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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTBID 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, September 13, 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. CONSENT ITEMS C.1 Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 C.2 Smith Travel Report C.3 Chamber Public Relations Report C.4 BCA + Matchfire Marketing Report C.5 Chamber Guest Services Report C.6 TOT Report PRESENTATIONS 1. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY REPORT 10 mins Representatives from BCA + Matchfire will present the report for the marketing activities over the past month for the SLO TBID. 2. CHAMBER MONTHLY REPORT 10 mins Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the report for the public relatio ns activities over the past month 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. 2018 SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP CONSIDERATION 10 mins The Board will revisit the 2018 funding allocation approved during the August meeting for the SLO Jazz Festival. At the request of the event organizer, the Board will further discuss their conditional sponsorship funding contingent upon the sponsorship terms including: the commitment SLO lodging and the requirements for the TBID funded out of area advertising plan. 2. 2016-17 TBID ANNUAL REPORT 15 mins The Board will review the draft FY 2016-17 TBID annual report for recommendation to City Council on October 17, 2017. Pending the City Council’s approval of the report, the annual public hearing for the TBID will be scheduled for the November 7, 2017 City Council meeting. 3. BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS 5 mins The Board Member representation on the Marketing and Management committee will be reviewed. 4. 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: August 22, 2017 3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: August 30, 2017 4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: August 9, 2017 5. VISIT SLOCAL UPDATE – Liaison Reports; July Activity Report 6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report ADJOURN. POSTING STATEMENT: I, Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator, do hereby certify that on September 8, 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. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 1 Minutes - DRAFT TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Tourism Business Improvement District Board CALL TO ORDER A Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 10:02 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Vice Chair Patel. ROLL CALL Present: Board Members Pragna Patel-Mueller (10:29), Clint Pearce, Bruce Skidmore, LeBren Young-Harris, Vice Chair Nipool Patel, and Chair Matthew Wilkins (10:05) Absent: Board Member Kimberly Walker Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, Tourism Coordinator Liesel Kuehl, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. OATH OF OFFICE Bruce Skidmore was sworn in. CONSENT AGENDA ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the Consent Calendar Items C1 through C6. C1. Minutes of Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 C2. Smith Travel Report C3. Chamber Public Relations Report C4. BCA + Matchfire Marketing Report C5. Chamber Guest Services Report C6. Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 2 PRESENTATIONS 1. Marketing Agency Monthly Report Representatives from BCA + MatchFire reviewed their monthly marketing activities. Highlights included new and updated pages to SanLuisObispoVacations.com, a review of the impact to site metrics from the previously added hotel pages, and their new “Pride in the Plaza” video. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item 2. SLO Chamber of Commerce Year End Report Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and Business Education, reviewed their Public Relations report for fiscal year 2017-18. Highlights discussed were the uber wine service that launched in SLO, and the digital- only media outreach launch for 2016-17 that included Snapchat, goop, Thrillist, and Lonely Planet. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 3 BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Cal Poly Student Affairs Strategic Partnership Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the background of TBID involvement with the Cal Poly Student Affairs (Parents Programs), and the work to date in creating a Partnership Plan. It was reported that the proposed plan is for the establishment of a two-year strategic partnership agreement between the SLO TBID and the New Student in Transition Program (NSTP). The partnership request is for $20,000 in funding and would require exclusivity for the City of San Luis Obispo TBID hotel partners, as well as having events focused on off-peak weekends. Tessa Stevens-Espinoza, Director of Parent & Family Programs and Commencement for Cal Poly, reviewed the NSTP organization, and explained its relationship with Student Affairs and the student’s parents as the students mature. With her feedback, the Board discussed the uses for funding, as well as the possibility of NSTP partnering with individual local hotels outside of the proposed strategic partnership. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, CARRIED 6-0, to approve a $20,000 two-year partnership with Student Affairs, allowing flexibility for the New Student in Transition Program to have closed partnerships with San Luis Obispo City hotels. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 4 2. 2017-18 Event Promotion Funding Recommendations The Marketing Committee presented their funding recommendations for the 2017-18 Events Promotion sponsorship program. The Board discussed the value of the various events, with input from Tourism Manager Cano, representatives from BCA + MatchFire, and Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, CARRIED 6-0, to approve funding the 5th Annual 2017 SLO Jazz Festival at $10,000, with no funding approved for the 2017 Fall Festival. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 6-0, to approve funding the Central Coast Growing Edible Education Symposium at $500. ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PATEL-MUELLER, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, CARRIED 6-0, to approve funding the Central Coast Hop Festival at $3000. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0-1, to approve funding the SLO Craft Beer Festival at $6000, with Board Member Pearce recused. ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED 6-0, to approve funding the Festival Mozaic's WinterMezzo at $5000. ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED 5-0-1, to approve funding the Mission Prep Christmas Classic at $30,000, with Board Member Harris recused. ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PATEL-MUELLER, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 6-0, to approve funding the Roll Out the Barrels Weekend at $11,000. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, CARRIED 5-0-1, to approve funding the SLO Marathon + Half at $15,000, with Board Member Pearce recused. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, CARRIED 6-0, to move $3,500 to events funding from the contingency fund and fund the following events; US Trail Running Conference at $25,000, and San Luis Obispo International Film Festival at $15,000. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 5 3. Grass Volleyball Tournament Application Review Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the event and responded to Board questions. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER SKIDMORE, CARRIED 6-0, to fund the event at $5,000. 4. 2017-18 Marketing Campaign Representatives from BCA + Matchfire presented the Marketing Committee’s recommendation for the 2017-19 destination marketing campaign, highlighting changes proposed from the last plan, their “Be Here” campaign theme, and the challenge of differentiating San Luis Obispo City from San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL) in marketing. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER HARRIS, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED 6-0, to approve the marketing campaign. 5. Board Member Committee Assignments (skipped) The Board directed staff to move this item to the September 13, 2017, meeting. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 6 6. 2016-17 TBID Annual Report Preparation The Board directed staff to follow the 2015-16 TBID annual report format in creating the 2016-17 report. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, SECOND BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED 6-0, to prepare the 2016-17 TBID annual report for presentation to Council on October 17, 2017 TBID LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS No Liaison reports or Communications updates were provided at this meeting. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:11 a.m. The next Regular meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for Wednesday, September 13, 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 August 2017July 30 - August 5Percent Change2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 85.0 89.2 154.46 157.19 131.26 140.27 -4.8 -1.7 -6.4 -6.4 0.1 -4.7City of Pismo Beach 89.3 92.8 216.82 212.03 193.70 196.72 -3.7 2.3 -1.5 -1.5 0.1 -3.7City of San Luis Obispo 86.1 88.2 171.94 169.36 148.04 149.43 -2.4 1.5 -0.9 -0.9 0.0 -2.4Week of August 6 - August 12Percent Change2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 82.4 86.4 153.05 150.80 126.07 130.34 -4.7 1.5 -3.3 -3.2 0.1 -4.6City of Pismo Beach 88.0 88.3 211.81 205.81 186.42 181.65 -0.3 2.9 2.6 2.7 0.1 -0.2City of San Luis Obispo 83.9 85.5 166.00 163.46 139.35 139.82 -1.9 1.6 -0.3 -0.3 0.0 -1.8Week of August 13 - 19Percent Change2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 78.6 92.3 145.97 144.95 114.78 133.86 -14.9 0.7 -14.3 -14.2 0.1 -14.8City of Pismo Beach 83.7 87.6 198.71 189.20 166.24 165.69 -4.5 5.0 0.3 0.4 0.1 -4.4City of San Luis Obispo 78.4 86.2 156.95 150.33 123.03 129.61 -9.1 4.4 -5.1 -5.0 0.0 -9.0Week of August 20 - 26Percent Change2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 72.8 87.8 139.87 135.28 101.85 118.78 -17.1 3.4 -14.2 -14.2 0.1 -17.0City of Pismo Beach 75.2 80.2 177.77 172.42 133.64 138.28 -6.3 3.1 -3.4 -3.3 0.1 -6.2City of San Luis Obispo 69.9 80.5 147.71 140.20 103.22 112.85 -13.2 5.4 -8.5 -8.5 0.0 -13.1Week of August 27 - September 2Percent Change2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 68.0 80.0 148.20 138.33 100.71 110.66 -15.1 7.1 -9.0 -8.9 0.1 -15.0City of Pismo Beach 71.7 68.5 183.61 176.75 131.66 121.14 4.6 3.9 8.7 8.7 0.1 4.7City of San Luis Obispo 67.5 69.1 152.78 143.15 103.17 98.94 -2.3 6.7 4.3 4.3 0.0 -2.2August 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Occ ADR RevPARRoom Rev Room Avail Room SoldCity of Paso Robles 75.4 86.6 146.91 142.45 110.82 123.43 -12.9 3.1 -10.2 -10.2 0.1 -12.9City of Pismo Beach 79.7 81.1 194.33 186.98 154.83 151.73 -1.8 3.9 2.0 2.1 0.1 -1.8City of San Luis Obispo 74.9 80.3 156.01 150.47 116.84 120.79 -6.7 3.7 -3.3 -3.2 0.0 -6.7Current Week - TY vs. LYOcc %Current Week - TY vs. LYRevPARADROcc %Current Week - TY vs. LYADRRevPARADR Percent ChangeOcc %Running 28 Days - TY vs. LYRevPARCurrent Week - TY vs. LYCurrent Week - TY vs. LYOcc %Occ %ADR RevPAROcc % RevPARADRADRRevPAR Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 Media/Community Relations 1. Began working on a press trip for Australian fitness influencer and TV personality Tim Robards. 