Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting

TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING AGENDA 6136 Adobe Road Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org Thursday, June 16, 2022 REGULAR SESSION AGENDA 3:30 P. M. CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call. CHANGES TO AGENDA PRESENTATIONS - NONE BUSINESS 1. Approval of meeting minutes for the April 28, 2022 Tourism Business Improvement District 3-4 meeting. Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - 28 Apr 2022 - Minutes - Pdf 2. Visit 29 Palms Marketing Activity Updates 5 - 12 Visit 29 Palms TBID Marketing Activity Updates June 16 2022 PUBLIC COMMENTS DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 3. Review of Mid-Year Revenue Results & Expenditures 13 - 16 Visit 29 Palms TBID Mid-Year Revenue Expenditure Update 4. Establishment of TBID Advisory Board Sub-Committee for FY 2022-23 Tourism Marketing 17 - 18 Plan & Budget Visit 29 Palms TBID FY 22-23 Planning 5. 2022 Night Sky Festival Sponsorship Proposal 19 - 20 Page 1 of 22  TBID-NSF Sponsorship Request_2022 6. 2022-2023 Joshua Tree Music Festival Sponsorship 21 - 22 JTMF + Visit 29 Sponsor Proposal - 2022 BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS ADJOURNMENT It is the intention of the City of Twentynine Palms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all respects. If you are a person with a disability who requires a disability-related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please request such modification or accommodation from the City Clerk at (760) 367-4890 (facsimile). Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to the meeting. Please advise us at the time whether you will require accommodations to participate in meetings on a regular basis. Any person affected by any application on this agenda may submit their concerns in writing prior to the meeting or appear in person and be heard in support or opposition to the proposal at the time the matter is considered on the agenda. The staff reports, applications and environmental documents may be viewed at either the office of Community Development or the office of the City Clerk, 6136 Adobe Road, from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, except legal holidays. The Invocation is given per Policy 10-01, and does not reflect the views of the City but rather is an expression of speech by a private citizen making the presentation. Telephone inquiries may be made at (760) 367-6799. If you challenge any agenda issue in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues that you or someone else raised at the public meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Twentynine Palms at, or prior to, the public meeting. This notice of agenda is hereby certified to have been posted on or before 3:30 p.m., June 13, 2022. Cindy Villescas CMC, City Clerk Time/Date Page 2 of 22  TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org April 28, 2022 CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chair Maharaj called the meeting to order at 3:31 P.M. Pledge of Allegiance: Boardmember Quinteros lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call: The following TBID Advisory Boardmembers were present: Knight, Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj. Chair Mehta had an excused absence. CHANGES TO AGENDA: None PRESENTATIONS: None BUSINESS Approval of the Meeting Minutes for the February 24, 2022, Tourism Business Improvement District meeting. ACTION: A motion was made by Vice Chair Maharaj, seconded by Boardmember Quinteros to approve the TBID meeting minutes from the February 24, 2022 meeting. The above motion was carried by the following: ROLL CALL VOTE YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Knight, Maharaj NO: None CARRIED. 2. Visit 29 Palms Marketing Activity Updates TBID Director Dusastre shared on overview of digital marketing efforts for the January – March quarter, starting with social media. Visit 29 Palms social media efforts results in a 34% increase in total organic reach with a 20% increase in new followers. Dusastre noted engagement had dropped since previous quarter, in part due to a slight decrease in total number of posts. Paid social media campaigns in the second quarter had great results, generating over 8,000 clicks through to Visit29.org and a 3.1% average click through rate. Total website traffic increased by 44% compared to the previous quarter with a 46% increase in outbound lodging clicks. Dusastre also shared the results of the iHeart Radio campaign which delivered a total of 442,252 impressions which was slightly over the expected amount based on the advertising contract. Dusastre shared the current creative running at