1 Temply Annual Report 2015 Designed By Temply
Annual Report: Economic Development Commission Visitors Bureau & Tourism Marketing District
2016-2017
Chamber of Commerce | Visitors Bureau | Economic Development Commission 2 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Contents
Cover Letter 3 Chamber Staff & Leadership 4
Economic Development Commission Introduction 6 Members 7 Business Attractions & Services 8 Collaboration with Economic Development Partners 12 Engagement with Regional Partners 13 Next Steps 16
Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & RMDZ 17
Visitors Bureau Introduction 22 Key Metrics 23 Visitor Assistance 24 Enhancing the Visitor Experience 25 Promoting Local Events 27 Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination 29
Appendix A: Santa Maria Valley Demographics 34 Appendix B: Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 38 Appendix C: Economic Development Commission End of Year financials 43 Appendix D: Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau Press Clippings 44 Appendix E: Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District Analytics 47 Appendix F: Visitors Bureau End of Year Financials 50
Contact Information 52 3 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau September 2017
Alice Patino, Mayor Jack Boysen, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Cordero, Council Member Michael Moats, Council Member Etta Waterfield, Council Member Rick Haydon, City Manager
On behalf of the board, staff, and members of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, I am pleased to share with you the attached annual report highlighting the economic development and tourism programs and results. The Chamber is proud to be a partner with the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Public Airport, and our local industries on these programs. We are committed to being aggressive and effective in making a positive impact on the economic vitality of our community through support for existing businesses, attraction of new businesses and business start-ups, and the promotion of the community as a tourism/hospitality destination. The enclosed reports provide a review of the work we engaged in during the2017-17 fiscal year. As you know, economic development and tourism require sustained efforts and highly visible wins come with unpredictable frequency. We believe that the community is best served by ongoing efforts that ensure we continue to be a community that is as open to and supportive of business activity as possible. Looking forward, we are excited about the potential for Santa Maria. The investments made in the tourism program by our hotel partners are beginning to show significant impact and we are confident that the coming year will demonstrate the effectiveness of the marketing campaign that has been created and launched. On the economic development side, we are confident that the combination of work we’ve done to begin to build regional alliances and partnerships, along with the addition of new leadership both for the city and the Chamber will allow us to leverage the energy and attention that will be focused on the City as current projects build out. Once again, the Chamber is grateful for the opportunity to work with the elected and appointed leaders in our community on these important initiatives and looks forward to your continued feedback and support. Sincerely,
Glenn D. Morris President & CEO 4 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Chamber Staff & Leadership
Chamber Volunteer Leadership
2017-2018 OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mark Allen, Marian Regional Medical Center Hugh Rafferty, CoastHills Federal Credit Chairman of the Board Donna Cross, Next Day Signs Union Cameron Stephens, SM Tire Felix Esparza, Community Outreach Donna Randolph, State Farm Insurance Chairman Elect Solutions Tim Ritchie, Home Motors Dr. Ray Arensdorf, Arensdorf Chiropractic Jean-luc Garon, Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Cynthia Schur, Santa Maria Times Michelle Shipman, SearchLight Properties Vice Chairman Edgar Gascon, Hacienda Realty Janet Silveria, Community Bank of Santa Butch Lopez, V. Lopez Jr. & Sons General Chris Slaughter, Discovery Museum Maria Engineering Contractors Inc. Erika Weber, VTC Enterprises Eddie Murray, The Murray Group - Morgan Tim Woodbury, Woody’s Butcher Block Vice Chairman Dr. Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College Stanley Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate Past Chairman Ed Carcarey, Mega 97.1
Professional Staff
President & CEO Marketing & Communications Manager Group Sales & Services Coordinator Glenn Morris, ACE Molly Schiff Terri Prouty
VP, Chamber Operations Membership Manager Administrative Support Coordinator Terri Oneschuck Cara Martinez Patricia Horta
Director, Visitors Bureau Event & Special Projects Manager Member & Visitor Services Jennifer Harrison Alex Magana Taz Dougherty
Consultants & Support Team Economic Development Commission Suzanne Singh
Energy Watch Partnership of Northern Santa Barbara County / Recycled Materials Development Zone Dave Cross
Leadership Santa Maria Valley Nancy Gastelum
Tourism Marketing District Cheryl Cuming 5 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Economic Development Commission 6 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Economic Development Commission Introduction
The Economic Development Commission (EDC) is a department of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, which partners with the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Public Airport District, and local development organizations to market our community to prospective companies. The Chamber/EDC is also the lead agency in providing retention programs geared toward strengthening the current base of industrial, retail and manufacturing. The City of Santa Maria continues to invest in economic development by providing funding for the Chamber/EDC. The Santa Maria Public Airport District also contributes. The Chamber of Commerce provides the additional necessary resources and support to accomplish the responsibilities of the Chamber/EDC, including • promoting Santa Maria as a prime business location • providing business information to potential and existing companies • working directly with local agencies and commercial brokers to provide information, resources and contacts to meet specific needs of both new and expanding businesses • partnering with agencies that provide incentives, workforce training, and outreach to businesses and organizations.
The EDC and the Chamber of Commerce appreciate the continued support from the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Public Airport, and the many businesses and organizations that participate in its programs. 7 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Economic Development Commission Members
The Chamber engages local business and community leadership in the economic development process through an advisory board, made up of individuals selected and invited because of a specific role that they play in the local development community. The Commission is charged with providing input and direction to the Chamber/EDC staff to identify key barriers to economic growth and the development of action plans designed to address specific issues. The Commission also ensures accountability on those action plans as we report on progress, lessons learned, and successes achieved. During the current fiscal year, for instance, the Commission received updates on issues such as Industrial/Commercial real estate inventory, workforce training initiatives at the high school district, and the city’s effort to expand broadband capacity within the community. One specific follow up to these presentations is a task force which has been established to look more closely at the status of the city’s inventory of land available for new business expansion and to evaluate whether to recommend the city begin the process of identifying where it should grow next through annexations.
The Commission membership, appointed by the Chamber Board of Directors and/or the respective partner organization, currently includes the following individuals: Dan Blough, Dan Blough Construction (CRE Developer) Jim Bray, Pacific Coast Energy (Energy) Anne Cremarosa, MIYB Spaces (Sm. Business) Dave Cross, Fletcher Cross Associates (Land Use/Planning) Danny Deveraux, CalPortland (Transportation) Jason Diani, Diani Companies (Gen. Contractor) Mark Fugate, Charter Brokerage (CRE Developer) Angelica Gutierrez, Rabobank (Banking) Jay Hardy, Hardy Diagnostics (Lrg Employer) Chris Hastert, Santa Maria Public Airport Rick Haydon, City of Santa Maria Rob Himoto, SMV Railroad (Transportation) Mike Kirkwood, Community West Bank (EconAlliance) Sofia Lariz, Emerald Broadcasting (Sm. Business) Kerin Mase, Marian Regional Medical Center (Healthcare) Cheun Ng, City of Santa Maria Tim Ritchie, Home Motors (Chamber Board) Rick Rust, Aera Energy (Energy) Steve Scott, Scott Construction (Gen. Contractor) David Swenk, Urban Planning Concepts (Land Use/Planning) Dr. Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College (Education) Brooks Wise, Heritage Oaks Bank (Banking) 8 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Business Attractions & Services
While operating the first 6 months of the fiscal year without a full-time economic development director on staff, the Chamber/EDC continued to provide services to both existing and prospective businesses. Interactions included supporting prospects with planning process issues, sharing information about local market conditions with potential developers, and providing advocacy support as needed. The selection in January 2017 of Economic Development Services of California and Suzanne Singh to lead our Economic Development efforts has allowed us to refine our focus and accelerate our activity. Recognizing the need to engage with a wide range of economic development related partners, the Chamber/EDC has invested significant effort in working with organizations like the Economic Vitality Team for Santa Barbara County, Econ Alliance, SCORE, CalPoly, the Workforce Development Board, and Softec to advance programs and services that can benefit our local businesses. During the past twelve months, the Chamber/EDC responded to 90 requests from site selectors and local businesses seeking specific assistance with needs ranging from locating facilities or understanding new state legislation to identifying new vendors/partners and working through the city regulatory process. Additionally, the Chamber/EDC began or continued to work with twenty-six business prospects. Activities conducted in support of these projects included facilitating meetings with local regulators, circulating RFPs, and providing data about local business conditions and opportunities. While the nature of these opportunities included everything from small retailers to large industrial projects, it is interesting to note that we have seen clusters of activity from hotel developers and food processing projects. In addition to projects which come directly to the Chamber/EDC, we are now part of a state-wide network operated by the state economic development agency, GoBIZ. As a member of that network, we receive leads on major projects being run by the state. This year, that led to four specific RFPs that we were able to share with local developers and commercial brokers. The range of projects and requests we get involved with varies greatly, but the table on the following page is a representative sampling of the work we’ve been involved with recently. We share this, not as a comprehensive list, but to give an idea of the types of requests we received throughout the year. 9 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Business Attractions & Services 10 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Business Attractions & Services
Tours & Forums The Chamber/EDC was pleased to relaunch its business tour series. The Industry Tours series provides an opportunity for local business leaders to gain personal insight into the work done by key businesses in town and to develop relationships and business networks. The Industry Tour series restarted in October of 2016 with a tour of Solve-It Corporation, a light manufacturing firm which consolidated operations into Santa Maria fairly recently. In November, the Chamber/ EDC hosted a tour of the new rail yard and headquarters for Santa Maria Valley Railroad and, in January, visited Atlas Copco Mafi Trench. Additional tours included Santa Maria Tire’s new retread facility (March), Hardy Diagnostics (May), and Marian Regional Medical Center (July).
