HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-12-17 - 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 12, 2017
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
LeBren Harris and Kimberly Walker, appointed by the City Council on March 21, 2017, will take the oath of
office to serve on the TBID Board.
CONSENT ITEMS
C.1 Minutes of Regular Meeting on Wednesday, March 8, 2017
C.2 Smith Travel Report
C.3 Chamber Public Relations Report
C.4 BCA + Matchfire Marketing Report
C.5 Chamber Visitor Center Report
C.6 TOT Report
PRESENTATIONS
1. BOOK PRESENTATION 5 mins
Gareth Kelly, author of “100 Things to do in San Luis Obispo County before you Die” will present the
book information to the Board.
2. MARKETING AGENCY QUARTERLY REPORT 20 mins
Representatives from BCA + Matchfire will present the activity report for the marketing activities over the
previous quarter for the SLO TBID.
3. 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.
BUSINESS ITEMS
Public comment will be taken for each individual agenda item. Each speaker will be limited to two minutes of
public testimony.
1. CAL POLY ATHLETICS PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL 15 mins
The Board will receive a presentation from Mustangs Sports Properties on the strategic partnership
proposal with Cal Poly Athletics.
2. 2017-19 BUDGET DISCUSSION 10 mins
The Board will discuss the general direction regarding allocations for the 2017-19 budget as direction to
the Management Committee for the development of the budget recommendation.
3. FINAL REVIEW OF COMMITTEE BYLAWS 5 mins
The Board will review amendments discussed during the February meeting to the bylaws for the Tourism
Business Improvement District for approval to be submitted to the City Council.
4. PROPERTY LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS 5 mins
The Board will review the revised property liaison assignments.
5. SEATTLE FLIGHT LAUNCH PROMOTION 10 mins
Staff will present the strategy and plan for the new Seattle flight inaugural launch on April 13, 2017.
TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
At this time board members make announcements, report on activities, refer to staff issues for study and report
back to the board at a subsequent meeting.
1. HOTELIER UPDATE – Liaison Reports
2. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: April 4, 2017
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE –Minutes: March 2, 2017 & March 23, 2017
4. PCC UPDATE – Minutes: March 8, 2017
5. VISIT SLO COUNTY UPDATE – Liaison Reports; February Activity Report
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report
ADJOURN.
POSTING STATEMENT: I, Molly Cano, Tourism Mana ger, do hereby certify that on April 7, 2017, 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 - DRAFT
TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm
Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Wilkins.
ROLL CALL
Present: Board Members Dean Hutton, Clint Pearce, Pragna Patel-Mueller (10:06), LeBren
Young-Harris, Vice-Chair Nipool Patel, and Chair Matthew Wilkins
Absent: (one vacant seat)
Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, Tourism Coordinator Liesel Kuehl, and Recording
Secretary Kevin Christian.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
None
CONSENT AGENDA
ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HUTTON, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
VICE CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED (5-0), to approve Consent Calendar Items C1 through C7.
C1. Minutes of regular meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2017
C2. Smith Travel Report
C3. Chamber Public Relations Report
C4. BCA + Matchfire Marketing Report
C5. Chamber Visitor Center Report
C6. Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report
C7 Notice of Unscheduled Vacancy
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 2
PRESENTATIONS
1. City of SLO Cost of Service Fees Update
Special Projects Manager, Marcus Carloni provided an overview of the City’s Cost of
Service Fee Study, with a focus on State mandated Fire Inspection Fees.
Special Projects Manager Carloni and Fire Marshall Maggio responded to questions
from the Board concerning fee levels for hotel size and Homestay inspection rules.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
2. Marketing Agency Monthly Report
Representatives from BCA + MatchFire presented their marketing activities over the
past month for the SLO TBID. Highlighted items were statistics from the SLO Craft
Beer Festival, Money-for-a-Rainy-Day, and the “Mustang Giveaway” promotion. It
was noted that the individual property pages on the website are being redesigned and
that the top blog post for ShareSLO was “20 things to do under $20 in SLO.”
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the TBID’s funding support of the SLO Craft Beer
Festival and explained the impact of that support related to the presented statistics.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 3
3. Chamber Monthly Report
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, presented the public relations activities report for the past month
for the SLO TBID. Highlighted items included travel articles with the LA Times
featuring San Luis Obispo, and the Visit California “Kidifornia” website page featuring
the Madonna Inn.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Annual Partnership & Funding Requests
The Board received presentations on the annual and strategic partnership requests for
2017-18 from the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the SLO Wine Country
Association.
San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Presentation:
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, and Dusty Colyer-Worth, Visitor Center Manager, presented the
services that their current contract contains, and their overall service statistics as they
relate to the TBID strategic plan. To efficiently offer programs that operate on longer
timelines, a two-year contract for Public Relations was proposed, with a one-year
contract for Guest Services.
SLO Wine Country Association:
Heather Muran, Executive Director SLO Wine Country Association, provided an
overview of the SLO Wine Country Association’s proposal to continue offering their
contract membership and marketing benefits, the Visitor Guide program, PR/Media
Hosting, and Targeted Consumer Marketing and Roadshow partnership. Included as a
new item in the 2017-18 proposal is their “Sip in SLO Tasting” program.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 4
2. ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
Tourism Manager Cano explained that the Board bylaws require a yearly election for
the Board Chair, that the position is seated for one-year, with the ability to serve up to
two-consecutive terms, and that the immediate past Chair becomes the Vice-Chair. The
upcoming term will be for April 2017 through March 2018.
Board member Pearce nominated current Chair Wilkins for the upcoming term. No
other nominations were offered. Chair Wilkins accepted the nomination.
ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HUTTON, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
HARRIS, CARRIED (6-0), to elect current Chair Wilkins for a second one-year term as Chair.
.
3. HIGHWAY 1 CLOSURE DISCUSSION
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the current closures on Highway 1, how current
communications on closure updates are being provided by the State, and potential
impacts to tourism in the City of San Luis Obispo.
The Board discussed the conceivable ramifications of the closures and possible ways to
help direct traffic to the City, suggesting a Monterey / San Luis Obispo City
partnership.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
TBID LIAISON REPORTS &COMMUNICATIONS
1. HOTELIER UPDATE
No updates at this time.
2. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the Minutes of February 21, 2017 meeting,
highlighting the Cal Poly athletics partnership, STR (Smith Travel Accommodations
Report), and reported that the Strategic Plan discussion was tabled due to time
constraints.
