HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-10-2018 TBID Agenda PacketCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Tourism Business
Improvement District Board
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the TBID Board regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public
inspection in the Administration office of the City of San Luis Obispo at 990 Palm Street during normal business hours.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
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, December 13, 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 QUARTERLY REPORT 15 mins
Representatives from BCA + Matchfire will present the activity report for the marketing activities over the
previous quarter for the SLO TBID.
2. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY REPORT 15 mins
Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the activity report for the public relations and
phone/availability contracts from the previous quarter for the SLO TBID.
3. SLO WINE MID-YEAR REPORT 15 mins
Heather Muran from the SLO Wine Country Association will present the mid-year activity report on the
annual partnership contract with 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. EVENT PROMOTION SPONSORSHIP UPDATE 10 mins
The Marketing Committee will present the mid-year update on the Event Promotion Sponsorship funding
and the approach to address event funding requests for the remained of the fiscal year.
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 – NO MEETING
3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: January 3, 2018
4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: December 13, 2017
5. VISIT SLOCAL UPDATE – Liaison Reports; November Activity Report
6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report
ADJOURN.
POSTING STATEMENT: I, Molly Cano, Tourism Manager, do hereby certify that on January 5, 2018, 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 December 13, 2017 Page 1
Minutes - DRAFT
TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Tourism Business Improvement District Board
CALL TO ORDER
A Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on
Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 10:01 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 Clint Pearce, Bruce Skidmore, Pragna Patel-Mueller, Kimberly Walker
(10:03), Vice Chair Nipool Patel and Chair Matthew Wilkins (10:02)
Absent: Board Member LeBren Young-Harris
Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
None.
CONSENT AGENDA
Chair Wilkins arrived at this time.
ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PATEL-
MUELLER, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the Consent Calendar Items C1 through C6.
C1. Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, November 8, 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 December 13, 2017 Page 2
PRESENTATIONS
Board Member Walker arrived at this time.
1. Marketing Agency Monthly Report
Representatives from BCA + MatchFire reviewed their marketing activities from the
past month, reviewing website, social media, and other outreach metrics. Highlights
included partnership updates for the Cal Poly Parent Partnership and the ShareSLO
Mission Prep Classic. Upcoming event and promotion topics covered were the Rainy-
Day promotion, redesign of the trade show booth, and VR goggle promotions.
BCA + MatchFire representative Meznarich and Tourism Manager Cano responded to
Board questions concerning Pandora ads and the Mission Prep Classic funding.
Public Comments:
None
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item
2. SLO Chamber of Commerce Monthly Report
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, reviewed recent coverage in various media, including The
Atlantic, The National Geographic examination of SLO as the 5th most happy City in
the nation, and the website fabfitfun.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 3
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Homestay Program Update
Xzandrea Fowler, Deputy Director of Long Range Planning provided an update on the
City’s homestay program. It was reported that an agreement has been executed with
Host Compliance that tracks people listing homestays as well as registered compliance.
In response to Board questions, it was noted that the City is currently in negotiations
with airbnb for collecting hotel stay tax. The Board was informed that the City Council
listed homestay compliance as forth for code enforcement priorities, but that code
enforcement is not currently receiving many homestay compliance complaints. Also,
the largest complaints that homestay applicants have are the City parking requirements,
and the increased cost for homestay permits, which were raised by Council in July,
2017.
Deputy Director Fowler responded to Board questions concerning parking, the known
number of homestay listings, overall City requirements for homestays, and code
compliance violation fees. Board Chair Wilkins requested staff to provide statistics on
violation fees paid to-date.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
2. 2018 Tradeshow Delegation Selection
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the Delegate Registration Form created by the
Management sub-committee that includes a cancellation fee, and reviewed the
guidelines and responsibilities for all delegate attendees at tradeshows.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
PEARCE, CARRIED 6-0, to appoint the Apple Farm representative as delegate for the San
Diego tradeshow, and the Embassy Suites representative as delegate for the Denver tradeshow
with Apple Farm as the backup.
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 4
ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PATEL-
MUELLER, CARRIED 6-0, to resolve that future hotelier tradeshow delegate appointments be
limited to one tradeshow per property, unless there are no other candidates available.
ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER PATEL-MUELLER, SECOND BY VICE
CHAIR PATEL, CARRIED 6-0, to implement use of the Delegate Registration Form with the
cancellation policy.
3. Marketing Committee Recommendations
Board Member Patel-Mueller departed at this time.
Members of the Marketing sub-committee presented their recommendations for TBID
participation in the Visit SLO Cal SAVOR on the Road experience at the Taste of
Washington event in March, 2018.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER WALKER, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
SKIDMORE, CARRIED 5-0, to attend the show and allocate funding.