2. Coordinated San Luis Obispo portion of a press trip for San Diego Blogger Ellis Beardsley. 3. Worked with CCTC partners to coordinate FAM for a group of Adventure Travel Trade Association writers. 4. Pitched Bike Night, the Sunset Drive-In, Bubblegum Alley, Architectural Graveyard, the SLO Skate Park, and the Serenity Swing to 805 Living Magazine for their piece on little known places in the area. 5. Pitched to following for inclusion in the Visit California’s round up of Emerging Trendy Destinations: a. Hoppy town USA - SLO Craft Beer b. Train travel is trending 6. Pitched San Luis Obispo for inclusion in the Visit California’s round up of Rising Art and Cultural Scenes. 7. Pitched the Children’s Museum, Bubblegum Alley, Farmers’ Market, Madonna Inn, and Hiking the Johnson Ranch to Mary Simms for her Huffington Post piece on Kid and Parent Approved End of Summer Fun. 8. Pitched a variety of family friendly activities to Travel Weekly writer who is considering a press trip coordinated by the CCTC. 9. Pitched to following for inclusion in the Visit California’s round up of What’s New this Winter: a. Vegetable Butcher b. La Esquina Taqueria c. 7Sisters Brewing Company 10. Wrote and distributed press release regarding fall events in San Luis Obispo. 11. Worked with Mindbody to coordinate pitches and Identify opportunities to work together when positioning San Luis Obispo as a health and wellness destination. 12. Continued working with Portia Smith to plan a press trip to San Luis Obispo from Seattle. 13. Continued to work with the city, Barnett Cox & Associates and Matchfire on overall tourism marketing campaign. Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 Media Placements 1. 15 under-the-radar road trips for when you need to get out of San Francisco Thrillist names San Luis Obispo one of the best road trips from San Francisco citing hiking, craft beer and ‘really good food.’ Unique Visitors Per Month: 11,537,716 https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/san-francisco/best-weekend-getaways-road-trips- san-francisco 2. 10 Incredible Road Trips to Take With Your Family Parade Magazine included Hwy 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey in their round up of best family road trips in the US. Unique Visitors Per Month: 2,072,891 https://parade.com/590236/scott_steinberg/10-incredible-road-trips-to-take-with-your- family/ Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 3. 23 best north American honeymoon destinations A Practical Wedding features the PCH as one of their top honeymoon destination – complete with an Instagram worthy stop in San Luis Obispo at the Madonna Inn. Unique Visitors Per Month: 1,297,807 https://apracticalwedding.com/north-american-honeymoon-destinations/ 4. Hoppy times on the ultimate Central Coast brewery tour East Bay Times and Mercury News feature Hop On Beer Tours as the ideal way to get around the Central Coast’s booming craft beer scene with the majority of their time spent in San Luis Obispo. Unique Visitors Per Month: 21,390 http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/08/20/ultimate-central-coast-brewery-tours/ Unique Visitors Per Month: 8,945,461 http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/20/ultimate-central-coast-brewery-tours/ Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 5. 10 Train Trips That Cost $100 (or Less!) You Need to Take Your Family On MSN follows up the House Beautiful round up form earlier this year naming the Pacific Surfliner, with stops in San Diego and San Luis Obispo as one of the most beautiful and economical train trips for families. Unique Visitors Per Month: 10,034,408 http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/10-train-trips-that-cost-dollar100-or-less-you- need-to-take-your-family-on/ss-AAqfDSs#image=8 6. Tips on where to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway and the Shoreline Highway in California Australia based Traveller showcases a stop in San Luis Obispo in their comprehensive guide to the ‘best coastal road trip in the world. http://www.traveller.com.au/the-38-secrets-of-the-pacific-coast-highway-in-california-the- ultimate-guide-to-the-best-coastal-drive-in-the-world-gxydi7 Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 7. Thanks to a Direct Flight, This Breathtaking Wine Region is Within Easy Reach From Seattle Seattle Magazine recommends sticking to San Luis Obispo and Edna Valley on your first direct flight. They recommend staying that the SLO Brew Lofts and checking out Old San Luis BBQ as well as Sidecar Cocktail co after a day of wine tasting. Circulation/Audience: 58,984 Unique Visitors Per Month: 97,349 http://www.seattlemag.com/northwest-travel-and-outdoors/thanks-direct-flight- breathtaking-wine-region-within-easy-reach 8. 40 Of America’s Most Buzz-Worthy Coffee Shops The Venue Report includes Scout Coffee in its list of best coffee shops based on what they serve as well as the amazing space. Facebook: 260,000 Instagram: 89,000 Pinterest: 10,000 https://www.venuereport.com/roundups/40-of-americas-most-buzz-worthy-coffee-shops/ Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract July 2017 9. Fun Things To Do San Luis Obispo, CA. Botanical Gardens Blogger Dear Creatives shares a few of her personal favorite things to do in San Luis Obispo – visit the botanical gardens and hike. Unique Visitors Per Month: 45,320 https://www.dearcreatives.com/travel-san-luis-obispo-botanical-gardens/ 10. 12 ultimate stops on Highway No. 1 Blogger Suitcase and Wanderlust takes readers with her along her HWY 1 road trip including a stop in San Luis Obispo for great food, art and hiking. http://www.suitcaseandwanderlust.com/12-ultimate-stops-on-highway-no-1/ SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT August 2017 HAPPENING NOW • Annual Report • 2017–19 Campaign Production -Radio -360 Video -Digital Ads -Photography • 2017–18 Media Planning • Sizzle Reel SLO VACATIONS • Updated Pages -California Wine Month -SLO Marathon -Low Cost Getaway Vacation Idea -Cal Poly Vacation Idea • Added Intros to Things to Do & Accommodations Landing Page • SEO -Alt image tags added to site pages -Meta descriptions updated -Broken links fixed EMAIL • 173 new leads • September Newsletter • Ongoing Welcome Series & Hotel Page Email SLO TBID ANNUAL REPORT 2016–2017 SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT August 2017 SHARESLO • Bubblegum Alley Video • Community Blog Posts -How to Do SLO: Bleisure -Guide to Running in San Luis Obispo -SLO in the News: July PARTNERSHIPS • Cal Poly Parent Program & NSTP -Partnership Campaign Production -E-Blast Copy & Getaway Giveaway • TripAdvisor -New Cal Poly Parent Article • SLO Wine -LA Food & Wine Event Activation Planning LOOKING AHEAD • Backlink Outreach • Enhanced Email Marketing Strategy • Quarterly Member Newsletter • Launch 2017-19 Campaign “Be Here” • Launch Cal Poly Parent & NTSP Campaign SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT August 2017 SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS SanLuisObispoVacations.com 17,795 36,309 14,718 slocity.org m.facebook.com lm.facebook.com FACEBOOK New Fans Total Fans Total Reach Average Reach per Post Average Daily Page Engaged Users Total Engagements 29 104,250 301,767 6,208 328 4,369 TWITTER New Followers Total Followers Total Engagements #ShareSLO 45 3,841 576 429 INSTAGRAM New Followers Total Followers Total Reach Average Reach per post Total Engagements #ShareSLO 145 11,364 156,263 2,742 11,940 2,990 YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 35,821 Report to City of SLO – TBID Phone Line and Availability Contract August 2017 Response to TBID Advertising Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 August 2016 August 2017 Calls to 1-877-SLO-TOWN 26 19 17 22 42 84 Hotel Availability Tracker Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 August 2016 August 2017 Email Response 21 19 19 16 39 75 Phone Calls to Hotels 76 62 74 70 109 282 Hotel Referrals Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 August 2016 August 2017 Visitors Served (Walk-ins) 1,406 1,610 1,392 1,396 5,936 5,804 Farmers’ Market* 500 500 500 500 2,000 2,000 Hotel Rooms Referred 252 281 296 303 917 1,132 *estimate without people counter TOT Comparison2009‐102010‐11 2011‐122012‐13 2013‐142014‐15 2015‐162016‐172017‐18Change +/‐2016‐17 2017‐18Change +/‐2016‐172017-18Change +/‐2016‐172017-18Change +/‐July 508,195$        541,806$        591,184$        636,778$        699,845$           761,346$           844,845$           877,391$           878,786$           0.2% 84.7 71.9 0.5 175.36147.130.8 148.48105.791.3August 511,564$        542,194$        574,395$        623,655$        674,244$           732,271$           774,501$           765,232$           82.6 155.11 128.09September 400,023$        437,543$        490,524$        508,583$        505,954$           557,002$           643,127$           650,117$           74.8 152.37 114.03October414,870$        442,586$        437,805$        469,977$        509,435$           594,032$           642,221$           628,049$           72.9 146.18 106.51November 280,913$        330,924$        347,437$        359,163$        425,769$           475,360$           468,016$           497,162$           66.5 133.3 88.61December 246,684$        274,417$        314,784$        319,451$        355,315$           391,132$           429,600$           434,836$           58.9 123.17 72.52January 230,279$        256,351$        276,165$        302,153$        331,853$           400,239$           387,304$           396,559$           56.4 115.69 65.3February 273,373$        302,246$        323,359$        344,160$        366,980$           431,510$           466,915$           439,735$           61.7 128.71 79.36March 326,099$        333,783$        392,266$        426,879$        448,103$           520,795$           559,235$           549,642$           69.1 130.03 89.91April 423,158$        451,133$        475,913$        486,850$        564,617$           610,894$           609,439$           708,724$           80.4 149.96 120.56May 372,997$        433,874$        447,116$        489,862$        546,916$ 601,614$ 598,093$ 645,114$ 72 147.7 106.33June 490,326$        512,543$        578,234$        610,948$        630,729$           727,028$           731,038$           765,362$           79 164.33 129.9Total/Average 4,478,481$    4,859,400$    5,249,181$    5,578,460$    6,059,758$       6,803,224$       7,154,334$       7,357,923$       71.58143.49104.137,186,264$ *April TOT totals missing 2 homestays*May TOT totals missing 3 homestays *June TOT totals missing 2 homestays*July TOT totals missing 5 homestaysOccupancyADRRevPARFigures from Smith Travel Research report SLO TBID ANNUAL REPORT 2016–2017 2 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 A Letter from the Chair A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR The Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) for San Luis Obispo has worked together with its local lodging constituents to record another year of TOT growth. Faced with an exceptionally wet winter and the sudden and ongoing closure of the Pacific Coast Highway, San Luis Obispo innkeepers and hoteliers were