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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-14-2018 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, March 14, 2018 10:00 A.M. Embassy Suites 333 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo 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, January 10, 2018 C.2 Smith Travel Report, January + February C.3 Chamber Public Relations Report, January + February Activities C.4 BCA + Matchfire Marketing Report, January + February Activities C.5 Chamber Guest Services Report, January + February Activities C.6 TOT Report PRESENTATIONS 1. FUNDING THE FUTURE OF SLO PRESENTATION 25 mins Staff will present the “Funding the Future of SLO” initiative. This initiative includes the comprehensive review of the 70 discrete projects outlined within the various city plans and the proposed funding mechanisms for the projects. 2. MARKETING AGENCY MONTHLY REPORT 15 mins Representatives from BCA + Matchfire will present the report for the marketing activities over the past two-months for the SLO TBID. 3. CHAMBER MONTHLY REPORT 10 mins Representatives from the SLO Chamber will present the report for the public relations activities over the past two-months 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. TBID BUDGET UPDATE 15 mins Staff will present the unaudited 2016-17 fund balance report for the Board’s allocation into the current fiscal year budget. Staff will also review the mid-year 2017-18 budget and present the proposed budget process for the development of the 2018-19 budget. 2. 2018-20 MARKETING PLAN – APPROACH & RESEARCH 30 mins The Marketing Committee and agencies will present the 2018-20 TBID Marketing Plan development strategy, timeline and recommended research proposal for the Board’s review and approval. 3. VISIT SLO CAL RESEARCH CO-OP 10 mins The Board will consider co-op participation in the Tourism Economic Impact and Visitor Volume Analysis reports with Visit SLO CAL. 4. ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR 5 mins The Board will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for the term of April 2018 to March 2019. 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: February 1, 2018 3. MARKETING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Minutes: February 7, 2018, March 7, 2018 4. PCC UPDATE –Minutes: January 10, 2018 5. VISIT SLOCAL UPDATE – Liaison Reports; December & January Activity Reports 6. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE – Staff Report ADJOURN. POSTING STATEMENT: I, Molly Cano, Tourism Manager, do hereby certify that on March 9, 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 January 10, 2018 Page 1 Minutes - DRAFT TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD Wednesday, January 10, 2018 Tourism Business Improvement District Board CALL TO ORDER A Meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board was called to order on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Wilkins. ROLL CALL Present: Board Members Clint Pearce, Pragna Patel-Mueller, Vice Chair Nipool Patel, and Chair Matthew Wilkins Absent: Board Members Bruce Skidmore, Kimberly Walker, and LeBren Young-Harris Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, Tourism Coordinator Chantal Burns, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. CONSENT AGENDA ACTION: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR PATEL, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER PEARCE, CARRIED 4-0, to approve the Consent Calendar Items C1 through C6. C1. Minutes of Meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 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 January 10, 2018 Page 2 PRESENTATIONS 1. Marketing Agency Quarterly Report Representatives from BCA + MatchFire reviewed their marketing activities from the past quarter, highlighting the Money for a Rainy-Day promotion, website and social media metrics, the new #SLOWelcomes video for ShareSLO, and Partnership program successes and opportunities for improvement. Public Comments: None ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item 2. SLO Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Report Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and Business Education, and Dusty Colyer-Worth, Visitor Center Manager, reviewed the past quarter. Guest services metrics compared almost equal to the same quarter of the previous year, with exceptions of phone and email support which both increased. It was noted that the City ranking in the National Geographic Happiest places caused a ripple effect to other publications and television promoting San Luis Obispo, which is reflected by an increase in both the “placement” and “potential reach” statistics. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. 3. SLO Wine Mid-Year Report Heather Muran from the SLO Wine Country Association presented the mid-year activity report. A review of the Associate Member Benefits, new additions to the website and website metrics, social media metrics, public relations features, and Roadshow metrics were reviewed. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 3 BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Event Promotion Sponsorship Update Tourism Manager Cano provided a review of existing funding and reported that the Marketing Committee’s Event Promotion Sponsorship funding approach for the remainder of the fiscal year will be on a first come, first served, basis. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. TBID LIAISON REPORTS &COMMUNICATIONS 1. Hotelier Update None at this time. 2. Management Committee Update No Management sub-committee meeting was held. 3. Marketing Committee Update Marketing Committee Member Wilkins reported that funding for Weekend Sherpa have been reallocated for use in the partnership with Bay Area News Group, and discussed the sponsored conference room process which will be agendized for Board review at an upcoming meeting. 4. Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) Update Chair Wilkins and Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the Minutes of the December 13, 2017 meeting, highlighting work done on the Strategic Plan, and discussion focused on changing the SLO Happenings program from an App to a mobile site. DRAFT Minutes – Tourism Business Improvement District Board Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 4 5. Visit SLO CAL Update Board Member Pearce reported on the communications plan for Hwy 1 updates, destination development planning which will include an audit of the region’s assets, noted that the new website is scheduled to launch on February 13th, and listed upcoming tradeshow attendance plans. Tourism Manager Cano reviewed the marketing committee meeting, highlighting work with the new advertising agency, the creation of marketing assets, discussion on starting an ambassador program, and noted that there will not be a printed inflight co-op marketing piece. Tourism Coordinator Burns reported on attending a recent Visit SLO CAL workshop highlighting the new website and its launch. 6. Tourism Program Update Tourism Manager Cano reviewed and reported on the following: • Announced that Lee Johnson, Economic Development Manager, is leaving the City • Reviewed upcoming Tradeshow dates, hotel partnership participation, and noted staff attendance • SLO Discovery Weekend with Cal Poly • Upcoming Meeting dates: - Management sub-committee, February 1, 2018 10:00 a.m. - Marketing sub-committee, February 7, 2018 10:30 a.m. • The March Regular scheduled meeting of the TBID has been cancelled due to conflicts with Tradeshows ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m. The next Regular meeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, 2018 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 January 2018 Week of December 31, 2017 to January 6, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 55.9 51.0 54.5 108.88 121.58 112.27 60.90 61.95 61.20 17.1 11.6 15.6 4.1 1.4 3.2 21.9 13.2 19.2 City of Pismo Beach 66.2 65.1 65.9 146.72 143.65 145.85 97.13 93.53 96.10 17.5 14.8 16.7 20.7 8.7 17.1 41.9 24.7 36.7 City of San Luis Obispo 58.4 61.4 59.3 116.80 124.43 119.06 68.21 76.43 70.55 14.9 15.4 15.1 16.8 13.6 15.8 34.3 31.1 33.3 Economy 51.4 50.1 51.0 89.14 94.41 90.61 45.79 47.29 46.22 8.6 7.8 8.4 14.8 11.5 13.8 24.7 20.1 23.3 Midscale 49.6 50.9 50.0 96.05 108.76 99.75 47.66 55.35 49.86 32.0 47.2 36.1 8.3 0.8 6.3 43.0 48.5 44.7 Upscale 65.7 71.7 67.4 134.56 139.99 136.21 88.37 100.33 91.79 13.1 11.3 12.6 19.6 17.3 18.9 35.3 30.7 33.8 Week of January 7, 2018 to January 13, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 48.5 70.2 54.7 103.55 137.29 115.93 50.18 96.43 63.39 -10.0 -5.4 -8.4 -1.0 2.2 0.6 -10.9 -3.3 -7.8 City of Pismo Beach 41.5 69.6 49.5 108.92 159.63 129.28 45.18 111.03 63.99 1.4 -4.7 -1.1 3.2 7.7 4.8 4.7 2.6 3.6 City of San Luis Obispo 50.9 72.2 57.0 107.82 132.40 116.71 54.89 95.56 66.51 2.1 -5.8 -0.9 7.8 4.0 5.7 10.0 -2.0 4.7 Economy Midscale 38.5 75.5 49.1 90.89 114.57 101.30 34.97 86.51 49.70 9.4 9.0 9.3 -5.1 -4.2 -4.7 3.8 4.4 4.1 Upscale 62.0 80.3 67.2 123.04 147.96 131.54 76.31 118.75 88.44 1.7 -1.3 0.6 11.6 1.7 7.4 13.4 0.4 8.0 Week of January 14, 2018 to January 20, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 61.0 67.3 62.8 109.59 132.34 116.56 66.85 89.11 73.21 7.5 9.7 8.2 2.7 3.8 3.2 10.4 13.9 11.6 City of Pismo Beach 48.5 56.7 50.9 119.00 144.61 127.16 57.73 82.03 64.67 -4.5 4.9 -1.7 4.4 9.6 6.6 -0.3 15.0 4.7 City of San Luis Obispo 56.5 60.4 57.6 110.13 119.75 113.01 62.21 72.27 65.08 -3.7 -1.3 -3.0 4.6 2.9 4.1 0.8 1.6 1.1 Economy 44.6 53.0 47.0 79.65 93.08 83.98 35.49 49.32 39.44 -10.4 3.6 -6.3 4.9 8.4 6.5 -6.0 12.3 -0.2 Midscale 49.1 46.6 48.4 97.86 103.29 99.36 48.03 48.18 48.07 9.7 -10.1 3.4 0.4 -5.5 -1.8 10.2 -15.0 1.5 Upscale 65.8 69.8 66.9 124.70 134.86 127.72 82.01 94.18 85.48 -4.7 -0.4 -3.4 5.4 3.7 4.9 0.5 3.3 1.3 Week of January 21, 2018 to January 27, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 50.5 61.2 53.6 105.82 127.04 112.75 53.43 77.74 60.38 -7.2 1.3 -4.6 -0.2 1.5 0.7 -7.4 2.9 -3.9 City of Pismo Beach 50.0 69.9 55.7 112.68 145.93 124.60 56.39 101.99 69.42 2.5 -1.9 0.9 3.2 3.1 2.9 5.8 1.1 3.8 City of San Luis Obispo 57.4 70.5 61.1 118.00 133.94 123.26 67.68 94.45 75.32 -2.9 -1.9 -2.6 7.6 9.6 8.3 4.4 7.5 5.5 Economy 43.0 56.0 46.7 80.45 95.29 85.53 34.61 53.33 39.96 -6.2 -10.1 -7.6 4.4 7.1 5.2 -2.1 -3.7 -2.7 Midscale Upscale 69.6 77.9 72.0 132.57 152.44 138.72 92.23 118.77 99.81 -2.6 -4.5 -3.2 8.8 12.8 10.1 6.0 7.8 6.6 Week of January 28, 2018 to February 3, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 54.6 59.3 56.0 105.18 126.80 111.72 57.45 75.22 62.52 -1.4 10.2 1.8 3.0 2.2 3.2 1.6 12.6 5.1 City of Pismo Beach 50.0 69.8 55.6 108.73 151.13 123.91 54.36 105.41 68.95 7.7 21.3 12.2 2.6 9.2 6.2 10.4 32.4 19.1 City of San Luis Obispo 55.6 65.2 58.4 107.03 139.36 117.35 59.55 90.89 68.50 7.4 26.7 12.9 6.3 14.0 9.8 14.1 44.4 24.0 Economy Midscale 49.5 57.3 51.7 92.06 118.61 100.46 45.55 67.93 51.95 16.8 39.1 23.0 -2.8 8.2 1.6 13.6 50.6 25.1 Upscale 63.8 72.3 66.2 123.39 163.40 135.86 78.75 118.08 89.98 6.1 33.3 13.3 9.5 13.1 12.2 16.3 50.8 27.2 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 Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar February 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 56.5 77.6 62.5 107.29 138.88 118.50 60.62 107.84 74.11 6.5 3.7 5.5 2.7 3.7 2.9 9.4 7.5 8.6 City of Pismo Beach 54.0 81.1 61.7 114.01 169.12 134.70 61.53 137.17 83.14 18.8 11.4 15.9 6.0 8.3 6.4 26.0 20.6 23.4 City of San Luis Obispo 57.7 81.1 64.4 111.33 145.61 123.66 64.25 118.02 79.61 3.7 10.8 6.2 7.8 3.4 6.4 11.8 14.6 13.0 Economy Midscale Upscale 65.9 88.9 72.5 125.84 164.36 139.34 82.92 146.10 100.97 2.7 10.7 5.4 6.9 0.1 4.6 9.8 10.8 10.2 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 59.3 94.5 69.4 107.13 182.45 136.45 63.52 172.40 94.63 4.7 10.4 6.8 2.1 4.8 4.1 6.8 15.6 11.2 City of Pismo Beach 59.6 93.5 69.3 122.06 200.29 152.22 72.79 187.33 105.52 14.8 24.5 18.4 6.1 11.6 9.8 21.8 39.0 29.9 City of San Luis Obispo 64.7 92.9 72.7 116.51 170.25 136.12 75.35 158.17 99.01 9.9 16.0 12.1 10.4 2.0 7.0 21.4 18.3 20.0 Economy Midscale 56.8 90.8 66.5 101.68 148.06 119.77 57.78 134.48 79.69 19.9 28.9 23.3 4.1 -1.1 2.3 24.8 27.5 26.1 Upscale 74.8 94.5 80.4 133.45 193.40 153.58 99.77 182.83 123.50 12.3 7.6 10.7 10.7 3.0 6.8 24.3 10.8 18.2 Week of February 18-February 24, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 69.6 73.9 70.8 113.37 139.36 121.12 78.88 103.04 85.78 10.6 -8.0 4.4 0.1 0.0 -0.8 10.8 -7.9 3.5 City of Pismo Beach 75.6 86.4 78.6 138.41 168.98 148.00 104.57 145.97 116.40 25.1 12.1 20.7 10.8 8.2 9.2 38.6 21.4 31.9 City of San Luis Obispo 78.4 83.9 80.0 126.28 150.52 133.55 98.98 126.29 106.78 18.2 4.2 13.6 7.8 3.8 5.8 27.5 8.2 20.2 Economy Midscale 72.3 81.4 74.9 107.50 131.25 114.88 77.78 106.88 86.09 35.4 21.5 30.8 1.8 -1.4 0.1 37.9 19.8 30.9 Upscale 87.8 89.2 88.2 145.63 174.51 153.97 127.89 155.68 135.83 10.3 0.6 7.3 11.1 4.1 8.2 22.5 4.7 16.0 Week of February 25 - March 3, 2018 WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total WD WE Total City of Paso Robles 63.4 71.9 65.8 109.21 145.93 120.67 69.23 104.96 79.44 6.3 -8.5 1.2 3.4 6.2 3.5 9.9 -2.8 4.7 City of Pismo Beach 52.5 69.0 57.2 120.42 169.60 137.36 63.17 116.95 78.54 4.6 -17.5 -4.3 8.0 4.9 4.4 12.9 -13.5 0.0 City of San Luis Obispo 62.7 69.6 64.7 121.46 151.96 130.84 76.20 105.82 84.66 10.2 -17.9 -0.3 15.5 4.9 9.0 27.3 -13.9 8.7 Economy Midscale Upscale 72.9 73.1 73.0 139.58 173.97 149.42 101.79 127.16 109.04 11.5 -17.5 1.3 17.0 3.3 9.4 30.4 -14.8 10.8 Occupancy (%)ADR Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Week of February 11 -February 17, 2018 Week of February 4 - February 10, 2018 RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Current Week Totals Percent Change Occupancy (%)ADR RevPar Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 Media/Community Relations 1. Pitched San Luis Obispo’s “Money for a Rainy Day” promotion. 2. Worked with the Bay Area News Group advertorial team for an upcoming SLO City promotion. 3. Worked with Alaska Airlines inflight magazine for a feature on San Luis Obispo. 4. Worked with Central Coast Seasons/Santa Barbara Seasons to cover the SLO Film Fest in the upcoming spring issue. 5. Hosted activities for freelance writer Mary Lancing’s press trip to SLO. 6. Pitched a variety of attractions for inclusion in the CCTC’s Budget Road Trip round up. 7. Continued working with the SLO Film Fest to identify writers for a hosted trip to SLO so that they can experience the festival. 8. Worked with Triathlete Magazine to feature photos of SLO in the March issue. 9. Pitched the following to Visit California for inclusion in their story ideas pitches to media: a. Family Friendly: i. Bubblegum Alley ii. Concerts in the Plaza iii. SLO Children’s Museum iv. Family Hiking v. SLO Railroad Museum vi. Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market vii. Horseback Riding in San Luis Obispo viii. Children’s Day in the Plaza ix. Sunset Drive-In b. Performing Arts: i. Festival Mozaic Summer Music Festival ii. Central Coast Renaissance Festival iii. Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo iv. SLO Repertory Theatre v. SLO Jazz Festival 10. Worked with the CCTC on an upcoming blog post. 11. Provided information to Livability for inclusion in their 2018 Best Places to Live rankings. 12. Shared photos of San Luis Obispo with Active Over 50 for their upcoming story about San Luis Obispo. Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 13. Wrote talking points for a welcome reception at the inaugural SLO Discovery Weekend. 14. Worked with San Diego based blogger Ellis Beardsley to plan a ‘guys getaway’ trip. 15. Worked with Visit SLO CAL to host Clara Hogan who was in the city on assignment with 7x7. 16. Continued to work with the city, Barnett Cox & Associates and Matchfire on overall tourism marketing campaign. Media Placements 1. Money for a Rainy Day Mercury News, San Diego Union Tribune and East Bay Times cover SLO’s Money for a Rainy Day promotion in print and online. Circulation/Audience: 277,793 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 8,943,521 https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/27/san-luis-obispos-hotel-deals-for-february- and-march/ Circulation/Audience: 157,286 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 493,406 http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/travel/sd-tr-travel-deals-20180103- story.html Circulation/Audience: 277,793 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 21,326 https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/01/27/san-luis-obispos-hotel-deals-for-february- and-march/ Unique Visitors Per Month: 155,802 https://www.equities.com/news/san-luis-obispo-s-hotel-deals-for-february-and-march Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 2. 2018 Top 100 Best Places to Live Livability names San Luis Obispo as one of the best places to live in the US citing “stunning natural attractions,” “an eye-pleasing downtown,” and “a robust network of parks and trails.” Unique Visitors Per Month: 601,131 https://livability.com/best-places/top-100-best-places-to-live/2018/ca/san-luis-obispo 3. SAN LUIS OBISPO : Guide, actualité, adresses, avis (SAN LUIS OBISPO: Guide, latest news, addresses, reviews) Digital article and updated information about San Luis Obispo was published by French guide book Petit Fute. Both the articles and guidebook entries were written by Nelly Jacques, who was hosted in the city in June of 2017. 8 million guidebooks sold each year | Unique monthly visitors: 1.67 million https://www.petitfute.com/v54597-san-luis-obispo/ Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 4. 25 happiest cities in the United States Chicago Tribune, Newsday, International Business Times and the Star Tribune cover National Geographic’s Happiest Towns in the US, including San Luis Obispo. Circulation/Audience: 438,015 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 23,920,802 http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/sc-trav-trips-vagabond-ireland-0116- story.html Circulation/Audience: 382,530 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 3,167,313 https://www.newsday.com/travel/happiest-u-s-cities-1.16365947 Circulation/Audience: 264,479 | Unique Visitors Per Month: 10,822,197 http://www.startribune.com/america-s-happiest-towns-are-named-see-south-africa-from- a-motorcycle-sidecar/471174223/ Unique Visitors Per Month: 15,770,748 http://www.ibtimes.sg/illinois-connecticut-becomes-worst-possible-state-live-boulder- tops-list-happiest-place-23710 Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 5. Wine Enthusiast Unveils 10 Best Wine Getaways of 2018 Wine Enthusiast Magazine names San Luis Obispo one of their top ten getaways in 2018, an accolade which has been picked up by other publications including Luxury Travel Magazine. Circulation/Audience: 178,648 Unique Visitors Per Month: 464,167 http://www.winemag.com/top-10-wine-travel-getaways-2018/san-luis-obispo-california- usa/ Unique Visitors Per Month: 131,596 http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/news-articles/wine-enthusiast-unveils-10-best- wine-getaways-of -2018-28315.php 6. Visit California Story Ideas San Luis Obispo is included in Visit California’s story ideas including “De-stress and Detox in California,” “Guys Weekend Getaways in California” and “Celebrity Travel Favorites.” These briefs are designed to help writers develop a pitch, get the story started and formulate feature articles. http://media.visitcalifornia.com/Story-Development/Story-Ideas/Story- Idea/?id=109559#sthash.pKcdR4Gx.dpbs http://media.visitcalifornia.com/Story-Development/Story-Ideas/Story- Idea/?id=109564#sthash.qVTCRaOQ.dpbs http://media.visitcalifornia.com/Story-Development/Story-Ideas/Story- Idea/?id=109558#sthash.CYC9fdiO.dpbs Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract January 2018 7. 8 offbeat American hotels and motels Madonna Inn is named as one of the top eight unique hotels that entice RV travelers to stay the night. Unique Visitors Per Month: 19,350 http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/8-offbeat-american-hotels-and-motels/recreation- leisure 8. Top 10 Places to Retire in the USA – 2018 San Luis Obispo was names one of the best places to retire in the US citing amenities for active retirees, cultural heritage and Mediterranean climate. http://www.best-place-to-retire.com/top-10-places-to-retire-in-the-usa Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract February 2018 Media/Community Relations 1. Worked with San Diego based blogger Ellis Beardsley to plan a ‘guys getaway’ trip. 2. Worked with Visit SLO CAL to host Clara Hogan who was in the city on assignment with 7x7. 