ACTION: MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER WALKER, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER
SKIDMORE, CARRIED 5-0, to approve Marketing Agency attendance at the event.
TBID LIAISON REPORTS &COMMUNICATIONS
1. Hotelier Update
Board Member Walker reported on hotelier offered fire refugee discounts.
2. Management Committee Update
Tourism Manager Cano reported on the Cuesta partnership plan update.
3. Marketing Committee Update
Chair Wilkins reported on the VR promotion update from of December 7, 2017
meeting.
DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 5
4. Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) Update
Chair Wilkins reported on the activities of the PCC November 8, 2017 meeting,
specifically noting a focus on the usefulness of the SLO Happenings app. Tourism
Manger Cano noted that the PCC discussed the possibility of asking the TBID to fund
certain items that the PCC currently funds (ex. City maps).
5. Visit SLO CAL Update
Board Member Pearce and Tourism Manager Cano reported on activities of the Visit
SLO CAL Marketing Committee, highlighting the possible opportunity to study the
economic impact of the industry to the City. Discussions concerning Cannabis
legalization education, destination Security, and the ongoing ramifications of the Hwy.
1 closure were reported. Also noted were discussions with the airport authority on
possible direct flights to Portland and Dallas, as well as additional flights to Seattle.
6. Tourism Program Update
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed and reported on the following:
• A new Tourism Coordinator has been selected
• Goodwill over fire response by hoteliers
• City Council discussion of a TOT increase as part of the Fiscal Health Response
Plan
• The next Marketing sub-committee will be held on January 3, 2018, at 10:30. There
will be no Management sub-committee meeting for January 2018.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:22 a.m. The next Regular meeting of the Tourism Business
Improvement District Board is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 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
December 2017
Week of December 03, 2017 to
December 09, 2017
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
City of Paso Robles 57.0 71.6 61.2 104.11 136.41 114.91 59.35 97.68 70.30 7.6 37.0 15.9 1.9 12.1 6.7 9.7 53.5 23.7
City of Pismo Beach 48.2 82.1 57.9 110.63 156.82 129.34 53.31 128.68 74.84 16.9 55.3 29.9 5.4 20.6 14.0 23.2 87.3 48.1
City of San Luis Obispo 58.4 85.3 66.1 107.43 151.64 123.74 62.75 129.36 81.78 23.3 85.5 40.7 10.9 32.9 21.7 36.7 146.6 71.2
Economy 48.2 72.3 55.1 77.25 106.38 88.17 37.24 76.89 48.57 71.4 20.6 106.7
Midscale 48.0 85.6 58.7 88.62 127.39 104.77 42.51 109.01 61.51 37.1 131.1 65.0 1.9 33.5 17.1 39.7 208.4 93.2
Upscale 68.0 92.0 74.9 124.08 179.51 143.54 84.40 165.17 107.48 24.1 78.1 38.9 13.0 37.5 24.2 40.2 144.9 72.6
Week of December 17, 2017 to
December 23, 2017
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
City of Paso Robles 45.9 46.7 46.1 100.24 126.86 107.93 46.04 59.22 49.81 -4.2 -4.2 -4.2 -1.2 -0.3 -0.9 -5.3 -4.5 -5.1
City of Pismo Beach 50.7 52.2 51.1 112.66 151.35 123.96 57.07 79.04 63.35 -2.2 -6.7 -3.6 0.5 4.5 1.6 -1.7 -2.5 -2.0
City of San Luis Obispo 48.8 50.2 49.2 109.71 135.22 117.14 53.54 67.83 57.62 -5.9 1.9 -3.7 10.7 13.7 12.0 4.1 15.9 7.8
Economy 42.7 98.22 41.96 -2.9 3.1 0.1
Midscale 38.9 41.8 39.8 89.25 104.69 93.89 34.74 43.80 37.33 7.3 17.2 10.1 -1.7 -6.4 -3.0 5.4 9.7 6.8
Upscale 56.8 57.5 57.0 127.40 158.73 136.43 72.39 91.24 77.78 -7.2 0.0 -5.2 15.1 21.9 17.6 6.8 21.9 11.4
Week of December 24, 2017 to
December 30, 2017
WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total
City of Paso Robles 69.3 73.9 70.6 120.35 145.68 127.92 83.41 107.61 90.33 -15.9 0.4 -11.6 -1.1 2.3 0.6 -16.8 2.7 -11.1
City of Pismo Beach 71.9 83.5 75.2 161.52 185.69 169.18 116.19 155.00 127.28 -14.2 1.6 -9.7 6.5 3.7 6.2 -8.6 5.4 -4.1
City of San Luis Obispo 71.7 77.4 73.3 131.57 151.29 137.52 94.33 117.16 100.86 -14.5 1.1 -10.3 7.8 11.8 9.5 -7.8 12.9 -1.8
Economy 58.4 65.1 60.3 100.24 117.83 105.66 58.49 76.69 63.69 -24.5 -9.6 -20.4 8.7 11.4 10.2 -17.9 0.7 -12.3
Midscale 67.8 79.6 71.2 102.79 122.89 109.22 69.67 97.88 77.73 -8.6 25.1 0.0 -4.7 4.6 -1.0 -13.0 30.9 -1.0
Upscale 80.3 83.0 81.1 153.46 176.20 160.11 123.22 146.27 129.80 -12.0 -1.6 -9.2 9.7 14.4 11.4 -3.4 12.5 1.2
RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR
Current Week Totals Percent Change
Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
Media/Community Relations
1. Continued working on destination portion of a press trip for blogger and influencer Mary
Lansing.