able to increase average daily rate (ADR) while mitigating the reduction in occupancy. In one sense, it is difficult to pinpoint the specific benefit of the TBID’s efforts when everything is going well. If the weather cooperates and Highway 1 is open, it is less apparent to an individual constituent precisely what is making the difference between a good year and a great year; there is little incentive to even spend time figuring it out. Conversely, when the unprecedented year-over-year growth that we had begun to take for granted begins to taper off, the benefit of a communal marketing effort led by the TBID becomes very clear. The story of FY16 is essentially this; after many years of growth in occupancy and ADR, SLO hoteliers pushed rate. We set rates many months to sometimes years in advance, and none of us has a crystal ball—rates are set based on past performance, instinct and hope. We had no reason to believe the ever-increasing occupancy might taper off. So we set our rates higher than ever, and were able to maintain increased revenue through higher ADR in spite of decreased occupancy. Where does the TBID fit in all this? One anecdote that I feel illustrates what we do well is that we literally have a program called “Money for a Rainy Day.” When it started raining, and then didn’t stop when it normally does, we kicked our program into action and were able to demonstrably move the needle—even garnering free publicity in the LA Times for our unique promotion through our joint PR efforts with the Chamber of Commerce. This is exactly the function we are meant to serve, and the need for us is greater in challenging years than when everything comes easily. After having going through the Strategic Planning process, and then a completed mid-point check-up, we are reaching an organizational maturity that is being noticed and emulated. Visit California recognized our efforts with a “Poppy Award” for best overall marketing program. Our competitors have noticed as well, and we see discussions taking place in neighboring communities that we were having three years ago. The benefits from the decisions we are making now will continue to pay dividends for our constituents and the city which we are so grateful to be a part of for years to come. Sincerely, Matthew Wilkins Sands Inn & Suites SLO TBID Board Chair 3 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Background on TBID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Background ............................................4 Advisory Body ..........................................4 2016–17 Advisory Board ..................................4 Advisory Body Bylaws ...................................5 2016-17 Year By the Numbers (TOT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Strategic Plan Implementation Year & Program Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 TBID Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Snapshot of the Progress ................................8 Branding ...............................................8 Website ...............................................10 Digital & Print Media ....................................11 Social .................................................13 Public Relations ........................................17 Travel & Tradeshows ....................................18 Special Promotions .....................................19 Guest Services ........................................22 Strategic Partnerships .................................24 Event Promotion ......................................26 Industry Relations .....................................27 2016–17 Financial Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Income ...............................................28 Expenditures ..........................................29 Looking Ahead to 2017–18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 TOT Chart 2016–17 .....................................32 TOT Month to Month 2016–17 ...........................32 OCC Month to Month 2016–17 ...........................33 ADR Month to Month 2016–17 ...........................33 RevPar Month to Month 2016–17 .........................34 4 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Background on TBID BACKGROUND ON TBID BACKGROUND In June 2008 the City Council adopted Ordinance 1517 establishing the tourism business improvement district (TBID) in the City of San Luis Obispo as requested by the local lodging industry. The assessment of two percent of gross receipts for the district became effective on October 1, 2008 and the use of funds was defined in Section 12.42.030 of the Municipal Code as follows: “This ordinance is made and enacted pursuant to the provisions of the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 (Sections 36500 et. seq., of the California Streets and Highways Code). The purpose of forming the district as a business improvement area under the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 is to provide revenue to defray the costs of services, activities and programs promoting tourism which will benefit the operators of hotels in the district through the promotion of scenic, recreational, cultural and other attractions in the district as a tourist destination.” ADVISORY BODY The use of the assessment fund is based on the recommendation of the Tourism Business Improvement District advisory board that is staffed by City of San Luis Obispo hotel owners, operators, and/or managers. The board members are appointed by the City Council and serve for an initial term of four years with the opportunity to serve second term for a maximum of eight years. 2016-17 ADVISORY BOARD NAME PROPERTY TERM Dean Hutton Apple Farm 3/31/17 2nd term Kimberly Walker Granada Inn 3/31/21 2nd term LeBren Harris Hampton Inn 3/31/21 Nipool Patel (Past Chair)Lamplighter Inn & Suites 3/31/20 2nd term Pragna Patel-Muller Lexington Inn 3/31/19 Clint Pearce Madonna Inn 3/31/19 2nd term Matthew Wilkins (Chair)Sands Inn & Suites 3/31/20 2nd term 5 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 ADVISORY BODY BYLAWS In addition to the governing City ordinance, the TBID Board established its advisory body bylaws and further defined its role and functions as: The functions and duties of the TBID Board shall include, but not be limited to, the following: A. Planning 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. B. Develop advertising and promotional programs and projects to benefit the lodging industry in San Luis Obispo. C. Present an annual assessment report to the City Council regarding the implemented promotional programs and projects. D. Perform any other lawful tasks as directed by the Council. The Board meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 10 a.m. for its regular board meeting. In 2016–17, the Board met in 11 regular monthly meetings and 2 special meetings. Additionally, based on the continued implementation of the TBID 5-year Strategic Plan, the Board maintained the standing subcommittees - the Management Committee and the Marketing Committee, each is made up of three board members. The Marketing Committee members also serve on the joint Event Promotion Committee with three members of the Promotional Coordinating Committee to consider event sponsorship commitments. In order to keep the lodging constituency abreast of all TBID business, the Board is assigned properties to liaise. Each board member is responsible for communication with his/her respective group of hotels. Staff continue to visit all properties at least once a year to personally bring TBID updates and marketing opportunities to each property. Background on TBID 6 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 2016-17 Year by the Numbers 2016-17 YEAR BY THE NUMBERS The 2016-17 fiscal year produced modest growth in the tourism industry in San Luis Obispo. The City collected nearly $7.4 million dollars (+2.8%) in transient occupancy tax (TOT) – the largest collection ever recorded for the City of San Luis Obispo. The collections slightly exceeded the City’s forecasted and budgeted growth which is contributed directly into the City’s General Fund. However, based on the Smith Travel Research (STR) reports, the occupancy rate in the City decreased by 1.2%. Overall, occupancy was down consistently for the first three quarters of the fiscal year apart from November and January. It began to rebound in the fourth quarter where we saw a record 11% occupancy growth in April 2017. The dip in occupancy can be attributed in part to the seasonal weather patterns achieved by the mountain regions that produced the significant snow fall, the closure of Highway 1, and the impact of a competitive and crowded tourism market throughout the region. The 2016-2017 fiscal year concluded with average annual occupancy rate over 71%, a slight decline in occupancy compared to the 2015-16 fiscal year. While the occupancy rate decreased, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was up 2.8% to $143.49. Nearly, every month within the year out rated the same month in the prior year. Additionally, the RevPAR, defined as Revenue Per Available Room, grew by 1.8% to $104.13. This means that although the occupancy was down overall for the properties, the lodging businesses received higher profits based on rate increases with less day-to-day impact on the properties. Additionally, the downtown Visitor Center served nearly 86,000 in person guests. San Luis Obispo lodging properties achieved twenty five sell out weekends in 2016–17. 2016-17 YEAR BY THE NUMBERS See the appendix for complete graphs. MEASUREMENT FY 2016-17 RESULT % CHANGE FROM FY 2015-16 TOT $ 7,357,923 2.8 % Occupancy 71.58 -1.2 % ADR $ 143.49 2.8 % RevPAR $ 104.13 1.8 % 7 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Strategic Plan Implementation Year & Program Approach STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION YEAR & PROGRAM APPROACH In 2016-17 the TBID continued the focused implementation of the 5-year Strategic Clarity Plan, a document that serves as the framework for the direction and decisions made by the TBID Board for the tourism program. The plan defines the work programs for the TBID and is used as a guide for the decisions made for the overall promotion of San Luis Obispo. Within the plan, the TBID identified five Strategic Imperatives: • Deliver Smart Growth • Develop the SLO Brand • Build Meaningful Partnerships • Contribute to an Unforgettable SLO Experience • Ensure Organizational Excellence This fiscal year marked the halfway point for the plan. In the fall of 2016, the TBID Board held workshop to revisit the plan and they modified it as needed for the remaining two years of implementation. While none of the Strategic Imperatives changed, the Board added new initiatives to drive new program efforts. Mission The SLO TBID builds awareness to grow tourism, serving as the voice of San Luis Obispo. Values Integrity | Accountability | Adaptability | Collaboration | Determination | Innovation Unique Role of Value The SLO TBID provides the City of SLO with comprehensive tourism brand management through strategic partnerships and a robust marketing and promotional budget. Vision In SLO TBID manages the brand for the destination of San Luis Obispo, delivering balanced growth of tourism, with creativity and integrity. Vision Out San Luis Obispo is an unforgettable place where visitors engage in a