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 5
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the Minutes of February 6, 2017 meeting which
included discussions on the Marketing Plan, modifications to hotel landing pages, and
event funding process and timing.
4. PCC UPDATE
Chair Wilkins noted that the PCC will be receiving their Strategic Plan at their
upcoming meeting.
5. VISIT SLOCAL UPDATE
Board Member Pearce reported on discussion concerning the Conference Center
Research report, noting that there was some community focused partisan discussion
regarding the possible location of the proposed conference center.
Tourism Manager Cano reported that there will be an all-day Marketing Committee
meeting on March 14th.
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
Tourism Manager Cano;
- Recognized Board Member Dean Hutton for his service on the Board since 2009.
- Recognized Board Member LeBren Young-Harris for her service, having
completed her first term.
- Updated the Board on the current TBID open seats.
- Announced that there will be Management sub-Committee meeting on March 28th.
- Announced that there will be Marketing sub-Committee meeting on March 23rd.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 12:12 a.m. The next Regular meeting of the Tourism Business
Improvement District Board is scheduled for Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., in the
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California.
APPROVED BY THE TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD: XX/XX/2017
STR Report March 2017
Week of February 26 - March 4
Percent Change
2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 65.2 64.2 116.44 115.64 75.96 74.19 1.7 0.7 2.4 2.4 0.0 1.7
City of Pismo Beach 59.8 60.0 128.85 127.91 77.11 76.71 -0.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.0 -0.2
City of San Luis Obispo 65.2 66.0 119.86 123.10 78.09 81.25 -1.3 -2.6 -3.9 -3.9 0.0 -1.3
Week of March 5 - 11
Percent Change
2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 68.6 68.1 121.16 121.54 83.08 82.72 0.8 -0.3 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.8
City of Pismo Beach 64.5 64.0 135.29 133.13 87.23 85.21 0.7 1.6 2.4 2.4 0.0 0.7
City of San Luis Obispo 69.4 66.5 121.85 126.03 84.52 83.84 4.3 -3.3 0.8 0.8 0.0 4.3
Week of March 12 - 18
Percent Change
2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 75.4 70.8 132.53 133.45 99.94 94.52 6.5 -0.7 5.7 5.7 0.0 6.5
City of Pismo Beach 72.6 70.3 139.48 140.94 101.25 99.04 3.3 -1.0 2.2 2.2 0.0 3.3
City of San Luis Obispo 72.6 64.7 128.08 124.86 92.99 80.74 12.3 2.6 15.2 15.2 0.0 12.3
Week of March 19 - 25
Percent Change
2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 69.5 75.4 125.72 125.27 87.40 94.43 -7.8 0.4 -7.4 -7.4 0.0 -7.8
City of Pismo Beach 66.7 83.1 141.02 162.89 94.02 135.33 -19.8 -13.4 -30.5 -30.5 0.0 -19.8
City of San Luis Obispo 66.8 78.9 126.70 129.23 84.65 102.01 -15.4 -2.0 -17.0 -17.0 0.0 -15.4
March
2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPAR Room Rev Room Avail Room Sold
City of Paso Robles 69.7 69.6 124.16 124.22 86.50 86.46 0.1 -0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
City of Pismo Beach 65.9 69.3 137.51 142.90 90.66 99.07 -4.9 -3.8 -8.5 -8.5 0.0 -4.9
City of San Luis Obispo 68.5 69.0 124.23 125.97 85.06 86.96 -0.8 -1.4 -2.2 -2.2 0.0 -0.8
Occ %
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
RevPARADR Percent ChangeOcc %
Running 28 Days - TY vs. LY
RevPAR
RevPARADR
Occ %
RevPAR
Current Week - TY vs. LY
Occ %
Current Week - TY vs. LY
RevPARADR
Current Week - TY vs. LY
ADR
ADR
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
Media/Community Relations
1. Coordinated and hosted press trip for Heather Cassell of the Bay Area Reporter.
2. Coordinated and hosted the San Luis Obispo portion of a press trip for Sunday Times
Travel Magazine writer Adam Edwards on assignment writing about a car-free “road
trip” throughout California utilizing Amtrak and public transportation.
3. Worked with the Film Festival to host Max Weinstein’s stay while on assignment with
MovieMaker Magazine.
4. Submitted media pitches for upcoming Visit California media events in San Francisco
and New York City.
5. Began working with SLO W ine to host May FAM trip in San Luis Obispo.
6. Pitched the following ideas to Visit California for the summer 2017 issue of What's New
in California:
a. Mint + Craft
b. Libertine Brewing Company
c. SLO Brew Rock
7. Pitched San Luis Obispo as the perfect place for a girls getaway for spring break to
Christina-Lauren Pollack with Inspirations & Celebrations.
8. Began working with the CCTC to host Lisa Gipson, Managing Editor of San Diego
Family.
9. Submitted photos of Amgen in San Luis Obispo to be featured on the CCTC website.
10. Began working with Shem Hooda on a partnership to feature San Luis Obispo in
upcoming blog posts on Sugar and Stamps.
11. Worked with PHOENIX magazine on their May issue which will feature destinations
throughout California and photos of San Luis Obispo.
12. Pitched the Madonna Inn to Eva Fedderly who is writing a trend piece on an iconic,
woman run hotels for FOX News Channel.
13. Pitched San Luis Obispo, and the SLO Car Free program, as a ‘real green vacation’ to
Christopher Elliott with The Washington Post.
14. Pitched San Luis Obispo as a destinations that is educational for kids, fun for adults to
Bobby Laurie for an upcoming TV show.
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
15. Worked with lifestyle bloggers based in Seattle to set up dinner with Molly Cano to
promote the destination, new direct flight and the TBID’s corresponding promotion.
16. Wrote and distributed media release about spring events in San Luis Obispo.
17. Continued to work with the city, Barnett Cox & Associates and StudioGood on overall
tourism marketing campaign including the lodging loyalty program and working with City
sponsored events.
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
Media Placements
1. San Luis Obispo travel deals
Allison DaRosa’s monthly travel column in the San Diego Union Tribune opens with San
Luis Obispo’s Rainy Day deal in both the print and online editions.