2. Met with the SLO Film Fest to begin planning press outreach for the 2018 festival.
3. Worked with American Art Collector and Western Art Collector magazines to feature
San Luis Obispo in their February issue.
4. Pitched a number of SLO City events to the Calendar Editor for Santa Barbara
Seasons Magazine as it is expanding coverage of San Luis Obispo.
5. Pitched San Luis Obispo as a destination feature for Alaska Airlines Beyond
Magazine.
6. Pitched a variety of events and attractions for inclusion in the CCTC’s Winter Road Trip
round up.
7. Pitched SLO for inclusion in the Auto Accessories Garage round up of The Best Small
Towns to Visit on a Road Trip of America.
8. Pitched new hotels opening in 2018 to be featured in the Orbitz Travel Blog.
9. Hosted freelance writer Barbara Beckley on assignment for Travelscope Magazine and
continued to work with her on LA Times pieces.
10. 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
December 2017
Media Placements
1. Money for a Rainy Day
LA Times covers SLO’s Money for a Rainy Day promotion in print and online.
Circulation/Audience: 431,076
Unique Visitors Per Month: 23,904,510
http://beta.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-deal-san-luis-obispo-100-for-travelers-
20171130-story.html
2. Roam the San Luis Obispo canyon full of architectural daydreams and wandering
horses
Continuing their coverage of bucket list California activities, the LA Times highlights the
Design Village in Poly Canyon.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 23,904,510
http://beta.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-california-bucket-list-updates-roam-the-san-luis-
obispo-canyon-full-of -1513211244-htmlstory.html
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
3. How to Take Advantage of Alaska’s New Nonstop Flight to San Luis Obispo
In her Seattle Met Magazine article writer Allison Williams, who was hosted by the TBID
earlier this year, encourages readers to come to SLO saying “In less than 3 hours, find
yourself eating BBQ and drinking fresh-pressed juice underneath that Central California
sunshine.”
https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2017/12/20/how-to-take-advantage-of-alaska-s-new-
nonstop-flight-to-san-luis-obispo
4. North For the Winter
LA Times covers San Luis Obispo, including a stay at the Butler Hotel, SLO Brew Lofts
and the craft beer scene in a print only destination supplement.
Circulation/Audience: 431,076
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
5. How Tech Expanded From Silicon Valley to Bubblegum Alley
New York Times print and digital article by Cathy Chin Leong, who was hosted by the
TBID earlier this year while on assignment with Active Over 50, writes about the
burgeoning tech scene in a place with a “reputation for being a sleepy town in central
California known for its laid-back charm.”
Circulation/Audience: 597,955
Unique Visitors Per Month: 29,886,442
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/business/tech-san-luis-obispo.html
6. SLO and Easy
Denver Life Magazine highlights the shops, restaurants, attractions and places to stay
in San Luis Obispo.
Circulation/Audience: 40,000
https://denverlifemagazine.com/2017/11/slo-and-easy/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
7. The 10 happiest cities in the U.S., according to new research
Additional outlets including Inc. Magazine continue to cover the happiest places in the
US as identified by Dan Butner and Gallup.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 19,135,755
https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/the-top-10-happiest-cities-in-us-according-to-
science.html
8. 'Wine Not' on California's Central Coast?