unique lifestyle they aspire to, become emotionally attached, and return for renewal. Brand Intention Heart Side: Happy | Pride of Place | Inspiring | Relaxed | Rejuvenating Head Side: Experiential | Beautiful | Artisinal | Healthy | Authentic Strategic Imperatives Deliver Smart Growth | Develop the SLO Brand | Build Meaningful Partnerships | Contribute to an Unforgettable SLO Experience | Ensure Organizational Excellence Unique Value Proposition San Luis Obispo is an authentic and inviting California community where you can play, taste, explore, relax, and recharge. Strategic Clarity The elements of our Strategic Clarity are the SLO TBID’s “North Star” for the upcoming five fiscal years, setting the level of expectation and the tone and tenor of everything we plan. As we move into defining specific initiatives, our Strategic Clarity will serve as a touchstone. Vision In What kind of organizational culture are we committed to being? Vision Out What is the ideal future state we will strive to create? What are we committed to making happen?Mission What is most important to us as we strive to realize our vision? What is the focus of our work?Values What are the fundamental beliefs that shape how we work together to serve our mission? Unique Role of Value What unique and valuable role do we play amongst our peer organizations? HOW do we provide value? Strategic Imperatives What must be accomplished during the planning horizon? Unique Value Proposition What unique and sustainable value does the destination of San Luis Obispo deliver? WHY San Luis Obispo? Brand Intention WHAT is the experience we want our destination to be known for? Mission Values Unique Role of Value Vision In Vision Out Brand Intention Strategic Imperatives Unique Value Proposition Vision In Vision Out Mission Values Unique Role of Value Strategic Imperatives Unique Value Proposition Brand Intention 8 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 TBID Activities TBID ACTIVITIES SNAPSHOT OF THE PROGRESS Fiscal year 2016–17, was a very accomplished year for the TBID activities. • Deployed “It Means Something Different Here” campaign 2.0 • Created and distributed unique content that inspired returning and new tourists • Implemented a marketing automation program to enhance email marketing efforts • Captured and created a library of candid, “local perspective” video content • Expanded library of professional photography • Developed and distributed new collateral materials • Executed new social media opportunities including Snapchat & Instagram Stories • Developed seasonal promotional campaigns, including Cal Poly Lodging Loyalty Program, Money for a Rainy Day, Exclusive Seattle Promotion and tradeshow-specific promotions • Developed individualized event promotion strategies • Partnered with Visit SLO CAL on new co-op placements In order to implement the complex marketing programs, the TBID Board and staff work closely with the team of contractors from the marketing agencies Barnett Cox & Associates (BCA) and Matchfire formerly StudioGood, and the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. 9 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 TBID Activities BRANDING The TBID manages the tourism brand for the destination of San Luis Obispo, delivering balanced growth of tourism, with creativity and integrity. In fiscal year 2016–17, the advertising campaign “It Means Something Different Here” was continued across digital and print channels. Additionally, the TBID expanded their print collateral and created a new small brochure to complement our SLO Inspiration Guide & Maps brochure featuring eye catching photography. These pieces are used to promote San Luis Obispo and are disturbed at various tradeshow, events, and through Certified Folder Displays in airports visitor centers and hotels throughout California. San Luis Obispo Brand Messaging Pillars: • Cultural • Culinary • Outdoor • Family 10 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 WEBSITE www .SanLuisObispoVacations .com The City’s official tourism website, SanLuisObispoVacations.com, is the primary marketing tool used to represent our destination. It is designed mainly for consumers, but also serves the travel trade, meeting planners, TBID members and media. It features robust content including a detailed calendar of events integrated with SLO Happenings, lodging property listings for all TBID constituents including hotels and permitted homestay properties, itinerary suggestions and features, the ShareSLO blog, and featured press coverage. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ensures the relevancy and success of the TBID’s website. Organic search traffic to the site continues to stand as the top traffic channel, making up 36% of site sessions. The work is done monthly to optimize pages with top keywords, meta tags and meta descriptions, ShareSLO blog posts and social content were created based on forecasted keyword and search trends. Thus, pages now rank in the top position on Google for San Luis Obispo searches including Bubblegum Alley, Night Life and Shopping. Key 2016–17 Website Results: • 60% increase in site sessions • 51% increase in average monthly users • 32% increase in referral traffic year-over-year Highlights of Website Activities: • Updated Email Sign-Up Form in August • Launched Automated Welcome Series and Hotel Page Abandonment Email • Updated Mobile Navigation, #ShareSLO Blog and Filtering Functionality in November • Revamped Events Page in February • Refreshed Hotel & Homestay Property Pages in June • Added 15 new pages and updated over 35 pages See the appendix for complete graphs. TBID Activities 11 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 DIGITAL & PRINT MEDIA Digital Media Online programmatic campaigns are the most effective marketing and advertising tool to target the drive markets in California for leisure travelers to San Luis Obispo. The TBID continues to use branded advertising to maximize online reach for the promotion of San Luis Obispo through strategic placement on top travel and lifestyle sites through a programmatic digital advertising program. In 2016-17, the advertising program for the TBID was focused on the mix of digital display that hit key websites to target the right customer and the use of video pre-roll using the 5 pillar videos in desired markets. TBID Activities CUMULATIVE DIGITAL ADVERTISING MEASUREMENTS Total Number of Digital Ad Impressions 12,639,406 Total Number of Clicks 879,325 Print Advertising Limited print advertising placements were continued in the TBID’s media mix through BCA in the 2016–17 fiscal year. Traditional print campaigns are an important tool to reach niche market visitors primarily in the mature demographic and to reinforce travel inspiration and build brand awareness for the destination. The TBID placed print ads only in cooperative advertising campaigns with regional partners like Visit SLO CAL and Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC). • SLO CAL Destination Visitors Guide • Alaska Airlines in-flight magazine for the launch of the new flight • SLO Chamber Visitors Guide • Central Coast Tourism Map ad • California State Travel Guide in the 8-page Central Coast feature • BuzzFeed article • Matador article & video 12 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Email Marketing The TBID continued to utilize email marketing activities through the newsletter to communicate regularly with potential visitors on activities in SLO to build brand loyalty and encourage repeat visitation and an extended length of stay. The newsletter promotes upcoming events and special promotions as well as compliments our seasonal advertising campaigns and public relations outreach. This year the TBID refocused their attention on enhancing their email marketing efforts beyond the monthly newsletter. In 2016-17 the TBID concentrated their email marketing on growing their audience, tracking the behaviors and following up with relevant messaging that ultimately drove visitation to San Luis Obispo. Their investment in marketing automation garnered nearly 2000 new email subscribers on the TBID site by updating the form and the placement of the sign up. Additionally, they launched an automated Welcome Series to acknowledge new subscribers. And they implemented a Hotel Page Abandonment series which sent visitors a personalized email if they left hotel pages without taking action. Highlights of Email Marketing Activities: • 37% increase in database size • 1,783 submitted through new email sign-up form • 7 SLO Vacations’ e-newsletters • 2 ongoing, automated emails based on user behavior • 9 targeted emails for Lodging Loyalty program • 6 targeted emails for tradeshow promotion • 2 targeted emails for Money for a Rainy Day promotion • 1 promotional email for Festival Mozaic TBID Activities NEWSLETTER ACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS Total Number of Newsletters Sent 25 Database Size 23,361 13 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 SOCIAL #SHARESLO This year, the TBID continued to captivate ShareSLO fans and grow their social media footprint through great, engaging content. They continued to leverage user-generated content in 2016-17, along with adding TBID created content including “local perspective” videos. With an emphasis on engaging site content, the TBID drove social traffic to SanLuisObispoVacations.com by linking to relevant content whenever possible. ShareSLO continues to maintain a network of engaged social fans on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. In 2016–17, the ShareSLO cumulative social fan base grew by over 62,000 fans and followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The total social media engagements across all platforms was over 203,760, representing a 74% increase in engagements over 2015–16. The ShareSLO blog, featured on SanLuisObispoVacations.com continues to perform exceptionally well as a source to drive traffic to the website. In addition to general content each month, the ShareSLO blog featured dedicated campaigns including: Meet the Brewers Series in October, ShareSLO Chef Series in January, Bike Month in April, SLO in the News throughout the year. Thus, the ShareSLO blog saw a 171% increase in page views within the blog compared to the prior year. TBID Activities 14 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 #SHARESLO (Cont .) 2016–17 ShareSLO Activities Included: • 54 ShareSLO blogs published • Activated on Snapchat & Instagram Stories • Consistent, daily community management • Activated Instagram Giveaways: Brews & Bites, SLO Film Fest, Cal Poly Baseball Tickets & First Pitch Giveaway • Participated in 3 Visit CA sponsored Twitter chats: #HikerChat, #FoodieChat, #Kidifornia • Uploaded 4 new videos to ShareSLO’s YouTube channel • Captured event photography and videography at Cow Parade SLO Launch Event and Amgen Tour • Real-time posting at events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat TBID Activities SHARESLO PROGRAM MEASUREMENTS Total Number of Blog Posts 54 Total Number of Fans 118,956 Total Hashtag Uses (Instagram & Twitter only) 41,830 Total Video Views (YouTube)34,181 15 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 TBID Activities SHARE SLO SOCIAL METRICS 2016–17 % CHANGE FROM 2015–16 Facebook Total New Fans 58,163 226.23% Average New Fans per Month 4,847 226.18% Total Fans 104,275 129.09% Total Reach 8,262,200 31.75% Average Reach per Post 7,764 45.23% Average Daily Engaged Users 789 106.01% Total Engagements 65,207 31.38% Twitter New Followers 304 46.57% Average New Followers per Month 25 46.81% Total Followers 3,744 8.62% Total Engagements 6,567 24.87% Total #ShareSLO 4,294 4.48% Instagram New Followers 3,719 25.63% Total Followers 10,937 51.52% Total Engagements 131,986 112.44% Total #ShareSLO 37,536 53.67% YouTube Video Views on Main Video 34,181 54.07% #SHARESLO (Cont .) 