Circulation: 180,899 | Unique Online Views: 493,796
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/travel/sd-tr-travel-deals-20170301-story.html
2. SLO shows visitors how to get happy
Heather Cassell’s article for The Bay Area Reporter about visiting San Luis Obispo and
Paso Robles includes the Film Festival, wine tasting, and downtown San Luis Obispo.
Circulation: 25,415 | Unique Online Views: 54,147
http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=72467
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
3. Where to Eat in the 10 Healthiest Cities in America
Spoon University article highlights the ten healthiest cities (based on the Gallup-
Healthways rankings) including San Luis Obispo.
Unique Views: 3,722,325
https://spoonuniversity.com/place/where-to-eat-in-the-healthiest-cities-in-america
4. Epic cross-country train rides Trump wants to shut down
Thrillist features the Coast Starlight as one of the “beautiful and iconic journeys to
experience before it's too late” in an article about proposed budget cuts to long-distance
train travel.
Unique Views: 11,515,501
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/donald-trump-budget-cross-country-amtrak-train-rides-
tickets/travel
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
5. Top 10 Farmers Markets
Visit California highlights the San Luis Obispo Thursday night farmers’ market as one of
the best in the state through their email campaign and on their website.
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/feature/10-top-farmers-
markets?utm_source=NEWSL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March+4+Family_3-
23-2017_498819&utm_content=11113651&utm_term=_498819_498827
6. Looking for Adventure? Try San Luis Obispo on for Size.
TravelPulse encourages readers to go to San Luis Obispo to “upgrade your Instagram feed
and get an adrenaline rush,” citing advertorial developed by the TBID and Matador Network.
Unique Views: 707,507
http://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/looking-for-adventure-try-san-luis-obispo-on-
for-size.html
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
March 2017
7. San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
Local and regional coverage of the film festival that reinforces the reputation of San Luis
Obispo as a place with high quality arts and cultural events.
KSBY Unique Views: 192,382
http://www.ksby.com/story/34784278/23rd-annual-slo-film-fest-kicks-off-tuesday
Tribune Unique Views: 831,335
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article137528343.html
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2017
HAPPENING NOW
• Cal Poly Open House
• SLO Jazz Festival Paid Media
• Money for a Rainy Day Promotion
Wrap Up
• Seattle Promotion
• Tradeshow Promotions
• Matador Advertorial
• Buzzfeed Advertorial
• New Photography
• Marketing Plan 2017 - 2018
SLO VACATIONS
• Updated Pages
-Day Trips
-Botanical Gardens
-Airport
-SLO Jazz Festival
-Roll Out the Barrels
• Added Seattle Promotion Page
• Site Enhancements
-Updating Hotel & Homestay
landing and property pages
• SEO
-Broken links fixed
EMAIL
• Ongoing Welcome Series
& Hotel Page Emails
• Tradeshow Follow Up Email for SD,
highlighting promotion
• Tradeshow Follow Up Emails for
LA & SF, reminding 30-days left to
redeem promotion
• 334 new leads
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2017
SHARESLO
• Participated in Visit CA’s Kidifornia
Twitter Chat
• Created Social Videos for SLO Film
Fest & Cal Poly Open House
• Activated on Instagram Stories
• SLO Film Fest Instagram Ticket
Giveaway
• Cal Poly Ticket & First Pitch Giveaway
• Community Blog Posts
-Top Things to Do this Spring in
SLO
-Reasons to Visit SLO from Seattle
-Bike Month in SLO (Updated)
-SLO Happy Hours (Updated)
-Brunch Bites in SLO (Updated)
-SLO in the News: February
PARTNERSHIPS
• Cal Poly Athletics
-Hotelier Skybox event at CP
Basketball
-(2) Cal Poly First Pitches at
ShareSLO Baseball Games
-Ultimate Mustang Giveaway
Social Promo
• Amtrak – Pacific Surfliner
-Partnership launch meeting
-Photo/video assets package
LOOKING AHEAD
• Lodging Loyalty Program – ongoing
• SLO Marathon
• SLO Jazz Festival
• Matador Advertorial Video
• Alaska Airlines Advertorial
• SanLuisObispoVacations.com CMS
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT March 2017
SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS
SanLuisObispoVacations.com 29,704 53,653 24,442
m.facebook.com
slocity.org
orientation.calpoly.edu
FACEBOOK
New Fans
Total Fans
Total Reach
Average Reach per Post
Average Daily Page Engaged Users
Total Engagements
21,777
88,456
1,067,571
12,595
1,602
6,763
TWITTER
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
40
3,670
809
405
INSTAGRAM
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Reach
Average Reach per post
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
409
10,178
116,095
2,700
14,215
3,785
YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 30,883
Report to City of SLO – TBID
Phone Line and Availability Contract
March 2017
Response to TBID Advertising
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2016
Mar 2017
Calls to
1-877-SLO-TOWN
37 41 44 32 91 154
Hotel Availability Tracker
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2016 Mar 2017
Email Response 11 14 13 11 55 49
Phone Calls to
Hotels
39 48 47 53 95 187
Hotel Referrals
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Mar 2016
Mar 2017
Visitors Served
(Walk-ins)
1,344 1,662 1,404 1,792
4,886 6,202
Farmers’ Market* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hotel Rooms
Referred
422 503
489
512
1,805 1,926
*estimate without people counter
TOT Comparison
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Change +/-2015-16 2016-17 Change +/-2015-16 2016-17 Change +/-2015-16 2016-17 Change +/-
July 508,195$ 541,806$ 591,184$ 636,778$ 699,845$ 761,346$ 844,845$ 877,391$ 3.9%88.3 84.7 -4.1 160.52$ 175.36 9.2 141.66$ 148.48 4.8
August 511,564$ 542,194$ 574,395$ 623,655$ 674,244$ 732,271$ 774,501$ 765,232$ -1.2%84.8 82.6 -2.6 151.23$ 155.11 2.6 128.23$ 128.09 -0.1
September 400,023$ 437,543$ 490,524$ 508,583$ 505,954$ 557,002$ 643,127$ 650,117$ 1.1%78 74.8 -4.1 140.93$ 152.37 8.1 109.94$ 114.03 3.7
October 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 642,221$ 628,049$ -2.2%78 72.9 -6.6 142.17$ 146.18 2.8 110.87$ 106.51 -3.9
November 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 468,016$ 497,162$ 6.2%65.1 66.5 2.1 128.84$ 133.3 3.5 83.85$ 88.61 5.7
December 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 429,600$ 434,836$ 1.2%59.7 58.9 -1.3 118.86$ 123.17 3.6 70.92$ 72.52 2.3
January 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 387,304$ 396,437$ 2.4%55.2 56.4 2.2 118.85$ 115.69 -2.7 65.62$ 65.30$ -0.5
February 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 466,915$ 439,735$ -5.8%66.2 61.7 -6.8 129.14$ 128.71 -0.5 85.53$ 79.36 -7.3
March 326,099$ 333,783$ 392,266$ 426,879$ 448,103$ 520,795$ 559,235$ 72.3 131.90$ 95.33$
April 423,158$ 451,133$ 475,913$ 486,850$ 564,617$ 610,894$ 609,439$ 72.6 145.81$ 105.81$
May 372,997$ 433,874$ 447,116$ 489,862$ 546,916$ 601,614$ 598,093$ 70.7 145.55$ 102.93$
June 490,326$ 512,543$ 578,234$ 610,948$ 630,729$ 727,028$ 731,038$ 78.9 $160.81 126.91$
Total/Average 4,478,481$ 4,859,400$ 5,249,181$ 5,578,460$ 6,059,758$ 6,803,224$ 7,154,334$ 4,688,960$ 72.48 139.55$ 102.30$
7,186,264$
*January TOT totals missing 2 homestays
*February TOT totals missing 2 homestays
Occupancy ADR RevPAR
Figures from Smith Travel Research report
M. Tourism Business Improvement District Board Bylaws
ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE
The Tourism Business Improvement District Board (TBID Board) advises the Council in the
administration and use of the TBID assessment funds. The Board recommends projects to promote
tourism to the City of San Luis Obispo to directly benefit the City’s lodging industry.