Online tools and data availability The Chamber/EDC continues to strengthen the resources available to local businesses via its website. Two data tools which were added to the Chamber/ EDC website last year, Tools for Business and Size-Up, were refined and updated this year to make them more user friendly and to ensure the information they provide is as current as possible. Additionally, the website features an extensive online training catalog via a partnership with Coggno Online Learning. We continue to refine the Chamber/EDC portion of the website and are working on additional business attraction tools that we anticipate will be launched in early FY 2017-2018. These tools will feature a Community Profile of the Santa Maria Valley, with the ability for researchers to obtain more detailed information on specific demographic economic factors related to the decision process of starting or relocating a business to an area. Santa Maria Valley demographics pulled from these tools can be found in Appendix A (p. 30-33), and labor statistics can be found in Appendix B (p. 34-38). 11 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Business Attractions & Services
Bringing Resources to Businesses through Partnership Programs. The EDC either manages or provides leadership to a number of regional business partnerships, each designed to provide specialized resources to local businesses. Among these programs are the Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership, the Recycling Market Development Zone, and the Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County. • The Chamber of Commerce/EDC is the Partnership Administrator of the Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership program. The purpose of the partnership is to assist municipalities and businesses with retrofit options that provide energy efficiency and cost savings. Partners include PG&E and SoCal Gas, along with the City of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbara, Guadalupe, Solvang and Buellton. Since January 2015, the program has assisted 58 Santa Maria businesses, resulting in significant savings both of energy and cost. • In 2016, the EDC became the Zone Administrator in Santa Barbara County for the Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ). This program operates under the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) and combines economic development and recycling goals by promoting the processing and use of recycled materials to produce new products. Through the RMDZ Program, a variety of incentives are offered to businesses that use recycled materials to make new products, including below market rate loans, targeted marketing assistance such as feedstock sourcing, networking with other businesses, zones, and governmental agencies, and referrals for business planning, etc. • The EDC is a leading funder and member of the steering committee for the Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County. The program provides resources and assistance to businesses wanting to be green, certifies businesses through workshops and trainings, on-site visits & evaluation, and highlights certified businesses so that local consumers can shop green. A detailed activity report for these programs is included in the next section of this report. 12 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Collaboration with Economic Development Partners
City of Santa Maria EDC Director Suzanne Singh meets regularly with members of the Planning and Building staff to review current projects and identify solutions to challenges facing specific projects. She has also facilitated a number of introductions and business tours for staff to meet local businesses and understand better the work and needs of these companies. In addition to these regular consultations on specific projects, Ms. Singh was invited to work with the City staff to help improve the customer experience. Specifically, Ms. Singh worked with staff to make improvements to the department’s website and has provided input on simplifying forms and processes associated with projects.
Santa Maria Public Airport District The Chamber/EDC continues to work closely with the Airport management on their efforts to expand passenger service to the community. In addition to providing marketing support for the Los Angeles service provided by Mokulele Airlines, EDC member Jim Bray and Chamber CEO Glenn Morris participated in two airline visits as part of the Airport’s Air Service Team. Visits were made to American Airlines and to SkyWest Airlines, providing service planners with both firms with updated information about Santa Maria and the potential air travel market in our area. While neither airline was prepared to make commitments yet, both expressed appreciation for the updated information. We will continue to support the Airport as appropriate in promoting expanded service for our community. In addition to passenger service issues, the Chamber/EDC has been engaged with the Airport District on a number of economic development related activities including participating on the steering committee for the Airport Master Plan update, an effort to return US Customs services to the airport, and ongoing efforts to market Airport owned sites as potential business locations. 13 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Engagement with Regional Partners
Recognizing that the economic health of our community is not determined solely within the boundaries of the City, the Economic Development Commission has worked this year to increase and strengthen our relationships with partners in our region. We believe that these partnerships will pay dividends as we leverage marketing, policy, and communication activities with organizations who share similar missions and priorities with us. Specifically, this past year, we have engaged with our partners in the following areas:
Economic Vitality Team of Santa Barbara County The Economic Vitality Team (EVT) is a collaborative effort that includes all of the Chambers of Commerce in Santa Barbara County, along with other key partners in the development community. The primary focus of the EVT is to promote Santa Barbara County as a receptive region for business development and to work to improve conditions that would make the County more attractive. Some of the key initiatives currently under way include: • Broadband Initiative. The EVT is the lead agency representing Santa Barbara County on a tri-county initiative with the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast (BCPC), to expand broadband service and coverage throughout our region. In this capacity, the EVT has facilitated a number of information gathering activities including updates from a number of broadband providers currently operating in our region, or interested in expanding into our region. Additionally, the EVT is working with a technical team to identify dark or underused fiber in each community to update broadband coverage maps and identify priority regions within the County. Their focus during this initial expansion is dedicated towards education and emergency service opportunities in all areas of the county. This program has numerous future meetings set up to have the service providers talking directly to the community leaders, government representatives and Chamber executives. • Collaborative Marketing. For the second year in a row, the EVT published and distributed fourteen thousand copies of the county-wide Economic Profile. This sixteen page, full color marketing piece is used by the EVT and local Chambers to educate site selection and corporate real estate leaders about business activity and conditions in our region. In addition, the piece includes specific profiles on each community in addition to general information on the county as a whole.
Workforce Development Board/Workforce Resource Center • The Chamber/EDC continues to work with the Workforce Development Board to implement youth employment experience programs and to support job fairs organized by the Workforce Resource Center. Additionally, the Chamber/EDC has actively worked to connect new businesses to the community with the Workforce Resource Center for assistance in hiring new employees. • EDC Member Kevin Walthers and Chamber CEO Glenn Morris currently serve as members of the Workforce Development Board. Additional “north county” representatives include Sandra Dickerson (YPP; Vice Chair of the Board), Adrienne Dodd (Marian Regional Medical Center), and Steve Lavagnino (SBC Board of Supervisors). Glenn Morris also serves as a member of the Executive Committee and as chair of the board’s performance committee. 14 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Engagement with Regional Partners
Softec The EDC became a formal sponsor of Softec this year and has co-sponsored a series of Tech Brew mixer/presentation events which the organization has expanded into Santa Maria.