16 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Paid Social Media In 2016–17, the TBID continued to invest in paid social media to enhance the effectiveness and reach of the ShareSLO brand on Facebook. Adding a paid element to the posts has helped to expand the reach and increase engagement among ShareSLO fans, followers, and friends. Paid promotion on social media is very cost-effective for the TBID and provides the ability to extend the promotion of San Luis Obispo almost year- round. Paid social media on Facebook in 2016–17 included ads to drive page likes, website conversions, video views, lead generation and prompted posts. TBID Activities Paid Media Results 2016–17 2015–16 % Change Facebook Page Likes Page Likes 54,173 14,300 278.83% Impressions 1,091,175 649,193 68.08% Avg. Cost per Click $0.24 $0.70 65.71% Avg. Cost per Like $0.31 $0.75 58.67% Website Conversions Link Clicks 53,887 11,944 351.16% Actions 150,966 112,103 34.67% Impressions 3,294,166 1,533,533 114.81% Avg. CTR (All)2.26%1.67%35.33% Avg. CTR (Link)1.33%0.73%82.19% Video Views Video Views 444,798 915,418 51.41% Avg. Duration of Video Viewed 00:00:09 00:00:14 35.71% Lead Generation Leads 2,155 N/A N/A Total Reach 156,006 N/A N/A Promoted Posts Total Reach 953,384 825,646 15.47% Total Engagements 102,527 94,512 8.48% 17 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 PUBLIC RELATIONS In 2016–17, the TBID and PCC continued to jointly hold a dedicated contract with the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce for Public Relations efforts. On behalf of the City’s community promotions program, the SLO Chamber is responsible for establishing professional relationships with media outlets and journalists in various markets to build and maintain awareness of San Luis Obispo as a travel destination. The 2016-17 contract elements with the SLO Chamber for Public Relations included: pitching to media, bringing in media, coordinating media trips, sending out media releases, responding to natural media inquiries, use of the Chamber’s photography library for editorial requests and press releases, planning and executing press trips and developing media kits. This focused PR effort continued to prove success for San Luis Obispo. During the 2016–17 fiscal year, the PR activities generated at least 275 total mentions or media placements that highlighted San Luis Obispo in international, national, regional and even local publications. A few specific publications include: Toronto Star, Coastal Living Magazine, Travel Channel, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. A new focus in 2016–17 for PR efforts was tailored to digital media outlets. Primary targets included influential lifestyle, outdoors and parent with long-term, loyal and engaged audiences that are in line with San Luis Obispo’s focused messaging efforts. On behalf of the City’s community promotion, the Chamber proactively connected with various digital outlets to position the San Luis Obispo message. As a result, the TBID was featured on Sweet, a Snapchat Discover channel that reaches 100 million daily active users. Other digital outlets include: Goop, Lonely Planet, Thrillist and Matador Network. Additionally, coordinated media visits or press trips were secured to promote the destination with the goal of earning valuable editorial coverage. In fiscal year 2016-17, nearly 40 media outlets, both domestic and international were hosted in San Luis Obispo. Top domestic and international media outlets hosted include: Fodor’s Travel Guide, General Motors, Los Angeles Magazine, the Toronto Sun. TBID Activities PUBLIC RELATIONS MEASUREMENTS Total Number of Media Outlets Hosted 40 Number of Mentions 275 Potential Reach 769,122,617 18 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 TRAVEL & TRADESHOWS Consumer Travel Shows The TBID continues to maximize the consumer travel show strategy. Consumer shows provide the TBID an opportunity to take San Luis Obispo on the road to key markets. The three consumer tradeshows attended were: Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show, and San Diego Travel & Adventure Show. The booth featured key information on San Luis Obispo including lodging information, maps and upcoming events. Shows were selected based on their anticipated attendance, quality of attendees, and target drive market location. Booth visitors were presented with the call-to-action to book two nights in SLO and receive a $100 VISA gift card upon arrival. In addition to one-on-one conversations with potential visitors, the TBID also met with numerous travel media and operators in the booth. Industry Tradeshows In 2016–17, the TBID returned to the industry tradeshow IPW. The U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the U.S. The TBID had previously participated in 2011 and 2012 but had since declined, in order to focus on consumer-only efforts. However, this year the TBID Board made a strategic decision to partner with SLO CAL, the San Luis Obispo County’s tourism marketing district, at the show. During the three-day show booked with intensive pre- scheduled business appointments, the TBID met with over 55 representatives interested in booking travel to San Luis Obispo. TBID Activities CONSUMER TRADE SHOW MEASUREMENTS Number of Shows Attended 3 Newsletter Registrations Collected 1,798 Total Room Nights Booked Through Promotion 36 19 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS Money for a Rainy Day In 2016-17, the TBID Board ran for the second year a special promotional offer designed to drive overnight stays in the City of San Luis Obispo during the slowest months of the year. Through the promotion, visitors were required to book two consecutive nights at a lodging property in the City of San Luis Obispo between January – March 2017 and they would receive a $100 Visa Gift Card to spend how they choose. More than 660 Visa gift cards were redeemed through the promotion. As a result, the promotion garnered over 1500 room nights during January through March. TBID Activities 20 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS (CONT .) Seattle Flight Promotion In April 2017, Alaska Airlines launched non-stop service between San Luis Obispo and Seattle. To maximize the promotion of this flight, the TBID utilized their $100 VISA card promotion to promote overnight stays in San Luis Obispo coordinated with the launch of the flight. This promotion was marketed via targeted facebook ads and through PR outreach. As a result, over 46 room nights were booked in San Luis Obispo in conjunction with a round trip flight to SLO from Seattle. Additionally, the TBID partnered with Atascadero on an overnight discovery trip to Seattle. This overnight trip provided an opportunity for the TBID to participate in the inaugural flight to Seattle, meet with key staff at the Visit Seattle office, coordinate consumer information with the Seattle AAA office and host a media dinner with targeted Seattle digital influencers and journalists. TBID Activities 21 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS (CONT .) Cal Poly Lodging Loyalty Program In 2016–17 the TBID launched a pilot lodging loyalty program for new Cal Poly Parents. This program encouraged visiting parents to stay in San Luis Obispo and as a reward after 10 nights achieved the registered parent would earn one free night stay. The program was launch to a select number of parents and supporters who had registered with the TBID during the Cal Poly SLO Days events. Over 240 parents signed up for the program resulting in over 270 room nights consumed in San Luis Obispo. TBID Activities 22 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 GUEST SERVICES Through a dedicated contract with the TBID, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce provides a suite of guest services to the TBID. In 2016–17 this included: • Provide dedicated customer service for San Luis Obispo City hotels at the Downtown Visitor Center. • Provide a 800-number separate phone line exclusively for the TBID. Only SLO TBID properties will be recommended through this phone line. Provide staff to respond to a TBID-only phone line during Visitor Center Hours and return after hours phone calls. • Provide dedicated customer service on SanLuisObispoVacations.com with a Live Chat feature. *Trialed from August to October • Perform “hotel availability call arounds” and keep a record of current availability for all SLO City hotels. • Educate local hoteliers about the hotel availability program and how they may best utilize it. During fiscal year 2016–17, Visitor Center staff contacted every TBID property each week and maintained a record of which hotels were sold out and which have availability for each Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as impacted weekdays throughout the year to help guests, who would otherwise need to call each property on their own to find a room in SLO. This service also allowed for TBID properties to refer their clients directly to the Visitor Center for centralized guest services. In addition, this information was widely utilized to assist visitors to the Visitor Center in keeping the traveler in the City of San Luis Obispo. Since July, 2016, the Chamber was able to make use of this availability information in conjunction with TBID marketing materials to refer SLO TBID properties 10,266 times. In addition, the Chamber is contracted to answer each call made to the TBID’s 1-877-SLO-TOWN number, which is serves as a response tool to the TBID’s advertising efforts and digital presence. This creates the option for a ‘real person’ to assist in trip planning, ensuring that travelers seeking personal guidance have a friendly, live voice to shape their experience of San Luis Obispo before even arriving. The telephone number, 1-877-SLO-TOWN, is a separate line that rings in the Chamber and is used solely to refer and promote TBID properties. During fiscal year 2016–17 over 2000 calls were answered on the 1-877-SLO-TOWN line, an increase of 270% over the prior year. Much of this is attributed to the seasonal promotions and Cal Poly Lodging Loyalty program implementation and fulfilment. TBID Activities 23 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 GUEST SERVICES (CONT .) Live Chat To better enhance the San Luis Obispo guest experience, the TBID piloted a live chat service in 2016-17 to make sure that no potential guest encountered any barrier to staying in SLO. Live chat gave website users the opportunity to interact with guest service providers in real-time. The service engaged with users and supported SanLuisObispoVacations.com during peak traffic times when site visitors are planning their trip. The service was piloted from August – October 2016 and nearly 4000 chats were held during that period. Chat Topics: • 30% of chats were hotel related (where to stay, affordable hotels) • 38% of chats were area related (general activities, transportation) • 29% of chats were itinerary related (specific activities/destinations) TBID Activities 24 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS The TBID collaborates with numerous community partners and industry nonprofit organizations in marketing San Luis Obispo as a destination which makes the TBID more efficient in promotional activities. The TBID’s strategic partnerships allow the marketing agencies to build relationships with the organizations below, elevating the destination as a whole. Promotional opportunities with each organization give the TBID new platforms and audiences to build brand awareness. Top partnerships achievements include: Cal Poly Athletics • TBID maintains the exclusive hotel industry sponsor to advertise with Cal Poly Athletics • TBID hosted nearly 650 room nights for visiting teams, recruits, and coaches • Basketball suite event for TBID sales teams • ShareSLO throws 3 first pitches at Cal Poly Baseball • CP Athletics Facebook page posts • Banner ad in ongoing Athletics newsletters • Cal Poly Alumni E-blast & Alumni Getaway Giveaway • Radio spots for basketball • Homecoming game ticket giveaway • New rotating graphics submitted for LED banner at Mott Gym • Soccer Visiting Teams Guide • ShareSLO Track & Field Meet • Program ad • :15 scoreboard video using new footage SLO Wine • Deployed e-newsletters to over 12,000 subscribers that included TBID content, logo, and links • Hosted travel, lifestyle, wine writers in San Luis Obispo for various media visits resulting in media coverage in: Wine Enthusiast, SF Gate & SF Chronicle, USA Today, LA Time, 805 Living, Chicago Tribune • The “Stay” page on SLOwine.com garnered over 30,000 views • Partnered to host an integrated marketing experience at LA Magazine’s The Food Event in October 2016 TBID Activities 25 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS (CONT .) Cal Poly’s New Student & Transition Programs Cal Poly New Student & Transition Programs (NSTP) sees over 50,000 guests of students and their families between Open House, Student Life Orientation Days, and Week of Welcome annually. Through a new partnership in 2016–17 the TBID partnered with NSTP to engage and connect with our new students and their families. In addition to website presence and logo inclusion, the TBID activations include representation at the following events: • Open House • SLO Days • Week of Welcome/Move-in Weekend TBID Activities 26 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 EVENT PROMOTION In 2016–2017, the TBID sponsored, promoted, and was represented at more than a dozen local events of different shapes and sizes. Over the course of the year, the TBID continued to shape an event strategy to ensure all SLO TBID-sponsored events are well-aligned with the brand, and that expectations and best practices were clear. These guidelines allowed the TBID to reach visitors before, during, and after an event takes place, which in turn arms the TBID with the tools we need to leverage events to put heads in beds. In 2016–17, the TBID took a new approach to supporting a few of the sponsored events. Instead of simply funding out of area marketing, the TBID dedicated their sponsorship dollars along with the marketing agency time to help create and manage the out of area promotional campaigns. This strategy was successful for the TBID. TBID Sponsored Events: • Sustainable Ag Expo • Bacon & Barrels SLO • Festival Mozaic—Winter Mezzo & Summer Event • CowParade SLO—Sponsorship & Event Promotion • SLO Beer Week • SLO Film Festival • SLO Marathon + Half • SLO Jazz Festival • Cal Poly Open House • Roll Out the Barrels TBID Activities EVENT SPONSORSHIP MEASUREMENTS Number of Events Sponsored 13 Estimated Total Number of Event Attendees Reached through Sponsorship 28,350 Total Sponsorship Investment $ 104,250 27 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 INDUSTRY RELATIONS Visit California The Visit California partnership has been critical in the growth of our brand within the California Tourism product. San Luis Obispo has received coverage though the marketing activities performed by Visit California including travel trade, press, and industry outreach. Monthly submissions are uploaded to Visit California for media outreach, trade contacts, and newsletter content. Additionally the TBID maintains ongoing coordination to keep City of San Luis Obispo destination page up to date. ShareSLO also participated in Visit California sponsored Twitter chats. The TBID attended the Visit California Outlook Forum educational event in the spring. Central Coast Tourism Council The Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) is an organization of tourism and hospitality professionals whose marketing efforts accomplish collectively what no single tourism entity can do alone—promote the entire California Central Coast as a destination and maximize our members’ tourism revenue. The CCTC serves as the Central Coast’s voice in Sacramento, and partners with California Tourism’s global marketing and advertising campaigns. The TBID is actively involved in CCTC with the Tourism Manager as the President and Regional Board Member. In 2016-17, the TBID leveraged the CCTC activities through media and trade leads, blog and social presence, and travel trade leads. SLO CAL The TBID maintains participation with SLO CAL by having two representatives on the Board of Directors and the Tourism Manager on the Marketing Committee. The TBID Board leverages the partnership with Visit SLO CAL to promote San Luis Obispo on a national and international level- beyond the local and state reach the TBID’s marketing plan focus to achieve. The TBID’s participation in Visit SLO CAL also encompasses group sales, film commission, county-wide public relations, and county-wide special events like Restaurant Month and Wine Month. In 2016-17, the TBID partnered with Visit SLO CAL an may initiatives including: participation in IPW, hosting of a China travel trade delegation familiarization visit, Alaska Airlines in-flight magazine advertising co-op, and Matador Network and BuzzFeed content and video co-ops. TBID Activities 28 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 2016–17 FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2016-17 Financial Statement INCOME SOURCE 2016–17 TOT Revenue Assumption (Revised with Supplement)$7,186,000 TBID Assessment (20% of TOT Revenue)$1,437,200 2016–17 Requested Carryover $68,200 2016–17 Fund Balance $153,000 TBID Fund Reserve $100,000 TBID Program Budget $1,658,400 INCOME 29 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 2016-17 Financial Statement EXPENDITURE ALLOCATED Operations/Staffing Administration Overhead (2% of TBID Assessment)$28,744 Tourism Manager Salary (.75 FTE)$89,788 Tourism Coordinator Salary (FTE)$102,000 Contracts Marketing Contract $814,500 Additional Rainy Day Funding $14,000 RaceSLO Arch $5,000 Chamber of Commerce - PR $51,000 Chamber of Commerce - Phone $34,000 Chamber of Commerce - Media Monitor $8,000 Chamber of Commerce - Live Chat $4,000 Chamber of Commerce - Special Promotion Partnership $8,000 CCTC Black Diamond Co-op $1,200 Partnerships Cal Poly Athletics $95,500 SLO Wine $17,000 Cal Poly NSTP $20,000 SLO County History Center $6,700 EXPENDITURE ALLOCATED Events Promotion General Events Promotion $108,532 Salmondid Restoration Conference $3,000 CowParade Media Hosting $3,000 ROTB 2016 Expenses $150 Bacon & Barrels SLO Expenses $1,000 Tradeshows Tradeshows & LA/SF/SD Travel Shows & Seattle $35,000 Tourism Conferences $4,000 IPW Co-op $8.125 Tourism Organizations/Research Central Coast Tourism Council Membership $1,000 Smith Travel Report $1,500 Support/Meetings Tourism Manager Expenses $4,000 FAM Trip Hosting $10,000 Getaway Winners $2,500 Past Due CP Rooms $1,000 Corragio Group - Strategic Plan Update $8,000 Cal Poly Printing $600 Earmarked Funds for 2017–18 Programs $100,000 Total Allocated Expenditure $1,353,627 EXPENDITURES *This figure represents the total allocated expenditures. The difference will be available for carryover to the 2017-18 program budget. 30 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Looking Ahead to 2016-17 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2017–18 As the TBID moves into 2017-18, the Board is committed to the continued implementation of the 5-year Strategic Clarity Plan. In the next fiscal year, the Board will begin to prepare for the development of their next plan as well. As stated in the marketing plan, BCA and Matchfire will update the SLO TBID Marketing Plan each fiscal year. It is imperative to acknowledge trends, be observant of growth or decline and make changes according to the current tourism climate on an ongoing basis. The SLO TBID Marketing Plan coupled with the SLO TBID Strategic Clarity Plan provides a foundation for building the City of SLO brand and establishing real tactics for consistently improving tourism in the City of San Luis Obispo. The highest priority Strategic Clarity Plan initiatives for the 2017–2018 fiscal year are: • Deliver Smart Growth -Develop an engaging and comprehensive marketing plan -Develop a SLO identity for attracting corporate visitors -Identify, map and prioritize target audiences for marketing and PR • Develop the SLO Brand -Clarify and strengthen the SLO (TBID/City) brand platform, including minimization of brand confusion -Identify assets and build a unique identity for the City of SLO • Build Meaningful Partnerships -Maximize our strategic partnerships at the national, regional, state and local level -Create a comprehensive Cal Poly/Cuesta partnership plan • Contribute to an Unforgettable SLO Experience • Further define and evaluate the need of a loyalty program • Create a packaged program for “How to do SLO” • Develop a world-class event 31 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Looking Ahead to 2017–18 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2017–18 (CONT .) The key program activities include: • Venture into new geographic markets, including Seattle and Denver • Explore new tradeshow opportunities, including new markets and B2B events • Develop content specific to tiered markets and target personas • Enhance video strategy from real-time activations to short form, pillar videos • Amplify Cal Poly partnerships through the New Student & Transition Programs, Athletics and Parent Programs • Leverage expected travel trend of increased “bleisure” travelers to market to business travelers during mid-week and shoulder season • Develop email campaign that delivers interest focused content to spur “traveling by passion” • Develop new creative campaign and assets to inspire travel to SLO • Build on existing successful seasonal promotions strategy to increase hotel stays in shoulder season • Utilize effective event strategies from 2016-17, including personalized media buys and creative, to increase out-of-area event attendance and stays in San Luis Obispo lodging properties In addition, the TBID is looking forward to growing the district membership, to include new hotel properties coming into the City of San Luis Obispo. 