Tourism Committee

City of Pekin REGULAR TOURISM COMMITTEE MEETING MONDAY, MAY 4, 2026 5:00 PM 1. Call to Order 2. Approve Agenda 3. Approval of Minutes 3.1. Minutes from the Tourism Committee Meeting held February 16, 2026 3.2. Minutes from the Tourism Committee Meeting held March 2, 2026 3.3. Minutes from the Special Tourism Committee Meeting held March 10, 2026 4. Public Input 5. Reports 5.1. City Event Updates 5.2. Discover Pekin March PPC Report 6. New Business 6.1. Recommendation to Approve the Fiscal Year 2027 Tourism Marketing Plan with McDaniels Marketing 6.2. Tourism Grant for Sunset Hills Best Ball Invitational 7. Any Other Business to Come Before the Committee 8. Adjourn Page 1 of 33 Page 2 of 33 Page 3 of 33 Page 4 of 33 Page 5 of 33 Page 6 of 33 March 2026 PPC Report Page 7 of 33 Facebook/Instagram Ad Creative Page 8 of 33  Select desired date range using the toggle below. Mar 1, 2026 - Mar 31, 2026 arrow_drop_down ​Facebook & Instagram Performance Click Through Rate & Impressions Cost Per Click Quick Definitions • Impressions: The number of times your ads were on by Clicks, CTR, and Impressions by Amount Spent, CPC (All), and CPC (Link) screen. Link clicks CTR (all) Impressions Amount spent CPC (All) CPM • Clicks (All): The total number of clicks produced by 2,747 4.07% 111,052 $1,085.22 $0.24 $9.77 your ads. This includes all interactions including Link Clicks, Reactions, Comments, Shares, etc. • CTR (All): The percentage of times people saw your Clicks (all) CTR (all) ad and then interacted with it. Amount spent (USD) CPC (all) 300 10% 100 1 • CPC (All): Average cost for each Click (All). 200 • Cost: The estimated total amount spent on this ad 5% during the reporting period. 50 0.5 100 • Page Likes: The number of new Likes of your Facebook Page attributed to your ads. 0 0% 0 0 Mar 1 Mar 6 Mar 11 Mar 16 Mar 21 Mar 26 Mar 31 Mar 1 Mar 6 Mar 11 Mar 16 Mar 21 Mar 26 Mar 31 • Post Reactions: The number of reactions on your ads. The reactions button on an ad allows people to share different reactions to its content. Social Engagement • Post Comments: The number of comments Ad set name Link clicks ▼ Impressions Post reactions Post shares Post comments Amount spent (… generated by your ads during the reporting period. Fun, Dine, Shop 2,747 111,052 88 14 12 $1,085.22 • Post Shares: The number of shares of your ads. Grand total 2,747 111,052 88 14 12 $1,085.22 People can share your ads (or posts) on their own or friends’ Timelines, in groups and on their own Pages. This expands the reach of your ad beyond its initial targeting. • Link Clicks: The number of clicks on your ad to select destinations on or off Facebook-owned properties. • CPC (Cost per Link Click): The average cost for each Link Click Page 9 of 33  Select desired date range using the toggle below. Mar 1, 2026 - Mar 31, 2026 arrow_drop_down ​Facebook & Instagram Demographics Age Breakdown Gender Breakdown Device Breakdown by Clicks by Clicks by Clicks 6% 9.4% 65+ 55-64 33.4% mobile_app 45-54 female 11.6% mobile_web 50.8% 35-44 male desktop 25-34 unknown unknown 18-24 65.9% Unknown 20% 99.9% Geographic Breakdown Recommendations/Observations: by DMA and Clicks In March, we ran a feed ad called "Fun, Dine, Shop." DMA Clicks (all) ▼ Impressions Overall, there were 2,747 link clicks and 111,052 impressions. This increased 1. Peoria-Bloomington 2,811 59,907 the CTR to 4.07%, which outperforms industry benchmarks! The CPC 2. Chicago 959 27,459 remained low at $0.24 and was very cost-effective. 3. St. Louis 292 7,604 For the feed ad, there were 88 post reactions, 14 shares, and 12 comments. 4. Indianapolis 162 6,324 For geographical reach, most clicks came from the Peoria-Bloomington DMA, followed by the Chicago area. 50.8% of the audience was 65+, and 5. Milwaukee 108 4,599 65.9% were female. 6. Rockford 65 1,555 7. Davenport-R.Island-Moline 62 1,487 8. Madison 40 1,473 9. Champaign&Sprngfld-Decatur 15 283 10. Cedar Rapids-Wtrlo-Iwc&Dub 6 309 Page 10 of 33 Industry Benchmarks Facebook​& Instagram CTR (All Industries) 0.90% CTR (Tourism) 0.90% Avg. CPC (All Industries) $1.72 Avg. CPC (Tourism) $0.63 Page 11 of 33 Tips & Tricks Changing Report Date Range: An exciting feature we’ve added to your report is the ability to check past analytic data. This can be accessed by toggling the date range button in the upper right hand corner of each page (see image below for example): You’ll notice that the report will always pull data from the most recent month, but it can be easily altered by simply clicking the toggle shown above. Changing a Page: To toggle between different pages of the report, simply click the arrows in the top left corner located under the title of the report This is an interactive report, so don’t worry, there’s no way you can break it or mess it up. Feel free to click around and run your mouse over different elements and charts! Download Or Print the Report: *Make sure you are using Google Chrome & logged into a Google account* To download this report as a PDF click in the top right