HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-10-2018 PCC Agenda PacketCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Promotional Coordinating Committee
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
5:30 P.M.
City Hall – Council Hearing Room
The goals of the City of San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee are to (1) improve the quality
of life available to all residents of and visitors to San Luis Obispo and (2) promote, in a manner consistent with
long-range community goals, the development of San Luis Obispo as a regional and tourist center.
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Daniel Levi
PUBLIC COMMENT: Each speaker is limited to three minutes of public comment. At this time, you may
address the Committee on items that are not on the agenda but are of interest to the public and within the
subject matter jurisdiction of the Promotional Coordinating Committee. The Committee may not discuss or
take action on issues that are not on the agenda other than to briefly respond to statements made or questions
raised, or ask staff to follow up on such issues.
CONSENT ITEMS
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 Support Report
C.5 Visitors Center Report
C.6 SLO Happenings Promotions Report
C.7 TOT Report
PRESENTATIONS
1. SLO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QUARTERLY UPDATE 15 mins
Representatives from the SLO Chamber of Commerce will present the quarterly report for their contracts
with the PCC.
2. SLO HAPPENINGS PROGRAM QUARTERLY PROMOTIONS UPDATE 15 mins
Representatives from Solve will present the quarterly promotions activity report for the SLO Happenings
program.
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. 2018-19 GIA APPLICATION APPROVAL 15 mins
The committee will approve the revised 2018-19 GIA application and timeline, direct staff to release the
application in February, and assign the 2018-19 GIA Task Force. The committee will also finalize the
additions to the mandatory meeting.
2. STRATEGIC PLAN WORK – PCC SUCCESSION PLANNING 15 mins
Staff will review the current open recruitment for the PCC to fill the two seats that will become available
in March 2018. The committee will discuss opportunities to outreach to potential candidates to apply for
the positions.
3. PCC COMMITTEE STRATEGIC PLAN PREPARATION 10 mins
The PCC will continue to prepare for the strategic plan update workshop.
PCC LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATION
At this time Committee members make announcements, report on activities, refer to staff issues for study and
report back to the Committee at a subsequent meeting.
1. GIA UPDATE – LIAISON REPORT
2. TBID BOARD REPORT – TBID Minutes December 13, 2017
3. TOURISM PROGRAM UPDATE
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 – 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
Community Promotions Budget 2017-18
Budget 2017-18 Amount
Budget 404,688$
2016-17 Encumbrances
Returned Funds (GIA)
Total Budget 404,688$
Expenditure Last Updated 1/4/2018
Expenditure Allocated Expended
Available
Balance Contractor
Grants-in-Aid Funding 100,000$ 100,000$ -$ GIA Recipients
Grants-in-Aid Promotional Support Contract 28,000$ 11,665$ 16,335$ Chamber of Commerce
Event Promotion Funding 40,000$ -$ 40,000$ City Administration
SLO Happenings Program - Technology 8,000$ 6,000$ 2,000$ GFL
SLO Happenings Program - Promotion 30,000$ 12,820$ 17,180$ Solve
General Contract Services 5,649$ 400$ 5,249$
Visitors Center 112,600$ 46,915$ 65,685$ Chamber of Commerce
PR Contract 34,000$ 14,165$ 19,835.00$ Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Maps 8,750$ Chamber of Commerce
Support Cost 5,000$ 3,362$ 1,638$ City Administration
Strategic Plan Update 2,500$ Regenerate Group - Encumbered from ED
Administration 32,689$ 32,689$ -$ City Administration
Total 404,688$ 228,016$ 167,922$
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
Grants-in-Aid Marketing Support December 2017 Report
Organization Event VC PR SM EC MTG ST PC
Associated Quilt Guilds of the Central Coast
(AQGCC)Seven Sisters Quilt Show X
Cal Poly Corporation (for Cal Poly Arts)
Cal Poly Arts "Masters of American
Music" Series X X X X
Canzona Women's Ensemble
Canzona Women's Ensemble
Concerts X X
Central Coast Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare Under the Stars X X X
Cuesta College Foundation Friends of the CPAC 7th Annual Gala X X X
Foundation for San Luis Obispo County
Public Libraries
Library Foundation Book & Author
Series X X X
History Revisited Central Coast Renaissance Festival X X
Opera San Luis Obispo
Madama Butterfly: A Citywide Arts
Collaboration X X X X
Orchestra Novo Labor Day Weekend Pops Concert X X X X X
Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo Family Day at the PAC X
San Luis Obispo Classical Academy An Evening of Story with Jim Wiess X X X
San Luis Obispo Little Theatre
Introducing the San Luis Obispo
Repertory Theatre X X X X
San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
Central Coast Railroad Festival and Elf
Express X X X
San Luis Obispo Soccer Club SLO Summer Classic - Girls Edition X
San Luis Obispo Soccer Club SLO Junior's Classic
San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble 2017-2018 Season X X X
SLO Downtown Association 42nd Annual Holiday Parade X X X
SLO Downtown Association Santa's House (25th Anniversary)X X X X
SLO Downtown Association 22nd Annual Concerts in the Plaza X X X
The Monday Clubhouse Conservancy Becoming Julia Morgan X X X X
United Way & Rotaract Flavors of SLO 2018
Black is current month, gray is past work
21 Total; 19 served to date or in progress
VC- Dropped off materials for display in Visitor Center; brochures, posters, etc.
