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, July 27, 2023 REGULAR SESSION AGENDA 3:30 P. M. CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call. CHANGES TO AGENDA PRESENTATIONS 1 Presentation by the City of Twentynine Palms Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) 2 Presentation by Matt Beurois, Colorado Studio/Yucca Valley Film Festival BUSINESS 3 Approval of meeting minutes for the May 11, 2023 Tourism Business Improvement District 3-4 meeting. Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - 11 May 2023 - Minutes - Pdf 4 Visit 29 Palms Marketing Updates DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 5 Twentynine Palms Book Festival Event Sponsorship 5-8 Book Festival Sponsorship Proposal 6 Discover Inland Empire Roadshow Series in Mexico, Latin America, and Europe 9 - 15 Discover Inland Empire Roadshow Partner Proposal 7 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Marketing Plan and Budget for FY 23-24 17 - 18 Page 1 of 20  Visit 29 Palms TBID FY 23-24 Planning 8 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Conversion and Reauthorization 19 - 20 Visit 29 Palms TBID Conversion and Reauthorization PUBLIC COMMENTS BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS 1 FAMS - Events, Retreats, Music, Film 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., on July 24, 2023. Cindy Villescas CMC, City Clerk Time/Date Page 2 of 20  TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org May 11, 2023 CALL TO ORDER: 3:33 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance was lead by Heidi Grunt. Roll Call: Boardmembers Knight, Grunt, Maharaj, and Mehta were present, Boardmember Madrid had an excused absence. CHANGES TO AGENDA: YES TBID Director notified the Advisory Board that Patrick Zuchowicki was present, and would like to share an update on planning and development of the Twentynine Palms Book Festival. PRESENTATIONS 1. Presentation by Patrick Zuchowicki on the Twentynine Palms Book Festival planned for October 2023. Patrick Zuchowicki presented an updated event outline for a new event planned for the fall, in celebration of California's literary heritage. The event will be held in part at the new community center in Freedom Plaza and also at Corner 62 and will feature a dynamic series of small events and a book fair. BUSINESS Approval of meeting minutes for the March 16, 2023 Tourism Business Improvement District meeting. ACTION: A motion was made by Chair Mehta, seconded by Boardmember Grunt to approve the TBID meeting minutes from the March 16, 2023 meeting. The above motion was carried by the following roll call vote: YES: Maharaj, Knight, Grunt, Mehta NO: None CARRIED. 3. Visit 29 Palms Marketing Updates As part of TBID Director Dusastre's marketing updates, a recap was shared about the recent IE Tourism Summit and local community events that Visit 29 Palms sponsored, included Pride 29 and the Joshua Tree 55. Dusastre shared updates on key performance indicators and metrics for the Visit29.org site, updates on how development and planning was going for the new website, an overview on City of 29 Palms Visitor Center operations and traffic reports from Joshua Tree National Park. Page 1 of 2 Page 3 of 20  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting May 11, 2023 DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 4. Discussion & Review of Visit 29 Palms TBID Conversion from the 1989 Parking & Business Improvement Area Law to the 1994 Property & Business Improvement District Law TBID Director Dusastre outlined tasks completed as part of phase one in the district conversion project, discussing the development of a management district plan, open house outreach, and next steps in phase one. Following approval of management district plan and petition drive documents by city staff, phase one will be fully executed, and the petition drive will be the first task as part of phase two. Civitas will provide an agreement for contract services to execute phase two of the project, providing support and guidance through the petition drive, City Council meetings and public hearings, and support for non-profit formation. 5. Mid-Year Budget & Expenditure Review and Budget Adjustment Discussions TBID Director Dusastre provided a mid-year report on TBID assessment revenue, sharing that results were tracking above the previous year by 10%, and that 75% of the revenue budget had been generated in the first six months of the year. At mid-year, TBID expenditures are tracking 56% to budget. Upon discussion of possible budget adjustments in order to accommodate Civitas contract services and legal fees, the TBID Advisory Board declined to request budget adjustments be made at the mid-year point, feeling confident that based on how assessment revenue is tracking there would not be a budget shortfall and to reassess when third quarter results are in. PUBLIC COMMENTS BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS FAMS - Events, Retreats, Music, Film ADJOURNMENT: 4:50 p.m. 