a tourism program
support position.
2. 2016-17 BUDGET DISCUSSION
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the budget timeline as presented in the February 10,
2016 meeting and presented 2016-17 TBID projected budget of $1.4 million. Cano
outlined the committed staffing costs and City administration fee leaving the program
budget at slightly over $1.3 million. Additionally Cano outlined the multi-year committed
contract amounts throughout the budget including items like the RaceSLO arch and the
Cal Poly Athletics sponsorship. The committee acknowledged the projected budget.
3. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the duties and bylaw guidelines for the Chair, Vice Chair,
and Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) Liaison positions.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, SECOND BY CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED
5-0, to nominate Board Member Wilkins for the TBID Chair position.
Per Board bylaws, TBID Manager Cano declared outgoing Chair Patel as the new Vice
Chair.
MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HUTTON, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0, to appoint Board Member Wilkins as PCC Liaison.
TBID LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
1. HOTELIER UPDATE
None
2. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
Nothing further.
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE
The Cow Parade selection was reviewed. It was noted that a humorous piece entitled
“Marilyn Moo-roe” has been selected. An illustration was displayed.
Draft – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Minutes of March 9, 2016 Page 4
City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle
4. PCC UPDATE
Vice Chair Pearce reviewed that the PCC minutes from the February 10, 2016 meeting and
noted that the GIA funding budget has been set at $100,000.
5. VISIT SLO COUNTY UPDATE
Vice Chair Pearce reported that the committee provided funding for the World of
Chardonnay and Festival Mozaic, released an RFP for a marketing contract, and that they
are working on a strategic plan. Tourism Manager Cano suggested that the TBID keep this
in mind for possible opportunities while conducting their own mid-year strategic plan
update.
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Economic Development Manager Johnson reviewed the list of current hotel development
projects which are available for viewing on the City web site:
http://www.slocity.org/doing-business/doing-business-in-slo/what-development-is-
happening-in-the-city
Tourism Manger Cano reviewed that the City Council will be recognizing the TBID
winning the “Poppy Award” at their May 3, 2016 meeting; announced that Pragna Patel has
been recommended for the open seat on the TBID board, noted that intern Emma
Maltbaek’s term has ended; reminded the board of the upcoming CCTC retreat on March
14-16; and reminded the board that the City’s Advisory Body reception will be held
March 22.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 am to the next Regular meeting, to be held on
Wednesday, April 13th, 2016.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Christian
Recording Secretary
STR Report March 2016
Week of February 28 - March 5
Percent Change
2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 64.4 65.3 115.56 111.64 74.37 72.90 -1.4 3.5 2.0 19.9 17.5 15.8
City of Pismo Beach 59.9 60.0 125.57 120.82 75.18 72.48 -0.2 3.9 3.7 3.7 -0.1 -0.3
City of San Luis Obispo 66.0 61.6 123.09 110.05 81.28 67.77 7.2 11.9 19.9 19.9 0.0 7.2
Week of March 6 - March 12
Percent Change
2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 68.2 74.6 121.48 117.31 82.89 87.50 -8.5 3.6 -5.3 11.3 17.5 7.5
City of Pismo Beach 64.5 69.8 132.64 125.28 85.57 87.40 -7.5 5.9 -2.1 -2.1 -0.1 -7.6
City of San Luis Obispo 66.6 70.4 126.16 115.33 84.02 81.23 -5.4 9.4 3.4 3.4 0.0 -5.4
Week of March 13 - March 19
Percent Change
2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 70.9 76.6 133.48 129.49 94.70 99.24 -7.4 3.1 -4.6 12.1 17.5 8.8
City of Pismo Beach 70.3 72.1 140.94 134.14 99.04 96.69 -2.5 5.1 2.4 2.4 -0.1 -2.6
City of San Luis Obispo 64.7 71.6 124.86 120.68 80.74 86.35 -9.6 3.5 -6.5 -6.5 0.0 -9.6
Week of March 20 - March 26
Percent Change
2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 75.3 74.0 124.96 122.72 94.11 90.79 1.8 1.8 3.7 21.8 17.5 19.6
City of Pismo Beach 83.1 75.5 162.88 137.00 135.33 103.40 10.1 18.9 30.9 30.8 -0.1 10.0
City of San Luis Obispo 78.9 72.7 129.23 123.13 102.00 89.51 8.6 5.0 14.0 14.0 0.0 8.6
March
2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 69.7 72.6 124.07 120.63 86.46 87.61 -4.0 2.9 -1.3 16.0 17.5 12.8
City of Pismo Beach 69.4 69.3 142.70 129.81 99.09 89.99 0.2 9.9 10.1 10.0 -0.1 0.1
City of San Luis Obispo 69.0 69.1 125.95 117.59 86.95 81.22 0.0 7.1 7.1 7.1 0.0 0.0
Percent Change
ADR RevPAR
ADR
RevPAR
Running 28 Days - TY vs. LY
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
RevPARADR
Occ %
Occ %
ADR
Occ %RevPAR
RevPARADR
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
Media Releases
San Luis Obispo Receives Statewide Tourism Marketing Award
Distributed release announcing San Luis Obispo’s Visit California Poppy Award for best overall
marketing campaign.