Palm Springs International Airport and plans to launch at Ontario Airport in May and spotlighted the JT 55 and Joshua Tree Music Festival as the last two major spring events that Visit 29 Palms was sponsoring. PUBLIC COMMENTS Page 1 of 2 Page 3 of 22  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting April 28, 2022 DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS Establishment of a Community Events Subcommittee Boardmember Grunt spoke in favor of establishing a community events subcommittee and Vice Chair Maharaj directed TBID Director Dusastre to ensure the events list was expanded to cover everything happening across the Morongo Basin and also to include the major events in the Coachella Valley. ACTION: A motion was made by Vice Chair Maharaj, seconded by Boardmember Grunt to establish a community events subcommittee. The above motion was carried by the following: ROLL CALL VOTE YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Knight, Maharaj NO: None CARRIED. Big Brave Nomad Blogger/Influencer Proposal Boardmember Quinteros spoke in favor of the proposal and asked that there be more emphasis on gaining coverage and exposure on Instagram and proposed that the sponsored Facebook post be traded for a second Instagram post. TBID Director Dusastre said that she would ensure that change was made in the contract. ACTION: A motion was made by Boardmember Knight, seconded by Boardmember Quinteros to approve the Big Brave Nomad proposal. The above motion was carried by the following: ROLL CALL VOTE YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Knight, Maharaj NO: None CARRIED. City of Twentynine Palms Visitor Center Operations All TBID Advisory Boardmembers spoke in support of continuing operations of the City of 29 Palms Visitor Center following the opening of the new Joshua Tree National Park Visitor & Cultural Center for the short term. ACTION: A motion was made by Boardmember Knight, seconded by Vice Chair Maharaj to approve maintaining current operations of the City of 29 Palms Visitor Center through to the end of July, 2022. The above motion was carried by the following: ROLL CALL VOTE YES: Knight, Quinteros, Grunt, Maharaj NO: None CARRIED. BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS: None DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS: None FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS: None ADJOURNMENT: 4:57pm Page 2 of 2 Page 4 of 22  Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board Meeting June 16, 2022. Page 5 of 22  MARKETING ACTIVITY UPDATES Page 6 of 22  6/13/2022 FREEDOM PLAZA JOSHUA TREE VOICE EDITORIAL FEATURE MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION 15,000 copies printed 10,000 Morongo Basin & Coachella Valley 4,700 Surrounding SoCal Counties 300 Subscription Mailings, Restocking, Archives + Viewable online at joshuatreevoice.com Page 7 of 22 3  6/13/2022 VIDEO PRODUCTION To commemorate the 5th annual Joshua Tree 55 Community Cycling Event and to develop promotional material for use in future years, the Box of Kittens production team produced a feature video capturing the highlights of the April 30th event, presented in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park, City of 29 Palms, 29 Palms MCAGCC. Page 8 of 22  6/13/2022 BIG BRAVE NOMAD SPONSORED VISIT May 31 – June 3 Tavia Carlson of Big Brave Nomad spent 3 days in 29 Palms, exploring our city’s businesses and attractions and made day trips out to Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave Trails National Monument, Mojave National Preserve. The 29 Palms blog feature and additional BigBraveNomad.com content is being finalized now and will be published along with two sponsored IG posts later this month. Samples of sponsored IG Story Page 9 of 22 content by @BigBraveNomad  6/13/2022 VISIT29.ORG Year-To-Date Key Performance Indicators % change as compared to previous year Total Users 64,100 +42% Total Pageviews 140,362 +35% Total Sessions 76,215 +36% Outbound Lodging Link Clicks 6,362 +14% Page 10 of 22  6/13/2022 VISIT29.ORG Year-To-Date Key Performance Indicators % change as compared to previous year Instagram & Facebook Samples of current paid ads Reach New Followers 472,225 1,230 +85% +28% Paid Reach Paid Impressions 358,399 663,198 +107% +130% Link Clicks Click Through Rate 11,529 2.9% +168% +45% Page 11 of 22  6/13/2022 29 PALMS VISITOR CENTER TRACKING Year-To-Date October November December January February March April May YTD Total 471 438 420 240 360 456 406 311 3,102 Visitation numbers and where people are visiting from shift significantly by season throughout the year, however California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona do remain consistent drivers. International