32 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Appendix APPENDIX TOT CHART 2016-17 TOT MONTH TO MONTH 2016-17 33 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Appendix OCC MONTH TO MONTH 2016-17 ADR MONTH TO MONTH 2016-17 34 SLO TBID Annual Report 2016-17 Appendix REVPAR MONTH TO MONTH 2016-17 Tourism Business Improvement District Management Committee Meeting Minutes August 22, 2017 – 3:00 pm City Hall – Council Hearing Room 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo PRESENT: LeBren Harris, Clint Pearce STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 3:13 p.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. STR Reports Staff presented the different options for the various Smith Travel Reports (STR) for the committee’s consideration. The committee finalized the new STR report inclusions after review of the options available, the Board’s previous input, staff recommendations and budget availability. Action: The committee directed staff contract with STR for FY 2017-18 for weekly & monthly reports. Add weekly day-of-week reports with classification reporting levels of economy, mid-scale and upper class to our destination comparison with the City of Paso, Pismo and San Luis Obispo. Expand our monthly destination comparison reports with the City of Paso, Pismo and San Luis Obispo to include SLO County, Santa Barbara County and Monterey County. 2. Strategic Plan The committee reviewed and approved the prioritized action steps within the committee’s strategic initiatives. The committee also discussed key program elements for the Board’s Annual Retreat. The committee recommends that the Board establish an Annual Retreat that allows for an open discussion with the Board and constituents about issues and opportunities for the TBID. The committee also noted that an educational portion be included in the retreat. The content of the retreat will be created by the Management Committee. For this FY, ideal timing for the retreat is end of March/beginning of April 2018. 3. New Business Items a. Committee Discussion b. Future Agenda Items c. Next Meeting Date: October 3, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. Meeting was adjourned at 4:09 p.m. Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Committee Meeting Minutes August 31, 2017 – 10:00 a.m. BCA – 711 Tank Farm Road, Suite 210 PRESENT: Patel-Mueller, Skidmore STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Liesel Kuehl, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:07 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2017 Mindbody Bold Conference Staff presented the opportunity to represent San Luis Obispo as a destination at the 2017 Mindbody Bold Conference during the last week of September. The opportunity allowed for San Luis Obispo to exhibit as the home of MindBody to the 2000 registered attendees (MindBody clients). After review of the opportunity and discussion, the committee decided to not participate in the conference in 2017 due to the Tourism Manager’s unavailability to attend. The committee approved for TBID to provide collateral about SLO for the conference attendees and sponsor a giveaway package including a $500 stay voucher and other San Luis Obispo item & experience for the co-op promotion with MindBody for the MindBody University session in March 2018. The TBID can collect email address of the participants who enter to win the package to use in future promotions and communications. Recommendation: The committee recommended not to exhibit at the 2017 Mindbody Bold Conference but to provide collateral and a giveaway package. 2. 2018 San Diego Travel & Adventure Show The committee reviewed and discussed opportunities for expanded booth space at the 2018 San Diego Travel & Adventure Show. Staff presented the request to expand our booth space from a 10x10 to a 10x20 in order to have adequate space to feature the new VR experience being created for the Be Here campaign. The proposal to the show for the expanded space will included: $1000 for the booth cost plus providing a show Door Prize valued between $500-$1000. The door prize will be given to the show to use as a giveaways to the event attendees. The door prize package will include a $500 stay voucher plus other San Luis Obispo experiences that are available from partners. Recommendation: The committee approved the additional cost of $1000 for double the booth to expand the TBID booth space and provide a Door Prize package valued between $500-$1000 that would include $500 stay voucher to be a show giveaway for the 2018 San Diego Travel & Adventure Show. 3. 2017-18 Media Plan BCA and Matchfire presented the 2017-18 media plan. The plan expenditures mirror prior year allocations with the exception of additional budget added to social media from the digital campaign. Additionally, the in-theater campaign will be replaced in 2017-18 with music streaming sites. Action: The committee approved the 2017-18 media plan as presented. 4. New Business • Committee Discussion • Future Agenda Items • Schedule Next Committee Meeting: September 19th from 10:00am - 11:00am. Meeting was adjourned at 10:58 am Minutes - DRAFT PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE Wednesday, August 9, 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, August 9, 2017 at 5:33 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Levi. ROLL CALL Present: Committee Members, Diana Cozzi, Zoya Dixon, Sasha Palazzo, Matthew Wilkins (5:40), Jill LeMieux, and Chair Daniel Levi Absent: Patricia Loosley Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian. PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Recording Secretary Christian presented a summary of the written public comment from Lea Brooks concerning the proposed bike lanes on Buckley Road, along with their relationship to the Avila Ranch project. CONSENT AGENDA ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, CARRIED (5-0) to approve the Consent Agenda items C1 to C7. C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on July 12, 2017 C.2 2017-18 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 DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 2 C.7 Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report PRESENTATIONS 1. Chamber Public Relations Year-End Report Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and Business Education, reviewed their Public Relations report for fiscal year 2017-18. Highlights discussed were the uber wine service that launched in SLO, and the digital- only media outreach launch for 2016-17 that included Snapchat, goop, Thrillist, and Lonely Planet. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. SLO Happenings Tactical Strategies & Plan Representatives from Solve presented the 2017-18 SLO Happenings work plan, proposed updates, data collection strategies, and summary timeline. The committee discussed time intensive event curation concerns and options for shifting funding from advertising to curation. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, CARRIED (6-0) to transfer $600 from the app advertising budget to be used for event curation man-hours. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, CARRIED (6-0) to transfer up to $375 from the general contract services budget to fund creation of a video opener for the Apple App Store. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 3 2. 2017-18 Event Promotion Funding Recommendations The Events Promotion committee presented their funding recommendations for the 2017-18 Events Promotion sponsorship program. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the Central Coast Growing Edible Education Symposium at $500. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the City Farm Harvest Festival at $2,900. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for Love SLO at $4,250. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the New Year's Eve Celebration and Concert at $4,350. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the Roll Out the Barrels Weekend at $4,000. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER COZZI, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the SLO Craft Beer Festival at $3,000. ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the Festival Mozaic's WinterMezzo at $5,000. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for “Oklahoma! A Citywide Arts Collaboration” and “The Civic Ballet of SLO Presents the Nutcracker”, each at $2,000. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PALAZZO, CARRIED (5-1) to approve funding for the 5th Annual 2017 SLO Jazz Festival at $3,000, with Committee Member Cozzi voting against the motion. ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER COZZI, CARRIED (6-0) to approve funding for the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival at $9,000. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 4 3. Strategic Plan Work – GIA Program Evaluation The committee discussed the details of the open forum proposed at the July PCC meeting. The “Purpose” statement was refined, the agenda was further developed, and the following initial timeline was developed: - Review and approval of survey questions at the September 11, 2017 PCC meeting. - Survey responses due September 22, 2017. - Tentative forum date - September. 27, 2017 @ 4:30 Public Comments: None ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. 4. Strategic Plan Work – Evaluation Process The committee discussed the need to have a set of evaluation questions, with a focus on collectable data, that are used to evaluate all programs. Public Comments: None ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 1. Grants In Aid (GIA) Update Tourism Manager Cano gave an update on the currently routing GIA contracts. 2. TBID Board Report Committee Member Wilkins reviewed the August 9, 2017, TBID meeting, specifically highlighting the new marketing campaign, “Be Here”. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of August 9, 2017 Page 5 3. Tourism Program Update Tourism Manager Cano reviewed and provided updates on the following: - Event Sponsorships - Finalizing contractor contracts for 2017-18 - The City hosted a Redlands City tourism group - The City is working on hosting a City of Temecula tourism focused group - SLO Days partnership (Cal Poly new students and parents) - Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) grant funding update and upcoming FAM tour - Short term rental enforcement and compliance ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, September 13, 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 - Industry Engagement - VSC Attends DMA West CEO Leadership Summit Chuck Davison, President & CEO, attended DMA West’s 28th Annual Leadership Summit in Aspen, Colorado July 31 - August 2. This summit gathered DMO leaders to explore industry priorities, to share insights on challenges facing DMO’s and to learn more on destination marketing and sales best practices. Upcoming Opportunities & Events • California Wine Month (September): Please submit any special wine and culinary-related activities, deals, facts, information or giveaway items to Jordan@SLOCAL.com. • Fall Industry Educational Symposium (September 21): Speakers include Arrivalist, JBS Hotels, Host Compliance as well as an update from Chuck Davison. RSVP at http://bit.ly/fall-symposium-2017. • SLO CAL Packaging Party (October 19): SLO CAL’s lodging and non-lodging members will have the chance to network in a speed dating-style event to create special packages for SLO CAL visitors. For more information, reach out to Pam Roberts, Events & Membership Manager at Pam@SLOCAL.com. Visit SLO CAL Activity Report, July 2017 VSC Board Elects