SLO Happenings This Spring
Wrote and distributed list of events that are happening in the city of San Luis Obispo this spring.
Love SLO Brings a Community-Wide Day of Service to San Luis Obispo
Sent release promoting PCC supported event to local outlets.
Canzona Women’s Ensemble: Beginning Again
Sent release promoting PCC supported event to local outlets.
Media/Community Relations
1. Worked with DeAnna Jarnagin, Associate Publisher of American Cowboy, on her
destination story featuring San Luis Obispo set to run in the June/July issue.
2. Worked with the Silicon Valley Business Journal to identify opportunities to feature
San Luis Obispo as a corporate retreat destination.
3. Pitched the following attractions to be featured in Visit California’s free family
attractions:
a. Hiking in San Luis Obispo
b. Night at the Children’s Museum
c. Exploring the Creek walk and Mission Plaza
d. Concerts in the Plaza
e. Bike Night
f. Farmers’ Market
g. Children’s Day in the Plaza
h. Art after Dark
i. SLO Railroad Museum
4. Worked with Visit San Luis Obispo County on a collaborative press release sharing the
Poppy Awards that were won by a variety of San Luis Obispo County agencies and
destinations.
5. Worked with Create Promotions, event organizers for Bacon and Barrels as well as San
Luis Obispo Craft Beer Week, to brainstorm ways to promote San Luis Obispo at their
San Diego Bacon and Barrels event.
6. Worked with Brand USA to feature photos of San Luis Obispo in an upcoming article.
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
7. Pitched San Luis Obispo as the quintessential college town to US News and World
Reports.
8. Worked with editorial team at 805 Living to feature San Luis Obispo in an upcoming
issue.
9. Attended the CCTC conference dinner.
10. Helped prepare TBID Chair and SLO City Economic Development Director for tourism
centric interview on the Dave Congalton Show.
11. Continued to coordinate April 2016 press trip for travel writer Patty Burness.
12. Coordinated press trip for Melody Pittman of Wherever I May Roam.
13. Coordinated press trips and media reception for seven writers attending the SLO Film
Fest.
14. Worked with City Tourism Manager and local partners to coordinate SLO Adventure tour
as part of countywide FAM for writers with the North American Travel Journalists
Association.
15. Continued working with Landis Communications to coordinate FAM trip on behalf of
their San Luis Obispo client, Native Trails.
16. Worked with event organizers to promote Love SLO to local media.
17. 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
March 2016
Media Placements
Results from Visit California China FAM Trip
Last June we hosted a group of writers who came to San Luis Obispo on a FAM trip
initiated by Visit California China.
1. GQ, Monthly Circulation: 460,000
2. Trading UP, Monthly Circulation: 450,000
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
3. Esquire, Monthly Circulation: 400,000
4. National Geographic Traveler, Monthly Circulation: 494,200
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
5. Traveler Weekly, Weekly Circulation: 250,000
6. Survey: The 30 happiest cities in the U.S.
San Antonio Express News, Beaumont Enterprise and Times Union share the
annual Well-Being survey looks at the 190 biggest communities in the U.S. to determine
the most comfortable place to call home. San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande,
Calif. Rank no. 10.
Circulation/Audience: 146,463
http://www.mysanantonio.com/national/article/Survey-The-30-happiest-cities-in-the-U-S-
6880888.php
Unique Visitors Per Month: 125,608
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/national/article/Survey-The-30-happiest-cities-in-
the-U-S-6880888.php
Unique Visitors Per Month:582,619
http://www.timesunion.com/national/article/Survey-The-30-happiest-cities-in-the-U-S-
6880888.php
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
7. California Dream Eater in San Luis Obispo
Visit California personality ‘The California Dream Eater’ shares videos of Sidecar and
Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo
Unique Views: 151,245
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArPvGRos1UY&index=22&list=PLrw9XyyuEBynOun-
ArdXwhJccDkHECa3V
Unique Views: 119,774
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQFsGBzMJBw&list=PLrw9XyyuEBynOun-
ArdXwhJccDkHECa3V&index=3&nohtml5=False
8. 10 Top Farmers Markets
Visit California names San Luis Obispo’s Thursday night Farmer’s Market as one of the
top markets in the state.
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/feature/10-top-farmers-
markets?utm_source=NEWSL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March3+domestic_
2016-03-
15+00%3A00%3A00_20160311_025207_398860&utm_content=11113651&utm_term=
_398860_398880
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
9. California’s Highway One: A guide to the one road trip you need to do in your
lifetime
Travel section of Australia’s News.com.AU covers the ultimate road trip along
California’s coast, including a stop in San Luis Obispo.
Unique Audience: 3,674,000
http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/north-america/californias-highway-one-a-
guide-to-the-one-road-trip-you-need-to-do-in-your-lifetime/news-
story/7ae39620053ba2003fe5138d3070ce56
10. The California coast from San Francisco to LA is best experienced by car
The Daily Mirror article talks about the best stops on the way from San Francisco to LA.