PR- Sent out Press Release
SM- Ran event through Social Media outlets
EC- Included in Event Calendar
MTG- Meet with Groups in person to offer public relations advice and support
ST- Sell Tickets for events through the Visitor Center
PC- In place of in person meeting, had phone call with group to discuss details.
Report to City of SLO – PCC
Visitor Services Contract
December 2017
Visitor Interaction
December
2016
November
2017
December
2017
Walk-ins 5,769 5,016 6,191
Farmers’ Market* n/a n/a n/a
Phone calls 331 524 430
Emails 512 537 541
*estimate without people counter
Visitor Center Highlights
• Promoted Santa’s House and the Holiday Trolley route/schedule.
• Promoted the Visitor Center as the go -to spot to find and plan your visit for Holiday
happenings and events .
• Enjoyed helping every single guest that came through our doors.
Demographic Snapshot
International travelers 625
Asia 1%
Africa 0%
Europe 41%
Australia/New Zealand 14%
United Kingdom 37%
North America 6%
South America 1%
Domestic travelers
(outside of CA.)
738
West 11%
West Coast 30%
East Coast 29%
Southw est 12%
Midw est 14%
South 4%
California travelers 1,979
Northern CA 24%
Southern CA 30%
Central Coast 42%
Central Valley 3%
Desert 1%
Calendar of Events
December
2017
January
2018
Events in calendar 274 166
SLO HAPPENINGS MARKETING - MONTHLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD: December 1 - 31, 2017
PROGRAM SUMMARY, SERVICES and RESULTS
Services Delivered: Promotional Digital, Content and Social Marketing and Management Strategies, CMS &
APP Management, Monitoring & Entry, Media Advertising Design, Planning and Execution, Content Design,
Planning and Execution, App and Landing Page Design, and Video Production.
Services Summary: Our Q2 efforts continue the strategic execution set forth of ongoing events curation management, social engagement and
monitoring, branded design and optimization the user and app store experience. The prime focus is on curation and editing, keeping the flow of
events coming in from promoters and planners. In addition, SOLVE provided marketing and advertising support to the December SLO Happenings
app survey efforts.
MEDIA / ADVERTISING
APP, CLICKS & CURATION PERFORMANCE – [ MO / MO (+/-) ]
• Number of App Downloads: 116 (-34/ -22.7%)
• Number of Users: 1,613 (-171 / -9.6%)
• Number of App Sessions: 2,790 (-367/ -11.6%)
• Number of Submission Users: 64 (-48 / -36%)
• Number of Submission Sessions: 136 (-106 / -3.20%)
• Number of SLO Happening Splash Page clicks: 24,040 (+89 / +0.4%)
• Number of Add Event Page clicks: 231 (+0 / +.0)
• Number of Events Entered / Edited / Posted: 158
• Contest / Emails / Survey Entries n/a
Facebook / Instagram Ads People Reached Impressions Actions Taken CTR Budget
Engagement / Awareness / Clicks to Website 5,194 12,736 5,496 .20% $116.67
SOCIAL CHANNELS
SOLVE manages, curates and posts upcoming events, promotions and local information, executed branded design, timeline and digital
app contests, connect and engage with the community users and event planners, optimize the media campaigns and deliver provide
quick response monitoring -- incrementally growing all digital channels and user data.