This Travel Pulse article encourages readers to explore “Past Paso” to the Edna Valley
and stay the night in downtown SLO.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 698,359
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/wine-not-on-california-s-central-
coast.html
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
9. Holiday events in SLO
The Tribune, KSBY and KEYT highlight holiday events in San Luis Obispo including the
Holiday Parade, concerts, Mission Plaza activations and live theater.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 193,299
http://www.ksby.com/story/36968077/holiday-parades-to-light-up-central-coast-streets-
this-weekend
Unique Visitors Per Month: 856,264
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article187770898.html
Unique Visitors Per Month: 193,363
http://www.keyt.com/news/festive-holiday-events-to-enjoy-the-1st-weekend-of-
december/665698868
10. Weekend Getaway Guide: San Luis Obispo
Am erican Express Essentials highlights all aspects of visiting the city from ‘the
attitude’ and ‘the look,’ to ‘the people’ and ‘the journey.’
https://www.amexessentials.com/san-luis-obispo-guide/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
11. 48 HOURS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO
Furthermore, a lifestyle website by fitness brand Equinox, calls San Luis Obispo “the
perfect antidote to fast-paced city living,” and implores readers to “Pack your hiking
boots, but leave room in your suitcase for wine.”
Unique Visitors Per Month: 860,737
https://furthermore.equinox.com/articles/2017/12/48-hours-san-luis-obispo
12. Beercation Hotels Stumbling Distance from Craft Breweries
Trivago highlights top picks for taking advantage of the beercation travel trend, including
a night at the SLO Brew Lofts on their content site, Room5.
http://room5.trivago.com/craft-beer-travel-beercation-hotels/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
13. 55 Best Small Towns to Visit on a Road Trip of America
Auto Accessories Garage features SLO in their round up of “most fun, most unique,
and most interesting small towns in America.”
https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/best-small-towns-to-visit-road-trip-america
14. Take is slow in Santa Barbara on California's central coast
Alison Gownas writes about her trip from Santa Barbara to SLO, including the farmers’
market and Edna Valley wineries, in The Gazette.
166,900 daily readers (self-reported)
http://www.thegazette.com/subject/life/take-is-slow-in-santa-barbara-on-californias-
central-coast-20171223
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
15. California's 10 Best Adventure Towns
7x7 includes SLO on its list of “incredible outdoor recreation opportunities.”
Unique Visitors Per Month: 321,961
http://www.7x7.com/californias-10-best-adventure-towns-2519209861.html
16. 20 College Towns that Parents Won't Want to Leave
Cheapism highlights the SLO Film Fest, bike night and historical attractions as a few of
the reasons that parents love SLO as much as their students do.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 118,760
https://blog.cheapism.com/vacations-for-empty-nesters-17513/
Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC
Public Relations Contract
December 2017
17. Top 5 Brewery Visits of 2017
Brian Carey, who was hosted by the TBID earlier this year, highlights SLO Brew as one
of his best brewery visits on 2017 on Great Beer Now.
Unique Visitors Per Month: 15,168
http://www.greatbeernow.com/top-brewery-visits-of -2017
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018
HAPPENING NOW
• Money for a Rainy Day Promotion
• San Diego Travel & Adventure
Show Preparation
• SLO Craft Beer Fest Promotion
• Phase 2 VR Videography
• Mini Brochure Restocking
SLO VACATIONS
• Updated Pages
-Money for a Rainy Day
-Restaurant Month
-SLO Marathon
-SLO Craft Beer Fest
• SEO
-Broken links fixed
-Alt image tags added
• New Banner Ads for Remarketing Campaign
EMAIL
• 141 new leads from email sign-up form
• Quarterly Member Newsletter
• December Newsletter
• Preference Center Design
• Ongoing Welcome Series & Hotel Page
Abandonment Email
REDEEMING IS EASY!
1. Email your lodging confi rmation to info@sanluisobispovacations.com to receive
a promotion confi rmation letter (emailed).
2. Bring all 3 items noted below to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
Visitor Center (895 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401).
• Promotion confi rmation letter (printed or digital accepted)
• Your lodging confi rmation showing proof of booking and travel dates
(both must be between Jan. 1, 2018 – Mar. 23, 2018)
• Hotel room key
3. You’ll receive $100 cash from Visitor Center staff to spend how you choose!
*Valid on new bookings made between January 1, 2018 – March 23, 2018 only for travel dates between January 1, 2018 - March 23, 2018. Visitor must send proof of purchase
to info@sanluisobispovacations.com to reserve this promotion, then show proof of purchase and room key to San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center staff
to pick up $100. Cash will not be mailed and must be picked up in person during the time of your stay at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, 895
Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Offer limited to fi rst 500 reservations to claim. Some exclusions, including blackout dates of January 13-14, February 2-3 and February
17-18, apply. For questions regarding this offer, email info@sanluisobispovacations.com. One (1) redemption per 2-night stay. Three (3) redemptions maximum. Offer cannot
be combined with any other offers. Lost or stolen cash will not be refunded.