CalPoly Chamber CEO Glenn Morris recently was invited to join the President’s Local Economic Development Committee. This body advises Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong and his economic development staff on issues that impact both the university and the SLO/Northern Santa Barbara County economy. EDC member Kevin Walthers is also a member of this committee. We see this as a forum to raise awareness on the part of the university and with other regional business leaders about the opportunities for business location in northern Santa Barbara County and to advocate for inclusion in the university’s efforts to provide workforce training, business attraction, housing, etc.
SCORE (SBA) The SBA supported SCORE program has become an active partner of the Chamber/EDC this year. The Chamber co-sponsored a Small Business symposium with SCORE and the City of Santa Maria which drew several hundred participants for a day of workshops and networking. Additionally, the SCORE chapter provides content for the Chamber’s monthly newsletter, conducts workshops for new and growing small businesses in the community, and is building their mentorship program in our community.
EconAlliance of Northern Santa Barbara County The Chamber/EDC continues to participate in a variety of informational forums organized by the EconAlliance. In particular, the Chamber/EDC participated on a panel talking about ways to grow wine-related tourism in the county at a recent EconAlliance program. EDC Director Suzanne Singh connects regularly with the EconAlliance leadership to share information and coordinate on projects that address current and future regional concerns. 15 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Engagement with Regional Partners
City of Guadalupe The Chamber/EDC has begun to actively engage with the City of Guadalupe on projects that we believe will help with economic vitality in this part of the Santa Maria Valley. We initially worked with the City on a series of Energy Efficiency projects through our Energy Watch Partnership. From that collaboration, we were asked to facilitate a community forum focused on employment and entrepreneurship. EDC Director Suzanne Singh coordinated the participation of a number of economic development partners, including the Workforce Resource Center, SCORE, WEV, Allan Hancock College, PathPoint, and others. Future activities under consideration include an initiative to provide organizational support for local businesses in Guadalupe under the umbrella of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber and potentially a follow-up Job & Business fair.
Energy and Ag Industry Outreach/Support Recently, representatives of the regional energy sector reached out to the Chamber/ EDC for support in educating the public to confront inaccurate myths about their industry. From those discussions, we have expanded the Chamber’s Business Expo to include an energy and ag industry festival. This expanded event, which is free to the community, will feature local businesses, energy and agriculture industries and their equipment, while also providing a fun atmosphere for all. Live entertainment, inflatables, food and beverages will be available during the event and the hours will be extended.
Local Educational Systems The Chamber/EDC continue to partner with Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria Joint High School District, and the Santa Barbara Education Office on a number of workforce and economic development initiatives. Economic Development Director Suzanne Singh is part of the inaugural Ambassador Program for Allan Hancock College, and both she and Chamber CEO Glenn Morris are members of the SMJHSD career pathways advisory committee. The Chamber’s Leadership Santa Maria Valley class of 2017 chose to create a youth/mentor matching event in partnership with this program as their legacy project. 16 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Next Steps
Expand Business Support The Chamber/EDC will continue to expand tools and resources available to existing and prospective businesses in our community. We are focused on ensuring that businesses have access to data and information they can use to improve their operations and results and that they have the support they need to grow their businesses.
Attract Business Expansions and Locations The Chamber/EDC expects to step up our out-of-market advertising and prospect identification work during the coming year. We hope to capitalize on the energy created by the opening of businesses at the Enos Ranch project and others in town to attract additional retailers, particularly focused on businesses that could occupy some of the currently empty spaces. Additionally, we are working much more closely with local and regional brokers to identify businesses that could locate office and/ or production facilities in Santa Maria. We believe that there are good opportunities in food processing, professional offices, and light manufacturing. At the same time, we recognize that the inventory of buildable locations, properly zoned and entitled, within the community is becoming limited. To that end, we will partner with the City and the EDC task force to begin the process of identifying where the City should expand next and to putting in place the data necessary to begin those processes. The Chamber/EDC believes that the partnerships which have been developed, particularly the working relationship that exists between EDC Director Suzanne Singh and Community Development Director Chuen Ng, is as strong as it has ever been and we’re excited to work with the City to advance economic development initiatives in the coming months and years. 17 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & RMDZ 18 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & RMDZ
The Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership is a program administered by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce to provide energy efficiency opportunities to businesses and municipalities and to provide outreach for promoting energy efficiency and sustainability to the region’s communities. PG&E and Southern California Gas Company are funding partners, and Staples Energy is the installation contractor for the program. Rounding out the Partnership are the municipalities of Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Solvang, Buellton and the County of Santa Barbara. 19 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & RMDZ
The Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership is a program administered by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce to provide energy efficiency opportunities to businesses and municipalities and to provide outreach for promoting energy efficiency and sustainability to the region’s communities. PG&E and Southern California Gas Company are funding partners, and Staples Energy is the installation contractor for the program. Rounding out the Partnership are the municipalities of Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Solvang, Buellton and the County of Santa Barbara.
Project Totals July-December 2016: • 23 projects in Santa Maria and the Partnership area • 789,268 kWh saved • The equivalent of powering 71 homes annually
January - June 2017: • 27 projects in Santa Maria and the Partnership area • 1,048,381 kWh saved • The equivalent of powering 97 homes annually
2016-2017 Totals: • 50 projects in Santa Maria and Partnership area • 1,837,649 kWh saved • The equivalent of powering 168 homes annually
Major Projects • Atlas Performance Industries, where the installation crew from Staples Energy converted the company’s lighting system completely to LED’s. Changing the lighting in the high bay was a challenge, where a 60-foot boom truck was utilized. The company will save a staggering $25,000 annually off of their energy bill. • Good Samaritan Shelter was another great success story. A complete retrofit of the agency’s lighting system was accomplished with over $30,000 worth of energy improvements. Even with all of the cost breaks the utility companies can provide through the Partnership, the co-pay would have been about $6,500. The Chamber of Commerce and the Partnership provided an additional $5,000 through the Partnership’s Non-Profit Grant program. The Shelter then received an anonymous donation to pay the remaining $1,500. Essentially, the Shelter received all of the improvements at no cost! The annual energy savings for Good Samaritan Shelter is over $20,000. 20 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & RMDZ
Outreach Events The Energy Watch Partnership also assists and collaborates with local governments to provide outreach to businesses and residents. The message: “Energy Efficiency and sustainability is good for everyone”. Community Outreach Forums were organized by the Partnership to reach smaller communities. These events included presentations from PG&E and SoCalGas, empower Central Coast, Staples Energy for businesses and American Eco for residents. The events also included updates from city and county departments and agencies, often including public safety, planning, animal control and updates from elected officials. Between July 2016 – June 2017 the Partnership provided outreach events in: • Los Alamos, in collaboration with Santa Barbara County’s 3rd District Supervisor. Residents received a county update, information on energy efficiency and sustainability and a special update by Olga L. Reed Elementary School, which hosted the event. • The City of Guadalupe, where residents received an update on city events from City Administrator Cruz Ramos and the all of the City’s departments. They heard up-to-date information about available energy programs from the Partnership Team. • Old Town Orcutt, hosted by the Orcutt Lions Club, which also has taken advantage of the Non-Profit Grant program. Aside from energy information, attendees heard an update from the 4th District office, the Sheriff’s Department, Animal Control, the Graffitti Abatement Program and the new project in work for the Oasis Senior Center. • Los Olivos, where residents of this small town and throughout the Santa Ynez Valley were welcomed by Santa Barbara County’s 3rd District Supervisor. Attendees heard from the Public Health Department, got a county update from the Supervisor, and were provided a presentation by the entire Partnership Team.