ARTICLE 2. MEMBERSHIP
The TBID Board shall consist of seven members from the San Luis Obispo City lodging industry
as appointed by the Council. Because of the diversity among assessment district members
represented by the Board, including local, regional and national lodging industry interests, it is
neither practical nor advisable to limit Board membership to City residents. Accordingly,
membership on the TBID Board shall be exempt from residency requirements otherwise applicable
to City Advisory bodies.
Board members shall be appointed for a term of four years, commencing on April 1st or any other
date as directed by the Council. No Board member shall serve more than two consecutive terms
(eight years) on the TBID Board. Any Board member who has been appointed to fill a vacant seat
in mid-term shall not be precluded from thereafter serving two four-year terms (eight years), so
long as the initial, partial term is less than one year.
One member of the TBID Board shall be appointed by the Board to the Promotional Coordinating
Committee for a term concurrent with his/her TBID Board term.
ARTICLE 3. OFFICERS
The officers shall be a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson, each of who m shall be elected for a
one-year term at the March meeting of the TBID Board for a term starting in April. No Board
member shall serve more than two consecutive one-year terms as Chairperson or Vice
Chairperson. Any Board member who has been appointed to fill a vacant seat as Chairperson or
Vice Chairperson in mid-term shall not be precluded from thereafter serving as Chairperson or
Vice Chairperson for two consecutive one-year terms, so long as the initial, partial term is less
than six months.
The Chairperson shall preside over all meetings of the TBID Board, prepare all meeting agendas
with staff, and otherwise perform such duties as directed by the TBID Board or Council.
The immediate Past Chairperson shall automatically serve as the Vice Chairperson in order to give
support to the incoming Chairperson and guarantee continuity and stability for the board
proceedings during the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall serve in the
absence or incapacity of the Chairperson.
ARTICLE 4. MEETINGS
1. The TBID Board shall hold a regular meeting each month and no fewer than ten times per
year.
2. The meetings are to be held in the Council Hearing Room, City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San
Luis Obispo, California the second Wednesday of each month, unless another location
and/or time has been announced as required by California law.
3. The meetings shall be open to the public.
4. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members currently serving on the TBID Board.
5. All actions of the TBID Board shall be by a majority vote or consensus and shall be directed
through the Chairperson.
6. Minutes of each meeting shall be taken, shall be available as a public record and forwarded
to the Council if requested.
7. A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chairperson or by a majority of the
Board members currently serving on the TBID Board, provided each member is given
written notice of the special meeting at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, and the time
and place of the special meeting is announced as required by California Law.
8. All meetings shall be conducted in general accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, newly
revised edition, subject to minor variation by the Chair as appropriate to the needs of the
advisory body.
9. All Board members present at a meeting shall vote on any motion or resolution brought
before the TBID Board, except when abstaining due to a conflict of interest.
10. Any Board member with a conflict of interest shall not vote on or participate in any
discussion of an item or in any way attempt to influence the decision on such item.
11. Any failure to attend three consecutive meetings or a total of six regular meetings within
any twelve-month period shall result in that member being automatically considered for
replacement.
ARTICLE 5. FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES
The functions and duties of the TBID Board shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
1. Plan a comprehensive program to promote tourism to the City of San Luis Obispo and
prepare an annual marketing program consistent with industry goals and objectives.
2. Develop advertising and promotional programs and projects to benefit the lodging industry
in San Luis Obispo.
3. Present an annual assessment report to the City Council regarding the implemented
promotional programs and projects.
4. Perform any other lawful tasks as directed by the Council.
ARTICLE 6. AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by the Council, upon the recommendations of two -thirds of the
members currently serving on the TBID Board, provided that the text of any such proposed
amendment shall have first been provided in writing to each Board member.
ARTICLE 7. FUND RESERVE POLICY
The purpose of the Fund Reserve policy for the TBID is to ensure stability of the program under
economic uncertainties. For the TBID Fund the level of the reserve has been established at
$100,000. Under this policy, it is allowable for total expenditures to exceed revenues in a given
year; however, the fund reserve can only be used to fund “one-time,” non-recurring expenditures
upon TBID Board approval. In the instance funds are used, the reserve fund would be replenished
to the established level in the next fiscal year.