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., May 8, 2023. Cindy Villescas CMC, City Clerk Time/Date Page 2 of 2 Page 4 of 20 Ms. Breanne Dusastre Director of Marketing Visit 29 Palms Twentynine Palms, 23 July Dear Breanne, Following our conversation, please find below our proposal for Visit 29 Palms to partner with the Twentynine Palms Book Festival – an annual event celebrating stories and storytellers inspired by the desert and the American West, community engagement, and the town’s rich heritage. As a festival partner, you will benefit from hyper-targeted marketing strategies to engage year- round reading enthusiasts in the High Desert Basin and attract culturally curious weekenders to Twentynine Palms. Activation will commence on Thursday, August 31, with the full program and free sign-up options to be available online. The festival will feature a lineup of popular authors, a book fair, book signings, readings, talks, a showcase of readers’ companion objects, and panel discussions. The event will be held at two convenient locations in downtown Twentynine Palms: the Twentynine Palms Community Center (Freedom Plaza) and the Corner 62 shopping passage. The first edition will engage 1,500+ online book enthusiasts, with an additional 250 physical attendees. For this first edition, most of these enthusiasts (70%) will be residents of Twentynine Palms, while the remaining 30% will be from nearby communities such as Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Landers, Flamingo Heights, Landers, Morongo and Pioneertown. From Thursday, August 31st onwards, a multifaceted marketing approach will be employed to raise awareness. The approach will encompass traditional communication methods such as flyers, posters, onsite billboards, print and radio advertising. 73552 Twentynine Palms Highway Twentynine Palms, Ca. 92277 Thedesertgeneralstore.com Page 5 of 20 Additionally, online marketing tools like the festival website and newsletters, along with social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, will play a significant role in engaging and building an online community. Utilizing advanced CRM technologies and geo-targeting, we will deliver tailored messages ensuring maximum impact and minimal waste. Recognizing the importance of offline channels in rural areas, personalized outreach will be conducted at the Twentynine Palms Farmers Market on Saturday mornings prior to the festival. We are also collaborating with local writers’ guilds and community groups, while also engaging in cross-promotion with tourism agencies and visitor centers. PROPOSALS I would like to suggest sponsoring one of the festival’s SIX specific segments described below. Visit 29 Palms will gain recognition as the official sponsor of that segment, featuring your branding prominently in relevant areas. 1. The “FESTIVAL WELCOME DESK” | Positioned at the Twentynine Palms Community Center entrance, the Festival Welcome Desk operates as an information center on four consecutive Saturdays, starting September 30, and transforms into a registration 2. The “LIVE SESSIONS PROGRAM” | The live session program will cover a range of topics, including fostering a love for reading in children, untold stories of Twentynine Palms’ heritage, and Western and Romance fiction. The program will take place inside the Gymnasium located within the Twentynine Palms Community Center from 1 PM to 7 PM. With a seating capacity of 250 people, each session will feature two to five guests. 3. The “AUTHOR MEET AND GREET PROGRAM” | Ten guest authors will take part in book signings, providing attendees with an opportunity to have informal conversations over a cup of coffee. The event will be held inside the Corner 62 shopping passage, conveniently located across the street from the Twentynine Palms Community Center. 4. The “BOOK FAIR” | The festival’s bookfair component will feature the Desert Writers Guild, independent publishers, and local authors, creating a space for them to meet with fans and new readers face-to-face. Tables will be set up outside the Twentynine Palms Community Center, adjacent to the Registration Stand, from 8 AM to 7 PM. 5. The “CRIME FICTION EVENING” | Attendees will be invited to immerse themselves in a thrilling evening dedicated to crime fiction with captivating talks, readings, musical acts, and great cocktails. The event will be held inside the Corner 62 shopping passage. 