Daily Circulation: 897,786
http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/usa-long-haul/california-coast-san-francisco-la-
7623697
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
11. San Luis Obispo the New Napa
Huffington Post article by Film Festival hosted writer James Crotty describes his
impression of San Luis Obispo.
Unique Views: 253,614
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-marshall-crotty/san-luis-obispo-the-new-
napa_b_9551388.html
12. Craft Breweries Looking Beyond the Beer
CraftBeer.com posts article about trends in craft brewing and highlights lofts that will
soon be available at SLO Brew.
Unique Views: 1,206,017
http://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/craft-breweries-looking-beyond-beer
http://www.thebeerdiary.com/2016/03/craft-breweries-looking-beyond-the-beer.html
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
13. The 6 Best Places to See Along California’s Central Coast
Locale Magazine calls San Luis Obispo ‘easily the central coast’s most unmissable
destination.’
Unique Visitors Per Month: 68,508
http://localemagazine.com/the-6-best-places-to-see-along-californias-central-coast/
14. Bacon, craft beer and wine, Bacon & Barrels' perfect combination
Discover San Diego writes about the San Luis Obispo section of Bacon and Barrels.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 178,407
http://www.discoversd.com/news/2016/mar/16/bacon-and-barrels/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
15. Road Trip: Cowboy's Guide to California Wine Country
American Cowboy, Equisearch and Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record article
highlights San Luis Obispo attractions that cowboys will love.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 13,229
http://www.equisearch.com/article/road-trip-cowboys-guide-california-wine-country-
31974
Unique Visitors Per Month: 56,639
http://www.americancowboy.com/article/road-trip-cowboys-guide-california-wine-country-
31974
16. Local coverage of the SLO Film Fest
KSBY, The Tribune and Mustang News cover the SLO Film Fest.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 262,176
http://www.ksby.com/story/31477739/learn-about-making-movies-on-the-central-coast-
at-the-slo-international-film-festival
Unique Visitors Per Month:539,959
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article67164637.html
Unique Visitors Per Month:539,959
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article64999122.html
http://mustangnews.net/slo-film-festival/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2016
17. Hundreds volunteer to love SLO
KSBY covers PCC supported event, Love SLO.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 262,176
http://www.ksby.com/story/31528897/hundreds-volunteer-to-love-slo
18. How to Have a Successful Workation
Lemonly article describes the writers’ work-vacation along California’s coast and
describes San Luis Obispo as “a very unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Tons of great
healthy food stops, walking trails, yoga studios, kids spots/parks, and a bubble gum
wall!”
http://lemonly.com/blog/how-to-have-a-successful-workation/
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2016
HAPPENING NOW
• Rainy Day Promotion wrap up
• Mustang News 100 Years ad
• Chamber Visitors Guide ad
• ShareSLO goes to Eroica
• ShareSLO throws first pitch at Cal Poly
Baseball
• More sunglasses on the way!
SLO VACATIONS
• Ongoing SEO and site management
SHARESLO
• SLO Film Fest
-Videos with filmmakers and sponsors
-Live coverage on Instagram, Twitter &
Snapchat
-Captured event photography and
videography at opening night, Central Coast
Filmmakers Mixer and Surf Nite
• Community Blog Posts
-Unique movie theaters
-Hop on the SLO Beer Trail
-Central Coast Filmmaker Mixer
-Favorite Hiking Spots in SLO
-SLO in the news: February
PARTNERSHIPS
• Cal Poly
-ShareSLO throws first pitch at Cal Poly
Baseball
-ShareSLO Track & Field Meet
• Events
-Working w/ SLO Marathon on yearlong
promotions plan to bring athletes back
during low season
-Bacon & Barrels San Diego promotion
planning
-SLO Film Fest promotion and follow-up
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2016
PARTNERSHIPS (CONTINUED)
• CCTC
-ShareSLO Picture of the Week (3)
-Historic Fremont Theater in SLO becoming a
premiere concert venue
-Surfing Goat set to appear at Surf Nite in SLO
-Shedding light on SLO’s hiking trails
-Viva San Luis! Ann-Margret honored at SLO
Film Fest this month
LOOKING AHEAD
• Bacon & Barrels in San Diego
• SLO Marathon + Half
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2016
SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS
SanLuisObispoVacations.com 23,251 42,232 19,800
m.facebook.com
slocity.org
rank-checker.online
facebook.com
GOSLO Mobile Experience 26 83 24
FACEBOOK
New Fans
Total Fans
Total Reach
Average Reach per post
Average Daily Page Engaged Users
Total Engagements
1,398
41,778
689,778
6,122
548
9,153
TWITTER
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
60
3,314
379
389
INSTAGRAM
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
551
5,867
7,707
2,425
YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 17,254
March 2016RAINY DAY PROMOTION RESULTS
Emails exchanged
2,194
505
Promotions awarded
467
Promotions claimed
1,186
Hotel nights booked
70
nights 31
nights
46
nights
TOP 3 HOTELS BOOKED
Apple
FarmQuality
Inn & Suites La Cuesta
Inn
So. Cal (48%)
No. Cal (33%)
Out of State (10%)
Valley (5%)
Central Coast (3%)
Out of Country (1%)
Budget (25%)
Mid-Range (53%)
Boutique (22%)
Where are
you from?