You were one of the fi rst 200 people to sign up to receive these
exclusive ShareSLO VR goggles. Now use them with your phone
and experience SLO in virtual reality at SanLuisObispo360.com
Once your FOMO kicks in you’ll
want to take advantage of our
Money for Rainy Day promotion:
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, book a 2-night
stay in SLO for travel dates between
Jan. 1 – Mar. 23, and we’ll give you
$100 cash when you get here.*
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, book a 2-night
stay in SLO for travel dates between
Jan. 1 – Mar. 23, and we’ll give you
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, book a 2-night
stay in SLO for travel dates between
*Booking must take place AFTER January 1, 2018 for travel dates between Jan. 1 – Mar. 23, 2018.
Visit
SanLuisObispo360.com
for our VR video,
click on the
icon, then insert
your phone!
17-SLOTBID-0625 VR Goggles Mailing Insert-V4.indd 1 12/4/17 12:40 PM
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018
SHARESLO
• Created SLO Welcomes video
• Activated on Instagram Stories
• Added cover video to Facebook
• Cross-promotion on Cal Poly social channels
• Community Blog Posts
-SLOcally Made Pop-Up Market
-SLO Holiday Gift List
-Living the Cal Poly Legacy
PARTNERSHIPS
• Cal Poly Parent & NSTP Partnership
-SLO Discovery Weekend Prep
• SLO Wine
-Sip in SLO promotion
LOOKING AHEAD
• SLO Discovery Weekend, Feb. 1–4
• Visit California Outlook Forum, Feb. 13–15
• Festival Mozaic, Feb. 23–25
• SLO Craft Beer Fest, Feb. 23–25
• Savor on the Road, Taste of Washington,
March 24–25
SanLuisObispoVacations.com
*Valid on new bookings made between January 1, 2018 – March 23, 2018 only for travel dates between January 1, 2018 - March 23, 2018. Visitor must send proof of purchase to
info@sanluisobispovacations.com to reserve this promotion, then show proof of purchase and room key to San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center staff to pick
up $100. Cash will not be mailed and must be picked up in person during the time of your stay at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, 895 Monterey St,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Offer limited to first 500 reservations to claim. Some exclusions, including blackout dates of January 13-14, February 2-3 and February 17-18, apply.
For questions regarding this offer, email info@sanluisobispovacations.com. One (1) redemption per 2-night stay. Three (3) redemptions maximum. Offer cannot be combined
with any other offers. Lost or stolen cash will not be refunded.
A
CONGRATULATIONS!CONGRATULATIONS!
Your stay is eligible for the Rainy Day promotion,
which includes a $100 in cash!*
To redeem your Money for a Rainy Day during your stay in SLO:
Bring all three items below to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
Visitor Center during open hours:
1) This email (digital or printed will be accepted)
2) A photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport
3) Hotel room key
The Visitor Center is located at 895 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
Hours are Sunday – Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Thursday – Saturday,
9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
This offer must be redeemed during your qualified stay.
Not valid once travel dates have passed.
SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018
SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS
SanLuisObispoVacations.com 28,864 45,735 23,612
facebook.com
m.facebook.com
slocity.org
FACEBOOK
New Fans
Total Fans
Total Reach
Average Reach per Post
Average Daily Page Engaged Users
Total Engagements
0
103,767
502,328
7,759
683
6,152
TWITTER
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
31
3,943
503
396
INSTAGRAM
New Followers
Total Followers
Total Reach
Average Reach per post
Total Engagements
#ShareSLO
152
11,905
171,813
3,656
16,001
3,103
YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 38,109
Report to City of SLO – TBID
Phone Line and Availability Contract
December 2017
Response to TBID Advertising
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
December
2016
December
2017
Calls to
1-877-SLO-TOWN
11 10 13 13 33 47
Hotel Availability Tracker
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
December
2016
December
2017
Email Response 14 18 17 14 41 63
Phone Calls to
Hotels
36 51 55 32 137 174
Hotel Referrals
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
December
2016
December
2017
Visitors Served
(Walk-ins)
1,050 1,911 1,869 1,361
5,769 6,191
Farmers’ Market* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hotel Rooms
Referred
313 415
461
301
1,533 1,490
*estimate without people counter
TOT Comparison
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-
July 508,195$ 541,806$ 591,184$ 636,778$ 699,845$ 761,346$ 844,845$ 877,391$ 878,786$ 0.2%84.7 84.9 0.3 174.75 174.02 -0.4 148 147.82 -0.1
August 511,564$ 542,194$ 574,395$ 623,655$ 674,244$ 732,271$ 774,501$ 765,232$ 733,970$ -4.1%82.5 76.6 -7.2 155.56 157.94 1.5 128.38 121.01 -5.7
September 400,023$ 437,543$ 490,524$ 508,583$ 505,954$ 557,002$ 643,127$ 650,117$ 715,084$ 10.0%74.8 74.7 -0.02 151.1 158.01 4.6 113.08 118 4.4
October 414,870$ 442,586$ 437,805$ 469,977$ 509,435$ 594,032$ 642,221$ 628,049$ 612,859$ -2.4%72.9 70.3 -3.4 146.18 146.93 0.5 106.51 103.31 -3.0
November 280,913$ 330,924$ 347,437$ 359,163$ 425,769$ 475,360$ 468,016$ 497,162$ 513,513$ 3.3%66.3 66 -0.6 133.3 135.92 1.9 88.61 89.66 1.4
December 246,684$ 274,417$ 314,784$ 319,451$ 355,315$ 391,132$ 429,600$ 434,836$ 58.9 123.17 72.52
January 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 387,304$ 396,559$ 56.4 115.69 65.3
February 273,373$ 302,246$ 323,359$ 344,160$ 366,980$ 431,510$ 466,915$ 439,735$ 61.7 128.71 79.36
March 326,099$ 333,783$ 392,266$ 426,879$ 448,103$ 520,795$ 559,235$ 549,642$ 69.1 130.03 89.91
April 423,158$ 451,133$ 475,913$ 486,850$ 564,617$ 610,894$ 609,439$ 708,724$ 80.4 149.96 120.56
May 372,997$ 433,874$ 447,116$ 489,862$ 546,916$ 601,614$ 598,093$ 645,114$ 72 147.7 106.33
June 490,326$ 512,543$ 578,234$ 610,948$ 630,729$ 727,028$ 731,038$ 765,362$ 79 164.33 129.9
Total/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$ 3,454,212$ 71.56 143.37 104.04
*Nov TOT totals missing 1 hotel and 8 homestays
Occupancy ADR RevPAR
Figures from Smith Travel Research report
Tourism Business Improvement District
Marketing Committee
Meeting Minutes
January 3, 2018 – 10:30 a.m.
Council Hearing Room - 990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Skidmore, Wilkins
STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator
Call to order time: 10:34 a.m.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Weekend Sherpa Program Review
BCA presented the TBID’s historic buys and placements with Weekend Sherpa, the current fiscal
year TBID media budget allocation earmarked for this outlet, the package buy offerings provided
by Weekend Sherpa, and the overall value received from this outlet. BCA then reviewed three
alternative options to re-allocate the earmarked funds. Possible alternatives included SF
Chronicle, Bay Area News Group (BANG), and/or LA Times. The committee expressed interest
in BANG which includes: East Bay Times/Mercury News.com home page navigation to editorial,
including writing, photos, 875,000 native ad impressions and editorial integration. The committee
selected this option to increase the number of impressions in a shorter amount of time and as the
most valuable option. The committee requested that the ads run before March 2018 to impact Q1.
The committee directed BCA to negotiate a contract with East Bay Time/Mercury News.com to
$5,500 from quoted $6,250 to match current budget allocations. If the offer is declined, the
committee directed BCA to pull the additional $750 from within the existing media budget to
continue with contract.
Action: The committee approved the TBID re-allocation of the Weekend Sherpa media budget to
BANG for East Bay Times/Mercury News.com placement as recommended.
2. Sponsored Conference Room Process
The committee discussed the approach to handling TBID sponsored conference style
partnerships. Staff presented example conference groups and discussed how the Board has
worked towards offering fair and equal opportunities for San Luis Obispo hotels. The committee
discussed the need to best serve the visitors/attendees of conferences in order to maximize the
rooms booked in the city associated with these conferences. The committee discussed creating a
more efficient tracking system for consumer event bookings in conference style hotels versus
unique hotels.
Direction: The committee directed staff to create a policy or sponsorship term for conference
type partnerships to allow for rooms booked that will benefit two or more hotels.
Staff will present the outline for the committee’s review and input at a future Marketing
Committee meeting.
3. Event Promotion Sponsorship Update
Staff reviewed the status of the 2017-18 Event Promotion Sponsorship program with the
committee including contract status and available program budget. The committee discussed how
to handle SLO Jazz Fest and how to approach spending the remaining event promotion budget.