3. Began working with Visit Berkley and Discover Clairmont for a Spring “Beyond the Campus” FAM tour. 4. Worked with Visit SLO Cal to begin planning media outreach for Taste Washington trip. 5. Continued to work with Alaska Airlines inflight magazine for a feature on San Luis Obispo. 6. Worked with DatingAdvice.com on a feature article about San Luis Obispo. 7. Pitched Bubblegum Alley as one of the Top 50 Coolest Wall Art Murals Around the World for a feature on Brit + Co. 8. Continued working with the SLO Film Fest to identify writers for a hosted trip to SLO so that they can experience the festival. 9. Hosted freelancer Brad Auerbach on assignment for Entertainment Tonight. 10. Invited select locals to be featured in the All Dreams Welcome #ShareSLO blog series. 11. Send information about evacuee resources in SLO to regional media. 12. Provided content and scheduled a tour for Clara Hogan on assignment with 7x7 and Livability.com. 13. Pitched the following to Visit California for inclusion in their story ideas pitches to media: a. Teenage Travel: i. SLO Skate Park ii. Sunset Drive-In b. Most Instagrammable: i. California's Most Instagrammable Alley ii. #PixOnPeaks iii. Sip in SLO 14. 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 February 2018 Media Placements 1. California 123 | California Trip Trios Alaska Beyond, the infight magazine for Alaska airlines, features San Luis Obispo as one of their featured California destinations. Circulation/Audience: 91,210 2. 10 Best U.S. States for Road Trips (Plus Amazing Sights to See Along the Way) Our Family World highlights the Big Sur Coast Drive, including a stop in San Luis Obispo as their number one road trip in the nation. Unique Visitors Per Month: 153,971 https://www.ourfamilyworld.com/2018/02/02/10-best-u-s-states-for-road-trips/ Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract February 2018 3. The Most Instagrammable Places in California Smart Meetings Magazine features the Madonna Inn as one of the The Most Instagrammable Places in California. Circulation/Audience: 44,000 Unique Visitors Per Month: 53,815 https://www.smartmeetings.com/destinations/105516/instagrammable-places-california 4. A Modern Guide to San Luis Obispo: Boutique Hotels, Fresh Eats + Wine Tasting Clara Hogan’s article for 7x7 shows off the best places to stay, eat, shop and play in San Luis Obispo. 1.6 million pageviews (self-reported) http://www.7x7.com/a-modern-guide-to-san-luis-obispo-2532312862.html Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract February 2018 5. VISITING THE “SLO” LIFE IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA Mary Lancing shares the highlights of her hosted trip to SLO for Food Wine Travel Magazine. Unique Visitors Per Month: 35,069 http://fwtmagazine.com/visiting-slo-life-san-luis-obispo-california 6. That case of wine you want to bring home? Alaska Airlines expands Wine Flies Free perk Alaska Airlines wine flies free program is highlighted by more than 15 outlets including LA Times. Unique Visitors Per Month: 23,904,510 http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-alaska-airlines-expands-wine-flies-free-program- 20180215-story.html Report to City of SLO – TBID and PCC Public Relations Contract February 2018 7. HIGHWAY 1 ROAD TRIP / A SURFER’S GUIDE TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST Surf and lifestyle influencers share their road trip experience along Highway 1 including a stop in San Luis Obispo on Lush Palm. 19.8 K Instagram Followers | 17.7 K Twitter followers http://lushpalm.com/highway-1-road-trip/ 8. Petit Fute guidebook The largest French travel guidebook company, Petit Fute, features San Luis Obispo in their updated guide to California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Unique visitors per month: 1,665,600 Approximately 8 million guides sold per year file:///S:/Tourism/Tourism%20PR/2017- 18/Media%20Placements/Californie%20_%20Petit%20Fute.pdf https://www.petitfute.com/v54597-san-luis-obispo/ SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018 HAPPENING NOW • SLO Craft Beer Fest Promotion • BANG Advertorial & Digital Buy • Tradeshow VR Video • Rainy Day SOLD OUT • Festival Mozaic • Visit CA Outlook Forum SLO VACATIONS • Updated Pages -Beer Tasting -SLO Craft Beer Fest -Restaurant Month • Added Pages -San Francisco to SLO Vacation Idea -Los Angeles to SLO Vacation Idea • SEO -Broken links fixed -Alt image tags added • ADA Compliance Audit EMAIL • 209 new leads from email sign-up form • Money for a Rainy Day Emails (2) • San Diego Tradeshow Email • Ongoing Welcome Series & Hotel Page Email • Development of Revised Welcome Series • Development of Preference Center SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018 SHARESLO • Created Beer tasting video • Activated on Instagram Stories • Participated in Visit California’s #DreamEats Twitter Chat • Cross-promotion on Cal Poly social channels • Community Blog Posts -Brunch Bites in San Luis Obispo -Top 13 Things to Eat in SLO -Top Sweet Tooth Treats in SLO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS • Cal Poly Athletics -Baseball Presenting Sponsor dates -Baseball new outfield and stadium signage -Basketball game for SLO Discovery Weekend parents • Cal Poly Parent Program -E-blast “CP Parent Deals” -SLO Discovery Weekend Feb 1-3 -SLO Discovery Weekend May Planning • SLO Wine -Roll out the Barrels promotion -E-blast content LOOKING AHEAD • Roll Out the Barrels Promotion/VR Insert • Visit SLO CAL Co-Op March 1–April 31 • SLO Film Fest • Denver Travel & Adventure Show • Taste of Washington • 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. Be here. 1-877-SLO-TOWN SanLuisObispoVacations.com SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT January 2018 SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS SanLuisObispoVacations.com 37,906 60,200 30,202 m.facebook.com facebook.com slocity.org FACEBOOK New Fans Total Fans Total Reach Average Reach per Post Average Daily Page Engaged Users Total Engagements 0 103,722 444,782 7,920 578 3,428 TWITTER New Followers Total Followers Total Engagements #ShareSLO 18 3,961 642 353 INSTAGRAM New Followers Total Followers Total Reach Average Reach per post Total Engagements #ShareSLO 280 12,185 160,321 3,563 14,395 3,147 YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 38,722 SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT February 2018 HAPPENING NOW • Marketing Plan Timeline • Roll Out the Barrels Promotional Elements • Visit SLO CAL Co-op • Taste of Washington Prep • Denver Travel & Adventure Show Prep • Rainy Day SOLD OUT • RaceSLO Planning SLO VACATIONS • Updated Pages -Outdoor Vacation Ideas -San Luis Obispo Downtown Trolley -San Luis Obispo Tours -SLO Film Fest -Roll Out the Barrels • Added Pages -Cal Poly Open House • SEO -Broken links fixed -Alt image tags added • ADA Compliance -ADA audit completed -Website edits in progress EMAIL • 170 new leads from email sign-up form • Ongoing Welcome Series & Hotel Page Email • SLO Craft Beer Fest • February/March Newsletter Be here. SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT February 2018 SHARESLO • Participated in Visit California’s #PassionPassport Twitter Chat • Cross-promotion on Cal Poly social channels • Created Cal Poly Discovery Weekend video • Community Blog Post -Top 10 Things to Do on Valentine’s Day EVENTS • SLO Craft Beer Fest Promotion • Festival Mozaic Getaway Giveaway OTHER • BANG Advertorial & Digital Buy STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS • Visit California -Attended 2018 Outlook Forum • Cal Poly Athletics -Baseball Presenting Sponsor dates confirmed -Baseball & football new outfield and stadium signage • Cal Poly Parent Program -E-blast “CP Parent Deals” -SLO Discovery Weekend May Planning • SLO Wine -Roll out the Barrels promotion -E-blast content LOOKING AHEAD • Roll Out the Barrels Promotion/VR Insert • SLO Film Fest • Denver Travel & Adventure Show • Taste of Washington • Marketing Research • Marketing Plan SLOTBID AGENCY REPORT February 2018 SESSIONS PAGE VIEWS USERS REFERRALS SanLuisObispoVacations.com 37,427 56,858 31,542 slocity.org m.facebook.com pinterest.com FACEBOOK New Fans Total Fans Total Reach Average Reach per Post Average Daily Page Engaged Users Total Engagements 19 103,703 804,245 5,631 791 3,266 TWITTER New Followers Total Followers Total Engagements #ShareSLO 22 3,983 553 362 INSTAGRAM New Followers Total Followers Total Reach Average Reach per post Total Engagements #ShareSLO 204 12,389 138,384 3,548 11,969 2,098 YOUTUBE SLO Promo Video 39,414 Report to City of SLO – TBID Phone Line and Availability Contract January 2018 Response to TBID Advertising Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 January 2017 January 2018 Calls to 1-877-SLO-TOWN 17 13 18 16 87 64 Hotel Availability Tracker Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 January 2017 January 2018 Email Response 12 15 14 14 43 55 Phone Calls to Hotels 41 38 44 38 152 161 Hotel Referrals Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 January 2017 January 2018 Visitors Served (Walk-ins) 1,098 1,113 1,142 1,027 4,553 4,380 Farmers’ Market* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Hotel Rooms Referred 428 389 437 418 1,861 1,672 *estimate without people counter Report to City of SLO – TBID Phone Line and Availability Contract February 2018 Response to TBID Advertising Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 February 2017 February 2018 Calls to 1-877-SLO-TOWN 51 49 28 34 167 163 Hotel Availability Tracker Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 February 2017 February 2018 Email Response 14 14 13 16 45 57 Phone Calls to Hotels 58 47 54 43 156 202 Hotel Referrals Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 February 2017 February 2018 Visitors Served (Walk-ins) 1,201 1,127 1,054 1,194 4,955 4,576 Farmers’ Market* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Hotel Rooms Referred 404 391 427 502 1,830 1,724 *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$ 