Newspaper story (print or digital) (20%)
Direct email (18%)
Friend or family member (18%)
Facebook (page not mentioned) (7.5%)
Direct from hotel (5%)
Partner event (beer fest or ice rink) (2%)
Digital ad (1%)
Sanluisobispovacations.com (1%)
Chamber (0.7%)
Travel Show (0.5%)
Cal Poly (FB page, students, sororities, fraternities,
alumni email, PAC) (25.5%)
How did you hear
about the promotion?
Hotels
Booked
Report to City of SLO – TBID
Phone Line and Availability Contract
March 2016
Response to TBID Advertising
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2015
Mar 2016
Calls to
1-877-SLO-TOWN
37 31 13 10 19 91
Hotel Availability Tracker
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2015 Mar 2016
Email Response 6 9 10 9 55 34
Phone Calls to
Hotels
31 28 27 28 95 114
Hotel Referrals
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2015
Mar 2016
Visitors Served
(Walk-ins)
975 1,004 1,528 1,379
6,534 4,886
Farmers’ Market n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hotel Rooms
Referred
607 604
501
392
394 2,257
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$ 643,127$ 15.5%72.7 75.8 4.4 127.59$ 137.53$ 7.8 92.73$ 104.30$ 12.5
October 416,905$ 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 642,221$ 8.1%78 77.9 -0.2 130.39$ 140.91$ 8.1 101.68$ 109.70$ 7.9
November 354,737$ 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 468,016$ -1.5%67.9 64.8 -4.5 $120.78 127.19$ 5.3 $81.96 82.40$ 0.5
December 274,871$ 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 429,600$ 9.8%57 59.2 3.9 $110.70 117.78$ 6.4 $63.06 69.72$ 10.6
January 258,316$ 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 382,048$ -4.5%60.8 55.2 -9.3 112.18$ 118.80$ 5.9 68.26$ 65.57$ -3.9
February 292,343$ 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 455,257$ 5.5%67.2 66.2 -1.5 $121.40 129.14$ 6.3 $81.63 85.53$ 4.8
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$ 4,639,616$ 6.2%73.02 71.50 129.38$ 135.14$ 95.79$ 98.16$
6,843,873$ 5.0%
** Doesn't reflect all TOT #'s
Occupancy ADR RevPAR
Figures from Smith Travel Research report
DRAFT 4.8.16
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 purpose of the Event Promotion sponsorship is to develop a year-round diverse calendar of destination
events in the City of San Luis Obispo. 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. 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.
Sponsorship funding is subject to budget constraints. Based on the limited amount of funding available,
applications will be reviewed in consideration of all application submissions, and the submission of a complete
application does not guarantee funding. This application process does not limit the TBID or PCC from directly
funding special events outside of this application process.
The application must be submitted in the following manner:
A. One digital copy sent to mcano@slocity.org.
B. Eight sets (8) of the application (typed, clipped, and 3-hole punched).
C. One copy of:
• your event’s previous year financial statement or budget details for a start-up event
• a listing of all officers and/or staff
• tax exempt certification/ or business license in the City of SLO (City of SLO business license must be
obtained if funds are awarded)
• signed statement of limitations and payment disbursement (Attachment 4)
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WITH THE APPLICATION OR BIND/STAPLE YOUR
APPLICATION MATERIALS.
It is important that your application provide all the requested information. Clear, concise and original
applications are best. Your original application should be hand delivered or mailed to:
Community Promotions Program- Events Subcommittee
Attn: Tourism Manager
City of San Luis Obispo Administration
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Events Promotion Program Timeline
Please note the following dates:
1. April 18, 2016 - Application information available on the City’s website.
2. April 27, 2016 at 4:30 pm Special Meeting of the Events Promotion Subcommittee - An informational
workshop will be held at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, to answer questions regarding the special event
sponsorship process.
3. May 20, 2016 - Completed applications will be due to the City Administration Office by 5:00 p.m. LATE
OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
4. Week of May 30- June 3- Events will be required to participate in a question and answer session with the
subcommittee members. (Applicants will be notified of this meeting by email).
5. June 8, 2016- Recommendations from the subcommittee will be made to PCC/TBID Boards during
regular committee meetings.
6. July 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/what the requested funds 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?
Yes ___ No ____
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:
____________ in-county attendees
____________ 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
March 22, 2016 – 12:00 pm
Community Development Building
PRESENT: Pearce; Harris
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Tourism Support Position Job Duties & Description
The committee discussed the job duties for the tourism support position for the development of
the job description. Staff presented a first version draft for their review. The committee provided
input and suggestions for staff to include.
Staff will update the job description and bring it back to the committee and/or TBID Board for
final review.
2. New Business
• Next meeting date: April 26 at 3:00 pm
Meeting was adjourned at 12:35 pm.