FACEBOOK November 2017 December 2017 +/-
Likes 22,061 22,079 +18
Followers 21,763 21,748 +15
Video Views 4,333 2,741 -1,592
TWITTER November 2017 December 2017 +/-
Tweets 1,488 1,503 +15
Following 2,815 2,823 +8
Followers 2,803 2,834 +31
INSTAGRAM November 2017 December 2017 +/-
Posts 240 252 +12
Followers 3,651 3,688 +37
Following 2,262 2,346 +84
YOUTUBE November 2017 December 2017 +/-
Views 41 47 +8
TOT Comparison
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-2016-17 2017-18 Change +/-
July 508,195$ 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
DRAFT
February 1, 2018
Dear Interested Organization:
The City of San Luis Obispo's Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC), under direction of the City
Council, recognizes that cultural, social and recreational organizations make significant contributions to the
overall quality of life in the City of San Luis Obispo. Accordingly, the City sponsors a Grants-In-Aid program
to promote such activities within our community. The City awards annual promotional grants totaling
approximately $100,000 to various organizations each year.
At this time the City of San Luis Obispo invites you to apply for grant funding to be awarded as part of this
program.
To be considered for grant funding, organizations must have non-profit status (Articles of Incorporation,
501(c)(3) or (c)(6) status, Federal ID number and Tax Exempt Notification) prior to grant submittal. They must
also have clearly stated goals, and be able to demonstrate that their financial management practices are sound
and insure accountability. The City is unlikely to fund new projects which duplicate or conflict with existing
programs, services, or events. Project collaboration among organizations is encouraged.
Grant requests must be for programs and events that occur during the funding cycle, July 1, 2018 – June
30, 2019.
Organizations that received promotional grants during the 2017-18 funding cycle must have complied with all
reporting requirements to be considered for a 2017-18 grant.
NEW in 2018-19! The PCC has made some modifications to the grant program. These modifications include:
• Only one application per organization can be submitted.
• New additions for grant funding including: limited contracted services such as public relations, video
production expenses, social media expenses directly relating to the event, expenses relating to
enhancements for digital newsletters or email campaigns, and web design services. The applying
organization must provide documentation that expenses for these services are directly and exclusively
related to the event or program in which funding is requested.
• Elimination of the Sustainable Funding Program (sustainability track).
To be considered for a grant, organizations must have attended the mandatory meeting on Wednesday TBD, at
5:00 pm in the Council Chamber and apply, using the attached application form, by NO LATER THAN 5:00
p.m., Friday March 16, 2018. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. The application must
provide the following information:
Please submit 10 sets (typed, clipped, and 3-hole punched) of the attached application.
Additionally, please submit one copy (clipped) of the following:
• your organization's financial statement
• by-laws
• tax exempt certification
• a listing of all officers and staff
• signed statement of limitations and payment disbursement (Attachment 4)
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WITH THE REQUESTED
APPLICATION OR BIND/STAPLE YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS.
It is important that your application provide all the requested information. Clear, concise and original
DRAFT
applications are best. Ten copies of your original application should be hand delivered or mailed to:
Promotional Coordinating Committee
Attn: Molly Cano
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Date Time Location Action Description
1-Feb 9:00 AM www.slocity.org Application Period
Opens
Application will be available on
the City’s website.
6-Feb
7-Feb
8-Feb
4:30 PM Ludwick Center Mandatory Application
Meeting & Event
Resource Fair
An informational workshop will
be held in the Council Chamber
at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, to
answer questions regarding the
Grants-In-Aid process.
THIS MEETING IS
MANDATORY FOR ALL
APPLICANTS.
16-Mar 5:00 PM City Hall
City Clerk's Office
Applications Due Completed applications will be
due to the City Clerk's Office by
5:00 p.m.
LATE OR INCOMPLETE
APPLICATIONS WILL NOT
BE ACCEPTED.
16-May 5:30 PM City Hall
Council Hearing
Room
PCC Preliminary Grant
Recommendations
Committee will present its
preliminary 2017-18 Grants-In-
Aid recommendations to
applicants at a public meeting.
10-Jul 6:00 PM City Hall
Council Chamber
City Council
Consideration of Grant
Recommendations
City Council will review the
PCC recommendations and
makes final funding decisions.
If you have any questions, please contact Molly Cano at 781-7165 or mcano@slocity.org.
Sincerely,
Daniel Levi
Chairperson, PCC
PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE
GRANT APPLICATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Applications submitted to the Promotional Coordinating Committee will be evaluated both in terms of the
applicant and the grant proposal using the following criteria:
A. APPLICANT CRITERIA
1. Applicant organization must have a clearly stated purpose and function and be responsible for the
planning and provision of a cultural, social or recreational program/event.
2. Applicant must demonstrate that it has the managerial and fiscal competence to complete the
proposed project. Repeat applicants must have a successful history of using prior grant funds, as
evidenced by a completed and accepted Final Report.