highlights include visitors from: Australia • Canada • China • England • France Germany • Greece • India • Ireland • Israel • Italy Japan • Mexico • Netherlands • New Zealand Singapore • Switzerland • Ukraine • Venezuela Page 12 of 22  Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board Meeting June 16, 2022. DISCUSSION ITEMS Page 13 of 22  6/13/2022 VISIT 29 PALMS TBID MID-YEAR REVIEW Mid-Year Revenue Results % change as compared to same quarter, previous year Q1 Q2 YTD $87,655 $197,635 $197,635 +42.5% +49.6% +46.4% Hotels 30% Hotels 46.6% Hotels 38.6% VHR’s 67% VHR’s 53.3% VHR’s 58.4% Page 14 of 22  6/13/2022 MID-YEAR REVENUE TRACKING MID-YEAR TBID REV RESULTS October – March (Q1 & Q2 Combined) • Through the first six months of the current 2021- 2022 year, the 1.5% TBID tourism assessment fee has generated $197,635, representing a 46.4% increase over last year. • Year-to-date, hotel generated TBID revenue has increased by 38.6% over last year, and short-term vacation rental generated TBID revenue has increased by 58.5%. • Based on the $265,000 budget set for the TBID’s 2021-22 FY, 74.5% of the revenue has already been generated in the first half of the year. • Year-to-date TBID expenditures (as of 5/31/22) total $143,048, representing 53% of the budget used. Page 15 of 22  6/13/2022 MID-YEAR EXPENDITURES Year-to-date TBID expenditures total $143,048, representing 53% of the budget used As of May 31, 2022 Page 16 of 22  Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board Meeting June 16, 2022. DISCUSSION ITEMS Page 17 of 22  6/13/2022 PLANNING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 STEP ONE • Establish sub-committee consisting of two TBID Advisory Board members to work with TBID Director in the development of the FY 22-23 tourism marketing plan and budget. This sub-committee will host planning sessions in June and July. STEP TWO • Host the next TBID Advisory Board meeting in early August to present proposed tourism marketing plan in its entirety to the full TBID Advisory Board for review and approval. STEP THREE • Present tourism marketing plan and budget to City Council in early September for review and approval. Based on approval, City Council will announce its intent to levy 1.5% tourism assessment fee for the TBID’s next fiscal year (October 1 – September 30) and will announce the date and time of reauthorization public hearing. STEP FOUR • City Council to host public hearing for the renewal and reauthorization of the city’s Tourism Business Improvement District for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. FOR DISCUSSION Plans to host a year-end community mixer/open house at the 29 Palms Visitor Center Page 18 of 22 TO: TBID DATE: May 6, 2022 FROM: Lori Rennie, JTREE Chair RE: 7th Annual Night Sky Festival Sponsorship at Sky’s the Limit Observatory & Nature Center & Luckie Park/Community Services Building HOSTED BY: Sky’s the Limit Observatory & Nature Center and Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience (JTREE) in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park and supported by the City of Twentynine Palms Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience is the organization selected by Sky’s the Limit as their partner for the 7th Annual Night Sky Festival scheduled for September 24, 2022. As you may be aware this is a major once a year fundraising event that benefits local non- profits, and JTREE is thrilled to be the partner once again this year. All proceeds from this year’s event support youth outdoor science education and night sky programs. The Night Sky Festival will once again be kicked off on Friday night with an Astro-Photography workshop plus a Night Sky Photography workshop at Cap Rock. Saturday’s schedule includes a morning program at Sky’s The Limit (including astro-crafts, Orrery tour, nature walks, solar telescopes and panning for gold), free activities at the Community Services Building, free astronomy lectures, and the Night Star Party. Visitors are encouraged to take a dinner break, and information on local eateries will be provided. We encourage TBID and the businesses of Twentynine Palms to contact Lori Rennie (714-270-7098) or Ann Congdon (760-490-9561) regarding: • having a display booth and literature for visitors to browse between activities • discounts or specials they may offer to ticket holders that we can include in their “swag bags” (consider discounts on meals, beverages or even a special star-themed offering) • adding an announcement or other promotion for their business to our swag bags. In past years, TBID has been a loyal sponsor of the Annual Night Sky Festival. Last year you provided funds for the shuttle buses which was a tremendous help! We