Tourism Business Improvement District
Management Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
March 28, 2016 – 12:00 pm
City Hall
PRESENT: Pearce; Harris; Wilkins
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager, Maddie Kuber, Tourism Intern
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. California Arts Council Grant
Representatives from the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA), Karen Kile and Elvin
Padilla, requested the Management Committee to consider a strategic partnership that would
supply matching funding for a potential grant from the California Arts Council (CAC). The grant
being sought by SLOMA is to designate San Luis Obispo as a creative community, and
specifically a portion of the San Luis Obispo downtown area of Mission Plaza and its proposed
extension, as a Cultural Center by the CAC. The grant money would support collaborative arts
planning and programming to engage locally-based arts organizations in a creative place-making
strategy. The Museum of Art has committed its energy and funds in a $70,000 grant-writing
effort to the CAC that partners the Museum of Art with the SLO Little Theatre, SLO History
Center, the Old Mission Parish, the Children's Museum, Arts Obispo, and Festival Mozaic in the
marketing and promotion of the Cultural Center—with year-round shared marketing and
potentially four weeks of activities and events that focus our residents' and tourists' attention on
the rich cultural life of San Luis Obispo. This grant requires a 1:1 dollar match, not to exceed
50% in volunteer hours and in-kind services meaning $35,000 in cash contribution if the grant is
awarded.
Through the discussion with the committee, SLOMA requested the opportunity to present a
request for up to $30,000 in cash contribution from the TBID for the strategic partnership for
marketing funds for the matching grant. In addition, SLOMA would match the $30,000 from the
TBID’s contribution with the awarded grant funds for $60,000 in out-of-area advertising of art &
cultural in SLO. The City’s tourism brand would be used on all the advertising. This grant would
aid a project that would bring people to San Luis Obispo during its shoulder-season (February-
April) and would hold art-related activities Sunday through Thursday.
The TBID Management Committee discussed the opportunity and agreed that it was in line with
the Strategic Plan, addressed their marketing pillar of Arts & Culture, and was a great opportunity
to leverage funding to maximize their investment. SLOMA requested the support of the
Management Committee in the form of a non- binding letter of intent to accompany the grant
submission on March 30, 2016.
Recommendation: The committee unanimously recommended to invite the San Luis Obispo
Museum of Art to present a strategic partnership proposal to the TBID Board for the matching
grant funding and approved the inclusion of the letter of intent for the grant submission to be
signed by the Board Chair.
2. New Business
• Next meeting date: April 26 at 3:00 pm
Meeting was adjourned at 12:25 pm.
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Subcommittee
Meeting Minutes
April 4, 2016 – 10:30 am
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Patel; Hutton
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Maddie Kuber, Tourism Intern
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Cow Parade Selection
Staff presented the recommendation to commission graffiti artist Man One to paint one of the two
SLO TBID cows for the SLO County Cow Parade event. Staff reviewed with the committee the
previous work of the artist and the vision for the concept. If commissioned, Man One would paint
the cow onsite during the Round Up event at the Madonna Meadows on September 17, 2016. In
addition to the live painting at the event, the kick-off media FAM would potentially be
coordinated during hat same period to maximize the reach potential. Following the event, the
Man One painted cow would be located outside Just Looking Gallery in Downtown for the
duration of the Cow Parade until auction.
Approval: The Committee approved the concept and gave the agency and staff direction to being
arranging the details.
2. Bacon & Barrels San Diego Additional Expenses
As follow up from the February committee meeting, staff presented the proposed travel &
activation budget for the Bacon & Barrels San Diego event happening May 20-22. The budget of
$5,000 will cover the expenses of four representatives of the TBID including travel, lodging,
food, a rental car, and booth and marketing collateral. Additionally, on the evening of Friday,
May 20th a San Diego based media dinner event has been coordinated for about 15-20 journalists
to pitch story ideas for San Luis Obispo, SLO Craft Beer Week, and the Bacon & Barrels events.
There was discussion on the distribution at the event of the SAVOR bags or designing new craft
beer bags. It was decided that using the SAVOR bags would be the best option based on cost and
turn-around time, contingent on the approval from the event producer.
Recommendation: The Marketing Committee recommended allocating $5000 to cover the travel
and booth expenses for the Bacon & Barrels San Diego event.
3. 2017 SLO Marathon Date Change Consideration
Staff presented to request for consideration from the SLO Marathon to change the date of the
2017 event to the third week in May. After comparing and discussing the May and April
historical occupancy and ADR figures, the Marketing Committee was not in support of the
change. The feeling was that not only did this have a lesser value impact for the hotels since it’s
already an impacted weekend on its own and existing business would be displaced, but they were
also concerned that it would create lodging challenges in terms of availability and rate for race
participants and spectators. Additionally, the committee expressed that the initial partnership for
the Marathon weekend was based on the proposition to create a mutually beneficial partnership
for the TBID and Get Off The Couch and April had been selected initially to establish a world
class active event that would create demand during a slower lodging period. Unfortunately, they
don’t think this goal is achieved with the May date. The committee proposed to push the date up
to March or back to the first weekend in June. Staff will contact the SLO Marathon and propose
those two dates options for the event producer’s consideration.
4. 2016-17 Annual Event Promotion Application
The 2016-17 Annual Event Promotion Application was reviewed by the committee with no
changes.