New Executive Committee and Marketing Committee Members The VSC Board of Directors recently elected its new Executive Committee as follows: Clint Pearce as Chair, John Arnold as Vice Chair, JP Patel as Secretary, Aaron Graves as Treasurer, and Jay Jamison will remain on as Past President. The Board of Directors also approved the addition of three new marketing professionals to the VSC Marketing Committee, including Shari Clark of BCA, Jill Tweedie of Breakaway Tours & Event Planning and Stacie Jacob, interim CEO of Paso Robles Destination. Visit SLO CAL Publishes FY 2017/18 Marketing Plan Visit SLO CAL published its plan for promoting SLO CAL through the fiscal year ahead. This plan includes an overview of VSC’s holistic approach to earned, owned and paid media, as well as sales and industry relations, to advance the SLO CAL brand and grow tourism to our destination. The FY 2017/18 Marketing Plan was distributed digitally via the SLO CAL website and This Week in SLO CAL. Printed copies were distributed to VSC Board and Committee members and the file was made available digitally through the SLO CAL website and This Week In SLO CAL. 0 - PR and Travel Trade - Media Placements • Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton & Ottawa Sun Newspapers: Food, Fun & Family on Father- Daughter Road Trip - http://bit.ly/Foodfunfamily • KSBY: Cambria Businesses Adjust to New Normal - http://bit.ly/KSBYCambria • The Tribune: How Much has Tourism Slid Since the Highway 1 Slides? http://bit.ly/TribuneHighway1 Media Visits • The Daily Mom • Evening Standard (UK) • Travel Weekly (UK) • Budget Travel • Let’s Dine Out • Sunset Magazine Travel Trade • September Meetings & Conventions Mission (Bay Area), September 26-28 o Co-op space available ($300) – Contact Michael@SLOCAL.com for more details. • Recreation Vehicle Industry Assocation (Pomona), October 6-15 • Vacation Rental Management Association National (Orlando), October 14 • World Travel Market (London), November 6 • IPW (Denver), May 19-23 o Early bird pricing ends in November Film Commission • Major Motion Picture (late July-August) • DIY Network: Cabin Brothers (August) Visit SLO CAL is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000. Screen capture of the Hwy 1 closure from The Tribune (left) and Chuck Davison on KSBY (right). VSC Attends Los Angeles Tour and Travel Sales Mission On July 25-27, Michael Wambolt, Director of Travel Trade, held meetings with China inbound operators incluidng JBS Hotels, Nan Hu Travel, Galaxy Tours, Hyde Tours as well as meetings with EagleRider, ATI, American Ring Travel and New World Travel. VISIT SLO CAL WEB ACTIVITY SESSIONS: 70,911 UNIQUE VISITORS: 58,509 PAGE VIEWS: 188,665 AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 2.66 AVG. TIME ON SITE: 2:01 TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 52,306 % OF ORGANIC: 74% MOBILE SESSIONS: 43,856 MOST VISITED EVENT PAGE: FAIRS AND FESTIVALS (2,149 VIEWS) TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 18,847 MOST SHARED BLOG: CAN’T MISS SIGHTS OF SLO CAL’S NORTH COAST (193 SHARES) VISIT SLO CAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY FACEBOOK LIKES: 22,705 NEW: 218 TOT. IMPRESSIONS: 89,537 HIGHEST REACH: ENTER NOW TO WIN THIS DELICIOUSLY SLO CAL GIFT BASKET… (5.6K PEOPLE REACHED) HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: ENTER NOW TO WIN THIS DELICIOUSLY SLO CAL GIFT BASKET (286 ENGAGEMENTS) FOLLOWERS NEW TWITTER: 7,328 92 27.7K IMPRESSIONS PINTEREST: 704 0 INSTAGRAM: 14.8K 800 VISITOR GUIDE DIST. WEB DOWNLOADS: 142 GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 1,334 TOTAL: 1,476 THIS MONTH IN SLO CAL SUBSCRIBERS 35,512 OPENS: 5,747 CLICK-THROUGHS: 903 THIS WEEK IN SLO CAL CIRCULATION: 1,108 MOST CLICKED LINK: STR REPORT Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 2017 Executive Overview SEO Activities Completed Last Month: * Monthly SEO strategy call and report. * Google Analytics & Search Console checks; no unusual activity noted. * Crawl error review; 20 fixed. * Optimized new blog posts. * Quarterly site speed check; both desktop and mobile look good. * Added slocal.com to keyword ranking tool. Keyword research. * Year End Summary reports compiled and delivered. * Continued work on the advanced sitemap for the new website. Organic Traffic Overview: Organic sessions increased 13.5% over last year. Some high-traffic pages with the best year-over-year organic growth were: Home by 49%, Our Area by 18%, 9 Places to Celebrate the 4th of July in San Luis Obispo County by 10%, Pismo Beach (Community) by 372%, Pismo Beach Activities by 58%, Avila Beach by 36%, Paso Robles by 113%, Sam Simeon by 50%, and Hotels by 10%. Other Notes: * Total sessions increased by 22%, users increased by 23% and pageviews increased by 9%. * The Blog home page received 196 pageviews last month. * The entire blog received 18,841 pageviews last month. **Data pulled from "All Website Data" Google Analytics Profile View. Industry Averages Engagement Metrics Industry Average Your Website % Difference Total Pages Per Visit:2.35 2.66 11.67% Total Average Visit Duration:0:02:06 0:02:01 -4.41% Total Bounce Rate:52.98%52.93%-0.09% Organic Pages Per Visit:2.41 2.88 16.41% Organic Average Visit Duration:0:02:13 0:02:11 -1.18% Organic Bounce Rate:50.94%48.50%-5.04% SEO Overview Page 2 of 20 Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: February 1 - July 31, 2017 Total Traffic Overview: Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Visits:319,761 410,064 510,628 305,084 97,564 70,911 Unique Visitors:198,300 207,036 268,867 182,207 76,882 58,509 Bounce Rate:84%83%83%81%66%53% Pageviews:444,105 572,584 715,222 461,690 221,654 188,665 Avg Pageviews Per Visit:1.39 1.40 1.40 1.51 2.27 2.66 Avg Time on Site:0:00:54 0:01:02 0:01:04 0:00:59 0:01:35 0:02:01 Total Organic Search Traffic:26,398 35,934 42,459 45,232 46,344 52,306 % of Traffic Organic Search:8%9%8%15%48%74% Entry Pages From Search:1,846 1,659 1,639 2,230 2,269 2,338 VisitSLOCounty Visits:1 0 0 0 0 0 VisitSLOCounty Bounce Rate:100%0%0%0%0%0% Mobile/Tablet SnapShot: Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Visits:274,931 361,798 462,948 273,399 68,055 43,856 % of visits 86%88%91%90%70%62% Bounce Rate:86%84%84%85%71%57% Pageviews: 355,074 472,630 613,137 366,864 126,653 101,446 Avg Time on Site:0:00:51 0:01:01 0:01:03 0:00:49 0:01:07 0:01:40 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Total Visits Comparison Prior Year This Year 73.81% 13.31% 12.36% 0.48% 0.04% Traffic Sources Organic Search Direct Referral media email 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Mobile/Tablet Visits Prior Year This Year Page 3 of 20 Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 2017 Organic Traffic % of Total Site Traffic Visits 52,306 73.76% Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement Pageviews Per Visit 2.88 8.36% Avg. Time on Site 0:02:11 8.92% New Visits 78.21%4.63% Bounce Rate 48.50%-8.38% Search Engine Visits Percent google 49,416 94.47% yahoo 1,689 3.23% bing 1,169 2.23% aol 12 0.02% ask 10 0.02% baidu 4 0.01% Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent (not provided)51,863 99.15%/events 6,477 12.38% san luis obispo 14 0.03%/6,050 11.57% san luis obispo events 12 0.02%/blog/839/9-places-to-celebrate-the-4th-of-july-in-san-luis-obispo-county 1,761 3.37% san luis obispo county 8 0.02%/profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 1,470 2.81% lopez lake 6 0.01%/blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 1,336 2.55% paso robles 5 0.01%/community/morro-bay 1,290 2.47% san luis obispo ca 5 0.01%/community/pismo-beach 1,170 2.24% (not set)4 0.01%/our-area 1,039 1.99% cypress rentals pismo beach ca 4 0.01%/community/paso-robles 1,009 1.93% lopez lake camping 4 0.01%/profile/1757/morro-bay-farmers-markets 858 1.64% Organic Search Traffic: 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Organic Visits Comparison Prior Year Current Year Page 4 of 20 Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 1 - 31, 2017 Demographics & Interests Affinity Categories: Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits Shoppers/Value Shoppers 27,316 Cooking Enthusiasts/30 Minute Chefs 27,166 News Junkies/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 25,327 Travel Buffs 23,145 Art & Theater Aficionados 21,389 Book Lovers 21,140 Health & Fitness Buffs 20,076 Green Living Enthusiasts 19,961 Avid Investors 19,651 Family-Focused 19,238 Other Categories: Top 10 Categories Visits Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 13,035 News/Weather 9,243 Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 8,508 Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 7,053 Travel/Hotels & Accommodations 6,936 Travel/Air Travel 6,346 Real Estate/Real Estate Listings/Residential Sales 5,626 News/Sports News 5,093 Reference/General Reference/Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 4,852 Travel/Travel Agencies & Services 4,404 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 9.83% 14.90% 13.31% 10.34% 9.32% 4.90% 4.79% 8.39% 8.55% 6.47% 5.50% 3.71% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Age Group by Gender Male Female Page 5 of 20 Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 1 - 31, 2017 Top Content:Geographic: Top Landing Pages Entrances /8,188 /events 7,387/blog/839/9-places-to-celebrate-the-4th-of-july-in-san-luis- obispo-county 1,943 /profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 1,681 /blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 1,458 /community/morro-bay 1,407 /community/pismo-beach 1,311 /getting-here 1,236 /our-area 1,211 /community/paso-robles 1,093 Top Content Pages Pageviews /events 12,823 /10,829 /our-area 3,252/blog/839/9-places-to-celebrate-the-4th-of-july-in-san-luis- obispo-county 2,197 /events/all/fairs_and_festivals 2,149 /getting-here 2,098 /profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 2,086 /community/morro-bay 1,909 /events?page=1 1,858 /community/pismo-beach 1,790 Top Exit Pages Exits /4,197 /events 2,986 /blog/839/9-places-to-celebrate-the-4th-of-july-in-san-luis-obispo-county1,875 /our-area 1,437 /profile/402/lake-lopez-recreation-area 1,336 /getting-here 1,282 /blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 1,061 /just-your-speed/1,014 /community/morro-bay 923 /community/pismo-beach 900 13% 10% 7% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 57% Top Cities Los Angeles San Francisco San Luis Obispo Paso Robles Atascadero Arroyo Grande San Jose Sacramento Bakersfield Fresno Other 83.3% 2.1% 2.0% 1.6% 1.4% 1.2% 0.8% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 5.4% Top States California Arizona Colorado Nevada Washington Texas New York Illinois Florida Oregon Other 25.04% 23.53% 18.38% 4.93% 4.37% 2.41% 2.34% 2.19% 1.86% 1.78% 13.18% Top Metros Los Angeles CA Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA Fresno-Visalia CA Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA San Diego CA Monterey-Salinas CA Bakersfield CA Phoenix AZ Denver CO Other Page 6 of 20 Date: August 3, 2017 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 1 - 31, 2017 In-MarketVs Visitor: 5,413 19,495 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 In-Market Out of Market Desktop Visits 8,092 37,906 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 In-Market Out of Market Mobile/Tablet Visits 78.27% 21.73% 82.41% 17.59% Page 7 of 20