6. The “GIFT BAG” | We welcome thirty VIP guests, including authors, to the festival. Ten of them will enjoy a complimentary one-night stay in one of Twentynine Palms’ renowned lodgings. Each VIP will receive a branded “Gift Bag”, showcasing the partner’s logo, who can also include their marketing materials with each bag. 73552 Twentynine Palms Highway Twentynine Palms, Ca. 92277 Thedesertgeneralstore.com Page 6 of 20 Each sponsorship package is offered for $895 and includes the following benefits:  Recognition in all promotional, informative and press materials, enhancing brand visibility.  One roll-up banner in the sponsored area, ensuring prominent brand display.  Greeting, and welcoming opportunities, allowing direct engagement with attendees.  Logo featured on the website, festival posters, flyers, and billboards, ensuring extensive brand exposure.  A quarter-page advertisement in the first and second issues of the festival’s journal, reaching a captive audience of readers.  Three reserved front-row seats for all live sessions.  A branded good in the Gift Bag, offering a lasting impression on attendees and extending brand recall beyond the event. For more clarity, please note that the festival’s marketing channels include:  The WEBSITE | The festival’s website serves as an information hub and online registration platform, offering author profiles, and interactive features. Attendees will be kept informed with news and updates, while acknowledging sponsors and partners.  The JOURNAL | Launching in mid-October, the quarterly print newsletter (24 pages / Tabloid format / 3,000 copies) will serve a dual purpose. It will connect book enthusiasts closer to the festival, showcase the world of desert and American-West inspired storytellers and stories, and unearth hidden narratives from Twentynine Palms.  The FESTIVAL POSTER | Designed by a local artist, the festival’s poster will be displayed on storefronts in Twentynine Palms and nearby communities. It will also be available for purchase as memorabilia for festival attendees.  The FLYERS | We will hand-distribute 5,000 flyers during the four weekends leading up to the festival. These flyers will be distributed at the Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree Farmers Markets and will also be made available at tourism offices and visitors center across the High Desert Basin.  The BILLBOARDS | Four promotional billboards will be strategically placed in high-traffic downtown Twentynine Palms areas. These oversized billboards will be in front and inside the Twentynine Palms Community Center (Freedom Plaza) and the Corner 62 shopping passage.  The GIFT BAG | Gift Bags containing various branded merchandise and promotional items will be handed to the 30 VIP guests invited to the festival. These bags are effective marketing tools that not only provide ‘influencers’ with tangible souvenirs but also significantly contribute to the visibility and success of a book festival. Our partnership model offers extended exposure and measurable results to stakeholders, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers contributing to Twentynine Palms’ development. 73552 Twentynine Palms Highway Twentynine Palms, Ca. 92277 Thedesertgeneralstore.com Page 7 of 20 Benefits include branding and consumer-facing opportunities during the first edition, engagement with a fast-growing book enthusiast community after the festival’s first edition, and chances to offer festival-related promotions. Building on the success of the first edition, our vision is to transform the Twentynine Palms Book Festival into a two-day event, engaging local reading enthusiasts and attracting book lovers seeking authentic experiences. Promoting the city’s heritage is essential, and we’ll create a marketplace for literary rights. Hyper-targeted marketing tactics will maintain year-round engagement, benefiting early partners with continuous visibility. Partnership opportunities for 2024 will be available from mid-November 2023. Let me know if you have any questions. Best, Patrick Zuchowicki Jucaud 29PBF General Coordinator pz@thedesertgeneralstore.com 73552 Twentynine Palms Highway Twentynine Palms, Ca. 92277 Thedesertgeneralstore.com Page 8 of 20 2023 Discover IE Road Show, Event and FAM Calendar Page 9 of 20  2023 Discover IE Mexico Roadshow Date: August 3-4, 2023 (tentative) Location: Mexico Objective: The objective of Discover Inland Empire Mexico Road Show is to provide Discover IE’s partners the exclusive opportunity to showcase their latest products, attractions and events for the Mexican visitors, build strong presence, business relationships and connections; and increase leisure and business travel to IE/SoCal. Discover IE Mexico Road Show will promote inclusion, economic development and travel trade. Specifically, multiple studies show that LGBTQI+ individuals are often considered strongly entrepreneurial, are usually owners of their businesses, and are looking to expand their business activities around the world. California’s biggest opportunities are in North