(COUNCIL ADOPTED ON 09/15/2015)
Tourism Business Improvement District
Management Committee
Meeting Minutes
April 4, 2017 – 11:00 am
City Hall - Council Hearing Room
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
PRESENT: LeBren Harris, Nipool Patel
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator
Call to order time: 11:00 am
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Strategic Plan Initiatives
The committee discussed action plans for the assigned initiatives and its prioritization. Action
plans were created for delivering smart growth, building meaningful partnerships, and ensuring
organizational excellence. Important action plans included identifying relevant markets,
incorporating trends into the marketing plan development, developing relationships with specific
departments at Cal Poly and Cuesta, and evaluating and establishing referral traffic reporting. The
committee will discuss action plans for the other assignments at the next management committee
meeting.
2. Budget Preparation
The Committee began discussing budget allocations for 2017-18 fiscal year. The City has
projected a growth, but TBID is planning budget allocations based on no growth. The committee
will begin allocations at the next meeting when all numbers for the budget are received.
3. 2016-2017 Promotion Reallocations
Staff discussed the inaugural flight to Seattle on April 13th. Since SLO Cal will no longer be on
the flight, staff will connect with media sources in Seattle. Staff will meet with AAA, Visit
Seattle, and host a media dinner to ensure there is an awareness of the new direct flight. The cost
for this program is budgeted at $1300 from the remaining tradeshow budget. The committee also
approved extending a portion of the remaining Rainy Day funds to a dedicated Seattle promotion
using of the remaining gift cards.
4. New Business Items
a. Committee Discussion
b. Future Agenda Items
c. Next Meeting Date
Meeting was adjourned at 12:02 pm.
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Committee
Meeting Minutes
March 2, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
City Hall, Council Hearing Room
PRESENT: Hutton; Patel-Mueller; Wilkins
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Trade Show Update
The committee received an update from staff on attended trade shows. Staff has attended two of
the three trade shows, one in the Bay Area and the other in Los Angeles. The first trade show in
Santa Clara was extremely successful. Staff went through more collateral in the first day of the
Bay Area trade show than they did in both days combined in last year’s Bay Area trade show.
Staff collected 578 qualified email addresses to add to databases. The second trade show in Los
Angeles was not as busy as Santa Clara, which could have been because of the weather or
because the location changed from Long Beach Convention Center to Los Angeles Convention
Center. Staff collected 497 email qualified email addresses from the Los Angeles trade show.
Staff will be attending the San Diego trade show this upcoming weekend and will report back to
TBID with its success.
2. Hotel Page Updates
BCA collected and presented different examples of TBID-related websites. Over eight TBID
related sites were evaluated to discuss what could potentially be changed to San Luis Obispo
TBID’s site. After review, the committee discussed differences in viewing the hotel webpage on a
mobile device or on a desktop. The consensus was to revisit this topic for the next meeting after
reviewing other sites on mobile devices.
3. Marketing Plan Approach
The committee discussed the marketing plan approach for 2017-2018 fiscal year. This 2017-2018
fiscal year will be a one year plan, but will change to a two-year marketing plan for 2018-2020
which align with the agency contract. BCA/Matchfire will draft a marketing plan to present in
April for new developments, new trends and the new economy and its prioritization.
4. Event Funding Program
The committee discussed different options to determine how to fund an event and see its success.
Different approaches were discussed, such as driving an event that will build long-term loyalty
and enhance marketing. The committee discussed budgeting in 2017-18 for research to be
conducted to determine how other cities bridge the gap between hotels and the benefits from
contributing to events.
5. New Business
Committee Discussion
Future Agenda Items
Schedule Next Committee Meeting: Thursday, March 23rd from 9:30am - 11:30am.
Meeting was adjourned at 12:23 pm
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Committee
Meeting Minutes
March 23, 2017 – 9:30 a.m.
City Hall, Council Hearing Room
PRESENT: Patel-Mueller; Wilkins
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Hotel Pages
Matchfire presented wireframes with both a mobile and desktop approach. The wireframe lists a
randomized hotel list, which could be filtered through different options. Hotel’s phone numbers,
addresses, hotel websites and social sites were added to the hotel page to make it easily accessible
for the user. The committee decided to filter property features by wifi, breakfast, pool/jacuzzi, pet
friendly, restaurant/bar, and fitness center. Matchfire will bring new wire frames with these
updates to the next marketing committee meeting.
2. Strategic Plan Initiatives
The committee discussed the assignments for the marketing committee’s initiatives and the
process for identifying and prioritizing audiences for marketing and PR purposes. Staff and
agency will discuss action plans to bring to the next meeting.
3. Marketing Plan Approach
The committee discussed the marketing plan approach for 2017-2018 fiscal year. This fiscal year
will be a one year plan but starting in 2018, the marketing plan will change to a two-year
marketing plan. BCA and Matchfire presented tiered marketing strategies for travel, media, and
digital trends. The committee discussed developing actions plans for future economic impacts to
continue steady growth.
4. Contractor Proposals
The committee discussed the contractor proposals and partnerships and will continue to keep
them representative and relevant of the TBID.
5. New Business
Committee Discussion
Future Agenda Items
Schedule Next Committee Meeting: Tuesday, May 2nd from 10:30am - 12:00pm.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:31 am
Minutes - DRAFT
PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Regular Meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee was called to order on
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 5:37 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm
Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Vice Chair Lemieux.
ROLL CALL
Present: Committee Members Daniel Levi, Patricia Loosley, Sasha Palazzo (5:46), Matthew
Wilkins, and Vice-Chair Jill LeMieux.
Absent: Deborah Lewis, (one open seat)
Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
None.
CONSENT AGENDA
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER LEVI, CARRIED (4-0) to approve the Consent Agenda items C1 to C10.
C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on February 8, 2016
C.2 Community Promotions Budget Report
C.3 Public Relations Report
C.4 Grants-in-Aid (GIA) Support Report
C.5 Visitors Center Report
C.6 SLO Happenings Promotions Report
C.7 SLO Happenings Technology Report
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 2
C.8 TOT Report
C.9 Minutes of the Special Meeting on February 4, 2017
C.10 Minutes of the Special Meeting on February 16, 2017
PRESENTATIONS
1. Chamber of Commerce Monthly Report
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, presented the public relations activities report for the past month.
Highlighted items included travel articles with the LA Times featuring San Luis
Obispo, and the Visit California “Kidifornia” website page featuring the Madonna Inn.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) Strategic Plan
BethMarie Ward from Regenerate Group presented the PCC Strategic Plan for the
committee’s review and adoption. The four Strategic Plan workshops were reviewed.
Work load, timeline, and suggestions for follow-up prioritization and planning were
discussed.