Recycling Market Development Zone The Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) is a program that is also administered by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and is funded through CalRecycle. The RMDZ program provides low interest loans and technical assistance to firms that use recycled materials to make new products. Members of the RMDZ Zone include the cities of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Buellton and the County of Santa Barbara. In 2016-2017, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce: • Organized quarterly meetings that were attended by municipalities to facilitate outreach and updates about RMDZ and CalRecycle. • Met with RMDZ Zone businesses to provide information about the program. • Participated in site visits to businesses and waste management facilities. • Attended Zone Works workshops and conferences in Sacramento to outline and facilitate the program. 21 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau & Tourism Marketing District 22 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau Introduction
The Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau, operated by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, provides leadership in the community around two key roles.
First, the Visitors Bureau actively promotes events that occur in our community which generate economic activity both by attracting out-of-town guests and by including local residents. As an adjunct to this mission, the Visitors Bureau serves as the administrator for the Tourism Marketing District, which concentrates on out-of-market marketing targeting more specifically increased overnight visitations.
Second, the Visitors Bureau works to ensure visitors to our community are welcomed, provided with direction and connections, and leave having experienced the best possible hospitality during their stay, resulting in strong referrals and repeat visits.
Santa Maria Tourism Marketing District Advisory Committee:
Chair: Jean-Luc Garon, Radisson Susan Garcia, Holiday Inn JP Patel, Fairfield and Candlewood Suites Jerry Patel, Economy Inn Ryan Swack, Historic Santa Maria Inn
Chamber: Chris Slaughter, Board Liaison Glenn Morris Jennifer Harrison Cheryl Cuming, TMD Administrator
City Staff: Jason Stilwell, Deputy City Manager 23 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Key Metrics
Specific metrics on visitor activities and the reach and impact of our marketing campaigns are detailed later in this document. We are pleased to report that the key metrics which we use to measure the return on investment of our programs were up year over year.
Transient Occupancy Tax Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) does not capture the full impact visitors have to our local economy and only tracks the value of overnight stays, however it does serve as a tool to capture trends and activity. TOT also provides a useful guide to measure the impact of tourism on the City. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, TOT collection receipts totalled $3,442,344, which represents a 1.4% increase from the prior year’s record total. While the growth rate slowed in FY17 compared with the prior two years, the longer term trends continue to show growth. The five-year average growth rate currently stands at 7.7%, with the ten year running average at 4.2%.
SANTA MARIA TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX Year over Year Comparison (Based on the month the actual rental occurred)
July 2016 - June 2017 July 2015 - June 2016 MONTHLY YTD MONTHLY YTD MONTHLY YTD % INCREASE % INCREASE MONTH TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL (DECREASE) (DECREASE) JULY 375,460.03 375,460.03 359,488.97 359,488.97 4.44% 4.44% AUGUST 349,054.94 724,514.97 330,118.99 689,607.96 5.74% 5.06% SEPTEMBER 426,754.95 1,151,269.92 383,594.45 1,073,202.41 11.25% 7.27% OCTOBER 251,231.35 1,402,501.27 267,901.94 1,341,104.35 -6.22% 4.58% NOVEMBER 200,757.33 1,603,258.60 196,452.24 1,537,556.59 2.19% 4.27% DECEMBER 258,397.17 1,861,655.77 251,121.24 1,788,677.83 2.90% 4.08% JANUARY 167,317.66 2,028,973.43 177,927.10 1,966,604.93 -5.96% 3.17% FEBRUARY 177,816.62 2,206,790.05 195,538.15 2,162,143.08 -9.06% 2.06% MARCH 270,311.22 2,477,101.27 294,837.15 2,456,980.23 -8.32% 0.82% APRIL 264,202.95 2,741,304.22 241,636.31 2,698,616.54 9.34% 1.58% MAY 282,506.75 3,023,810.97 274,154.06 2,972,770.60 3.05% 1.72% JUNE 418,532.70 3,442,343.67 422,550.59 3,395,321.19 -0.95% 1.38%
$ 3,442,343.67 $ 3,395,321.19
New Investment & New Look Just over a year ago, the City Council approved a new Tourism Marketing District, which established a partnership between the hotel industry, the Visitors Bureau, and the City to aggressively expand the marketing of our community as a tourist destination. As part of that new investment pool, the Visitors Bureau and TMD launched a new brand package. This year, we have worked to replace and upgrade signage and collateral pieces to include the new branding. Projects completed this year included replacing a dilapidated Highway 101 welcome sign located at the Unocal Events Center at the southern entrance to the community. Additionally, we published a new Visitors Guide, and a new marketing brochure featuring both Santa Maria Valley wines and our world famous barbecue. Finally, marketing materials used at trade shows and community events were upgraded to reinforce our marketing campaign. Details analytics from efforts with the TMD can be found in Appendix E (p. 43-45). 24 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitor Assistance
Travel and tourism are one of America’s largest industries and one that is growing in importance in our community and region. Our Visitor Center is open five days a week and provides assistance to visitors, groups and event planners. To ensure information is available 24/7, the Visitors Bureau distributes visitor information from a variety of places throughout Santa Maria Valley and offers information online through a new visitor website, barbecue blog, association listings, and visibility on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, a YouTube Channel and Flickr. Metrics that demonstrate the impact of our visitor assistance activity include:
1,383 147 790 visitor inquiries were received readers requested more information groups received complimentary via telephone, in person and after seeing our ad in the California services and referrals from us electronically State Visitor Guide
437 90 readers requested more information readers requested more information after seeing our print ad in Sunset after seeing our print ad in Road Trips Magazine
1,562 2,455 3,445 readers requested more information pieces of collateral were distributed complimentary welcome bags were after seeing our print ad in Yosemite from our Visitor Outreach Centers given to various groups Journal 25 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Collateral The Visitors Bureau annually publishes a series of print pieces that can be used by visitors or potential visitors to research our area, plan their trip, and discover the many activities, events, and services that exist to make a visit to the Santa Maria Valley a unique and rewarding experience. In addition to a full-feature Visitors Guide, the Visitors Bureau this year combined several stand-alone brochures into a single marketing piece featuring our two best-known attractors, e.g. wine and barbecue. In addition to referrals and informative tidbits, the brochure includes a map to help visitors get to their targeted destinations. Tourism collateral pieces are distributed at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, at local hotels and tourism related businesses, public agencies, and other high traffic areas around the community. Additionally, the Visitors Bureau places Visitors Guides in California Welcome Centers located in Pismo Beach, Oxnard, Barstow, Merced and the Burbank Airport. Our marketing brochure is distributed in over 650 locations in the San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley regions.
Pre-visit Information As visitors (or potential visitors) are planning their trip to the Santa Maria Valley, we work to ensure they are aware of the wide range of activities and attractions to enjoy during their stay. Using our website and social media channels, along with electronic newsletters, the Visitors Bureau tries to ensure that visitors arrive with a sense of the culture they will experience as well as a healthy bucket list of to-dos! One key tool in this effort area is the long running Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog. A total of thirty-two blog posts were released during FY2016/17. The blog continues to build a high-profile search presence, which enables the VCB to take online ownership of one of the region’s star attractions while promoting local dining, wines, events and other experiences. Following the launch of the new SantaMariaValley.com site, the Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog has transitioned from a stand-alone site into part of a larger native blog presence on SantaMariaValley.com spanning the entire visitor experience. The Visitors Bureau also produces monthly editions of our “Fresh Take” e-newsletter. The e-newsletter enables the Visitors Bureau to reach and entice a growing number of opt-in subscribers with the latest news about events, deals and experiences in the Santa Maria Valley. The e-newsletter currently has 11,475 subscribers. Finally, a little over a year ago, the Visitors Bureau launched our Fave 5 e-blast series. Initially intended to help hotel front desk staff refer guests to events happening in the community, the e-blast has become one of our most popular connections. Published weekly with a ten-day upcoming event preview, Fave 5 currently has more than 1,100 subscribers. 26 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Wine Trolley On Memorial Day weekend, the Visitors Bureau partnered with the City of Santa Maria to launch the new Santa Maria Wine Trolley, an innovative public transportation experience. The service was planned to run weekends from Memorial Day and Labor Day. Riders were able to visit seven tasting rooms, breweries and many restaurants. Nearly 500 rider wristbands have been distributed to-date and ridership numbers have passed 1,000. Due to initial success, the Wine Trolley was extended through October 1. The Santa Maria Wine Trolley service was voted Best Winery or Brewery Tasting Transportation in the Sun’s annual readers’ poll. The Visitors Bureau committed significant resources to marketing the program, including developing a social media presence, utilizing traditional advertising, printing and distributing posters and rack cards throughout the region and creating customized signage at each trolley stop. This joint effort is a great example of how our community is rallying around the valley’s signature experiences to the benefit of both locals and visitors alike. 27 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Promoting Local Events
Event promotion is a top priority for the Visitors Bureau as these programs bring visitors – often overnight - year-round. Our mild climate and selection of venues make Santa Maria a strong host city. Whether it is a car show, the Strawberry Festival, SB County Fair, or the Rodeo, Santa Maria is host to a wide range and large number of events each year. We appreciate the many organizations who sponsor and produce these events for supporting tourism in our city. We encourage locals to support these efforts through attendance or helping to spread the word. A monthly calendar is available from the VCB for just this purpose.