518,972$ 4.4%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$ 479,844$ 10.4%58.9 61.5 4.4 123.58 129.11 4.5 72.52 79.39 9.1 January 230,279$ 256,351$ 276,165$ 302,153$ 331,853$ 400,239$ 387,304$ 396,559$ 413,510$ 4.3%56.3 58 3.1 115.68 118.75 2.7 65.09 68.89 5.8 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$ 4,353,026$ 71.55 70.29 143.41 145.81 104.02 104.01 *Nov TOT totals missing 1 homestays *Dec TOT totals missing 1 homestay *Jan TOT total missing 1 + 3 missing homestays Occupancy ADR RevPAR Figures from Smith Travel Research report Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com SLOTBID Research Project 2018 Themes Data types to be collected: Personas/Values & Lifestyles Geographic feeder markets Survey data from traditional feeder markets – Online research survey and tourist intercepts - SLO County perceptions - Travel info sources - Resources allocated - Past CA travel destinations Survey data from new flight markets (Seattle & Denver) Themes Psychographic Information: Values & Lifestyle - Activities, interests, opinions, behaviors Geographic Information - Visitor locations Demographic Information - Age, income, education, occupation Brand Perception - Resonance, recognition, destination offerings Decision Making - Sources of information, resources allotted, lodging type preference Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com Survey of Vacationers for the City of San Luis Obispo Research Objective is to better understand why (California) vacationers chose their California travel destinations, including San Luis Obispo, and to determine if-and-why the city of San Luis Obispo is losing market share to other destinations . Base Proposal: • An online study of 800 adults in the state of California • Must live outside of SLO County o Remove counties north of Bary Area; east of SLO County, and Riverside, Indio • Eliminate some northern counties and other select counties • Decision makers for vacation planning (assuming this will skew female) • Minimum of $100,000 household income • Have taken 1 or more vacations – minimum of 1 overnight stay – within California in the past 12 months • Survey will take no longer than 12 minutes to complete Proposed Market Research steps I) With the collaboration of the client we will develop an online survey of vacation travelers. Specific elements that will be explored in the survey will include, but not be limited to: a) Past choices of California travel destinations b) Reasons for each choice, e.g. specific elements of interest c) Resources allocated during vacation (money spent, mode of travel, length of stay, etc.) d) Awareness, Perception and Visits of SLO County and City i) If visited a destination in SLO County, why e) Future California travel plans, including the importance of various elements in making travel decisions f) Sources of information when making travel decisions Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com II) An online survey platform will be developed by AMF. Programming, data collection, data tables and significance testing will be provided. Sample will be purchased from a leading U.S. sample provider, such as ResearchNow or Survey Sampling, Inc. The survey will be formatted to be user friendly and operate on desktops, tablets or mobile devices. A maximum of two open - end questions will be contained in the survey. III) An in-person PowerPoint presentation of data results and recommendations will be provided. Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com Incremental Element 1: Adding Denver and Seattle to Base Proposal: • A total of 400 additional online Interviews to be conducted with residents of Denver (200) and Seattle (200) who have visited California in the past year and meet the same demographic rigors as the Base Proposal. Proposed Market Research steps I) As with the Base Survey, with the collaboration of the client we will develop an online survey for Denver and Seattle residents who have visited California. II) The substance of the survey will be similar to the Base Survey but some adjustments will be made, as appropriate for each location. III) A PowerPoint presentation of data results and recommendations will be provided Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com Incremental Element 2: Intercept Interviews: • A total of 200 Intercept Interviews would be conducted within SLO County to get more precise information on why visitors select various SLOC locations and do not select other SLOC locations . • 50 intercept interviews in each of four locations using multiple areas within each location, such as museums, parks and other tourist attractions. • Proposed locations – which are subject to change – are: • The City of San Luis Obispo • Paso Robles • Shell/Pismo Beach areas • Respondents would be compensated with a $10 gift card. Proposed Market Research steps I) As with the Base Survey, with the collaboration of the client we will develop an in-person survey of vacation travelers, both day tourists and overnight tourists, which would take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Specific elements that will be explored in the survey will include, but not be limited to: a) Reasons for choosing SLOC location to visit b) Other SLOC areas planning to visit c) Reason why other SLOC locations are within or outside realm of consideration d) Awareness, Perception and Visits of SLO County, City and other area attractions e) Future California travel plans, including the importance of various elements in making travel decisions f) Sources of information when making travel decisions g) Demographics of tourists II. We would need to select locations that did not require permission to conduct interviews or SLO Tourism would need to secure permission to interview. III. A PowerPoint presentation of data results and recommendations will be provided. Ph 805 545 8887 711 Tank Farm Road Ste. 210 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.amfmediagroup.com Incremental Element 3: Persona/Value & Lifestyle Assignments: • Value & Life Style segments can be appended to three SLO databases as described below. For each segment, detailed information about that segments would be provided. This would include demographic information, hobbies, activities, workstyle, lifestyle, income, ethnicity, media consumption and many other behaviors and activities. Examples of these can be provided. • Survey data (n=800 to 1,200) would be matched on a ZIP Code or email basis. If matched on an email address the expected match rate would be 45% • Email data base (n=20,000) would likewise be matched at approximately 45% • Address data base (n=500) would be matched at a Zip+6 basis and expected match rate would exceed 90%. Total: $58,800 FORWARD TO A FRIEND RESEARCH CO -OP OPPORTUNITIES RESEARCH CO -OP: ECONOMIC IMPACT & VISITOR VOLUME STUDIES Local DMO Partners, As you know, Visit SLO CAL is in the process of launching our Destination Development Plan. The undertaking is a collaborative process with a goal of strategically outlining the evolution, marketing and management of our countywide destination (Placemakin g) 20 -30 years into the future. The process, in whole, is bigger than tourism as we look to create consensus among stakeholders, communities and residents, identify gaps and define product development, growth and expansion opportunities. In January, our Board selected Resonance Consultancy to facilitate the plan at an investment of $250,000. The 9 -12 month process, set to begin April 2, involves investors, stakeholders, government, strategic partners and community residents. Visit SLO CAL is currently hiring a Director of Community Affairs/Destination Development to manage the process and, more import antly, the outcomes with local communities post -plan delivery. In order to be successful, the process must begin with research. Visit SLO CAL and Resonance Consultancy have chosen to work with Adam Sacks and Tourism Economics on a countywide Economic Impact (EI) study along with a separate domestic and international Visitor Volume study. The EI study will develop a tru e benchmark, which can then be conducted every few years to determine growth trends. The Visitor Volume study is being built in a way that would allow Visit SLO CAL to purchase results each quarter to better understand the visitor impact to the market. As has been the case in the past, Visit SLO CAL has negotiated a co -op that allows each of the local DMOs to buy -in for a discounted rate, producing the same studies at the local community level. Pricing, based on the number of participants, ranges from $5,000 -$6,000 for the EI study and $3,500 -$4,500 for the Visitor Volume study. The linked agreement is wh at each community will need to proceed with the co - op. When returning the signed agreement, please copy Adam Sacks from Tourism Economics at asacks@oxfordeconomics.com , along with myself at Chuck@SLOCAL.com , so we can keep track of community involvement. The deadline to submit your agreement is Friday, March 30, 2018. If you have questions please reach out to Adam or myself. All the Best, Chuck CLICK HERE Tourism Business Improvement District Management Committee Meeting Minutes February, 1, 2018 – 10:00 am Council Hearing Room - 990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo PRESENT: Clint Pearce, Nipool Patel STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:03 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Website ADA Compliance Although there is no current formal law for ADA websites, there are strong guidelines which have three levels that need to be considered. Examples of the guidelines include alternatives to video and audio and the ability to use the site without a mouse. Matchfire presented the ADA compliance audit results for sanluisobispovacations.com and concluded that the site already follows the compliant guidelines. Matchfire discussed additional considerations for the site such as mega menus, tracking tags and adding disclaimers on all videos. The committee discussed that these are all positive changes that fit within the annual budget. Action: The committee approved for Matchfire to implement their recommendations including to add on disclaimers to the 360 Degree video for no additional costs to demonstrate good faith. 