The Committee discussed that they would provide feedback to staff by the end of
March for possible changes to the plan. The final plan will be presented to the
Committee at the next regular meeting of the PCC.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
2. San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Partnership Consideration
Vice Chair Lemieux recused herself for this presentation.
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, and Dusty Colyer-Worth, Visitor Center Manager, presented the
services that their current contract contains, their overall service statistics for the
current contract year, and a summary of projected operating costs for the upcoming
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 3
year. A two-year contract for Public Relations and one-year contract for Guest Services
was proposed.
Ms. Kern responded to Committee questions and Staff Cano reviewed the timeline for
setting the budget.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
3. 2017-19 Financial Plan Update
Tourism Manager Cano updated the committee on the City’s 2017-19 financial plan
budget, specifically noting the activation of the City’s Fiscal Health Contingency Plan.
A brief presentation on what the impacts of this may be was presented.
Responding to Committee questions, Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the
Committee’s overall budgeting timeline.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of March 8, 2017 Page 4
4. Election of Chair & Vice Chair
The Committee discussed the responsibilities of the Chair and Vice Chair positions and
the need for alternative committee members to hold office.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER LOOSLEY, CARRIED (5-0) to elect Committee Member Levi as Chair for the term
of April 2017 to March 2018.
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER LEVI, CARRIED (5-0) to elect Committee Member Loosley as Vice Chair for the
term of April 2017 to March 2018.
PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
1. GIA Update
No additional report at this time.
2. TBID Board Report
Committee Member Wilkins reviewed the March 8, 2017 meeting, noting that he has
been reappointed as the Chair.
3. Tourism Program Update
Tourism Manager Cano reported on the following Tourism program events:
- Reviewed staff attendance at the Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and San Diego trade
shows, as well as the Visit California Outlook Forum,
- Vice Chair Lemieux reported that she represented the PCC in accepting a
beautification award from the Downtown Association for the City Wayfinding signs.
- Reminded the Committee that GIA applications are due March 17th.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:11 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Promotional
Coordinating Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., in the
Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California.
APPROVED BY THE PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE: XX/XX/2017
- What’s New -
Highway 1 Crisis Communication Update
Thank you to all who joined us for the Highway 1 closure conference call. Visit SLO CAL continues to
work with state, regional and local partners to activate an incident communication plan based on our
crisis communication plan. The Highway 1 incident communication plan includes strategies to inform the
public, press and tourism industry partners, leveraging a variety of marketing tactics and channels. We
have developed initial talking points for your use when communicating directly to customers, travelers or
other consumers. These are available to download from the Members Area of our website. Please
proactively share with your tourism industry colleagues, other businesses and government leaders who
may not receive VSC emails. We have also updated our “Getting Here” page, which is linked from our
home page, to inform consumers looking to visit SLO CAL and our portion of Highway 1.
United Airlines Announces New Air Service to Denver
Beginning June 8th, travelers will be able to take a daily, non-stop United Airlines flight from
Denver to SLO CAL! The new flight is the second new market to be announced in less than a
year – an impressive feat after almost ten years prior with no new air service markets for the
county. This new air service is yet another result of a December 2, 2016 meeting with United at
their headquarters in Chicago attended by Visit SLO CAL’s President & CEO, Chuck Davison,
and San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport's Director, Kevin Bumen.
Visit SLO CAL Takes SAVOR to Seattle
On February 26, Visit SLO CAL took SAVOR on the road to Seattle, Washington for the Seattle
Wine & Food Experience Grand Tasting. Visit SLO CAL partnered with 13 local winery,
brewery and artisan partners at a large, 20’ x 30’ destination-experience exhibit. Seattle is one
of Visit SLO CAL’s six target markets, and this event comes just weeks prior to the launch of new
air service from Seattle to San Luis Obispo on April 13. While in Seattle, VSC President & CEO
Chuck Davison and staff met with Alaska Airlines and Visit Seattle to discuss marketing
opportunities. Thank you to all of the partners who made this such a successful event!
Film SLO CAL to Host Two-Day Film FAM
In partnership with the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Film SLO CAL will be holding a two-
day FAM tour of our region on March 20-21 for qualified locations scouts and managers, as well as
producers and filmmakers. A total of 15 industry professionals will be in attendance, and will be
blitzing the county, visiting locations ranging from ranches to seaside villages. The goal is to introduce
them to SLO CAL as a filming destination, enticing them to choose our region as their next backdrop.
Visit SLO CAL
Activity Report, February 2017
2017/18 Visitor Magazines are Here!
The 2017/18 SLO CAL Official Visitors Magazine is now available! Visit SLO CAL is currently working
with Certified Folder to ensure all hotels receive copies of the guide. We are also working to ensure all
current members receive their copies. Please display the guides for your customers and feel free to contact
us if you would like to stock or need additional guides at 805.541.8000 or Brendan@SLOCAL.com.
Enter Now: What’s New in SLO CAL
Visit SLO CAL is looking for information on what’s new in our region to include in upcoming press releases and media
pitches. If you are opening a new property, doing a major remodel or adding new product/amenities, please send
100 words or less to Kylee@SLOCAL.com, along with your contact information, social media handles and hi-res photos.
0
- Trending -
Travel Trade Update
On January 30-February 4, Visit SLO CAL Director of Travel Trade
Michael Wambolt headed south for Visit California’s Mexico Sales
Mission, where he met with tour operators in Guadalajara and Mexico
City and held travel agency trainings in Cancun. On February 22-23,
Michael attended GoWest Summit in Reno, NV, where he had 33
appointments, opening the doors to great opportunities for a wide array
of lodging and activity partners. He then headed to St. Louis, MO on
February 26-March 1 for NTA’s Travel Exchange, where he had 28
appointments and uncovered some great leads for group tour business.
Visit SLO CAL is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000.
Featured in Desert
Sun: Hearst Castle
Evening Tour (left);
and Pacific Business
Times & SLO Tribune
(right): New Nonstop
Air Service to Denver
Media
• SLO Tribune: Alaska Airlines will offer free wine shipping for passengers from SLO to Seattle
http://bit.ly/2lXKF3F
• Black Diamond Monthly Newsletter (UK)
• Pacific Business Times: SLO airport adding nonstop service to Denver http://bit.ly/2lAmZ4i
• The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis (radio podcast)
• Desert Sun/USA Today: Whisk your valentine away for a romantic castle visit
http://desert.sn/2k8Rei7
Public Relations
• Visit California New York Media Reception: March 21
• Visit California San Francisco Media Reception: May 16
Travel Trade
• MPI Northern California: March 9 (San Francisco)
• MPI Sacramento/Sierra: March 20-23 (Sacramento) – co-op opportunities available!