RODEO! The Santa Maria Valley was host to the 2017 Champions Challenge Tour during the 74th Annual Elks Rodeo. In order to support Elks Recreation with this expanded event and to capitalize on the added exposure, the Visitors Bureau provided a video commercial for use on television and online platforms, implemented an aggressive digital advertising campaign, distributed press releases, assisted with in-arena scripting, and provided new banners and flags. The Visitors Bureau also assisted with the planning of a private wine country tasting excursion for visiting VIPs from CBS Sports Network, Wrangler Network and the PRCA which gave attendees a true sense of the Santa Maria Valley style hospitality visitors have come to expect. Additionally, the Visitors Bureau worked with the Elks and City leadership to promote the return of the Go Rodeo Days contest to businesses in the community.
Special Projects Grant Program Rather than trying to organize a year’s worth of events ourselves, the Visitors Bureau supports local organizations by providing marketing grants for events held in the Santa Maria Valley events through the Special Projects Grant program. This year the Visitors Bureau allocated more than $50,000 in Special Project Grant investments. Recipients this year included:
• Bent Axles Car Club: Bent Axles Cruise & BBQ Weekend • Central Coast Tennis: 2017 SM Open Tennis Tournament • Cruzin’ for Life: 2017 Cruzin’ Car Show • Elks Recreation: Elks Rodeo and Parade • Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes: Archaeology Excavation • HCE Productions: 805 Country Music Fest & Ag Show • Kiwanis of Santa Maria: Barbecue Festival • Model A Ford Club: Ford Car Show & Swap Meet • P.L.A.Y. Inc.: Autumn Arts Festival • Pacific Conservatory Theatre • Pickups Limited: North/South Run Truck Show • Santa Maria Fairpark: Strawberry Festival • SMV Discovery Museum • Tailwinds: Windmill Century • The Boys & Girls Club of SMV: Tour & Taste of the Santa Maria Valley • West Coast Kustoms: Cruisin’ Nationals
In order to be awarded a grant, applicants need to agree to use the funding to expand their advertising/marketing in areas outside of Santa Maria. Events must be held in Santa Maria or Orcutt and priority is given to those scheduled during our “slow season,” e.g. September through May. 28 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Promoting Local Events
Providing Media Relations Outreach and Support In addition to the Special Projects Grants, the Visitors Bureau provides support to local events and attractions by assisting in connecting them with local and regional media. The Visitors Bureau contracts with Mooncatcher Communications to promote specific events or attractions in our community, helping to generate valuable and credible exposure through media outlets. With the addition of the new TMD and its focus on major target markets, the Visitors Bureau worked with Mooncatcher to increase their emphasis on more local and regional media. They worked specifically with outlets and journalists on the Central Coast and the Central Valley to get the word out about the Santa Maria Valley. Positive media coverage was generated in the Pacific Coast Business Times, Santa Maria Times, Santa Barbara Independent, Noozhawk and elsewhere. A full list of press clippings can be found in Appendix D (p. 40-42). 29 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination
With the addition of the Tourism Marketing District, Santa Maria now has significantly enhanced resources to market and promote our community as a tourism destination. The TMD, however, focuses its resources on target markets located several hours (and in different media markets) from us. TMD advertising must also be restricted to events and promotions likely to generate overnight stays in our local hotels. However, the Visitors Bureau believes it is still important to promote some of our assets to closer regional markets, and to help promote those events that bring visitors into the community, even if just for day-trips. These visitors still represent significant value as they often pair their activity visit with shopping, dining, or other economic activity.
Advertising Paid advertising placements included both print and digital publications targeting domestic and international tour operators, tournament and other event producers, and leisure travellers. When possible, the Visitors Bureau participates in co-op advertising opportunities offered by our regional and state associations and/or coordinates co-op advertising with our local partners in an effort to extend the reach of our investments. Advertisements promoting the Santa Maria Valley were placed in the following during the fiscal year: • Antelope Valley Press: Fall Getaways special • Base Guide and Telephone Directory for Vandenberg Air Force Base • California Road Trips (Sunset Magazine/Visit CA) • California State Visitors Guide • California Welcome Center/Oxnard: Banner Sponsorship • Central Coast Tourism Council Visitors Map: regional listing, event listing, and outdoor recreation listing • Keys to the Coast website • National Tour Association: Weekly E-Newsletter for NTA • National Tour Association’s Chinese Tour Operator Travel Directory (NTA) • Yosemite Journal While not all print ads include a mechanism to directly identify and track leads generated, some of the publications do provide direct response leads. Those related to individual travellers were sent a follow-up email and an invitation to subscribe to the VCB’s e-newsletter. Leads related to group or event opportunities were distributed to area hotels.
Media Outreach - Public Relations Some of the media representatives that have visited Santa Maria in the past year include: • Vintages Magazine - Journalist • Tour & Tasting Magazine – Journalist • Fred Swan – Wine Educator • Bazaar Foods – Travel Channel • Edgar Solis – Travel and Lifestyle Freelance • Wine N Friends – Travel and Lifestyle Freelance • John Deacon - Birdwatching Daily • Bliss Babe Magazine • Yosemite Magazine 30 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination
Partnerships and Regional Marketing The Visitors Bureau works collaboratively with local and regional organizations to best leverage outreach efforts, stretch marketing dollars and gain visibility. Both Visit California and the Central Coast Tourism Commission (CCTC) organize cooperative promotions where we can pool our resources with others to participate in marketing efforts. Santa Maria again joined in a public relations program managed by the CCTC to increase visibility and promotion of the Santa Maria Valley to international markets , particularly focused on Canada and the United Kingdom. Working with the California Welcome Centers in Oxnard and Pismo Beach, we enhance our outreach to the fly/drive market out of LAX and San Francisco Airports, specifically targeting international visitors (UK, Australia, and now, Ireland) enjoying lift out of these gateway cities. Welcome Centers are Visit California’s concierge for visitors. The National Tour Association (NTA) is the leading association for professionals serving travellers to, from and within North America. Its membership spans more than 40 countries and is comprised of 700 tour operator companies; 1,100 tour supplier companies, representing hotels, attractions, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, railroads and sightseeing services; and 500 destination marketing organizations (DMO’s) that include provincial and national tourism offices, convention and visitor bureaus, and chambers of commerce. This year, the Visitors Bureau sponsored a banner ad on NTA’s weekly e-newsletter. Our local tourism partners, which include Chamber member hotels, wineries, attractions, and restaurants, make it possible to market the Santa Maria Valley for group tours, special events, and meetings/convention. The cohesiveness of our ventures and the great synergy involved, strengthen our positioning and define our sense of place and authenticity.
