Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - Special Meeting

TWENTYNINE PALMS TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 6136 Adobe Road Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 www.29palms.org / www.Visit29.org Thursday, May 13, 2021 SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 12:00 P. M. CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA PRESENTATIONS BUSINESS 1. Approval of the Meeting Minutes for the April 29, 2021 Tourism Business Improvement 3-4 District meeting. Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting - 29 Apr 2021 - Minutes - Pdf PUBLIC COMMENTS DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and review of FY20-21 Q1 & Q2 results 5-9 TBID revenue results and proposals for budget adjustments 3. Mid-Year Budget Review 11 TBID FY20-21 Proposed Budget Adjustment 51221 BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS Page 1 of 11 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 12:00 p.m., May 12, 2021. Cindy Villescas CMC, City Clerk Time/Date Page 2 of 11  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 29, 2021 CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chair Maharaj called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance: Boardmember Maria Quinteros lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call: The following TBID Advisory Boardmembers were present: Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj. Boardmembers Knight and Mehta had excused absence. CHANGES TO AGENDA - None PRESENTATIONS 1. Joshua Tree National Park Association - Jacqueline Guevara, Executive Director of the Joshua Tree National Park Association, presented the TBID Advisory board with a sponsorship proposal for the Desert Institute's fall season. BUSINESS 2. Approval of the Meeting Minutes for the March 18, 2021 Tourism Business Improvement District meeting. A motion was made by Boardmember Quinteros, seconded by Maharaj, to approve the March 18, 2021 meeting minutes. The above motion was carried by the following roll call vote: YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj NO: None 3. COVID-19 Update TBID Director Dusastre provided the Advisory Board with an update on what the County's recent change from the Red to Orange tier means for businesses in 29 Palms and discussed the announcement by the CDPH for a full reopening of the California economy on June 15. 4. What's New in 29 Palms TBID Director of Marketing Dusastre shared the news of another new business opening in the downtown area called Hi-Desert Daydream. 5. 29 Palms Visitor Center Update TBID Director of Marketing provided the Advisory Board with an update on Visitor Center operations, sharing the encouraging news that April has been the busiest month yet. 6. March / April Marketing Activity Update TBID Director of Marketing Dusastre presented the Advisory Board will an overview of marketing activities and results, providing a 6-month view of website performance, results from ongoing paid search campaigns and social media, as well as the newly launched digital billboard campaigns. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None Page 1 of 2 Page 3 of 11  Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting April 29, 2021 DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS 6. Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park Association - 2021 Fall Program Proposal A motion was made by Boardmember Quinteros, seconded by Boardmember Grunt, to approve the sponsorship proposal for the Desert Institute's 2021 fall season. The above motion was carried by the following roll call vote: YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj NO: None 7. 2021 Night Sky Festival Sponsorship Proposal A motion was made by Vice Chair Maharaj, seconded by Boardmember Grunt, to approve the event transportation sponsorship proposal for the 2021 Night Sky Festival. The above motion was carried by the following roll call vote: YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj NO: None 8. Box of Kittens Content Creation Proposal A motion was made by Vice Chair Maharaj, seconded by Boardmember Quinteros, to approve the contract services proposal for digital content creation by Anndee Laskoe and Ian Hughes (Box of Kittens production company) The above motion was carried by the following roll call vote: YES: Grunt, Quinteros, Maharaj NO: None BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS Vice Chair Maharaj thanked TBID Director of Marketing Dusastre for leading the organization forward and expressed her appreciation for Dusastre's work on putting the proposals reviewed at today's meeting together. Maharaj also expressed her delight in seeing the improved social media results over the last month. Boardmember Grunt expressed similar comments, saying she is very excited to see the TBID resume many of its marketing efforts. Boardmember Quinteros expressed her excitement for seeing how busy the city has recently become. DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMENTS TBID Director of Marketing Dusastre updated the Advisory Board to say that the TBID revenue results for their second quarter (January to March) would be available within the next week, and that she anticipates they will come in above what they had forecasted at the start of the year. Dusastre explained that once their Q2 results were available she would organize the next meeting in early May at which time a mid-year budget review is to be done. FUTURE BOARDMEMBER INITIATED ITEMS - None ADJOURNMENT: Vice Chair Maharaj adjourned the meeting at 5:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Breanne Dusastre TBID Director of Marketing Page 2 of 2 Page 4 of 11  Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Special Meeting Mid Year Budget Review May 13, 2021 Page 5 of 11 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting: May 13, 2021.  