America/Mexico. Mexicans have been three times more likely than the global average to visit in the last 12 months, and Mexico has been one of only a handful of countries with greater airlift to California than pre-pandemic, with 2022 air travel reached 114% of 2019 levels. At regional level, June was another record month at IE/SoCal’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcoming more than 559,000 travelers. ONT offers nonstop flights to nearly two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, El Salvador/ Latin America, and Taiwan, thus more international guests to the mountain, desert and winery communities within the IE region. International guests are more flexible with travel dates, stay longer and spend more. Avianca increased two additional frequencies to Ontario and is now operating with 5 weekly frequencies. Given this favorable environment, Discover IE Mexico Road Show will meet one-on-one with over 100 top-level specialized Mexican media and tourism executives (travel agencies, wholesale operators, OTAs, airlines, meeting planners, luxury travel clubs etc.) to personally deliver a message of welcome to visitors from Mexico to IE. Supporting Partners: • Volaris Airline • San Bernardino County • Riverside County • U.S. Embassy Mexico City • Ontario International Airport Page 10 of 20  • SBD International Airport • Palm Springs International Airport • Hertz Member Participation Cost: $3,000 for one primary delegate per member company Participation Cost will cover: - Discover IE hosted office meetings and events with Mexico travel and media professionals - Private transportation to/from business meetings, events - Meeting and event expenses: venue, lunch, dinner and professional services - Banner, brochure marketing at the events - Premium logo and recognition on Discover IE website, social media, e-newsletter, invitations, printed marketing collaterals and on-site events - Pre mission conference call to understand partners’ objectives and requirements and go through event agenda - Post mission de-briefing and final report (client contact information, event photos and recap) and follow-up/leads assistance Page 11 of 20  2023 Discover IE Latin America Roadshow Date: August 28 - September 1, 2023 Location: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama & Peru (virtual) Objective: The objective of Discover Inland Empire Latin America Road Show is to provide Discover IE’s partners the exclusive opportunity to showcase their latest products, attractions and events for the Latin American travel trade from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru, build strong presence, business relationships and connections; and increase leisure and business travel to IE/SoCal. At regional level, June was another record month at IE/SoCal’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcoming more than 559,000 travelers. ONT offers nonstop flights to nearly two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, El Salvador/ Latin America, and Taiwan, thus more international guests to the mountain, desert and winery communities within the IE region. International guests are more flexible with travel dates, stay longer and spend more. Avianca increased two additional frequencies to Ontario and is now operating with 5 weekly frequencies. Given this favorable environment, Discover IE Latin America Road Show will meet one-on- one with over 150 top-level specialized Latin American media and tourism executives (travel agencies, wholesale operators, OTAs, airlines, meeting planners, luxury travel clubs etc.) to personally deliver a message of welcome to visitors from Latin America to IE. Supporting Partners: • Volaris Airline • Avianca Airline • San Bernardino County Page 12 of 20  • Riverside County • U.S. Embassy • Ontario International Airport • SBD International Airport • Palm Springs International Airport • Hertz Member Registration Cost: $3,000 for one primary delegate per member company Participation Cost will cover: - Discover IE hosted office meetings and events with Mexico travel and media professionals - Private transportation to/from business meetings, events - Meeting and event expenses: venue, lunch, dinner and professional services - Banner, brochure marketing at the events - Premium logo and recognition on Discover IE website, social media, e- newsletter, invitations, printed marketing collaterals and on-site events - Pre mission conference call to understand partners’ objectives and requirements and go through event agenda - Post mission de-briefing and final report (client contact information, event photos and recap) and follow-up/leads assistance Page 13 of 20  2023 Discover IE Europe Roadshow Date: September 18 - September 22, 2023 Location: Spain, Portugal Objective: The objective of Discover Inland Empire Europe Road Show is