Groups and Events During the past year, the Visitors Bureau has assisted over 100 groups with complimentary services designed to make the planning of their group tour, meeting/convention or special event as streamlined as possible. Visitor Bureau representatives travelled to Sacramento on December 1, 2016 to attend the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE) Seasonal Spectacular at the Sacramento Convention Center. Taking advantage of our Industry Partner membership and utilizing pre-show mailing lists we were able to expand our presence among one of the largest association of executive planner events in the nation. With cooperative opportunities the bureau brought along a sales team compiled of staff from the Radisson Hotel and the Historic Santa Maria Inn. Having the opportunity to speak with many of the attendees first-hand, creates a relationship that provides open-door discussions that otherwise would have been missed. Maximizing our presence at the event, we were selected to provide a grand prize package for the tradeshow portion of the event. Our package theme was a Taste of the Santa Maria Valley which included 31 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination
a two-night stay at the Radisson Hotel, VIP wine tasting for four, complimentary tickets to Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) and a $200 dining gift card to Far Western Tavern. The package allowed the Visitors Bureau a presence in all event programs with mentions from the main stage throughout the event. This year’s event proved that networking opportunities are a must for a successful event. Promoting the Santa Maria Valley as a historic and family friendly host city for meeting and event planners, as well as group and tour operators gives attendees a glimpse into our beautiful valley. The Visitors Bureau prides itself in being a one-stop shop for group and large event services. A sampling of the services offered to planners include, but are not limited to: • Site Selection • Official Letter of Invitation • Planning • Welcome Banner • Registration Assistance • Welcome Bags • Publicity Assistance
Program History Following several months of discussion between the Chamber of Commerce and representatives from the local hotel industry and the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District was approved by City Council in January 2016. Hotels began collecting the agreed upon 2% assessments in February and the Chamber began working with the hotel representatives to develop a strategic foundation for the new marketing program. An agency was retained in June of 2016 and a tourism specific brand package was launched, along with a new website and marketing campaign in the fall of 2016. Following the national election cycle and the holiday season, a full advertising program was launched in January 2017.
Marketing Program The TMD operates a full-range marketing program, complete with print advertising, digital advertising, public relations outreach, development of collateral materials, and special promotions as approved by the TMD Steering Committee. The committee is comprised of five voting members representing local hotels, plus liaisons from the City of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s Visitor Bureau provides management support to ensure effective implementation of the campaign. The current campaign centers on the new website, SantaMariaValley.com. Marketing and public relations activities are designed to drive visitors to the website. Once there, visitors are presented with information about the experiences that are available to them should they visit, along with the ability to select a hotel at which to base their visit. SantaMariaValley.com acts as a central node, pulling potential visitors in and then redirecting them to the facility or activity or resource that will best meet their needs as a guest of our community. For FY2016-17, the marketing campaign, titled “Let’s Get Together,” focused on two of the pillars identified as part of our brand. Specifically, this year’s advertising and public relations efforts built on the themes of “Unexpected Wine Experience,” and “Deep Roots, Full Flavored Food.” These pillars allowed us to build our initial campaign around several of our core strengths, e.g. wine and barbecue, with a dash of agriculture. 32 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination
Program Results
One of the strengths of the marketing program that has been built for the TMD is the amount of data that we can collect and use to drive refinements and future choices to maximize the impact of our investments. A number of slides are included in this report that show the first year results for the website, social media, and PR story placement successes.
In addition to the traditional analytics that we track, the TMD worked with a consultant to specifically measure the influence that we were generating through the website. Given our strategy of using the website as the center point for all marketing, we wanted to be able to determine whether we were successfully driving people through the website to an actual visit (and hotel stay) in Santa Maria Valley. During the first months that the website was operational, visitors to the site were invited to complete a brief questionnaire, which then entered them in a sweepstakes to win a hosted visit to the Santa Maria Valley. Several months in, those who completed this step were then sent an invitation to participate in a longer-form survey designed to determine whether they had visited the area and what influence the website had on that decision. Some of the key findings of the survey included:
of the respondents indicated that they had taken an overnight trip to Santa Maria in 26% the previous 90 days. Of this group:
said the website was The statistical tool “Very Influential” in reported it was their used for this model their decisions and an first visit to the area estimated that the 29% 32% additional 32% said it was website’s “influence 8.3% “Somewhat Influential”. rate” was
Extrapolating the influence rate across the total number of visitors to the website over the website over the course of a year, we can estimate the following:
Estimated travel spending: Estimated ROI: $2.1 - $4.1 million $2.71 - $5.42 million
Other findings from the survey showed the following: • 95% of those who reported visiting the Santa Maria Valley rated their visit as “Excellent/Very Good.” • The top activity reported by the visitors was visiting wineries/breweries (56%), which was fully in line with our marketing theme. • The statistical tool used for this model estimated that the website’s “influence rate” was 8.3% 33 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
Visitors Bureau: Marketing the SMV as a Tourism Destination
2017 - 2018 Campaign Adjustments
With a first year of experience to use as a reference, the TMD Steering Committee has established a set of specific goals for the 2017-2018 campaign. These include:
• Average of 12,000 website sessions/month • Conversion rate for hotel clicks of 3%/month • Raw # of visitors to hotel websites of 150/month • 48 Public Relations articles placed per year • Digital display click through rate of .1 CTR • Digital display impressions cost of $8.50/1000 people reached • Grow website traffic and user sessions by 20-30% annually • Increase organic visits to website to 75%
The 2017-2018 campaign, titled “Santa Maria Style” will focus on the brand pillars of “Santa Maria Style Barbecue,” “Ideal Homebase,” and “Naturally Unconstrained.” The campaign will feature the wide range of activities and events that make Santa Maria the place we all choose to live, with particular emphasis on outdoor activities and the wealth of things to do and experience within a 30 minute radius of town. We’ll also try to help visitors discover how they can experience the Santa Maria Valley “like a local” and enjoy themselves “Santa Maria Style.”