The committee reviewed a counter proposal letter submitted by SLO Jazz Fest for the 2018 event
funding support. The counter proposal declined sponsorship value recognition of the $10,00
marketing support the TBID offered through BCA and provided alternative funding options in
both cash and complimentary room offers from individual hotels. The committee discussed the
missed deadlines, previous years experiences and commitments made with SLO Jazz Fest, and
value of TBID sponsorship. Ultimately, the committee was not willing to consider a further
discussion with SLO Jazz Fest for 2018 sponsorship as the event sponsorship request did not
meet the needs of the TBID. Alternative events were discussed such as ACYPAA in March of
2019 and other events that have previously been sponsored. With the release of the $10,000
previously held for the 2018 SLO Jazz Fest, the remaining 2017-18 Event Promotion Sponsorship
budget is approximately $18,000.
Action: The committee approved to decline the 2018 SLO Jazz Fest sponsorship counter
proposal and the original offer will no longer be available due to missed deadlines.
The Marketing Committee will now begin accepting applications on a first come first considered
basis for event sponsorship based on the remaining program funds available.
4. New Business
No new business was discussed.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:44 am
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 1
Minutes - DRAFT
PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, December 13, 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, December 13, 2017 at 5:31 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, Sasha Palazzo, John Thomas, Matthew Wilkins
(5:38), Vice Chari Zoya Dixon and Chair Daniel Levi
Absent: Committee Member Jill LeMieux
Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
none
APPOINTMENT
Committee Member John Thomas was sworn in.
CONSENT AGENDA
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DIXON, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER COZZI, CARRIED (5-0) to approve the Consent Agenda items C1 to C7.
C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on November 8, 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
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 2
C.6 SLO Happenings Promotions Report
C.7 Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report
PRESENTATIONS
1. SLO Chamber of Commerce Monthly Report
Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and
Business Education, reviewed recent coverage in various media, including The
Atlantic, The National Geographic examination of SLO as the 5th most happy City in
the nation, and the websites “invaluable” and “fabfitfun.”
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No action was taken on this item.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Strategic Plan Work – SLO Happening Review
The committee reviewed and discussed the SLO Happenings program for the
implementation of the strategic plan. A review of the results from the user survey was
conducted and was followed by committee discussion and evaluation using their PCC
program “scorecard”.
Public Comments:
Molly Kern gave input concerning the costs of basic Word Press calendar sites.
---End of Public Comments---
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER PALAZZO, CARRIED (6-0) to begin the process of replacing the SLOHappenings
mobile app with a mobile site.
DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of December 13, 2017 Page 3
3. PCC Strategic Plan Preparation
Committee Members discussed the strategic plan check-in session timing, related to
when budget discussions occur. The Committee gave direction to staff to schedule a
special meeting in February with the contractor for the Strategic Plan.
Public Comments:
None.
---End of Public Comments---
No further action was taken on this item.
PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
1. Grants In Aid (GIA) Update
Chair Levi related that one recipient expressed concerns that the media may not always
represent their information accurately. Committee Members Dixon and Palazzo
expressed that they have not received call backs from their contacts.
2. TBID Board Report
Committee Member Wilkins reviewed the December 8, 2017 TBID meeting.
3. Tourism Program Update
Tourism Manager Cano reviewed and reported on the following:
• A new Tourism Coordinator has been selected
• Goodwill over fire response by hoteliers
• City Council discussion of a TOT increase as part of the Fiscal Health Response
Plan
• Upcoming travel for trade shows
• Cal Poly Parent Program event, February 1 – 4, 2018
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Promotional
Coordinating Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 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 -
Fall Ad Campaign
Visit SLO CAL ran the 2017 fall ad campaign in October and November. Digital
banner ads and paid social media ads ran in SLO CAL’s six target markets of
Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The goal of this
campaign was to drive intent to book and raise awareness of the county. VSC
allocated additional funds to expand advertising around wine, informing that our
area was unaffected by the fires in Northern California.
Upcoming Opportunities & Events
• New Website Workshop for Members: Learn about new SLOCAL.com website resources by
attending one of our workshops! January 9 from 4:30-6 pm in SLO or January 10 at 9-10:30 am
in South County and 1-2:30 pm in North County. These workshops are open to all tourism-related
businesses in SLO County. RSVP here, today!
Visit SLO CAL
Activity Report, November 2017
Hosted VSC All Agency Meeting
On November 14 & 15 VSC hosted its creative, media and PR agencies for the first All Agency
Meeting in SLO CAL. Over two days, VSC and its agencies met to discuss strategies, goals and
brainstorm fresh ideas for the Winter-Spring campaign.