TBID Revenue Results: January 2020 – March 2021 80,000 $73,490 70,000 +64% $61,378 60,000 $57,971 +6% +12% +20% 50,000 $44,661 $41,474 $40,482 40,000 -31% $37,197 $37,732 -14% +8% -32% $32,885 -9% $33,008 30,000 -45% +342% $24,281 -46% $20,239 $19,913 20,000 +200% +191% $7,464 $8,604 10,000 +22% -23% 0 Q2 Jan - March '20 Q3 April - June '20 Q4 July - Sept ' 20 Q1 Oct - Dec '20 Q2 Jan - March '21 Total Hotels VHR's %’s show year-over-year comparison of results from same quarter in the previous year Page 6 of 11 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting: May 13, 2021.  Mid-Year Financial Results & Updated Forecasting • TBID revenue results for the first 6 months of the 2020-2021 FY total $134,971 representing a 31% increase compared to the same period last year. • An updated forecast has been done for the second half of the 2020-2021 FY, with anticipated year-end revenue to surpass $250,000. • As a result of better than anticipated results, TBID staff is recommending a mid-year budget adjustment to allow for increased expenditures to support ongoing and additional marketing programs. Page 7 of 11 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting: May 13, 2021.  Overview of Proposed Budget Adjustments Salaries & Staffing • Adjust budget for TBID Marketing Director to account Contract Services for step increase and COLA increase. • Increase budget to $10,000 to expand • Introduce new part time marketing coordinator position opportunities to host 2 additional bloggers or to the TBID’s organization. influencers over the summer season. Video Production Event Sponsorship • Prioritize the development of a branded video series; • Increase budget above the $15,000 already review and assess production quality of work being done approved to $20,000, ensuring resources are by new production team and look to double monthly available to support additional summer/fall budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. events as they are announced. Internet Marketing Special Projects Increase expenditures from $10,000 to $25,000 to support: • Introduce new line item to the budget to allocated • Reintroduction of internet radio campaign resources for special projects that can include an • Reintroduction digital display advertising audio tour of the city’s murals and public art, a new • Increase monthly spend on social media campaigns art installation for Project Phoenix area, and future • Increase budget for ongoing website maintenance event seeding. Page 8 of 11 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting: May 13, 2021.  Q3-Q4 Marketing Program Outline Outline based on proposed adjustments to FY20-21 budget June Campaigns July Campaigns August Campaigns September Campaigns Paid Search Paid Search Paid Search Paid Search Paid Social Media Paid Social Media Paid Social Media Paid Social Media E-News Blasts E-News Blasts E-News Blasts E-News Blasts Billboards (I-10, PSP) Billboards (I-10, PSP) Billboards (I-10, PSP) Billboards (I-10, PSP) Digital Display Digital Display Digital Display New: Internet Radio Internet Radio Digital Display New: Internet Radio New: Influencer Campaign (x1) Influencer Campaign (x1) Branded Video Branded Video Branded Video Branded Video Content Development Content Development Content Development Content Development Adventure Itinerary Adventure Itinerary Business Spotlight Video x2 Business Spotlight Video Video Video x2 Adventure Itinerary Video Page 9 of 11 Visit 29 Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting: May 13, 2021. Page 10 of 11  TBID REVENUE BUDGET 2020-21 2020-21 2020-21 Approved Budget YTD through April Adjusted Budget 4125 REVENUE: Visit 29! Tourism Assessment Fee 1.5% $ 175,000 $ 134,971 $ 252,000 4150 REVENUE: Income from Merchandise for Resale $ 500 $ 280 $ 500 4245 INTEREST: $ 900 REVENUE: Partnership Program $ 2,500 $ 1,500 $ 2,500 4890 REVENUE: SBC COVID-Compliant Partnership Program Total Revenue: $ 178,000 $ 136,751 $ 255,900 TBID EXPENDITURES SALARIES & BENEFITS 5110 Marketing Director Salary $ 70,845 $ 42,941 $ 74,000 5120 Visitor Center Assistant $ - $ - $ 10,000 5250 Health Benefits $ 12,316 $ 6,968 $ 12,316 5251 Retirement Benefits $ 5,478 $ 3,334 $ 5,478 5252 Workers Comp $ 3,542 $ 1,718 $ 3,542 5254 Unemployment $ 305 $ 151 $ 305 6241 OFFICE SUPPLIES $ 1,200 $ 412 $ 1,200 6244 MISCELLANEOUS $ 10,000 $ 246 $ 500 6245 CONTINGENCY $ 10,000 $ 10,000 $ 10,000.00 6251 TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT $ - $ - 6281 COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES $ 2,500 $ 259 $ 2,500 6291 VISITOR CENTER BUILDING MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS $ 1,200 $ 390.00 $ 1,200 6340 MERCHANDISE FOR RESALE $ - $ - 6343 VIDEO PRODUCTION $ - $ - $ 20,000.00 6344 BROADCAST MEDIA $ - $ 7,500.00 $ 10,000.00 6345 REGIONAL PRINT ADS $ - $ - $ - 6346 TOURISM PRINT ADS $ - $ - $ - 6347 TRADE CONVENTIONS, MEMBERSHIPS & TRAVEL EXPENSES $ - $ - $ - 6348 TRAVEL SHOWS $ - $ - $ - 6353 CONTRACT SERVICES Marketing Firm $ - $ - $ - Marketing Specialist $ - $ - $ - Social Media Specialist $ - $ - $ - Influencers/Bloggers $ - $ 3,000 $ 10,000 6356 INTERNET MARKETING & WEBSITE Internet Radio $ 5,500 Internet Advertising, Social media ads across platforms ($150/mo) $ 1,800 $ 635 $ 5,800 Internet Marketing Software (Adobe Creative Cloud) $ 650 $ 600 $ 650 Website Redesign, Consulting, Web fixes, tech updates $ 2,000 $ 1,050 $ 2,000 Website, Wordpress & Plugins security updates $ - $ - $ 2,000 Website Hosting/Domain Renewal $ 650 $ 1,143.96 $ 1,200 ConstantContact Email Marketing $ 780 $ 602 $ 780 MCCS/MCAGCC LifeIn29 $ - $ - $ - Google Ad Words $ 2,400 $ 2,308 $ 11,200 VisitCalifornia.com banner ad $ 2,000 $ - $ 2,000 6371 SPONSORSHIP/COMMUNITY EVENTS $ - $ 15,000 $ 20,000.00 6518 MARKETING EQUIPMENT $ - $ - $ - #### SPECIAL PROJECTS $ - $ - $ 20,000.00 $ 127,666 $ 98,259 $ 232,171 Total Approved Budget $ 178,000 $ 255,900 Total Revenue $ 178,000 $ 134,971 $ 255,900 Total Expenses $ 127,666 $ 98,259 $ 232,171 Surplus/Deficit $ 50,334 $ 36,712 $ 23,729 Page 11 of 11