34 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix A Santa Maria Valley Demographics
Report Demographics Report (Santa Maria Valley)
Population (2017) Population (2022) TOTAL % TOTAL % 165,189 171,307
Age Distribution (2017) Age Distribution (2022)
30k 30k
20k 20k
10k 10k
0k 0k 04 59 10 20 30 40 50 60 65+ 04 59 10 20 30 40 50 60 65+ 19 29 39 49 59 64 19 29 39 49 59 64
TOTAL % TOTAL % 04 13,776 8.34 04 13,730 8.01 59 13,372 8.09 59 13,294 7.76 1019 24,454 14.8 1019 24,819 14.49 2029 25,930 15.7 2029 24,946 14.56 3039 21,663 13.11 3039 24,874 14.52 4049 18,706 11.32 4049 19,499 11.38 5059 17,941 10.86 5059 17,338 10.12 6064 7,546 4.57 6064 7,667 4.48 65+ 21,794 13.19 65+ 25,133 14.67
Sex (2017) Sex (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % Male 82,568 49.98 Male 85,707 50.03 Female 82,621 50.02 Female 85,601 49.97
Ethnicity Distribution (2017) Ethnicity Distribution (2022)
150k 150k
100k 100k
50k 50k
0k 0k White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Hispanic White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Hispanic Indian Islander Indian Islander
TOTAL % TOTAL % White (nonhispanic) 51,948 31.45 White (nonhispanic) 50,885 29.7 Black (nonhispanic) 2,214 1.34 Black (nonhispanic) 2,261 1.32 American Indian (nonhispanic) 601 .36 American Indian (nonhispanic) 606 .35 Asian (nonhispanic) 7,680 4.65 Asian (nonhispanic) 7,924 4.63 Pacific Islander (nonhispanic) 224 .14 Pacific Islander (nonhispanic) 227 .13 Other (nonhispanic) 109 .07 Other (nonhispanic) 58 .03 Multirace (nonhispanic) 2,692 1.63 Multirace (nonhispanic) 2,782 1.62 Hispanic (nonhispanic) 99,728 60.37 Hispanic (nonhispanic) 106,569 62.21
Race Distribution (2017) Race Distribution (2022)
150k 150k
100k 100k
50k 50k
0k 0k White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Indian Islander Indian Islander
TOTAL % TOTAL % White 100,654 60.93 White 102,285 59.71 Black 3,079 1.86 Black 3,294 1.92 American Indian 2,561 1.55 American Indian 2,740 1.6 Asian 9,133 5.53 Asian 9,966 5.82 Pacific Islander 264 .16 Pacific Islander 281 .16 Other 41,045 24.85 Other 43,657 25.48 Multirace 8,451 5.12 Multirace 9,082 5.3
Total Households (2017) Total Households (2022) TOTAL % TOTAL % Households 48,317 n/a Households 50,277 n/a Families 37,244 77.08 Families 38,732 77.04
Household Income Distribution (2017) Household Income Distribution (2022)
15k 20k
10k
10k
5k
0k 0k <$10 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $75 > <$10 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $75 > K $20K $30K $40K $50K $60K $75K $100K $100K K $20K $30K $40K $50K $60K $75K $100K $100K
TOTAL % TOTAL % <$10 K 1,814 3.75 <$10 K 1,528 3.04 $10$20K 3,693 7.64 $10$20K 2,927 5.82 $20$30K 4,416 9.14 $20$30K 3,610 7.18 $30$40K 4,724 9.78 $30$40K 4,332 8.62 $40$50K 4,514 9.34 $40$50K 4,046 8.05 $50$60K 3,982 8.24 $50$60K 3,971 7.9 $60$75K 5,098 10.55 $60$75K 5,076 10.1 $75$100K 6,513 13.48 $75$100K 7,002 13.93 > $100K 13,562 28.07 > $100K 17,783 35.37
Labor Force Status (2017) Labor Force Status (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % Labor Force 79,891 n/a Labor Force 83,735 n/a Employed 75,876 94.97 Employed 79,537 94.99 Unemployed 3,724 4.66 Unemployed 3,895 4.65 In Armed Forces 291 n/a In Armed Forces 303 n/a Not In Labor Force 43,773 n/a Not In Labor Force 45,832 n/a
Total Number of Housing (2017) Total Number of Housing (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % Total Dwellings 49,822 n/a Total Dwellings 51,998 n/a OwnerOccupied Dwellings 29,005 60.03 OwnerOccupied Dwellings 30,367 60.4 RenterOccupied Dwellings 19,312 39.97 RenterOccupied Dwellings 19,908 39.6 Housing Units Occupied 48,317 96.98 Housing Units Occupied 50,275 96.69
Education Attainment (2017) Education Attainment (2022)
30k 30k
20k 20k
10k 10k
0k 0k < Grade Grade High Some Assoc Bach Grad < Grade Grade High Some Assoc Bach Grad 9 912 School College Degree Degree Degree 9 912 School College Degree Degree Degree
TOTAL % TOTAL % < Grade 9 21,090 20.95 < Grade 9 22,939 21.15 Grade 912 10,148 10.08 Grade 912 10,988 10.13 High School 19,681 19.55 High School 21,158 19.51 Some College 23,266 23.11 Some College 24,970 23.03 Assoc Degree 7,731 7.68 Assoc Degree 8,301 7.65 Bach Degree 12,500 12.41 Bach Degree 13,388 12.35 Grad Degree 6,271 6.23 Grad Degree 6,696 6.17
Size of Household (2017) Size of Household (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % 1 Person 8,702 18.01 1 Person 9,169 18.24 2 Person 12,386 25.63 2 Person 13,253 26.36 3 Person 7,012 14.51 3 Person 7,435 14.79 4 Person 7,116 14.73 4 Person 7,460 14.84 5 Person 5,121 10.6 5 Person 5,384 10.71 6+ Person 2,951 6.11 6+ Person 2,936 5.84
Source: Applied Geographic Solutions, 2017 Report Demographics Report (Santa Maria Valley)
Population (2017) Population (2022) TOTAL % TOTAL % 165,189 171,307
Age Distribution (2017) Age Distribution (2022)
30k 30k
20k 20k
10k 10k
0k 0k 04 59 10 20 30 40 50 60 65+ 04 59 10 20 30 40 50 60 65+ 19 29 39 49 59 64 19 29 39 49 59 64
TOTAL % TOTAL % 04 13,776 8.34 04 13,730 8.01 59 13,372 8.09 59 13,294 7.76 1019 24,454 14.8 1019 24,819 14.49 2029 25,930 15.7 2029 24,946 14.56 3039 21,663 13.11 3039 24,874 14.52 4049 18,706 11.32 4049 19,499 11.38 5059 17,941 10.86 5059 17,338 10.12 6064 7,546 4.57 6064 7,667 4.48 65+ 21,794 13.19 65+ 25,133 14.67
Sex (2017) Sex (2022)
35 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix A Santa Maria Valley Demographics
TOTAL % TOTAL % Male 82,568 49.98 Male 85,707 50.03 Female 82,621 50.02 Female 85,601 49.97
Ethnicity Distribution (2017) Ethnicity Distribution (2022)
150k 150k
100k 100k
50k 50k
0k 0k White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Hispanic White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Hispanic Indian Islander Indian Islander
TOTAL % TOTAL % White (nonhispanic) 51,948 31.45 White (nonhispanic) 50,885 29.7 Black (nonhispanic) 2,214 1.34 Black (nonhispanic) 2,261 1.32 American Indian (nonhispanic) 601 .36 American Indian (nonhispanic) 606 .35 Asian (nonhispanic) 7,680 4.65 Asian (nonhispanic) 7,924 4.63 Pacific Islander (nonhispanic) 224 .14 Pacific Islander (nonhispanic) 227 .13 Other (nonhispanic) 109 .07 Other (nonhispanic) 58 .03 Multirace (nonhispanic) 2,692 1.63 Multirace (nonhispanic) 2,782 1.62 Hispanic (nonhispanic) 99,728 60.37 Hispanic (nonhispanic) 106,569 62.21
Race Distribution (2017) Race Distribution (2022)
150k 150k
100k 100k
50k 50k
0k 0k White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace White Black American Asian Pacific Other Multirace Indian Islander Indian Islander
TOTAL % TOTAL % White 100,654 60.93 White 102,285 59.71 Black 3,079 1.86 Black 3,294 1.92 American Indian 2,561 1.55 American Indian 2,740 1.6 Asian 9,133 5.53 Asian 9,966 5.82 Pacific Islander 264 .16 Pacific Islander 281 .16 Other 41,045 24.85 Other 43,657 25.48 Multirace 8,451 5.12 Multirace 9,082 5.3
Total Households (2017) Total Households (2022) TOTAL % TOTAL % Households 48,317 n/a Households 50,277 n/a Families 37,244 77.08 Families 38,732 77.04
Household Income Distribution (2017) Household Income Distribution (2022)
15k 20k
10k
10k
5k
0k 0k <$10 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $75 > <$10 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $75 > K $20K $30K $40K $50K $60K $75K $100K $100K K $20K $30K $40K $50K $60K $75K $100K $100K
TOTAL % TOTAL % <$10 K 1,814 3.75 <$10 K 1,528 3.04 $10$20K 3,693 7.64 $10$20K 2,927 5.82 $20$30K 4,416 9.14 $20$30K 3,610 7.18 $30$40K 4,724 9.78 $30$40K 4,332 8.62 $40$50K 4,514 9.34 $40$50K 4,046 8.05 $50$60K 3,982 8.24 $50$60K 3,971 7.9 $60$75K 5,098 10.55 $60$75K 5,076 10.1 $75$100K 6,513 13.48 $75$100K 7,002 13.93 > $100K 13,562 28.07 > $100K 17,783 35.37
Labor Force Status (2017) Labor Force Status (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % Labor Force 79,891 n/a Labor Force 83,735 n/a Employed 75,876 94.97 Employed 79,537 94.99 Unemployed 3,724 4.66 Unemployed 3,895 4.65 In Armed Forces 291 n/a In Armed Forces 303 n/a Not In Labor Force 43,773 n/a Not In Labor Force 45,832 n/a
Total Number of Housing (2017) Total Number of Housing (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % Total Dwellings 49,822 n/a Total Dwellings 51,998 n/a OwnerOccupied Dwellings 29,005 60.03 OwnerOccupied Dwellings 30,367 60.4 RenterOccupied Dwellings 19,312 39.97 RenterOccupied Dwellings 19,908 39.6 Housing Units Occupied 48,317 96.98 Housing Units Occupied 50,275 96.69
