ANNUAL REPORT 2018
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO 2018 was another growth year for travel and tourism in Stockton. Stockton experienced continued growth in the demand for room nights (685,029), grew occupancy rates (avg. of 69.2%), had a record-breaking average daily rate of $89.84, and witnessed overall revenue for our Stockton area hotels soar to $61.5M. The year closed with the fantastic news that the Stockton Metropolitan Airport will begin daily service to LAX on United Airlines beginning in August 2019. This new airlift expands our opportunity for continued growth in visitation and opens the door to exciting possibilities. I am extremely proud of and grateful for the work our team accomplished in 2018 on behalf of our community. We have a strong belief these efforts result in an improved quality of life for our residents. As we move forward, we continue to be bold, take risk, and stay ahead of the curve on our efforts to promote our city. The hard work of one of the best teams in tourism did not go unrecognized last year. Visit Stockton was proud to receive three national recognitions for our marketing efforts in 2018; look for more great campaigns in 2019. Here are a few of Visit Stockton’s top accomplishments in 2018: • The Amgen Tour of California, the second largest cycling event in the world, returned to Stockton after an 11 year hiatus. The Stockton community stepped up by attending the lifestyle festival and by volunteering on the route. We are extremely proud to host this event again on May 14, 2019. • Feast at the Fox was a first-time partnership between the City of Stockton and Visit Stockton. This sell-out farm-to-table dining event held on Main Street was a resounding success. Not only did it showcase locally grown produce, but it benefitted the culinary students at San Joaquin Delta College. • Our digital marketing reached new heights in 2018. With over 35 million impressions, Visit Stockton expanded its digital footprint, which provided greater awareness of our city, shed a light on the city’s assets, and created a positive image for potential visitors, residents, and businesses. As always, our success in 2018 would not have been possible without the support and partnership of our hotel partners, our local businesses and non-profits, our Stockton Ambassadors, and residents. 2019 will continue to bring more opportunities for Stockton, and it is our team’s pleasure to promote the city of Stockton to the world.
Regards,
MEET THE TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wes Rhea, CTA CDME, Chief Executive Officer
George Kaplanis, CTA President Hilton Stockton
Rhona Miles, CTA University Plaza Waterfront Hotel
Wes Yourth, CTA Vice President University of the Pacific
Isadora Harness, CTA Marriott Properties
Robyn F. Cheshire, CTA Director of Marketing & Communications Tim Pasisz, CTA CMP, CSEE, Director of Sports & Tourism Kelsey Moren, CTA Event Services Coordinator
Megan Peterson, CTA Office Manager & CTA Program Coordinator Miguel Guillen, CTA Social Media &Marketing Coordinator
Susan Obert, CTA Treasurer, Haggin Museum
Kalena Fields, CTA Graphic Designer
John Cammack Immediate Past President, Attorney
Sam Patel Red Roof Inn Christina Fugazi Council Appointee Councilmember, District 5, City of Stockton
VISIT STOCKTON HOLDS MEMBERSHIP WITH: • California Delta Chamber of Commerce
• Destination’s International (DI)
• California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE) • California Travel Industry Association (CalTravel) • Central Valley Tourism Association (CVTA)
• Destination Marketing Association of the West (DMAWEST) • Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce • Meeting Planners International (MPI)
• National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) • San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce • Society of Government Meeting Planners (SGMP) • California Association of Festivals and Events (CalFest)
WHO WE ARE Visit Stockton / The Stockton Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for Stockton, California and as such, is charged with the promotion and marketing of the City of Stockton as a leisure travel, sports, events, and meetings destination. Founded in 1979 as a 501(c)6, non-profit corporation, Visit Stockton is dedicated to
Visit Stockton works in partnership with the Stockton Tourism Business Improvement District and the City of Stockton.
Mission Statement To promote Stockton by increasing the awareness and
positively impacting the local economy through its programming and elevating civic pride while highlighting the Stockton community as a positive place to work, live, and visit. Visit Stockton is funded in partnership with local hotel properties through the Stockton Tourism Business Improvement District.
enhancing the image of our diverse cultural, historical, and recreational assets.
Vision Statement Stockton is recognized as the premier travel destination to explore the unique experiences of our city, San Joaquin County, and Northern California.
OUR ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES Wes Rhea, CEO
ACCOUNTABILITY • HAVE FUN • EXCELLENT SERVICE GIVING BACK • LEARN AND IMPROVE Visit Stockton Annual Report 2018 // 1
NEW IN 2018 a mobile coupon book for locals and visitors
Join this Free Advertising Opportunity for Businesses!