Recommendation: The Marketing Committee recommended the approval and release of the
2016-17 Annual Event Promotion Application.
5. 2016-17 Marketing Plan Development
Representatives from BCA and Studio Good reviewed an outline of the proposed concepts for the
development of the 2016-17 Marketing Plan with the committee. Each topic was covered and
additional time was spent on discussing the enhancement of swag that is distributed throughout
the year. Studio Good discussed the website functions and bringing SEO in house as well the
need for more user touchpoints and content marketing. The committee was supportive of the
proposed concepts outlined and presented. At the May committee meeting the marketing agencies
will present the draft of the 2016-17 Marketing Plan for the committee’s input. The final draft
will be presented at the June TBID Board meeting.
6. New Business
New members of the committee will be assigned at the next board meeting, therefore the next
meeting was not scheduled.
Visit San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County 2016 Tourism Exchange: RSVP Today!
Join Visit San Luis Obispo County at the historic Fremont Theatre on Friday, May 6, as we cel ebrate
the countywide impact of the Tourism Marketing District in its first year, and share initiatives and
strategies that will move us forward in a united effort during year two! Don’t miss this opportunity to
hear the latest industry intelligence and trends from guest speakers, learn from tourism industry
experts, and network and share strategies with your peers.
Visit San Luis Obispo County President & CEO Chuck Davison will be showcasing the major initiatives
from the Tourism Marketing District’s first year in an overview of the state of the County tourism
industry, as well as discuss the strategic plans that will move San Luis Obispo County tourism forward
in Year Two; Merrill Research will be presenting the results of Visit San Luis Obispo County's
Awareness Research Study; Brandon Feighner with PKF will provide a SLO County tourism lodging
forecast; and Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta will provide an update on the State of
Tourism in California, major statewide initiatives impacting areas like SLO County and the difference
Visit California is making with the passage of Dream Big. The event will be followed by a reception
at 5:30pm at the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Gardens.
RSVP online at http://bit.ly/tourism-exchange and stay tuned for the complete agenda!
Visit San Luis Obispo County Prepares for China Sales Mission
Visit San Luis Obispo County Director of Travel Trade Michael Wambolt will be jet-setting to the
other side of the globe with Visit California as part of their China Sales Mission, happening April 8 -
18. Wambolt will be meeting with over 80 top travel agents and tour operators during the mission
as he travels to Beijing and Shanghai to tackle this important market.
IPW 2016: Co-op Opportunities Still Available!
The largest tour and travel trade show in the United States is just around the corner. Visit San Luis Obispo
County will be heading to New Orleans June 18-23 along with some of our county partners. Appointment
scheduling opened April 4th. VSLOC still has space available for co-op partners to participate. Co-op buy-
in is $3600 plus travel expenses. The deadline for this co-op opportunity is April 29, 2016.
San Luis Obispo County Finalists Vie for Several Sunset Travel Awards
San Luis Obispo County is well-represented among the finalists in the second annual Sunset Travel
Awards. Finalists included Paso Robles, CA (Best Wine Country Town), The Canyon Villa in Paso (Best Bed
& Breakfast), JUSTIN Winery (Best Vineyard/Tasting Room Experience), Ancient Peaks Winery with
Margarita Adventures (Best Vineyard/Tasting Room Experience), Bristols Cider House (Best Micro-
Brewery or Distillery), and Vina Robles (Best Outdoor Music Venue). Winners are expected to be
announced around June 1 and will be featured in Sunset’s August 2016 issue, as well as on Sunset.com.
- What’s New -
Activity Report, March 2016
April is Pet Friendly Month in San Luis Obispo County:
Throughout April, Visit San Luis Obispo County is celebrating Pet-Friendly Month. Be sure to
share VSLOC's blog posts about pet-friendly activities, including a special guest blog from SLO
County native Stella the Pretty Frenchie. From April 1-13, VSLOC is also hosting the annual Top
Dog Competition on Facebook. Consumers are encouraged to submit photos of their "top dog"
to win a two-night stay at the SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel, wine tasting at Cass Winery, Castoro
Cellars, and Lone Madrone, cider tasting at Bristols Cider House and lunch at Splash Café.
San Luis Obispo County
2016 Tourism Exchange
Visit San Luis Obispo County is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000.
Featured in
Wine Enthusiast:
Stolo Family
Vineyards,
Cambria (left);
and in
Huffington Post:
The Shell Shop
(Morro Bay)
(right).