corner. Then, when prompted, click "download". To print this report, first download as a PDF (see directions above). Once downloaded as a PDF open the document and click 'file' then 'print'. Note that some operating systems may require you to select 'fit to page' in the printer settings in order to allow the report to print correctly. Page 12 of 33 Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 1 Page March 12, 2026 Page 13 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 2025 Year in Review 2025 was an extraordinary year for the Discover Pekin brand. Besides continuing the steady social media organic and paid feed ad campaign, we completed the following tactics: - Community Guide for distribution at hotels, attractions and area employers - Addition of a Google display advertising to greatly expand awareness of Discover Pekin attractions and events - Expansion of photo and video library (in conjunction with economic development campaign) This year, we reached a larger overall audience! The average CTR is up year-over-year, with 318.6% more clicks to the Discover Pekin website and higher impressions, indicating greater awareness of your destination. The CPC stayed low at $0.10, and the average CTR was high at 3.71%. Both metrics outperform the industry benchmarks by a considerable amount! 2 Page March 12, 2026 Page 14 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Who did we reach? The Chicago and Peoria-Bloomington DMAs were your top locations for clicks, which makes sense given the mix of overnight-market and day-tripper-market targeting ads. The most represented age groups were 55-64 and 65+, with 50.6% of clicks. Unsurprisingly, 97.1% of clicks came from mobile devices. Facebook/Instagram Feed Advertising Campaign To build on the success achieved in the past year, we will continue to use digital marketing to create powerful campaigns that uphold the Discover Pekin brand, leave a lasting impression, and highlight your key attractions and community attributes, thereby attracting more visitors, residents, and businesses. • Pekin-Specific Topics o Events: Marigold Festival, Winter Wonderland/Christmas on the Court, Summer Downtown Concert Series o Things to Enjoy: Parks, expanded shopping, dining, fishing and hunting, history, the fine arts, and local sports. Our writers and designers love to push the edge of creativity, but at the heart of it, they’re all storytellers. They love to capture and see destinations like Pekin come to life and shine with creative assets that depict authentic stories and experiences that spread like wildfire. Geotargeting: Day Tripper Markets: A 30-mile radius around Pekin, along with nearby areas like Galesburg and Bloomington-Normal, which are close enough to attract day- trip visitors. The goal is to encourage local residents to attend live music shows and community events, and to shop or dine at Pekin's small businesses! Overnight Markets: To attract overnight visitors to Pekin, we will focus on areas 2.5 to 4 hours away, such as Chicago, Dubuque, the Quad Cities, St. Louis, and Paducah, KY. We will emphasize the unique experiences they can enjoy here that are unavailable elsewhere! 3 Page March 12, 2026 Page 15 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 The Need for Digital 87% percent of travelers use the internet for the bulk of their travel planning! This statistic underscores why it is so critical that Pekin continue to invest in digital advertising to reach more people as they research and plan weekend stays and potential new places to live or start a business. Because we are targeting the Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z age groups, we are proposing to continue the use of Facebook ads to help boost visitor awareness about all the attractiveness of the Pekin Area. We’ll target the right people. Narrowing down the right demographics for the potential visitors and new residents you want to reach is key to a successful campaign. We can target your audience using the following criteria: • Age: Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z • Keyword topics: Focus on outdoor activities, community events, golf, shopping, food and drink. 4 Page March 12, 2026 Page 16 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Google Ads Display Advertising Tactics: Focused use of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising across the Midwest via Google Display Ads. Google Display reaches a vast audience at a very affordable cost per impression and cost per click, acting as “digital billboards” to effectively target your most relevant audience. We Help You Target the Right People. We consider the demographics of the potential visitors you want to reach with your ads on the Google Display Network and select criteria based on your audience's interests. We will target by: • Location • Age • Device • Language • Interests We Design Engaging Ads • Clicks: 22,825 • Clicks: 4,794 • Impressions: 787,994 • Impressions: 414,774 • Amount Spent: $3,237.90 • Amount Spent: $1,244.20 5 Page March 12, 2026 Page 17 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 We Help Boost Your Ads Quality Score. Your quality score is an estimate of how relevant your ads, keywords and landing pages are to a person seeing your ad on Google based on their interests. We review the topic, intent and audiences, then provide recommendations for your ads and landing page content. CPC vs. CPM: We determine if you should pay on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per- impression (CPM) basis. Daily Budget: We set the maximum amount you want to spend each day and monitor it to determine whether a higher or lower budget is needed over time to meet your goals and PPC best practices. Bid Price/Daily Spend Per Ad Set: Bid prices fluctuate often. We set bid rates and monitor your average CPC to determine when a bid rate needs to change or if a budget change is needed for the campaign. We Review and Improve Campaign Performance. We manage your ad account to effectively reach your target audience by monitoring your campaign performance, ads, and targeting and adjusting continually throughout each month. We will: • Provide you with detailed website metrics and reports from your Google Analytics dashboard and deliver basic data about your ad results, including impressions and clicks. • Review specific time periods to learn how your ad performance has evolved and when your ads perform best and adjust accordingly. • Identify ads with the highest performance and review their target audiences to determine which segments are most receptive to your message. • Determine if budget increases or decreases are needed. • Determine if additional targeting methods are needed to best meet your goals. • Review placements that generated the most ad views and determine if any keyword/audience changes are needed, including adding negative keywords to reduce unrelated searches that may affect your bounce rate and click costs. 6 Page March 12, 2026 Page 18 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Potential Topics for Google Ads • Hunting and fishing • Parks • History • Golf • Food • Sports • Shopping • Events/Festivals • Outdoors Estimated Monthly Google Ads Display Performance (Based upon market targeting & budget below) • 3,100 – 12,000 clicks/month – from historical data Targeting: Golfers; Hunters; Food & Dining; Travel; Family Vacationers; Crafters/Festival Goers; Shoppers; Music Lovers; Outdoor Enthusiasts, Historians, Sports Team/League Management and Parents Geography: • Overnight markets: Omaha, NE; Kansas City, MO, Chicago/Suburbs, IL; Springfield-Columbia- Jefferson City, MO; Louisville, KY, Indianapolis, IN; Des Moines, IA; Evansville, IN, Nashville, TN 7 Page March 12, 2026 Page 19 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Facebook/Instagram Digital Marketing 2026/2027 Timeline: May 2026 – December 2026; February (Restaurant Week); March – April 2027 (11 months) Creative Design & Copy Development................................................................................... $4,500 - 1 Ad Set Development each quarter Digital Management .......................................................................................($500/month) $5,500 - Dedicated Digital Marketing Specialist - Daily Spend Monitoring - Performance Optimizations - Monthly Performance Reporting Click Budget (Direct to Meta)....................................................... (Approx. $1,100/month) $12,100 Total Facebook/Instagram Investment: ....................................................................... $22,100 6-MONTH GOOGLE ADS BUDGET: 2026 Timeline: July – December 2026 (6 months) Monthly Digital Advertising Management .....................................................($500/month) $3,000 - Monthly PPC Campaign Performance Report - Website Content Recommendations (as needed, related to ad performance) - Bid Adjustments related to keywords, competition, positioning, impression share, etc. - Ad Copy Adjustments - Google Accounts review related to ads program Recommended Monthly Click Budget ........................................... (approx. $1,000/month) $6,000 Billed Directly to Google Ad Development (Copy & Art) ............................................................................................... $2,200 Total for 6-Month Google Campaign ............................................................................ $11,200 Total Digital Advertising .............................................................................................. $33,300 8 Page March 12, 2026 Page 20 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Intern Activities/Organic Social Media and Marketing Support McDaniels Marketing has been supporting the marketing efforts of Discover Pekin with a dedicated intern staffing solution to perform the following tactics: • Creative development and management of 8 organic social media posts per month on average (based on event schedule and season) o Targeted boosted as needed throughout the month • Support at events: Summer Downtown Concert Series, Marigold Festival, Christmas on Court/Winter Wonderland • Special projects such as flyers, event cards/postcards and posters Organic posting on the Discover Pekin Facebook and Instagram pages is essential for fostering authentic engagement with the local community and attracting visitors. By sharing regular, relevant content that highlights Pekin’s unique attractions, events, and local businesses, these platforms can build stronger connections with residents and potential tourists. Organic posts help create a sense of belonging, encourage word-of-mouth marketing, and improve brand visibility without relying on paid advertisements, making them a cost-effective and sustainable way to promote the city and its offerings. 9 Page March 12, 2026 Page 21 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Intern Activities Budget 2026/2027 Timeline: May 2026 – April 2027 (12 months) Intern Activities/Wages ............................................. $7,900 (based on actual time spent in FY26) - Dedicated Intern for planning and development of organic social content - Posting/scheduling of organic social content to the Discover Pekin page - Support and promotion of Discover Pekin events - Any special additional projects, including creative development Administrative Management Fee ..................................................................... $250/month $3,000 - Fees associated with the management and oversight of intern projects by McD senior staff Boosting Budget (Direct to Meta) .......................................................(Approx. $150/quarter) $600 Total Intern & Organic Social Investment: .................................................................... $11,500 10 Page March 12, 2026 Page 22 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Website Maintenance of DiscoverPekin.com Due to the popularity and widespread use of the WordPress platform, the WordPress core system routinely releases version updates. Installing the updates is necessary to minimize malware infiltration. Participating in a maintenance program will ensure updates are made routinely. McDaniels will work to remove any malicious files if a website breach occurs. • Regular WordPress updates as required by the WordPress platform • Priority e-mail support • Additional training and phone support post-launch • Consultation for website improvements post initial site launch • New Content consultation and buildout • Some limited SEO • Website “quick fixes” – include items that can be fixed/tweaked/created in under 15 minutes Investing in SEO Your SEO program will operate quarterly. This is a collaborative program where we will work side by side with your team. At the start of each quarter, goals will be established for completion targets. Activities will be based on the monthly hours set for your program. Some activities take longer than others, and therefore, some targets could extend into the following quarter. A quarterly report will be submitted for your review at the end of each quarter. Areas of Optimization an SEO program can include*: • Enhanced content development for new • Input of image alt tags or expanded topics • Online directory submission for Business • AI Response tracking (visibility/source) Profile • Hummingbird page adjustments as • Link building (Internal and external) needed • Competitive Intelligence and industry • Keyword phrase improvement on benchmarking identified content pages with additional • Technical optimization deeper content where necessary • Responsive adjustments • User experience and user interface • Page load times adjustments • XML sitemaps • Updated custom-written Title and Meta • Broken link checks Description tags • Schema Markup • Custom keywords • Backlinking • <H> tag adjustments • GEO content development and • Quarterly report development and programming analysis with Google Analytics and Search • Quarterly Blog writing 11 Console Page March 12, 2026 Page 23 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Completions This Past Year 1. Added events 2. Posted new podcast episodes 3. Optimized page title tags 4. Edited on page content 5. Adjusted site readability 6. Conducted keyword research 7. Added sponsors to the concert series page 8. Optimized page meta descriptions 9. Assisted in event styling and added button 10. Completed edits to the “Things to do” page 11. Addressed ranking error with outdated events 12. Conducted site audit for optimizations 13. Corrected error with directory listings 14. Added AIO data to analysis 15. Updated images throughout the site 16. Properly sized images throughout the site where needed 17. Updated homepage event feed 18. Added missing images to blog posts 19. Cross-posted events to site and Facebook 20. Updated homepage slider 21. Conducted readability test and updated header sequencing 22. Updated the Christmas on Court event page 23. Added missing meta descriptions 24. Added new business listings to the directory 25. Prepared reports for each