SOCIAL MEDIA BOOTCAMP (MARCH 6, APRIL 10, AND MAY 8, 2018) A three-part digital marketing education series. Benefits: • Provided local businesses and non-profits critical skills to better promote their organizations • Increased digital presence of Stockton entities increases economic impact in the city • Created additional digital marketing partners, giving Visit Stockton additional assets to promote VISITSTOCKTON.US/BOOTCAMP FEAST AT THE FOX (MAY 11, 2018) A farm to table dining event in Downtown Stockton. Hosted by Visit Stockton in partnership with the City of Stockton as a fundraiser for the San Joaquin Delta College Culinary Arts Program. Benefits: • Highlighted San Joaquin County/Stockton agriculture, dining, wine, and beer • Raised $9,000 to send SJDC Culinary students to a study abroad program in Italy FEASTATTHEFOX.COM AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA (MAY 17, 2018) The second largest cycling event in the world rolled through Stockton for the first time in over a decade, holding their Men’s Stage 5 Start in Downtown Stockton. Benefits: • International media coverage including highlights of the quality of life in Stockton • Community support for the lifestyle festival and race, including many volunteers and participation by businesses, and schools along the route AMGENTOCSTOCKTON.COM
CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR (JULY 13-29, 2018) Visit Stockton accepted the invitation from the Agricultural Commissioner to design and manage the San Joaquin County exhibit at the CA State Fair. Benefits: • Over 17 days,572,250 visitors attended the fair where they were shown the best of the county and why they should visit • The booth was staffed by 52 volunteers and the 7 Visit Stockton team members for the duration of the fair: 179 hours total CHATBOT INTEGRATION Smart technology that integrates Facebook messenger into our website. Benefits: • Delivers personalized information to customers 24hrs a day • Increases Visit Stockton’s ability to provide excellent customer service • Frees staff to accomplish other tasks, increasing their efficiency VISITSTOCKTON.ORG POSITIVELY STOCKTON CAMPAIGN Visit Stockton, in partnership with the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, became a sponsor of the Positively Stockton campaign with FOX40. Benefits: • Commercials, news stories, segments on Studio40 Live morning show, all highlighted the positive aspects of Stockton • Positive stories have helped to combat the negative press Stockton receives
• Shedding a light on the positive stories has made potential visitors in the surrounding areas aware of Stockton’s positive quality of life STOCKTON SAVINGS PASS TRANSITIONS TO A FREE PROGRAM A mobile coupon book for locals and visitors. Benefits: • Delivers financial savings and incentives to visitors and residents throughout the city • Provides a positive economic impact for participating attractions, restaurants, etc. STOCKTONSAVINGSPASS.COM
AWARDS Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s ADRIAN AWARDS. The Adrian Awards are the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition. Bronze - Digital Marketing: “Stockton True” Campaign Category: Experiential (NEW) Design by: FourthIdea Gold - Digital Marketing: Website Design & Development Category: Website User Experience Design by: Tempest Visitors International’s BEST BROCHURE AWARDS submitted by Certified Folder. Stockton− Stocked Full of Flavor Brochure 2018 Category: Regional Winner (FL, GA, CA) Design by: Visit Stockton Visit Stockton Annual Report 2018 // 2
MARKETING
HOTEL DATA
WEB STATISTICS
DEMAND (ROOM NIGHTS) 2018
685k
2017
670k
2016
656k
2015
VISITSTOCKTON.ORG
OCCUPANCY (%)
REVENUE 65M
66%
60M
64%
55M
62%
50M
2015
2016
2017
2018
2015
2018 was 69.2%, meaning an average of
1,871 of the 2,704 Stockton hotel rooms were sold each night.
up 1.6% from 2017
7,525,082 impressions
457,865 mobile/tablet users
Instagram: 6,609
reach: 1,438,949
up 3% from 2017
89.84
2017
85.84
2016
79.71
2015
74.60
Average Daily Rate
The revenue generated from overnight visits in 2018 was
$61,540,306.
10,403 Clicks 18.2M impressions
105,377 interactions 3.65M impressions
SOCIAL MEDIA Total Social Media Followers in 2018:
109,131
TWITTER 9,418 total followers
1,646,722 impressions
Visit Stockton
10,332 total engagement
485,778 total engagement
2018
GOOGLE ADWORDS
Events, Home, Things To Do According to Tripadvisor Blog, Things to Do, Stockton Restaruant Week
55,633 total followers
AVERAGE DAILY RATE
NATIVE ADS
up 11.7% from 552,923 in 2017
(Based on page views)
Average Hotel Occupancy for Stockton in
798,348 impressions
Twitter: 4,004
up 5.1% from 1,324,920 in 2017
2018
118,474 link clicks
617,618 users
Top 5 Web Pages
2017
13,314 clicks
up 4.87% from 2017
1,392,550 pageviews
2016
184,587 engagements
Facebook: 98,174
up 11.9% from 409,088 in 2017
61.54M
BING
up 8.36% from 817,760 in 2017
69.2% 68%
FACEBOOK ADS
886,111 sessions
627k
Demand (Room Nights)
SOCIAL MEDIA REFERRALS
ONLINE ADS
11,664,196 impressions 1,239,515 video views
INSTAGRAM 16,598 total followers 62,941 total engagement
Stockton Beer Week
YOUTUBE
Stockton Restaurant Week
522,684 lifetime views up 100.39% from 2017
8,921 total followers
13,384 total followers
Stockton Arts Week
watch time: 116,905 minutes
2,899 total followers
61,027 views
Stockton Savings Pass
average view duration: 1:55
1,830 total followers
448 subscribers
Our online ads alone generated over 35 MILLION impressions.