Trending
VISIT SLO COUNTY
WEB ACTIVITY
VISITS: 38,636
UNIQUE VISITORS: 32,504
PAGE VIEWS: 108,338
AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 2.80
AVG. TIME ON SITE: 2:04
TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 21,612
% OF ORGANIC: 75%
MOBILE VISITS: 29,441
MOST VISITED EVENT:
FAIRS & FESTIVALS (2403 VIEWS)
TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 8,623
MOST SHARED BLOG: SURF’S UP AT
THE SLO INTERNATIONAL FILM
FEST’S 11TH SURF NITE:
HTTP://BIT.LY/21TQGJX
VISIT SLO COUNTY
FACEBOOK
LIKES: 15,583 NEW: 372
TOT. IMPRESSIONS: 840,717
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: VISIT
CALIFORNIA DREAM EATER VISITS
SPLASH CAFÉ (795 ENGAGEMENTS)
MOST REACTIONS: CALIFORNIA'S
WILDFLOWERS ARE BLOOMING AND
SLO COUNTY IS PUTTING ON A
SPECTACULAR SHOW. #FANFRIDAY
(896 REACTIONS)
FOLLOWERS NEW
TWITTER: 6149 116
41.7K IMPRESSIONS
TWEETS: 6,617
PINTEREST: 649 1
PINS: 802
INSTAGRAM: 3725 520
POSTS: 613
VISITOR GUIDE DIST.
WEB DOWNLOADS: 93
GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 1049
TOTAL: 1142
THIS MONTH IN SLO COUNTY
SUBSCRIBERS: 36,661
# OF OPENS: 5,449
# OF CLICK-THROUGHS: 735
THIS WEEK IN SLO COUNTY
CIRCULATION: 840
MOST CLICKED LINK:
STR Report—Week of 3/20-3/26
Public Relations
North American Travel Journalists Association (April)
Media
Huffington Post: San Luis Obispo: The New Napa? http://huff.to/1PRYupX
USA Today: 10Best College Towns (San Luis Obispo) http://bit.ly/1q3Uq0A
Mirror.co.uk: The CA coast from SF to LA is best experienced by car http://bit.ly/1SNAUPy
Wine Enthusiast: The Best Vineyard Views in California http://bit.ly/1UGmrbz
Travel & Leisure: America’s Best Little Beach Towns http://tandl.me/1Waxnhj
Travel Trade
Visit California China Sales Mission: April 8-18 (Beijing/Shanghai)
Connect California Show: April 27-29 (Irvine)
International Pow Wow: June 18-23 (New Orleans)
Film Commission
Association of Film Commissioners Intl’s Locations & Global Finance Conference: April 21-23
Film Liaisons in California Statewide Film in California Conference: May 21
VSLOC Hosts Film Scouts on Film Fest FAM Tour
SLO County Film Commission marketing initiatives are in full swing this spring.
Film Commission Liaison Kylee Jepsen hosted a familiarization tour in partnership
with the SLO International Film Festival, where 24 filmmakers and producers had
the opportunity to explore potential filming locations in the County.
VSLOC Networks with Meeting Professionals at MPI Tradeshow
On March 15, VSLOC Travel Trade Director Michael Wambolt traveled to MPI
Sacramento/Sierra Nevada Chapter’s annual tradeshow at the California Car
Museum in Sacramento, and pitched SLO County to 20 qualified meeting
professionals. The tradeshow was a prime relationship building opportunity and
helped VSLOC continue to build its lead generating network in the Sacramento area.
Visit San Luis Obispo County Public Relations Update
VSLOC Sr. Communications Coordinator Kylee Jepsen recently attended the Visit
California New York Media Event, where she pitched to more than 100 qualified
media in the New York travel industry. Additionally, she met deskside with
Travel & Leisure Magazine, discussing a strategic PR partnership for future
stories. Jepsen is attending the Visit California Texas Media Bootcamp in April,
where SLO County will be a featured destination giveaway prize and will provide
the only wine distributed in media gift bags. Additionally, she will be attending
the Visit California Media Events in Vancouver and Calgary in May.
California
February 2016 vs February 2015 Lodging Statistics (STR, Inc.)
Monterey/Salinas
Santa Barbara/Santa Maria
Date: April 1, 2016
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: October 1, 2015 - March 31, 2016
Total Traffic Overview:
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Visits:37,359 35,523 43,292 50,686 37,694 38,636
Unique Visitors:30,414 28,908 34,379 38,376 31,853 32,504
Bounce Rate:51%51%48%51%51%50%
Pageviews:109,772 109,024 138,722 156,974 107,927 108,338
Avg Pageviews Per Visit:2.94 3.07 3.20 3.10 2.86 2.80
Avg Time on Site:0:02:06 0:02:18 0:02:36 0:02:38 0:02:07 0:02:04
Total Organic Search Traffic:26,711 24,267 31,112 29,823 24,262 28,907
% of Traffic Organic Search:71%68%72%59%64%75%
Entry Pages From Search:1,960 1,843 1,769 1,918 1,934 1,943
VisitSLOCounty Visits:0 6,592 13,104 13,938 18,182 14,643
VisitSLOCounty Bounce Rate:0%90%89%86%75%73%
Mobile/Tablet SnapShot:Industry Averages:
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Pages / Visit Avg. Visit Duration Bounce Rate
Visits:21,160 20,055 25,072 29,441 21,035 21,612 Total:2.55 0:02:17 55.46%
% of visits 57%56%58%58%56%56%Organic:2.75 0:02:08 49.30%
Bounce Rate:54%54%50%57%57%54%
Pageviews: 56,219 55,051 73,318 74,611 51,046 53,305
Avg Time on Site:0:01:51 0:02:00 0:02:20 0:02:08 0:01:44 0:01:45
* Visits increased 36% compared to last year.