Following the meeting, three account representatives from Turner Public Relations, VSC’s
national PR agency, immersed themselves in the county for three full days to experience a variety
of lodging properties, activity, food and cultural options.
SAVOR at San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
For the second year in a row, SAVOR – A SLO CAL Experience attended the San Diego
Bay Wine & Food Festival on November 18. This year, SLO CAL was able to debut a
booth that was ten feet longer, allowing us to showcase 15 food, wine, beer and
distillery partners, as well as the Atascadero & Morro Bay DMO’s to 5,000 event
attendees. SLO CAL also sponsored SLO Wine’s seminar and booth at Somm Con on
November 17, a lead-up event to Saturday’s Grand Tasting.
On the Horizon: Taste Washington March 24-25, 2018 in Seattle
Film SLO CAL Holds Aerial Filming Workshop
Film SLO CAL held an Aerial Filming Workshop in partnership with the California Film
Commission and FAA on November 13. Eve Honthaner, Deputy Director of the CA Film
Commission presented the workshop, highlighting the regulations for filming with a
helicopter or drone over public property. To view the presentation, please visit our local
filming page here.
0
- PR and Travel Trade - Media Placements
• Mercury News: Ultimate California: 12 Getaways for the Coming Year -
http://bit.ly/GetawaysMercuryNews
• Travel Weekly: California Coast: Golden State Highlights - http://bit.ly/TravelWeeklySLOCAL
• Smart Meetings: California’s Central Coast is Open for Business -
http://bit.ly/SmartMeetingsSLOCAL
• Mile High Mamas: Central California: A Wonderland of Untouched Beaches, Castles & Dunes
- http://bit.ly/MileHighMama
Media Visits
• Freelancer: The San Bernardino Sun, The Daily Bulletin, San Gabriel News, Redlands
Daily Facts, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena Star
• Freelancer – Afar, Sunset, 5280 and Denver Magazine
• Canadian Geographic
• Coach Magazine (UK)
Film SLO CAL
• Rihanna Puma Commercial
• Nick Jonas Music Video
• Jay Leno Garage
• GMC
• Subaru
Visit SLO CAL is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000.
Morro Bay featured in
Mile High Mamas
(left) and Allegretto
Vineyard Resort
featured in Smart
Meetings (right).
VSC Attends World Travel Market in London
Michael Wambolt, VSC Director of Travel Trade attended World
Travel Market in London November 6-8. Through VSC’s partnership
with Black Diamond, SLO CAL exhibitied at this show for the first
time ever, garnering 13 travel trade appointments, three media
appointments and travel agency trainings.
VISIT SLO CAL
WEB ACTIVITY
SESSIONS: 99,344
UNIQUE VISITORS: 79,926
PAGE VIEWS: 195,971
AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 1.97
AVG. TIME ON SITE: 2:06
TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC:
32,441
% OF ORGANIC: 33%
MOBILE SESSIONS: 71,632
MOST VISITED EVENT PAGE:
TALL SHIPS COME TO MORRO BAY
(1,014 VIEWS)
TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 21,105
MOST SHARED BLOG: BUCKET
LIST WORTHY MOMENTS IN
MORRO BAY (11.5K SHARES)
VISIT SLO CAL
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
FACEBOOK
LIKES: 26,957 NEW: 776
TOT. ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS:
98,148
HIGHEST REACH: PUT LIFE ON
COAST IN MORRO BAY…
(203K PEOPLE REACHED)
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: PUT
LIFE ON COAST IN MORRO BAY…
(14.5K ENGAGEMENTS)
FOLLOWERS NEW
TWITTER: 7,586 51
26.2K IMPRESSIONS
PINTEREST: 712 2
INSTAGRAM: 16.3K 300
VISITOR GUIDE DIST.
WEB DOWNLOADS: 94
GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 3,657
TOTAL: 3,751
THIS MONTH IN SLO CAL
SUBSCRIBERS 35,304
OPENS: 4,257
CLICK-THROUGHS: 657
THIS WEEK IN SLO CAL
CIRCULATION: 1,310
MOST CLICKED LINK:
STR REPORT
Film SLO CAL Attends American Film Market
Film SLO CAL and the SLO International Film Festival attended
American Film Market (AFM) on November 3-5. Eight California
Film Commissions partnered to represent and exhibit at the event
where 8K+ were in attendance. Film SLO CAL was able to meet
with dozens of industry representatives to discuss filming
opportunities in SLO CAL.
October 2017 vs October 2016 Lodging Statistics (STR, Inc.)