2. TBID Board Annual Retreat The committee discussed the needs and goals of an annual retreat. The idea of a reception style showcase to gather new members versus a separate meeting for board members to review projects was deliberated on. The committee decided to put the retreat on hold. 3. New Business Items i. Committee Discussion – the committee provided input on the slower season and how topics such as the Highway 101 closure is affecting their businesses. Staff provided information on future market research that will be analyzed by the marketing agency. ii. Future Agenda Items – none iii. Next Meeting Date- Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 10:00am Meeting was adjourned at 10:52 am Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Committee Meeting Minutes February 7, 2018 – 10:30 a.m. Council Hearing Room - 990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Skidmore, Walker STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:37 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2017-18 Visit SLO CAL Co-Op Program Update Staff and the marketing agency team presented an update on the 2017-18 Visit SLO CAL advertising co-op program. Visit SLO CAL is offering to match the DMO Partner investment 1:1 up to $20k per DMO total for all programs combined. DMO Partners may participate in a Native campaign, a Social Media campaign or both with a two-month minimum campaign requirement. BCA suggested to the committee to target Seattle and Denver markets only. The minimum two- month buy would start March 1, 2018. Action: The committee approved to move forward with SLO CAL FY 2017-18 digital retargeting co-op program and allocate already budgeted for marketing funds. 2. 2018-20 TBID Marketing Plan Development & Process Strategy The marketing agency reviewed the historical Marketing Plan development strategy, process and timeline. AMF proposed to allocate more of the 2018-20 TBID Marketing Plan timeline to a research focus. The summer months would be used for plan development which would impact the traditional marketing budget approval. The committee discussed the importance of new research and how consumer behaviors are changing rapidly. Direction: The committee directed staff to form a recommendation for the March 14, 2018 TBID Board Meeting to further look at and approve plan’s research and development timeline. Staff will present the recommendation for the committee’s review and input at a future Marketing Committee meeting. 3. SLO Discovery Weekend Update Staff reviewed the pilot weekend’s activities, feedback and statistics. Participating parent reviews did not align with their initial need of authentic experiences with their students in slower seasons and their expressed disappointment in not receiving special lodging discounts. Cal Poly Student Affairs Office is launching a survey to collect more data on the weekend and attitudes of participants. The committee discussed the potential of lodging discounts for future SLO Discovery Weekends, but retracted the idea after discussing the similar and active Cal Poly Deals listed on www.sanluisobispovacations.com which can be linked into future event pages. Staff presented May 2018 weekend ideas and program adjustments which will include a new Mother’s Day Celebration theme. Direction: The committee directed staff to present past and future SLO Discovery Weekend itineraries at the next committee meeting. 4. New Business Staff announced that there will be no February 2018 Board Meeting due to staff attending the Outlook Forum in Anaheim. Meeting was adjourned at 11:30 am Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Committee Meeting Minutes March 7, 2018 – 10:30 a.m. AMF Media Group – 711 Tank Farm Road, Suite 210, San Luis Obispo BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Skidmore, Wilkins STAFF PRESENT: Molly Cano, Tourism Manager; Chantal Burns, Tourism Coordinator Call to order time: 10:43 a.m. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2018-20 Marketing Plan – TBID Research Proposal The marketing agency presented the visitor research proposal to the committee. The committee provided input and had the opportunity to ask questions. The project has an initial base cost proposal of $28,900 and incremental elements that range from $4,900 to $19,000. The proposal was confirmed to fit within the current budget, but the committee requested to remove Morro Bay from the second incremental element, redistribute the Morro Bay allocated intercept interviews to other proposed locations and add an additional 100 interviews overall. Recommendation: The committee approved to move forward and present the research proposal at the next board meeting with the removal and redistribution of Morro Bay intercept interviews and adding an additional 100 intercept interviews pending the updated final costs. 2. Horizon Travel Advertising Opportunity The marketing agency proposed an adverting opportunity with Horizon Travel & Lifestyle Magazine. TBID has previously participated in a similar advertisement which had positive results. The new opportunity offers a full page ad and a full-page Advertorial in the Horizon Travel & Lifestyle Magazine inserted into the Wall Street Journal on April 12th, 2018. Additionally, a production of a five second commercial will run on the ABC (Good Morning America) Screen in Times Square, NY from April 2nd to 8th, 2018 and on the ten screens in Toronto, Canada’s PATH system from April 1st to April 30th, 2018. Combined, these provide 13 million impressions per month. The cost to participate is $7,950 and the opportunity can be covered within the remaining marketing budget. Direction: The committee directed staff and marketing agency to move forward with the Horizon Travel Advertising opportunity. 3. New Business Staff announced that LeBren Harris should be back from maternity leave and will be attending the next meeting. Staff also reminded the committee that events will start coming through in April. Meeting was adjourned at 11:44 am DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 1 Minutes - DRAFT PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE Wednesday, January 10, 2018 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 5:33 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, Jill LeMieux, Sasha Palazzo (5:35), John Thomas, Matthew Wilkins (5:39), Vice Chari Zoya Dixon (6:00), and Chair Daniel Levi Absent: None Staff: Tourism Manager Molly Cano, and Recording Secretary Kevin Christian. PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None CONSENT AGENDA ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER COZZI, CARRIED (4-0) to approve the Consent Agenda items C1 to C7. C.1 Minutes of the Meeting on December 13, 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 C.7 Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) Report DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 2 PRESENTATIONS Committee Members Palazzo and Wilkins arrived after the start of this presentation. 1. SLO Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Update Chamber of Commerce representative Molly Kern, Director of Communications and Business Education, and Dusty Colyer-Worth, Visitor Center Manager, reviewed the past quarter, highlighting the demographics of San Luis Obispo visitors. It was noted that the City ranking in the National Geographic Happiest places caused a ripple effect to other publications and television promoting San Luis Obispo, which is reflected by an increase in both the “placement” and “potential reach” statistics. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. 2. SLO Happenings Program Quarterly Promotions Update Representatives from Solve presented the quarterly promotions activit y report for the SLO Happenings program highlighting events curation activity, outreach to event promotors, and app store optimization. Of specific note was a new iOS user video, an outreach survey, and #tickettuesday promotion. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. BUSINESS ITEMS Committee Member Dixon arrived during staff presentation for this item. 1. 2018-19 GIA Application Approval Tourism Manager Cano presented changes made to the 2018-19 GIA application and reviewed the timeline. The committee discussed the changes, the proposed educational opportunities to be offered at the mandatory meeting for applicants, and finalized the date and time for the meeting as February 7, 2018 4:30 p.m. at the Ludwick Center. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 3 The committee discussed the need to assign ongoing committee members to the GIA subcommittee since two current sub-committee members will no longer be on the PCC when the GIA applications are evaluated. Committee members Dixon, Cozzi, and Thomas volunteered for the subcommittee. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LEMIEUX, SECOND BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WILKINS, CARRIED (6-0) to approve the application as presented with the selected date. 2. Strategic Plan Work – PCC Succession Planning Staff reviewed the current open recruitment efforts for filling the two PCC seats that will become available at the end of March 2018, and asked the committee for ideas and to spread the word. The committee suggested reaching out to GIA applicants and local businesses. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. 3. PCC Strategic Plan Preparation The Committee continued preparation for the strategic plan update workshop which will be held Saturday February 24, 2018. Items that will be discussed at the workshop will include, but are not limited to, budget constraints, SLOHappenings changes, Event Promotion, and New Projects. Public Comments: None. ---End of Public Comments--- No action was taken on this item. DRAFT Minutes – Promotional Coordinating Committee Meeting of January 10, 2018 Page 4 PCC LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION 1. Grants In Aid (GIA) Update Committee member LeMieux reported on SLO Classical Academy. 2. TBID Board Report Committee Member Wilkins reviewed the January 10, 2018 TBID meeting. 