thank you for all you have contributed to this event over the years, and the support you have provided. Our loyal sponsors and partners allow us to elevate the experience of the participants during this event. JTREE respectfully requests your consideration to once again support us for the 7th Annual Night Sky Festival. Following are some Levels of Sponsorship that we believe provides benefits to all involved: SPONSORSHIP LEVELS Level I: Photo Booth “Greetings from 29 Palms” – Cost: $500 CONTRIBUTION (from TBID) Previous events have had 2 photo booths with a moon space backdrop and night sky/space hand-help props. Due to the popularity, we propose a backdrop of 29 Palms and its night sky with text that says “Greeting from 29 Palms”. This can be Page 19 of 22 used with the night sky props as well in keeping with the night skies theme. The photo booths are set up in the registration hall during registration hours on Saturday. NOTE: Any monies left over after purchase of a photo backdrop will be applied to supplies for the astro-jewelry craft activity held during the morning event at Sky’s the Limit. BENEFITS (to TBID) • Visit 29 logo and website link on 2 websites as a sponsor (includes Night Sky Festival and JTREE websites). • Visit 29 logo on Night Sky Festival promotional materials. • Special offer to NSF ticket buyers for a discount on NSF tickets with proof of local lodging reservations. A Night Sky Festival themed ad will be customized with their property to be used for promoting this special offer. • Exclusive “Visit 29 Palms Welcome/Photo booth set up at Sky’s The Limit during the morning program providing exposure to individuals and families attending the morning activities. This is in addition to the set up in the • registration hall during the hours of registration. • Add a sign to the booth with a tag asking people to post their photos and comments on Visit 29 social media. Level II: Event Transportation Sponsor – Cost: $1,500 CONTRIBUTION (from TBID) Local bus transportation services are hired to shuttle Night Star Party participants to and from the 29 Palms Community Center at Luckie Park and Sky’s the Limit. These shuttles transport groups every 20 minutes at both locations. One of the benefits to this is crowd and traffic control for the event upwards of 500 people. Night Sky Festival provides a Night Sky Shuttle Guide on each transport who shares fun and interesting stories and facts about our desert’s night sky and astronomy. BENEFITS (to TBID) • Visit 29 logo and website link on 2 websites as a sponsor (includes Night Sky Festival and JTREE websites) • Visit 29 logo on Night Sky Festival promotional materials. • Direct link in the menu or a button to “Plan your Trip” that links to www.visit29.org on the Night Sky Festival page. • Visit 29 brand signage on all shuttle busses with banner at shuttle loading point at the 29 Palms Community Services Building. • Visit 29 Palms literature inserted in swag bags. • Up to 3 Press Passes for access to all weekend events. • 2 Complimentary Adult tickets for the Night Sky Party that 29 Palms can use for a creative marketing promotion for tourism. Respectfully, Lori Rennie Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience, Chair 714-270-7098 lori@jtreeoutdoored.org www.JTreeOutdoorEd.org cc: Ann Congdon Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center, President 760-490-9561 skysthelimit29p@gmail.com www.skysthelimit29.org Page 20 of 22 SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES For: Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Prepared by: Cassie Morrow on behalf of Joshua Tree Music Festival Date prepared: June 10, 2022 Breanne, We’d be delighted to partner with Visit 29 Palms again. We are happy to continue with logo and links on the website as below. I’ve also included a couple of optional add-ons if you’d like some additional exposure. Joshua Tree Music Festival can provide: • Logo and link recognition on SPONSORS & FRIENDS website page - Text and backlink under OFFSITE LODGING info Cost: $500 for 1 year / $300 for 6 months Added Value: 4 x THURSDAY tickets for Visit 29 Palms staff to attend our Thursday opening night – Thursday October 6, 2022. Page 21 of 22 Add-Ons: Social Media Custom Shout Out & Message - $250 Exclusive sponsor shout out & message on JTMF Facebook page (45k followers): $250 Logo on Event Poster - $350 Logo on event poster to be distributed locally and around Los Angeles and San Diego. Only 10 spots available *payment & confirmation required by Aug 1, 2022 Please let me know if you have any questions, we look forward to working with you again! Best, Cassie Morrow Co-Producer, Joshua Tree Music Festival cassie@joshuatreemusicfestival.com Page 22 of 22