• Connect CA: March 23-24
• US Travel Association’s IPW: June 3-7 (Washington D.C.) – co-op opportunities available!
o Deadline: April 1 – Cost: $4500
VSC Heads to SB for Visit California’s Outlook Forum
From February 27- March 1, Visit SLO CAL President & CEO Chuck Davison and Vice
President of Marketing Brooke Burnham attended Visit California's Outlook Forum in
Santa Barbara, where they received the latest research, market intelligence and brand
expertise from keynote speakers and breakout sessions. In addition, they were introduced
to the latest Visit California marketing opportunities, and updated Visit California’s 13
international offices on alternative routes into SLO CAL based on the Highway 1 closure.
VISIT SLO CAL
WEB ACTIVITY
VISITS: 319,761
UNIQUE VISITORS: 198,300
PAGE VIEWS: 444,105
AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 1.39
AVG. TIME ON SITE: 0:54
TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 26,398
% OF ORGANIC: 8%
MOBILE VISITS: 274,931
MOST VISITED EVENT PAGE:
FAIRS & FESTIVALS (1,766 VIEWS)
TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 67,307
MOST SHARED BLOG: 6 PEAKS,
LOOKOUTS AND 360 VIEWS IN SLO
CAL HTTP://BIT.LY/2M5AS6T
(20 SHARES)
VISIT SLO CAL
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
FACEBOOK
LIKES: 19,431 NEW: 1,126
TOT. IMPRESSIONS: 7.8M
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT:
UNITED AIRLINES WILL OFFER
NONSTOP SERVICE BETWEEN
SBP AND DEN INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. (284 ENGAGEMENTS)
MOST REACTIONS: UNITED
AIRLINES WILL OFFER NONSTOP
SERVICE BETWEEN SBP AND
DEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
(158 REACTIONS)
FOLLOWERS NEW
TWITTER: 6,977 74
38.5K IMPRESSIONS
TWEETS: 7,105
PINTEREST: 695 4
PINS: 802
INSTAGRAM: 10K 1.2K
POSTS: 1,012
VISITOR GUIDE DIST.
WEB DOWNLOADS: 150
GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 1,289
TOTAL: 1,439
THIS MONTH IN SLO CAL
SUBSCRIBERS 35,860
OPENS: 5,429
CLICK-THROUGHS: 649
THIS WEEK IN SLO CAL
CIRCULATION: 876
MOST CLICKED LINK:
STR INFOGRAPHICS
California
January 2017 vs January 2016 Lodging Statistics (STR, Inc.)
Monterey/Salinas
Santa Barbara/Santa Maria
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Dates: February 2017
Executive Overview
SEO Activities Completed Last Month:
* Monthly SEO strategy call and report.
* Google Analytics check. No unusual activity noted.
* Crawl error review; none to correct at this time.
* Optimizing new blog posts.
* Reviewed and published Google Tag Manager container for BCF.
* Checking GTM to ensure Facebook pixel is using new code; all is well.
* Destination keyword research and putting together Findings presentation.
Organic Traffic Overview:
Organic sessions increased 11% over last year. Some high-traffic pages with the best year-over-year organic
growth were: Events by 10%, Paso Robles by 446%, Pismo Beach by 282%, Morro Bay by 272%, and the Things to
Do When it Rains on the Central Coast blog post by 1,910%.
Other Notes:
* Total sessions increased by 777%, users increased by 543% and pageviews increased by 326%.
* The Blog home page received 245 pageviews last month.
* The entire blog received 67,307 pageviews last month.
Industry Averages
Engagement Metrics Industry Average Your Website % Difference
Total Pages Per Visit:2.37 1.39 -70.64%
Total Average Visit Duration:0:02:11 0:00:54 -142.79%
Total Bounce Rate:53.91%83.99%35.81%
Organic Pages Per Visit:2.38 3.00 20.55%
Organic Average Visit Duration:0:02:11 0:02:14 2.47%
Organic Bounce Rate:51.54%47.09%-9.44%
SEO Overview
Page 2 of 20
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: September 1, 2016 - February 28, 2017
Total Traffic Overview:
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Visits:40,843 40,780 39,981 47,186 169,053 319,761
Unique Visitors:33,635 33,806 32,866 37,616 114,725 198,300
Bounce Rate:48%50%46%46%77%84%
Pageviews:124,889 122,415 129,763 147,724 290,378 444,105
Avg Pageviews Per Visit:3.06 3.00 3.25 3.13 1.72 1.39
Avg Time on Site:0:02:17 0:02:13 0:02:30 0:02:30 0:01:21 0:00:54
Total Organic Search Traffic:32,285 33,020 31,774 36,317 34,513 26,398
% of Traffic Organic Search:79%81%79%77%20%8%
Entry Pages From Search:1,957 1,903 1,789 1,703 1,803 1,846
VisitSLOCounty Visits:110 84 71 53 201 1
VisitSLOCounty Bounce Rate:64%40%55%40%56%100%
Mobile/Tablet SnapShot:
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Visits:24,857 24,723 23,531 30,008 138,355 274,931
% of visits 61%61%59%64%82%86%
Bounce Rate:50%53%49%48%82%86%
Pageviews: 68,494 65,112 68,937 85,929 198,783 355,074
Avg Time on Site:0:02:01 0:01:53 0:02:07 0:02:08 0:01:07 0:00:51
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Total Visits Comparison
Prior Year This Year
57.80%
8.36%
8.26%
1.87% 23.68%
Traffic Sources
Referral Direct Organic Search
Paid Search Media
0
8,000
16,000
24,000
32,000
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Mobile/Tablet Visits
Prior Year This Year
Page 3 of 20
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: February 1 - 28, 2017
Organic Traffic % of Total
Site Traffic
Visits 26,398 8.26%
Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement
Pageviews Per Visit 3.00 115.68%
Avg. Time on Site 0:02:14 148.95%
New Visits 77.79%37.80%
Bounce Rate 47.09%-43.93%
Search Engine Visits Percent
google 24,708 93.60%
yahoo 928 3.52%
bing 726 2.75%
ask 15 0.06%
aol 7 0.03%
baidu 3 0.01%
Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent
(not provided)25,855 97.94%/events 4,009 15.19%
san luis obispo 22 0.08%/2,424 9.18%
san luis obispo ca 13 0.05%/community/paso-robles 720 2.73%