3. Tourism Program Update Tourism Manager Cano reviewed and reported on the following: • Announced that Chantal Burns has begun as the Tourism Coordinator • Announced that Lee Johnson, Economic Development Manager, is leaving the City • Reviewed upcoming Tradeshow dates that staff will be attending • SLO Discovery Weekend with Cal Poly • Reviewed the TBID sponsored Rainy-Day promotion • Upcoming Meeting dates: - Strategic Plan workshop, January 24, 2018 - GIA workshop, February 7, 2018 4:30 p.m. • The February Regular scheduled meeting of the PCC has been cancelled due to conflicts with Tradeshows ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Promotional Coordinating Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, 2018 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/2018 -Industry Engagement - VSC Hosts UK Travel Weekly FAM Through VSC’s partnership with Black Diamond, a group of travel agents and photographers with Travel Weekly came to SLO CAL on December 6-8. This group toured the county, exploring everything from the dunes and wine country, to Paso Robles’ backcountry by horse and our bounty of culinary delights. While here, several photoshoots took place across SLO CAL and will be featured on three different covers! Upcoming Opportunities & Events •Valentine’s Day and Romance Content: Visit SLO CAL is in the process of writing new blog content for February. If you have specific Valentine’s Day deals, romance packages or other romantic SLO CAL content, please email that information to Jordan Carson, Jordan@SLOCAL.com. Visit SLO CAL Activity Report, December 2017 It’s SLO CAL Restaurant Month January is the most delicious time to visit SLO CAL! This year, over 50 restaurants across 11 destinations are participating, each with their own unique and drool-worthy menus. Throughout the month, SLO CAL’s social media channels will be giving away gift cards to participating restaurants, as well as promoting chef-focused blog posts. Find all of this year’s SLO CAL restaurants on SLOCAL.com. Brown Act Training Visit SLO CAL will be hosting Brown Act Training on Wednesday, February 21, from 8:30 AM-10:00 AM at the Embassy Suites, San Luis Obispo. During this session, John Lambeth from CIVITAS Advisors will be providing an overview and training on compliance with the Brown Act and Public Records Act. Local government staff and TBID board members are invited to attend this session. Space is limited, so please RSVP via our Google Form linked here. RSVP is required. Meet the New SLO CAL Connection The countdown is on for the launch of the brand new SLOCAL.com! Partners will be delighted to use the new SLO CAL Connection portal to access their listings, leads, service requests and to stay connected to the SLO CAL tourism community. SLO CAL Connection will launch the week of January 15, allowing partners to become familiar with this new platform, upload events, edit information and interact before the website launches in February. A link with log-in information and instructions will go out the week of January 15. 0 - PR and Travel Trade - Media Placements • About Time Magazine: California Dreaming: How to do the Perfect California Road Trip in 2017 - http://bit.ly/ATSLOCAL • Budget Travel: 24 Hours in Morro Bay - http://bit.ly/BudgetTravelMorroBay • Expedia: 16 of the World’s Sexiest Destinations - http://bit.ly/ExpediaSLOCAL • Travel Pulse: ‘Wine Not’ on California’s Central Coast? - http://bit.ly/TravelPulseSLOCAL • SLO Tribune: January is Restaurant Month in SLO County. Here’s how to dine out for less - http://bit.ly/TribuneRM • New Times SLO: Nifty! - http://bit.ly/NewTimesRM Media Visits • Southern Metropolis Weekly • Guangzhou Daily • Chengdu Economic Daily • West China Metropolis Daily • Santa Barbara Life & Style Visit SLO CAL is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000. Morro Bay featured in Travel Pulse (left) and Hearst Castle featured in About Time Magazine (right). VSC Exhibits at CalSAE Seasonal Spectacular and NTA Travel Exchange Michael Wambolt, VSC Director of Travel Trade, Pam Roberts, Events & Membership Manager, and representatives from Martin Resorts and Embassy Suites showcased SLO CAL at CalSAE’s Seasonal Spectacular December 13-14 in Sacramento. On December 14-15, Wambolt represented SLO CAL in San Antonio, TX at the National Travel Association’s Travel Exchange. At this year’s Exchange, VSC held 28 appointments with tour operators from the US and China. A major focus from tour operators was for “new” destinations and tour-friendly activities that can accommodate 25-45 people in SLO CAL. VISIT SLO CAL WEB ACTIVITY SESSIONS: 49,244 UNIQUE VISITORS: 39,404 PAGE VIEWS: 140,319 AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 2.85 AVG. TIME ON SITE: 3:00 TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 32,441 % OF ORGANIC: 70% MOBILE SESSIONS: 31,041 MOST VISITED EVENT PAGE: HEARST CASTLE HOLIDAY TWILIGHT TOURS (1,014 VIEWS) TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 16,401 MOST SHARED BLOG: HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IN SLO CAL (28 SHARES) VISIT SLO CAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY FACEBOOK LIKES: 27,032 NEW: 151 TOT. ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS: 120,347 HIGHEST REACH: AWAY FROM THE NOISE AND CHAOS… (101K PEOPLE REACHED) HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: AWAY FROM THE NOISE AND CHAOS… (1.2K ENGAGEMENTS) FOLLOWERS NEW TWITTER: 7,650 64 42K IMPRESSIONS PINTEREST: 711 0 INSTAGRAM: 16.7K 400 VISITOR GUIDE DIST. GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 2,844 THIS MONTH IN SLO CAL SUBSCRIBERS 35,153 OPENS: 4,768 CLICK-THROUGHS: 930 THIS WEEK IN SLO CAL CIRCULATION: 1,315 MOST CLICKED LINK: STR REPORT Film SLO CAL Attends California On Location Awards (COLA) Film SLO CAL attended the California On Location Awards (COLA) on December 17, 2017. These awards are given each year by the Film Liaisons in California, Statewide (FLICS), of which Film SLO CAL is an active member. Congratulations to Mark Zekanis, a SLO CAL location scout, who won the COLA for Best Locations for a Music Video. November 2017 vs November 2016 Lodging Statistics (STR, Inc.) Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 2017 Executive Overview SEO Activities Completed Last Month: * Monthly SEO strategy call. * Monthly SEO report. * Monthly crawl error review; one corrected in December. * Google Analytics & Search Console checks; no unusual activity noted. * Spelling error correction. * Optimized new blog posts. * Meeting to discuss bot traffic. * Reviewed Visitors Guide content to see if any should be added to the website. * Duplicate content check; nothing to be concerned about at this time. * Broken link scan & correction. Organic Traffic Overview: Organic sessions decreased 5.72%, organic bounce rate improved 16%, and organic average session duration improved almost 21% year over year. Some high-traffic organic landing pages with the best year over year organic growth were: Home by 3%, Countdown to New Years Eve by 39%, Restaurant Month by 3%, Our Area by 7%, Pismo Beach by 25%, Morro Bay Farmers Markets by 2,267%, Children's Activities by 44%, Dog Friendly Beaches (blog) by 100%, San Simeon by 30%, Arroyo Grande by 44%, and San Luis Obispo by 1,010%. Other Notes: * Total sessions increased by 4%, users increased by almost 5%, and avg. session duration increased by 20%. * The Blog home page received 207 pageviews last month. The entire blog received 16,401 pageviews. Industry Averages Engagement Metrics Industry Average Your Website % Difference Total Pages Per Visit:2.07 2.85 27.35% Total Average Visit Duration:0:01:53 0:03:00 37.24% Total Bounce Rate:54.38%41.25%-31.84% Organic Pages Per Visit:2.07 3.15 34.35% Organic Average Visit Duration:0:01:50 0:03:14 43.27% Organic Bounce Rate:53.03%37.61%-41.01% SEO Overview Page 2 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: July 1 - December 31, 2017 Total Traffic Overview: Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Visits:70,911 47,642 52,586 89,118 99,344 49,244 Unique Visitors:58,509 39,757 44,810 74,059 79,926 39,404 Bounce Rate:53%53%56%56%58%41% Pageviews:188,665 128,924 136,939 189,252 195,971 140,319 Avg Pageviews Per Visit:2.66 2.71 2.60 2.12 1.97 2.85 Avg Time on Site:0:02:01 0:02:03 0:01:53 0:02:03 0:02:06 0:03:00 Total Organic Search Traffic:52,306 34,786 33,015 35,581 32,441 34,240 % of Traffic Organic Search:74%73%63%40%33%70% Entry Pages From Search:2,338 2,087 2,052 2,319 2,071 1,935 VisitSLOCounty Visits:0 0 0 0 0 0 VisitSLOCounty Bounce Rate:0%0%0%0%0%0% Mobile/Tablet SnapShot: Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Visits:43,856 28,168 33,005 60,436 71,632 31,041 % of visits 62%59%63%68%72%63% Bounce Rate:57%57%62%60%62%47% Pageviews: 101,446 62,999 69,862 110,010 121,349 78,074 Avg Time on Site:0:01:40 0:01:38 0:01:25 0:01:49 0:01:53 0:02:38 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Visits Comparison Prior Year This Year 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 Organic Search Direct Paid Search Referral Social Traffic Sources 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Mobile/Tablet Visits Prior Year This Year Page 3 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 Organic Traffic % of Total Site Traffic Visits 34,240 69.53% Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement Pageviews Per Visit 3.15 10.65% Avg. Time on Site 0:03:14 7.70% New Visits 73.16%0.40% Bounce Rate 37.61%-8.82% Search Engine Visits Percent google 32,120 93.81% bing 1,030 3.01% yahoo 1,028 3.00% ask 31 0.09% aol 19 0.06% baidu 8 0.02% Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent (not provided)33,721 98.48%/events 3,682 10.75% amazon 38 0.11%/events/all/holiday_activities 2,757 8.05% san luis obispo events 9 0.03%/2,341 6.84% (not set)8 0.02%/blog/937/countdown-to-2017-new-year-s-eve-in-san-luis-obispo-county 1,825 5.33% san luis obispo 8 0.02%/restaurant-month 927 2.71% christmas events december 2 6 0.02%/blog/778/new-years-on-the-central-coast 803 2.35% christmas events in pismo 6 0.02%/blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 698 2.04% san luis obispo christmas parade 6 0.02%/blog/1013/slo-cal-christmas-eve-christmas-day-dining-guide 694 2.03% https://www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com/restaurant-month5 0.01%/our-area 547 1.60% san luis obispo county 5 