quarter for client to review 26. Posting new digital guide to the site 27. Scheduled upcoming events 28. Updated Pekin Christmas Extravaganza landing page for optimizations 29. Replaced duplicate meta descriptions 30. Resolved caching issues with site speed Total Maintenance & SEO Timeline: May 2026 – April 2027 (12 months) (6) SEO/Maintenance Hours per Month (70 total hours) ......................... $875/month: $10,500 *Note: The Areas of Optimization section is a comprehensive list of potential optimization activities. Items will be 12 Page identified based on priority and executed. This section does not imply that every activity will occur within a month or within the 1-year contract. The City of Pekin retains full rights to all content developed by McD Digital. March 12, 2026 Page 24 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Website Hosting for DiscoverPekin.com By hosting with McD Digital, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your website is being maintained and kept safe. We keep your website updated, backed up in the event of a catastrophe, and secure from malware and hackers. Our WordPress hosting plan comes standard with the following features: • Daily Backups (web servers replicated • Monthly Report of Updates/Work throughout the United States) Completed • Daily Malware Scans & Free Removal of • Security Configuration Malware if Site Becomes Infected • Speed Optimization • Monthly WordPress Software, Plugin, & Theme Updates WordPress Hosting .......................................................................... $150/month: $1,800/year 13 Page March 12, 2026 Page 25 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Website Accessibility Remediation Service The accessibility experts at McDaniels Marketing work with you to better protect and grow your business with ADA and WCAG 2.2 conformance every step of the way. 1. Audit 2. Remediate 3. Document • Automated testing with • Code: Our developers fix • Scans: Extensive reporting the same tools used by • Content: We fix or guide from both before and law firms to target your team after the project websites • Testing: No business • Screen Reader Video: to • Manual Testing with disruption potential demonstrate that critical Screen Reading Software • Deployment: Assist your access barriers have been team in applying changes removed • Accessibility Statement 4. Train 5. Monitor & Support • 1-Hour Training Session • Automated: Scans once monthly to ensure • Documentation: Supplemental materials ongoing risk mitigation. • Dev Talks: Ongoing opportunities to talk • Manual: Manual testing is available on an directly with developers ongoing basis 14 Page March 12, 2026 Page 26 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Targeted Manual Audit and Remediation This process involves manually auditing the critical views of your website to confirm and then remediate any potential barriers that may prevent a disabled person from accessing the content of your website. Once remediated, we will develop a video recording of screen-reading software being used to navigate through these views. This demonstrates that the site is accessible to individuals with disabilities and that there are no barriers so severe as to prevent someone with a visual impairment from transacting on the website. Between the “before and after” audit showing fixes and a video of a real person navigating the site, you will be well protected from any potential lawsuits. Automated Scans 15 Page March 12, 2026 Page 27 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Ongoing Support & Accessibility Training After your site’s accessibility remediation, our web accessibility training ensures your team is equipped to maintain the website with confidence. Tailored to fit your unique role and needs, giving you actionable guidance that aligns with your daily responsibilities. • Personalized Training Sessions: Tailored to your specific role, covering the key aspects of accessibility that matter most for your work. • Interactive Q&A: Engage directly with the developer who worked on your project to address questions and dive deeper into practical applications • Training Video Access: A recording of the training is provided for easy reference and onboarding of new team members. • Supplemental Resources: Additional materials ensure continuity and clarity as your team grows, keeping everyone aligned with accessibility best practices 16 Page March 12, 2026 Page 28 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 Accessibility Radar Our monthly monitoring service, the Accessibility Radar (a11y.Radar), is built to identify new accessibility issues early before they become a liability. Every month, a11y.Radar scans your website using the same tools meticulous law firms use to identify potential accessibility gaps for quick litigation, and delivers a detailed report that keeps you informed about your site’s accessibility and helps you stay a step ahead. • Monthly Scans: Consistent, automated scans to maintain ongoing