Education Attainment (2017) Education Attainment (2022)
30k 30k
20k 20k
10k 10k
0k 0k < Grade Grade High Some Assoc Bach Grad < Grade Grade High Some Assoc Bach Grad 9 912 School College Degree Degree Degree 9 912 School College Degree Degree Degree
TOTAL % TOTAL % < Grade 9 21,090 20.95 < Grade 9 22,939 21.15 Grade 912 10,148 10.08 Grade 912 10,988 10.13 High School 19,681 19.55 High School 21,158 19.51 Some College 23,266 23.11 Some College 24,970 23.03 Assoc Degree 7,731 7.68 Assoc Degree 8,301 7.65 Bach Degree 12,500 12.41 Bach Degree 13,388 12.35 Grad Degree 6,271 6.23 Grad Degree 6,696 6.17
Size of Household (2017) Size of Household (2022)
TOTAL % TOTAL % 1 Person 8,702 18.01 1 Person 9,169 18.24 2 Person 12,386 25.63 2 Person 13,253 26.36 3 Person 7,012 14.51 3 Person 7,435 14.79 4 Person 7,116 14.73 4 Person 7,460 14.84 5 Person 5,121 10.6 5 Person 5,384 10.71 6+ Person 2,951 6.11 6+ Person 2,936 5.84
Source: Applied Geographic Solutions, 2017 36 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix A Santa Maria Valley Demographics 37 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix A Santa Maria Valley Demographics 38 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix B Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 39 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix B Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 40 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix B Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 41 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix B Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 42 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix B Santa Maria Valley Labor Statistics 43 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix C Economic Development Commission End of Year Financials
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Commission Fiscal Year 2016-17: Actual vs Budget (pre-audit)
Economic Development Jul '16 - Jun 17 Budget
Income 42000 · Program Revenues 178,000 166,965 59000 · Miscellaneous Income 97 - Total Income 178,097 166,965
Expense 61000 · Administrative Expenses - Shared 15,550 16,009 62000 · Building Expenses - Shared 7,515 8,273 63000 · Personnel Expenses - Shared 94,313 98,792 64000 · Professional Services - Shared 5,493 5,055 71000 · Operations Expenses 2,730 2,250 72000 · Prof. Development Expenses 5,226 2,500 73000 · Marketing & Sales Expenses 29,519 32,500 81000 · Event Expenses 1,125 - 89000 · Miscellaneous Expenses - Total Expense 161,471 165,379 16,626 1,586
Preliminary results pending annual audit. 44 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix D Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau Press Clippings
MEDIA REPORT: July 2016 – June 2017 Prepared by:
Press Clips:
Santa Maria Times July 23, 2016 “VCB Hosting Tours for Travel Agents, Journalists”
Sun (Santa Maria) August 4, 2016 “Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Presents ‘Gin and Jazz’” – Story inspired by press release
The Week (magazine, New York, NY) August 5, 2016 “Cowboy Cooking: Three Destinations for Great Open-Fire Grub” – Story inspired by article that we worked on closely with writer Larry Olmsted of USA Today.
Santa Barbara Independent August 16, 2016 “Santa Maria BBQ is Cover Story in Italy’s First BBQ Magazine” – Story inspired by press release
Sun (Santa Maria) August 18, 2016 “BBQ in the Stix” – Inspired by press release
Pacific Coast Business Times August 25, 2016 “Italian Magazine Features Santa Maria-style Barbecue” – Inspired by press release
Big Blend Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com/big-blend-radio) August 31, 2016 “Cori Solomon, travel writer and photographer discusses her wine tasting experience in Santa Maria”
Detroit Free Press September 3, 2016 “In Good Taste: Savor Western Flavor with Santa Maria-Style Tri-Tip Kebabs” – Gave information to writer
Noozhawk (Santa Barbara) September 27, 2016 “Santa Maria’s J. Wilkes Wines Served at State Department Luncheons” – Story inspired by press release
Wine Along the 101 (www.winealongthe101.com) October 26, 2016 “Escape to Santa Maria Valley Wine Country” 45 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix D Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau Press Clippings
Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine December 2016 “Taste the Flavors of Santa Maria Valley” – Story inspired by media visit
Wander with Wonder (blog) February 14, 2017 “Love and Wine: The Story Behind Jonathan and Clarissa Nagy” – Story inspired by our work with visiting freelance journalist, Barbara Barrielle https://www.wanderwithwonder.com/2017/02/14/jonathan-clarissa-nagy/
KEYT March 13, 2017 “Santa Maria BBQ featured on ‘Bizarre Foods’ Show” – Story inspired by press release http://www.keyt.com/lifestyle/food/santa-maria-style-barbecue-featured-on-bizarre-foods-show/393845562
KUHL AM1440/ AM1290 “Andy Caldwell Show” Aired March 15, 2017 & March 19, 2017 “Santa Maria BBQ on Travel Channel’s ‘Bizarre Foods’ Episode” -- Story inspired by press release www.theandycaldwellshow.com
KEYT May 11, 2017 “Santa Maria Valley Wine Trolley Unveiled” – Story inspired by press release http://www.keyt.com/lifestyle/local-lifestyle/santa-maria-valley-wine-trolley-unveiled/494192558
KSBY-TV May 11, 2017 “New Santa Maria Valley Wine Trolley Unveiled” -- Story inspired by press release http://www.ksby.com/story/35410470/new-santa-maria-valley-wine-trolley-unveiled
Santa Maria Times May 12, 2017 “Santa Maria’s New Wine Trolley About to Hit the Road” – Story inspired by press release http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/santa-maria-s-new-wine-trolley-about-to-hit-the/article_4e82999a-8a99-5361- 933d-1f10220daa18.html
NOOZHAWK May 20, 2017 “New Santa Maria Wine Trolley Offers Vintage Experience” -- Story inspired by press release https://www.noozhawk.com/article/santa_maria_wine_trolley
Santa Maria Times May 21, 2017 “From the Vine: Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley” – Story inspired by press release http://santamariatimes.com/lifestyles/columnist/from_the_vine/from-the-vine-clang-clang-clang-went-the-trolley/article_d44fb568-7907- 5fd8-9ef8-49b5eeb95083.html 46 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix D Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau Press Clippings
KSBY-TV May 21, 2017 “New Book on Santa Maria Valley History Released” -- Story inspired by press release http://www.ksby.com/clip/13191234/new-book-on-santa-maria-valley-history-released
Lompoc Record May 21, 2017 “From the Vine: Clang, Clang, Clang went the Trolley” -- Story inspired by press release http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/21352/21352_NA11166
Lompoc Record June 9, 2017 “Santa Maria Uncorks Success with Wine Trolley” -- Story inspired by press release http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/21352/21352_NA11256
Pacific Coast Business Times June 16-22 edition, ‘Street Smarts’ column, 2017 “Wine and Dine Dad” -- Story inspired by press release
Santa Barbara Independent June 22, 2017 “Trio of Santa Barbara County Tasting Trails” -- Story inspired by press release http://www.independent.com/news/2017/jun/22/trio-santa-barbara-county-tasting-trails/
Santa Maria Times June 23, 2017 “A Weekend of Wine and History” http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/21352/21352_4366 47 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix E Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District Analytics 48 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix E Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District Analytics 49 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix E Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District Analytics 50 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix F Visitors Bureau End of Year Financials
(pre-audit) 51 Annual Report 2016 - 2017 Appendix F Visitors Bureau End of Year Financials 52 Annual Report 2016 - 2017
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