* Unique Visitors on the site increased 36% year over year.
* Pageviews increased 20% compared over this time last year.
* Organic traffic increased 42% year over year.
* Organic entries to the Events page increased by 24%, by 40% on the
Our Area page, and by 77% on the Fairs & Festivals Event page.
SEO Overview:
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Main Site Visits Year-Over-Year
Prior Year This Year
74.82%
13.82% 9.32%
1.07%
0.96%
0.02%
Traffic Sources
Organic Search Direct Referral
Social Email (Other)
Page 2 of 18
Date: April 1, 2016
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: March 1-31, 2016
Organic Traffic % of Total
Site Traffic
Visits 28,907 74.82%
Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement
Pageviews Per Visit 2.91 3.76%
Avg. Time on Site 0:02:10 4.57%
New Visits 77.27%0.22%
Bounce Rate 47.25%-5.85%
Search Engine Visits Percent
google 26,470 91.57%
yahoo 1,398 4.84%
bing 919 3.18%
aol 56 0.19%
ask 43 0.15%
images.google 11 0.04%
Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent
(not provided)27,445 94.94%/events 4,280 14.81%
san luis obispo 128 0.44%/3,289 11.38%
san luis obispo events 36 0.12%/events/461 1,152 3.99%
events in san luis obispo 20 0.07%/our-area 750 2.59%
san luis obispo county 18 0.06%/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 720 2.49%
calendar of events san luis obispo 14 0.05%/activities 699 2.42%
lopez lake camping 13 0.04%/profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 677 2.34%
san luis obispo farmers market 12 0.04%/events/1146/easter-egg-hunt-and-festival 620 2.14%
things to do in san luis obispo 11 0.04%/lodging 410 1.42%
san luis obispo hotels 10 0.03%/events/all/childrens_activities 352 1.22%
Organic Search Traffic:
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Organic Visits Comparison
Prior Year Current Year
Page 3 of 18
Date: April 1, 2016
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: March 1 - 31, 2016
Demographics & Interests
Affinity Categories:
Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits
Movie Lovers 14,926
News Junkies & Avid Readers/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 12,727
TV Lovers 12,460
Travel Buffs 10,884
Cooking Enthusiasts/Aspiring Chefs 10,192
News Junkies & Avid Readers 9,527
Home Decor Enthusiasts 9,160
Technophiles 8,428
Health & Fitness Buffs 7,694
Shoppers/Shopaholics 7,244
Other Categories:
Top 10 Categories Visits
Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 8,319
News/Weather 7,113
Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 5,557
Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 4,612
Real Estate/Real Estate Listings 4,094
Travel/Hotels & Accommodations 4,063
Travel/Air Travel 3,416
Reference/General Reference/Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 3,286
News/Politics/Campaigns & Elections 3,129
Internet & Telecom/Email & Messaging 3,089
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
9.85%
15.72%
11.83%
9.56% 10.59%
5.92%
4.59%
7.58%
6.88%
6.76% 6.19%
4.53%
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age Group by Gender Male
Female
Page 4 of 18
Date: April 1, 2016
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: March 1 - 31, 2016
Top Content:Geographic:
Top Landing Pages Entrances
/5,483
/events 5,034
/events/461 1,319
/our-area 890
/profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 825
/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 805
/activities 800
/romance-month 729
/events/1146/easter-egg-hunt-and-festival 700
/lodging 592
Top Content Pages Pageviews
/events 8,541
/7,537
/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 2,403
/our-area 2,137
/events/all/childrens_activities 1,793
/events?page=1 1,587
/events/461 1,483
/deals 1,235
/activities 1,233
/events/1146/easter-egg-hunt-and-festival 1,010
Top Exit Pages Exits
/3,305
/events 2,351
/events/461 1,160
/our-area 982
/romance-month 691
/profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 660
/events/all/fairs_and_festivals 619
/activities 496
/events/1146/easter-egg-hunt-and-festival 426
/events/all/childrens_activities 421
13%
10% 10%
3%
3%
2%
2%
1% 1%
1%
53%
Top Cities Los Angeles
San Luis Obispo
San Francisco
Paso Robles
Atascadero
Arroyo Grande
Santa Maria
Sacramento
Bakersfield
Morro Bay
Other
84.5%
1.7%
1.3% 1.2%
0.9%
0.9%
0.8%
0.7%
0.7%
0.6%
6.4%
Top States California
Texas
Arizona
New York
Washington
Virginia
Illinois
Nevada
Oregon
Colorado
Other
28.53%
23.27%
16.93%
4.29% 3.87%
2.54% 2.09%
1.92%
1.37%
1.03%
14.16%
Top Metros Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA
Los Angeles CA
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA
Fresno-Visalia CA
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA
San Diego CA
Monterey-Salinas CA
Bakersfield CA
New York NY
Phoenix AZ
Other
Page 5 of 18
Date: April 1, 2016
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: March 1 - 31, 2016
In-MarketVs Vistor:
4,661
12,362
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
4,578
17,034
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
72.62%
27.38%
78.82%
21.18%
Page 6 of 18