to provide Discover IE’s partners the exclusive opportunity to showcase their latest products, attractions and events for the European travel trade from Spain, Portugal and UK, build strong presence, business relationships and connections; and increase leisure and business travel to IE/SoCal. The LGBTQI+ community in the Iberian Peninsula comprises over 3 million potential travelers who have the potential to contribute to over $10 billion to the U.S. economy. This Road Show will educate local travel representatives about the LGBTQI+-friendly features of IE, with an Educational Conference featuring IGLTA, whose mission is to provide information and resources for LGBTQI+ travelers and expand LGBTQI+ tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact. At regional level, June was another record month at IE/SoCal’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcoming more than 559,000 travelers. ONT offers nonstop flights to nearly two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, El Salvador/ Latin America, and Taiwan, thus more international guests to the mountain, desert and winery communities within the IE region. International guests are more flexible with travel dates, stay longer and spend more. Avianca increased two additional frequencies to Ontario and is now operating with 5 weekly frequencies. Given this favorable environment, Discover IE Europe Road Show will meet one-on-one with over 150 top-level specialized European media and tourism executives (travel Page 14 of 20 agencies, wholesale operators, OTAs, airlines, meeting planners, luxury travel clubs etc.) to personally deliver a message of welcome to visitors from Europe to IE. Supporting Partners: • Avianca Airline • San Bernardino County • Riverside County • U.S. Embassy • Ontario International Airport • SBD International Airport • Palm Springs International Airport • Hertz Member Registration Cost: $3,000 for one primary delegate per member company Registration cost will cover: - Discover IE hosted office meetings and events with Mexico travel and media professionals - Private transportation to/from business meetings, events - Meeting and event expenses: venue, lunch, dinner and professional services - Premium logo and recognition on Discover IE website, social media, e- newsletter, invitations, printed marketing collaterals and on-site events - Pre mission conference call to understand partners’ objectives and requirements and go through event agenda - Post mission de-briefing and final report (client contact information, event photos and recap) and follow-up/leads assistance One-time Special Offer (must enroll all three road shows): - Total Participation Cost of 3 Road Shows (Mexico, LATAM and Europe): $9,000 o Discover IE’s Matching Funds: $4,500 o Visit 29 Palm’s Matching Funds: $4,500 o Special Offer Deadline: July 31, 2023 Page 15 of 20 Page 16 of 20  Discussion & Action Items July 27, 2023. Page 17 of 20  7/23/2023 FY 2023-2024 PLANNING Discussion and Review: Visit 29 Palms Tourism Marketing Plan & Budget for FY 23-24 October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 Marketing Plan Discussion Items: Marketing Budget Discussion Items: • Goals, objectives • TBID assessment and use of reserves • Branding, positioning • TBID/Visitor Center staffing • Target markets • Contract services and legal counsel • Content development • Marketing programs • Event development • Event sponsorship • Metrics and KPI’s • Travel trade conventions Page 18 of 20  Discussion & Action Items July 27, 2023. Page 19 of 20  7/23/2023 VISIT 29 PALMS DISTRICT CONVERSION Converting the Visit 29 Palms TBID from the 1989 Parking & Business Improvement Area Law to the 1994 Property & Business Improvement District Law Project Background • In 2017, Visit 29 Palms adopted a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) funding model, under the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 (’89 Law). While many districts were once formed under the ’89 Law, by now, most have converted to the more contemporary Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994 (’94 Law). • Visit 29 Palms has enlisted the services of Civitas Advisors to help guide this process and is proposing to modernize the current TBID by converting to a ’94 district. The proposed, modernized TBID will be similar to the existing TBID but offers stakeholders more transparency in oversight and governance in managing the district. Under the ’94 Law, the TBID can also operate for a longer period of time, (up to 10 years after an initial 5-year term) which allows Visit 29 Palms staff to focus on long-term initiatives instead of spending time required to fulfill the administrative tasks required for annual renewal. Discussion Items • Petition drive status, reauthorization planning, Civitas contract services, Page 20 of 20