0.01%/community/paso-robles 508 1.48% Organic Search Traffic: 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Organic Visits Comparison Prior Year Current Year Page 4 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 Google Search Console Search Queries: Queries Clicks Impressions CTR Position san luis obispo 1,230 82,963 1.48%5.2 pismo beach 293 47,663 0.61%6.9 paso robles 253 35,419 0.71%7.5 san luis obispo events 235 618 38.03%1.5 things to do in san luis obispo 233 3,794 6.14%5.1 san simeon 171 10,522 1.63%4.2 morro bay farmers market 144 319 45.14%1 hearst castle 129 84,143 0.15%7.8 morro bay 122 27,859 0.44%9.2 slo events 119 307 38.76%1.6 avila beach 117 10,383 1.13%6 new years eve san luis obispo 108 439 24.60%2.6 san luis obispo county 106 4,888 2.17%4.6 arroyo grande 103 8,963 1.15%4.1 things to do in san luis obispo this weekend101 338 29.88%1.6 san luis obispo california 94 9,426 1.00%6.6 san luis obispo new years eve 90 416 21.63%2.6 templeton ca 84 2,849 2.95%3.3 san luis obispo new years eve 2017 79 424 18.63%2.8 cambria ca 77 10,454 0.74%9.8 events in san luis obispo 71 233 30.47%1.7 events san luis obispo 68 222 30.63%1.5 christmas in san luis obispo 65 155 41.94%1 san luis obispo new years eve 2018 63 682 9.24%6.5 harmony ca 61 724 8.43%3.1 san simeon ca 59 2,602 2.27%3.6 san luis obispo christmas 56 130 43.08%1.1 visit slo 54 96 56.25%1 san luis obispo christmas events 54 94 57.45%1.5 atascadero 54 21,406 0.25%6.7 Page 5 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 visit san luis obispo 53 132 40.15%1.6 slo county events 53 86 61.63%1.5 slo restaurant month 52 62 83.87%1 nipomo ca 51 4,392 1.16%5.8 christmas lights san luis obispo 50 134 37%1.1 paso robles ca 49 4,679 1.05%5.3 grover beach 48 3,415 1.41%4 things to do in pismo beach 48 2,591 1.85%6.2 san luis obispo things to do 48 1,848 2.60%6.1 sunset drive in 45 4,386 1.03%7 cambria 45 9,119 0.49%11 san luis obispo ca 42 3,596 1.17%6.8 san miguel ca 41 1,607 2.55%2.9 santa margarita 40 5,922 0.68%4.5 paso robles california 40 3,161 1.27%5.1 lopez lake 39 1,326 2.94%5.7 arroyo grande california 38 2,267 1.68%4.1 pismo beach new years eve 2017 38 572 6.64%6.2 central coast events 37 152 24.34%6.3 things to do in slo 37 728 5.08%5.7 Page 6 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 Demographics & Interests Affinity Categories: Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits Food & Dining/Cooking Enthusiasts/30 Minute Chefs 14,806 Shoppers/Value Shoppers 14,222 News & Politics/News Junkies/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 13,471 Travel/Travel Buffs 11,874 Media & Entertainment/Book Lovers 11,681 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Art & Theater Aficionados 11,058 Banking & Finance/Avid Investors 10,881 Sports & Fitness/Health & Fitness Buffs 10,255 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Green Living Enthusiasts 10,095 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Shutterbugs 9,907 Other Categories: Top 10 Categories Visits Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 7,168 Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 5,291 News/Weather 4,800 Shopping/Mass Merchants & Department Stores 3,952 Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 3,881 Shopping/Consumer Resources/Coupons & Discount Offers 3,074 Travel/Air Travel 2,894 Food & Drink/Food/Baked Goods 2,728 Real Estate/Real Estate Listings/Residential Sales 2,606 News/Politics 2,602 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 6.99% 15.83% 12.16% 9.59% 10.18% 6.15% 3.53% 9.36% 8.89% 6.38% 6.30% 4.63% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Age Group by Gender Male Female Page 7 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 Top Content:Geographic: Top Landing Pages Entrances /events 4,239 /3,492 /events/all/holiday_activities 2,942 /restaurant-month 2,224 /activities 2,019/blog/937/countdown-to-2017-new-year-s-eve-in-san-luis- obispo-county 1,934 /just-your-speed/1,512 (not set)1,140 /getting-here 889 /blog/778/new-years-on-the-central-coast 849 Top Content Pages Pageviews /events 9,527 /8,176 /events/all/holiday_activities 6,777 /restaurant-month 3,435 /activities 2,648/blog/937/countdown-to-2017-new-year-s-eve-in-san-luis- obispo-county 2,608 /blog/1013/slo-cal-christmas-eve-christmas-day-dining-guide 2,130 /events/all/childrens_activities 1,801 /just-your-speed/1,746 /our-area 1,489 Top Exit Pages Exits /events 2,275 /2,009 /restaurant-month 1,774 /events/all/holiday_activities 1,769 /activities 1,712 /just-your-speed/1,512 /blog/937/countdown-to-2017-new-year-s-eve-in-san-luis-obispo-county1,419 /getting-here 855 /blog/1013/slo-cal-christmas-eve-christmas-day-dining-guide 717 /lodging/all/vacation_rentals 700 13% 10% 9% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 52% Top Cities Los Angeles San Francisco San Luis Obispo Paso Robles Atascadero Arroyo Grande San Jose Baywood-Los Osos Pismo Beach Morro Bay Other 85.0% 1.7% 1.5% 1.3% 1.2% 1.0% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.5% 5.5% Top States California Arizona Nevada Colorado Washington Texas New York Virginia Oregon Florida Other 30.95% 23.51% 19.35% 3.15% 2.76% 2.70% 1.86% 1.46% 1.19% 1.15% 11.92% Top Metros Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA Los Angeles CA San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA Fresno-Visalia CA Monterey-Salinas CA San Diego CA Phoenix AZ Denver CO Seattle-Tacoma WA Other Page 8 of 23 Date: January 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: December 1 - 31, 2017 In-MarketVs Visitor: 5,632 12,571 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 In-Market Out of Market Desktop Visits 6,924 24,117 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 In-Market Out of Market Mobile/Tablet Visits 69.06% 30.94% 77.69% 22.31% Page 9 of 23 - Industry Engagement - VSC Holds First Quarterly SLO CAL Sales Meeting Visit SLO CAL held its first quarterly SLO CAL Sales Meeting on February 22 at the Sands Inn & Suites, where 20 lodging sales professionals were in attendance. This meeting discussed current sales efforts, co-op opportunities and trends. The next meeting will be held in May. Upcoming Opportunities & Events • Spring Break and Wellness Content: Visit SLO CAL is collecting content ideas for media pitches and blogs. If you have specific Spring Break or wellness deals, packages or other notable information, please email your ideas to Jordan Carson, Jordan@SLOCAL.com. Visit SLO CAL Activity Report, January 2017 Another Successful SLO CAL Restaurant Month For the 12th year, SLO CAL restaurants and VSC, participated in Visit California’s Restaurant Month. Below are statistics from this year’s campaign in SLO CAL. • 52 Restaurants – 12 first-time participants • Webpage Sessions Up 9% YOY • 2,357 Contest Entries • 4,800 Engagements • 59,867 Eeach • 109 New Facebook Page Likes • Two Foodie Influencers – Devour Media Winter/Spring Paid Media Campaign Launches Visit SLO CAL launched the winter/spring paid media campaign at the end of January. The strategy of this campaign is to increase awareness and drive consideration for travel to SLO CAL. VSC has added $300,000 in paid media to ensure sufficient reach to all three targeted personas in all six target markets (LA, SF, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, and Las Vegas). Visit SLO CAL Launches SLO CAL Connection and New CMS Partners from across the county attended three training sessions to learn about the new SLO CAL Connection. This portal will allow them to access their listings, leads, service requests, along with tools to stay connected to the SLO CAL tourism community. We are excited to see many partners already digging in and becoming familiar with this new platform. The Visit SLO CAL team was able to access the new CMS in January and get a first look at the entirety of the new SLOCAL.com. This new CMS will allow the VSC team to create more content-rich pages for visitors and to serve more targeted information via dynamic content widgets. 0 - PR and Travel Trade - VSC-Assisted Media Placements • Ocean Home: Get Out and Explore: 2018 Travel Trends - http://www.oceanhomemag.com/2018-travel-trends/ • AFAR: Sun Buggy - http://bit.ly/AFARSunBuggy • AFAR: Village of Cambria - http://bit.ly/AFARCambria • The Tribune: Steamy Showtime Drama ‘The Affair’ is Filming in SLO County - http://bit.ly/TheAffairMorroBay • KSBY: Solvang Businesses Impacted by Highway 101 Closure - http://bit.ly/KSBYHighway101Closure • Coastal Living: America’s Happiest Seaside Town in 2018 - http://bit.ly/CoastalLivingCambria • Smart Meetings: Madonna Inn - http://bit.ly/SLOCALSmartMeetings • Wine Enthusiast Magazine: Top 10 Wine Getaways of 2018 - http://bit.ly/WEMSLOCAL Media Visits • Resident Magazine, LA Travel Magazine; Money Inc. • San Francisco Magazine • New York Lifestyle Magazine • Forbes • Devour Media – Restaurant Month Film SLO CAL • The Affair – Showtime • Wild Seasons America – Documentary • Kipling Handbag – Still Shoot • Byton – Commercial • Twin Turbos – Discovery Channel Visit SLO CAL is a 501c6 tourism non-profit. For more information please call (805)541-8000. San Luis Obispo featured in Ocean Home (left) and Dolphin Bay Resort featured in Wine Enthusiast (right). VSC Attends GoWest Summit Michael Wambolt, VSC Director of Travel Trade, attended GoWest Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah January 16-19. Wambolt held 35 appointments with tour operators from the UK, China, Australia, Mexico and Europe. The SLO CAL brand seems to be picking up steam in the international markets and tour operators have begun to update their brochures to display the new branding. VISIT SLO CAL WEB ACTIVITY SESSIONS: 81,285 UNIQUE VISITORS: 63,169 PAGE VIEWS: 194,881 AVG. PAGE VIEWS/VISIT: 2.40 AVG. TIME ON SITE: 2:54 TOTAL ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 40,453 % OF ORGANIC: 50% MOBILE SESSIONS: 49,863 MOST VISITED EVENT PAGE: TAMALE FESTIVAL (918 VIEWS) TOTAL BLOG VISITS: 12,610 MOST SHARED BLOG: TIPS & TRICKS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR VACATION…. (277 SHARES) VISIT SLO CAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY FACEBOOK LIKES: 27,696 NEW: 808 TOT. ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS: 177,887 HIGHEST REACH: MAKE 2018 THE YEAR YOU USE ALL YOUR VACATION DAYS… (20.8K PEOPLE REACHED) HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT: MAKE 2018 THE YEAR YOU USE ALL YOUR VACATION DAYS… (1.4K ENGAGEMENTS) FOLLOWERS NEW TWITTER: 7,716 66 61.7K IMPRESSIONS PINTEREST: 714 3 INSTAGRAM: 17.7K 1,000 VISITOR GUIDE DIST. GUIDES DISTRIBUTED: 520 THIS MONTH IN SLO CAL SUBSCRIBERS 34,664 OPENS: 5,261 CLICK-THROUGHS: 733 THIS WEEK IN SLO CAL CIRCULATION: 1,302 MOST CLICKED LINK: STR REPORT December 2017 vs December 2016 Lodging Statistics (STR, Inc.) California Monterey/Salinas Santa Barbara/Santa Maria Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 2018 Executive Overview SEO Activities Completed Last Month: * Monthly SEO strategy call + separate call to discuss domain change traffic effects, SERP real estate, Moz results, etc. * Monthly SEO report. * Monthly crawl error review; none to report for January. * Google Analytics & Search Console checks; no unusual activity noted. * Fetch as Google on the event that was added for Restaurant Month. * Keyword research for new pages on the new site. Set up in Google Doc. * Implemented tracking pixels. * Worked on batch of 75 meta tags for the website launch. * Site speed review. Organic Traffic Overview: Organic sessions increased 17%, organic bounce rate improved 28%, and organic average session duration improved 28% year over year. Some high-traffic organic landing pages with the best year over year organic growth were: Home by 9%, 15 Free Things to Do by 4,311%, Our Area by 9%, Pismo Beach by 57%, Morro Bay Farmers Markets by 1,058%, Dog Friendly Beaches by 55%, Avila Beach by 18%, Just Your Speed by 587%, San Simeon by 29%, Cambria by 47%, and Arroyo Grande by 40%. Other Notes: * Total sessions decreased by 52%, pages per session increased 40%, avg. session duration increased by 114%, and bounce rate improved 44% year over year. * The Blog home page received 241 pageviews in January. The entire blog received 12,610 pageviews. Industry Averages Engagement Metrics Industry Average Your Website % Difference Total Pages Per Visit:2.29 2.40 4.48% Total Average Visit Duration:0:02:12 0:02:54 24.28% Total Bounce Rate:51.91%43.40%-19.60% Organic Pages Per Visit:2.16 2.93 26.32% Organic Average Visit Duration:0:01:53 0:03:35 47.41% Organic Bounce Rate:51.93%34.07%-52.41% SEO Overview Page 2 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: August 1, 2017 - January 31, 2018 Total Traffic Overview: Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Visits:47,642 52,586 89,118 99,344 49,244 81,285 Unique Visitors:39,757 44,810 74,059 79,926 39,404 63,169 Bounce Rate:53%56%56%58%41%43% Pageviews:128,924 136,939 189,252 195,971 140,319 194,881 Avg Pageviews Per Visit:2.71 2.60 2.12 1.97 2.85 2.40 Avg Time on Site:0:02:03 0:01:53 0:02:03 0:02:06 0:03:00 0:02:54 Total Organic Search Traffic:34,786 33,015 35,581 32,441 34,240 40,453 % of Traffic Organic Search:73%63%40%33%70%50% Entry Pages From Search:2,087 2,052 2,319 2,071 1,935 2,090 VisitSLOCounty Visits:0 0 0 0 0 0 VisitSLOCounty Bounce Rate:0%0%0%0%0%0% Mobile/Tablet SnapShot: Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Visits:28,168 33,005 60,436 71,632 31,041 49,863 % of visits 59%63%68%72%63%61% Bounce Rate:57%62%60%62%47%48% Pageviews: 62,999 69,862 110,010 121,349 78,074 106,732 Avg Time on Site:0:01:38 0:01:25 0:01:49 0:01:53 0:02:38 0:02:44 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Total Visits Comparison Prior Year This Year 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 Organic Search Social Direct Referral Paid Search Traffic Sources 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Mobile/Tablet Visits Prior Year This Year Page 3 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 Organic Traffic % of Total Site Traffic Visits 40,453 49.77% Organic Engagement Compared to Site Engagement Pageviews Per Visit 2.93 22.28% Avg. Time on Site 0:03:35 23.25% New Visits 66.67%-8.12% Bounce Rate 34.07%-21.50% Search Engine Visits Percent google 37,763 93.35% yahoo 1,335 3.30% bing 1,283 3.17% ask 50 0.12% aol 6 0.01% avg 6 0.01% Exact Keyword Visits Percent Landing Page Visits Percent (not provided)39,851 98.51%/restaurant-month 8,968 22.17% https://www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com/restaurant-month32 0.08%/events 3,836 9.48% amazon 30 0.07%/3,098 7.66% january restaurant month san luis obispo 17 0.04%/blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 838 2.07% slo restaurant month 17 0.04%/our-area 669 1.65% san luis obispo 13 0.03%/community/pismo-beach 619 1.53% paso robles restaurant month 12 0.03%/community/paso-robles 577 1.43% restaurant month 9 0.02%/just-your-speed/440 1.09% san luis obispo restaurant month 2018 9 0.02%/community/san-simeon 384 0.95% january restaurant month 7 0.02%/profile/1757/morro-bay-farmers-markets 382 0.94% Organic Search Traffic: 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Organic Visits Comparison Prior Year Current Year Page 4 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 Google Search Console Search Queries: Queries Clicks Impressions CTR Position san luis obispo 1,461 99,167 1.47%4.9 slo restaurant month 789 922 85.57%1 restaurant month slo 441 510 86.47%1 pismo beach 426 57,284 0.74%7 san luis obispo events 289 697 41.46%1.4 paso robles 281 35,275 0.80%7.6 restaurant month 258 434 59.45%2.1 things to do in san luis obispo 224 3,778 5.93%5.2 restaurant month san luis obispo 195 299 65.22%1.3 san luis obispo restaurant month 190 376 50.53%1.9 avila beach 189 13,964 1.35%5.3 san simeon 179 12,356 1.45%3.2 restaurant month san luis obispo 2018 179 242 73.97%1.1 morro bay 174 30,863 0.56%8.1 morro bay farmers market 171 365 46.85%1 slo events 154 409 37.65%1.6 templeton ca 127 3,357 3.78%3 cambria ca 124 11,892 1.04%8.5 san luis obispo county 121 5,537 2.19%4.6 san luis obispo california 114 11,323 1.01%6.2 hearst castle 113 85,800 0.13%8.1 slo county restaurant month 110 131 83.97%1.1 things to do in san luis obispo this weekend 108 309 34.95%1.7 restaurant month slo county 106 123 86.18%1 arroyo grande 94 8,983 1.05%4 events san luis obispo 92 259 35.52%2.2 slo restaurant month 2018 90 107 84.11%1.1 visit san luis obispo 83 162 51.23%1.6 cayucos 80 5,882 1.36%7.1 visit slo 77 121 63.64%1 Page 5 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 nipomo ca 76 4,517 1.68%5.9 santa margarita 74 6,740 1.10%3.9 events in san luis obispo 70 236 29.66%1.6 visit slo cal 67 187 35.83%1.9 things to do in pismo beach 64 2,746 2.33%6.6 grover beach 64 3,764 1.70%4.1 lopez lake 63 2,035 3.10%5.5 san simeon ca 62 2,650 2.34%2 arroyo grande california 61 2,327 2.62%4.4 los osos ca 59 2,861 2.06%3.7 cayucos ca 58 4,279 1.36%8.2 harmony ca 57 588 9.69%2.9 paso robles california 56 4,386 1.28%5.6 san miguel ca 56 1,498 3.74%2.8 lake lopez 55 1,085 5.07%3.7 atascadero 54 14,860 0.36%6.5 january restaurant month san luis obispo 53 65 81.54%1.2 cambria california 52 7,867 0.66%7.9 things to do in slo 51 845 6.04%5.5 paso robles ca 50 4,719 1.06%5.4 Page 6 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 Demographics & Interests Affinity Categories: Top 10 Affinity Categories Visits Food & Dining/Cooking Enthusiasts/30 Minute Chefs 19,610 News & Politics/News Junkies/Entertainment & Celebrity News Junkies 18,958 Shoppers/Value Shoppers 18,858 Travel/Travel Buffs 16,607 Media & Entertainment/Book Lovers 16,166 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Art & Theater Aficionados 15,245 Banking & Finance/Avid Investors 14,968 Sports & Fitness/Health & Fitness Buffs 14,245 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Green Living Enthusiasts 13,563 Lifestyles & Hobbies/Family-Focused 13,472 Other Categories: Top 10 Categories Visits Arts & Entertainment/Celebrities & Entertainment News 10,649 Food & Drink/Cooking & Recipes 7,492 News/Weather 7,146 Arts & Entertainment/TV & Video/Online Video 4,537 Travel/Air Travel 4,436 Sports/Team Sports/American Football 3,992 Shopping/Mass Merchants & Department Stores 3,895 News/Politics 3,601 Real Estate/Real Estate Listings/Residential Sales 3,459 Food & Drink/Food/Baked Goods 3,450 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 6.76% 15.40% 11.39% 9.44% 11.47% 7.45% 3.63% 9.19% 7.75% 6.31% 5.96% 5.26% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Age Group by Gender Male Female Page 7 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 Top Content:Geographic: Top Landing Pages Entrances /restaurant-month 16,224 /just-your-speed/13,730 /4,770 /events 4,585 /activities 2,871 (not set)2,185 /lodging/all/vacation_rentals 1,588 /getting-here 1,486 /events/all/fairs_and_festivals 921 /blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 898 Top Content Pages Pageviews /restaurant-month 27,756 /just-your-speed/14,878 /13,378 /events 8,623 /activities 3,820 /lodging/all/vacation_rentals 2,591 /events/all/fairs_and_festivals 2,192 /getting-here 2,144 /our-area 2,101 /events?page=1 1,884 Top Exit Pages Exits /just-your-speed/13,730 /restaurant-month 12,908 /2,654 /activities 2,439 /events 2,151 /getting-here 1,444 /lodging/all/vacation_rentals 1,442 /our-area 900 /events/all/fairs_and_festivals 843 /blog/950/insider-tips-15-free-things-to-do-in-slo-cal 683 12% 10% 8% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 55% Top Cities Los Angeles San Luis Obispo San Francisco Paso Robles Atascadero Arroyo Grande San Jose Phoenix Baywood-Los Osos Morro Bay Other 79.5% 4.0% 2.9% 2.5% 2.4% 1.1% 1.0% 0.7% 0.5% 0.5% 4.7% Top States California Arizona Colorado Washington Nevada Texas Virginia New York Oregon Illinois Other 29.45% 23.45% 17.39% 3.78% 2.62% 2.50% 2.49% 2.45% 2.43% 1.28% 12.16% Top Metros Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA Los Angeles CA San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA Phoenix AZ Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA Denver CO Monterey-Salinas CA Seattle-Tacoma WA Fresno-Visalia CA San Diego CA Other Page 8 of 23 Date: February 2, 2018 Client: SLO CAL Date Range: January 1 - 31, 2018 In-MarketVs Visitor: 8,664 22,757 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 In-Market Out of Market Desktop Visits 11,810 38,053 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 72.43% 27.57% 76.32% 23.68% Page 9 of 23