3. The organization must have non-profit status as defined in Section 501(c)(3) or (c)(6) of the Internal
Revenue Code (no exceptions made).
4. The organization must give evidence that it has pursued other sources of financial support, and that
it has examined and weighed the financial ability of the target population to support its program or
event.
5. The organization must extend its program to the general public and may not exclude anyone by
reason of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical, mental or economic
status.
6. The applicant organization must comply with the final report evaluation process as requested by the
Promotional Coordinating Committee.
B. GRANT CRITERIA & GUIDELINES
1. Priority will be given to events that take place in the City of San Luis Obispo or events of special
benefit to the City of San Luis Obispo.
2. An organization may only apply for one grant per year. An organization may not submit multiple
grant applications for separate events.
3. Grant requests must meet one or both of the purposes below:
• Of tourism promotion advantage to the City of San Luis Obispo and/or;
• Of cultural, social, and/or recreational benefit to the residents of the City of San Luis Obispo.
4. Events and programs must take place during the City’s fiscal year July 1 through June 30.
Priority will be given to events that take place in “non-peak” tourism months (October through
March) and bring people to San Luis Obispo.
4. Priority will be given to requests pertaining to marketing and promotional efforts for the event in
order to drive visitors and tourists to the City of San Luis Obispo.
5. Additional consideration will be given to organizations celebrating an anniversary or grand
opening.
6. Additional consideration will be given to organizations requesting “seed money” for new events or
to enter new promotional markets outside of San Luis Obispo.
7. Amount of other City support requested and co-op opportunities that are actively pursued will be
considered.
8. Demonstrated financial need is considered, although events with potential promotional benefit to
the City of San Luis Obispo will be given higher consideration.
9. Past grant performance of the organization is considered. Please note that integration of the
City’s logo and the City’s support of the event are imperative in order to receive grant
funding for a consecutive year.
10. Grants are not given for the following expenses:
a. Office overhead or staff
b. Equipment
c. Rental of space
d. Scholarships / Honoraria
e. Website maintenance and hosting
f. General Email systems or base subscriptions
g. Prize giveaways
The following tiered structure will be guidelines to establish the grant amount:
First Tier: Up to $3,000
Organization of local reach with a cultural, social, and recreational benefit to the residents of San Luis
Obispo. The organization agrees to place the City’s logo on all its marketing material and its website (if one
is available).
Second Tier: $3,001 to $7,500
Organizations that reach countywide and bring patrons to San Luis Obispo. The events have a distinct
benefit to the City’s residents, but also drive traffic from around the county to the City for the event. The
organization agrees to incorporate the City’s logo on marketing material and its website. In addition, the
organization will include City of San Luis Obispo visitors and tourism information in its mailings and
marketing outreach.
Third Tier: $7,501 to $12,000
The organization effectively brings patrons from outside the county to San Luis Obispo and has the means
to drive tourism to the City. In addition to the integration of the City’s logo on marketing material and its
website, the organization will include City of San Luis Obispo visitors and tourism information in its
mailings and marketing outreach and allow physical presence of City Tourism at the event. The organization
is encouraged to submit a proposal to that effect.
Please note, as the City’s Promotional Grants-in-Aid program is considered by the Promotional
Coordinating Committee each year funding is provided, all applicants will have to compete for
funding anew every year.
APPLICANT: Please use this as a checklist for your application. It does not
need to be submitted with the application. Everything on this checklist is
required, unless otherwise indicated.
1. Grant Application Form
a. Description of project or activities to be supported by the grant.
b. Description of who will benefit from the project, including any tourist
attraction potential.
c. Description of any collaborative efforts with other agencies relative to this
project.
d. The total amount requested, including a prioritized breakdown of individual
line items within that total.
e. Detailed budget for the project, indicating expenditures to be supported by
the grant and expenditures supported by other grant sources.
f. Crowd control safety plan (parades or large special events only).
g. Description of how your agency will acknowledge the City in your
promotional materials.
h. Organization’s website URL
2. Your organization’s most recent complete annual financial statement
3. Your organization’s by-laws
4. Your organization’s tax-exempt certification
5. A listing of all officers and staff
6. A signed statement of limitations and payment disbursement (Attachment 4)
NOTE: Please do not bind or staple your application materials.