pismo beach 9 0.03%/our-area 631 2.39%
slo events 9 0.03%/community/morro-bay 629 2.38%
san luis obispo county 8 0.03%/community/pismo-beach 606 2.30%
san luis obispo events 8 0.03%/blog/773/7-things-to-do-when-it-rains-on-the-central-coast 586 2.22%
hearst castle 6 0.02%/events/all/valentines_day 443 1.68%
san luis obispo county events 6 0.02%/profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 372 1.41%
paso robles 5 0.02%/activities 353 1.34%
Organic Search Traffic:
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Organic Visits Comparison
Prior Year Current Year
Page 4 of 20
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: February 1 - 28, 2017
Demographics & Interests
Affinity Categories:
Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits
Movie Lovers 98,153
News Junkies/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 96,573
Mobile Enthusiasts 88,124
Shoppers/Shopaholics 85,555
TV Lovers 84,006
News Junkies/Political News Junkies 82,670
Travel Buffs 79,129
Technophiles 74,070
Home Decor Enthusiasts 70,156
Cooking Enthusiasts/Aspiring Chefs 65,602
Other Categories:
Top 10 Categories Visits
Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 57,758
News/Weather 56,144
Internet & Telecom/Service Providers/Phone Service Providers 38,058
Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 29,945
Sports/Team Sports/American Football 25,971
News/Sports News 23,262
News/Politics/Campaigns & Elections 22,216
Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 21,295
Internet & Telecom/Mobile & Wireless/Mobile Phones 19,120
Autos & Vehicles/Motor Vehicles (By Type)17,143
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
5.54%
11.39% 11.36%
7.22% 4.97% 2.51%
6.76%
15.20% 16.71%
9.83%
5.30%
3.22%
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Age Group by Gender Male
Female
Page 5 of 20
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: February 1 - 28, 2017
Top Content:Geographic:
Top Landing Pages Entrances/dining/search?categories[0]=breakfast&categories[1]=brunch
&categories[2]=lunch&categories[3]=dinner&categories[4]=nig 43,258
/lodging/all/retreat_camps_and_rvs 39,408
/just-your-speed/27,522
/wine-country 24,444
/activities/all/surfing 24,020/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=art_galleries&cat
egories[1]=performing_arts&categories[2]=childrens_museum 23,123
/activities/all/beaches?page=all 22,988/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=air_adventures&
categories[1]=atvs&categories[2]=beaches&categories[3]=bikin 22,983/blog/938/101-ways-to-experience-san-luis-obispo-county-
in-2017 10,752/blog/951/live-the-ruff-life-in-slo-cal-dog-friendly-beaches-
parks-and-hikes 5,791
Top Content Pages Pageviews/dining/search?categories[0]=breakfast&categories[1]=brunch
&categories[2]=lunch&categories[3]=dinner&categories[4]=nig 49,511
/lodging/all/retreat_camps_and_rvs 45,855
/just-your-speed/29,075
/wine-country 28,238
/activities/all/surfing 27,793/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=air_adventures&
categories[1]=atvs&categories[2]=beaches&categories[3]=bikin 26,876/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=art_galleries&cat
egories[1]=performing_arts&categories[2]=childrens_museum 26,802
/activities/all/beaches?page=all 26,776/blog/938/101-ways-to-experience-san-luis-obispo-county-
in-2017 11,955
/9,260
Top Exit Pages Exits
/dining/search?categories[0]=breakfast&categories[1]=brunch&categories[2]=lunch&categories[3]=dinner&categories[4]=nightlife&search=true42,471
/lodging/all/retreat_camps_and_rvs 39,237
/just-your-speed/27,521
/wine-country 24,292
/activities/all/surfing 23,608
/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=art_galleries&categories[1]=performing_arts&categories[2]=childrens_museums&categories[3]=historic_buildings&categories[4]=missions&categories[5]=museums&page=all22,882
/activities/all/beaches?page=all 22,625
/activities/search?search=true&categories[0]=air_adventures&categories[1]=atvs&categories[2]=beaches&categories[3]=biking&categories[4]=bird_watching&categories[5]=equestrian_activities&categories[6]=farm_and_ag_tourism&categories[7]=farmers_market&categories[8]=fishing&categories[9]=gardens&categories[10]=golf&categories[11]=hiking&categories[12]=kayaking&categories[13]=lakes&categories[14]=mountain_biking&categories[15]=parks&categories[16]=stewardship&categories[17]=surfing&categories[18]=water_activities22,466
/blog/938/101-ways-to-experience-san-luis-obispo-county-in-2017 10,107
/blog/951/live-the-ruff-life-in-slo-cal-dog-friendly-beaches-parks-and-hikes5,444
16%
12% 8%
5% 4%
3% 2%
1%
1%
1%
47%
Top Cities Los Angeles
Seattle
San Francisco
Phoenix
San Diego
San Jose
Santa Ana
Anaheim
Las Vegas
San Luis Obispo
Other
53.9% 23.8%
9.5%
7.0%
1.4% 0.6%
0.4%
0.4%
0.3% 0.3% 2.4%
Top States California
Washington
Arizona
Nevada
Texas
Illinois
Florida
New York
Georgia
Oregon
Other
29.03%
24.93%
16.92%
10.01% 5.58%
3.33%
1.68%
0.75%
0.64%
0.59%
6.54%
Top Metros Los Angeles CA
Seattle-Tacoma WA
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA
Phoenix AZ
San Diego CA
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA
Las Vegas NV
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA
Fresno-Visalia CA
Chicago IL
Other
Page 6 of 20
Date: March 3, 2017
Client: Visit San Luis Obispo County
Date Range: February 1 - 28, 2017
In-MarketVs Visitor:
4,307
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
In-Market
Out of Market
Desktop Visits
4,253
270,375
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000
In-Market
Out of Market
Mobile/Tablet Visits
90.46%
9.54%
98.45%
1.55%
Page 7 of 20