ADA conformance. • Outstanding Issues Reports: Monthly reports offering in-depth insights into new or unresolved issues. • Real-Time Dashboard Access: An intuitive, user-friendly dashboard for tracking your progress. Accessibility Risk Mitigation Program Full-Service Risk Mitigation Classic Model ......................................................................................................................... $5,000 (Includes all 5 ADA Risk Mitigation Steps, project coordination, and CMS integration) Monitoring Quarterly Accessibility Radar ............................................................................................. $99/Scan Scan Total .................................................................................................................................. $396 Total ADA Compliance ................................................................................................... $5,396 17 Page March 12, 2026 Page 29 of 33  Marketing Plan Renewal FY27 FY27 Tourism Marketing Budget (Option I) Digital Advertising (Meta and Google) .......................................................................... $33,300 Intern Support ................................................................................................................ $11,500 Website SEO and Support .............................................................................................. $10,500 Website ADA Risk Mitigation & Compliance ................................................................... $5,396 Website Hosting ............................................................................................................... $1,800 Grand Total – Option 1 .......................................................................................... $62,496 2026/2027 Tourism Marketing Budget (Option II) Digital Advertising (Meta Only)...................................................................................... $22,100 Intern Support ................................................................................................................ $11,500 Website SEO and Support .............................................................................................. $10,500 Website ADA Compliance ................................................................................................ $5,396 Website Hosting ............................................................................................................... $1,800 Grand Total – Option 2 .......................................................................................... $51,296 Approval_________________________________ Date________________ Option__________ *NOTE: Each activity is limited to a set number of hours. Quoted price is valid for 60 days and E.W. McDaniels, Inc. (dba McD Digital) reserves the right to submit a new estimate for any change in specifications. This estimate is based on a set number of project hours. If this allotment of time is exceeded, additional hours are available to be approved and invoiced. 60 days of notice are required for cancellation of this contract. All time and cost to date will be invoiced upon cancellation. By signing this document, persons whose signatures appear attest that the terms set forth in this agreement have been read and understood completely and that they agree to the terms and conditions of this proposal. The City of Pekin will own the rights to all art and copy produced on their behalf by McD Digital and the rights to use (but not resell) website programming or other technology developed as well. McD Digital requires payment within 30 to 45 days of invoice date. 18 Page March 12, 2026 Page 30 of 33  REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Agenda May 4, 2026 Date: To: Members of the Tourism Committee From: Joshua Wray, Economic Development Director AGENDA ITEM: Tourism Grant for Sunset Hills Best Ball Invitational DESCRIPTION: Staff received a request from Sunset Hills Best Ball Invitational for the City's support of their event this year. The Sunset Hills Bestball has players that come back each year from 12+ states and even had someone fly-in from Dubai a few years ago. A full field of golfers in the tournament is 196 players. For about the last 7 years, they have had a waiting list to get in — as many as 28 2-person teams turned in an entry but didn’t make the tournament because of time each day. The tournament dates this year are July 23-26. Information about sponsorship levels is attached. While the sponsorship list for this fiscal year has already been set by City Council, the City could still award a tourism grant for this event. Per the City's regulations for tourism grants, the applicant will need to submit a grant application and supporting documents after the event. However, the Tourism Committee is welcome to make a motion to approve a grant of 1/3 of eligible expenses up to $1,500 contingent upon submittal of such documentation after the event. Page 31 of 33 Page 32 of 33 Page 33 of 33