Submit 10 sets (typed, clipped & 3-hole punched) of item # 1
Submit 1 set (clipped) of items # 2-6
LATE OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Completed applications are due to the City Clerk’s Office on
March 16, 2018 by 5:00 pm
GIA APPLICATION Page 1 of 5
GRANT APPLICATION FORM
DATE(S) OF EVENT: ___________________________________________________________
NAME OF EVENT: ____________________________________________________________
EVENT LOCATION: ___________________________________________________________
NAME OF ORGANIZATION:
ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
WEBSITE URL: ________________________________________________________________
NAME OF CONTACT PERSON:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED:
In-Kind Promotional Support Only
PURPOSE OF GRANT REQUEST: (Word Limit: 100 max)
GIA APPLICATION Page 2 of 5
Please complete the entire application, answering all requests for information.
*Indicates required questions for In-Kind Promotional Support package applicants
1. Provide a brief description of the event or activity. (Word Limit: 100 max)*
2. Provide a brief description of your organization and its cause including how the project or
activities support the overall goals of the organization. (Word Limit: 250 max)*
3. Will your event be taking place within the City of San Luis Obispo?*
Yes ___ No ____
Venue Name: __________________________________________________________________
Venue Location: ________________________________________________________________
4. Has a City permit been issued for your event or have contracted the venue for your event date?
Yes ___ No ____
GIA APPLICATION Page 3 of 5
Note: Event applicants shall be responsible for securing a separate Special Event Permit with the
City. For use of City facilities, venues, or services, applications must be received no later than 90
days in advance and can be accepted up to 1 year in advance. The application form can be found at
the link provided. Application and fees are payable to the City of San Luis Obispo and can be
submitted directly to the Parks and Recreation Department located at 1341 Nipomo Street, San Luis
Obispo, CA 93401.
5. Is this the first year the event will take place? Yes ___ No ____
If yes, skip to question number 13
6. If not, how many years has it taken place?*
7. Where has it taken place previously?
8. What was the historical attendance?*
9. What is the expected event attendance?*
10. Expected percentage of in-county vs. out-of-county attendees:
11. Who is your target audience?*
12. Do you sell tickets or is it a free event? Tickets____ Free____
GIA APPLICATION Page 4 of 5
If tickets are required, please provide the price range. ________________________________
13. Describe any collaborative efforts with other agencies relative to this project. (Word Limit: 100
max and bulleted list is acceptable.) *
14. Overall Program Budget: Provide a detailed budget for the whole program/event, listing all
available income and expense sources. Attach a separate sheet if more space is needed.
Source Income Expense
TOTAL $
15. Funding Request: Indicate total amount requested from the City of San Luis Obispo. Use the chart
below to prioritize the list of individual line items including media plan making up the total
request. Attach a separate sheet if more space is needed.
Total Amount Requested: $___________________________________________________________
Prioritized Project Component Amount
Total $
GIA APPLICATION Page 5 of 5
16. Media Plan: Provide a detailed Media Plan including traditional and online media. Attach a separate
sheet if more space is needed.
Media Outlet Type & Frequency Cost of Advertising
Example:
LA Times Online Banners / 1,000 impressions $ XXXXX
The Tribune ½ page ads / 3 times $ XXXXX
17. Provide your crowd control and safety plan (parades or large special events only).
18. Describe how your organization will acknowledge the City’s support in your promotional materials.
(Word Limit: 100 max and bulleted list is acceptable.)
Be sure to include all supplemental materials as requested. Thank you.
Return Grant Application to:
Promotional Coordinating Committee
Attn: Molly Cano
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
PROMOTIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE
STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS AND PAYMENT DISBURSEMENT
Please read the following document and sign to indicate that you have read and understand it.
Limitations:
This grant application does not commit the sponsor to award a grant or to pay any costs incurred in the
preparation of this application or to procure or contract for services or supplies. The Promotional
Coordinating Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications received, to fund on a
line item basis, to negotiate with all qualified applicants, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this
application, if it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
Payment of Funds:
All duties, obligations, and disbursements of funds are to be governed by the provisions of the agreement
between the City and the applicant receiving funds.
• An applicant awarded funds shall enter into a contractual agreement with the City of San Luis Obispo
for stated programs for the current grant period July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
• The payment schedule will be stated in the contractual agreement.
• The contracting agency will agree to provide reports in such form and detail as may be required by the
City and the PCC to monitor contract performance prior to payment for programs.
• Contracting agency will provide City with an annual audit by an independent auditor to be approved by
the City, if the City should so request.
I, , (printed or typed name of authorized applicant organization
representative), have read the above statement and fully understand its contents and implications. I further
attest that all the information contained in this application is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Signature Date
Title
Applicant Organization
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