PRINT ADS We placed ads promoting Stockton in numerous local, national, sports, meetings, and travel publications throughout the year. You may have seen us in any of the following: Association News/Sports Travel • Bay Area News Group • Central Valley Business Journal • CVTA Port O Call • The Record • San Joaquin Magazine SF Travel Guide • Sunset Magazine • University of the Pacific Student Planner • Yosemite Journal Visit California Travel Guide
We distributed 40,000 of our 2018 visitors guides.
SPORTS AND EVENTS ROOM NIGHTS GENERATED/ ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Stockton Ambassador Program is a multi-faceted program that serves to increase tourism by inspiring front-line employees and community members to turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience by highlighting the quality of life in our city. Certified Tourism Ambassadors™ (CTAs) learn about Stockton history, attractions, dining, events, and more to become experts in Stockton ready to assist visitors. In return, the visitor is more likely to return in the future and share their experience with others. Everyone benefits− the visitor, the industry, the local economy, and the ambassador themselves.
SPORTS ADS
Economic impact calculation can include the following: facility costs (rental), facility staffing/ specialized services (production), food and beverage revenue at the facility, parking revenue at the facility, hotel rooms, ticket sales, and ancillary events at the facility or within the city. All events also utilized a regional average of expenditures for persons coming to a specific sporting event. This average calculates spending within the city, which is not necessarily tied to an aforementioned category (restaurants, fuel for vehicles, entertainment, etc.).
AS OF 12/31/18 THERE ARE 602 STOCKTON CTAs!
In 2018 a total of 27 sponsored events were hosted leading to a total economic impact of $3.2 MILLION.
‘‘
Top 5 Most Impactful Sporting Events of 2018: West Coast Conference Baseball, May 2018 477 Room Nights // $486,123.66 Est. Impact CCAA Baseball Tournament, May 2018 475 Room Nights // $454,974.37 Est. Impact
USTA Stockton Challenger Tennis, September 2018 393 Room Nights // $223,218.49 Est. Impact
A total of 3,770 room nights were generated from sponsored events.
Visit Stockton Annual Report 2018 // 4
The CTA program has given me 100 percent more of a positive outlook for my own city. Every moment is an opportunity to be an ambassador. - CTA Survey Response
IN 2018
USA Water Polo Golden State Invitational, July 2018 88 Room Nights // $400,679.15 Est. Impact
NCAA Golf, May 2018 382 Room Nights // $209,863.73 Est. Impact
Our 600th CTA, Amanda Hensley with Motel 6 - Stockton North!
Visit Stockton attended 10+ tradeshows, Reviewed 71 RFPs, and submitted 38 bids in 2018.
95 CTAs were certified. We held 5 public classes & 1 private class. We hosted 8 CTA events, 8 CTA volunteering opportunities, and 4 Lunch & Learns. We exceeded 2018 goal of 65% renewal with a 76% renewal rate! For more information on this program: StocktonAmbassadors.com CTANetwork.com Please send referrals and questions to Megan Peterson: 877.778.6258 or megan@visitstockton.org
SPECIAL EVENTS july 14, 2018
January 19-28, 2018 July 13-22, 2018 9th annual Restaurant Week 7th annual Beer Week 34 restaurants participated 26 participating businesses hosted 45 separate events Increased media coverage included The Record, Fox40 Morning News, Studio40 Live, Good Day Sacramento, and CBS13 News
Hosts included the Haggin Museum, Lincoln Center, and Fleet Feet Sports
July 14, 2018 3rd annual Brew Fest Featured over 30
October 12-21, 2018 3rd annual Arts Week 65 events hosted
Guests also enjoyed live music, games, and food vendors
Featuring the inagural Collide Festival at Weber Point and the OctoberFRESH hip-hop celebration at DeCarli Plaza.
breweries serving stouts, sours, IPAs, ciders, and more.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED EVENTS & ORGANIZATIONS • Pixie Woods
• Stockton Symphony
• Stockton P.D. Youth Activities
• San Joaquin Bike Coallition
• Children’s Museum of Stockton
• Stockton Civic Theater
• National Night Out
• SMG: Stockton Arena and Bob Hope Theatre
• StocktonCon
• Friends of the Fair/ San Joaquin County Fair
• Downtown Stockton Alliance • Stockton Ports • Stockton Heat
• The STOCKMARKET • Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce • Leadership Stockton Alumni Association
• Stockton Kings
• Stockton/San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank
• United Way of San Joaquin
• San Joaquin Pride Center
• San Joaquin Asparagus Festival
• Support Stockton Police Department Foundation
• The Eleanor Project
• Lincoln Center
• Miracle Mile Improvement District
• Port City Roller Girls
• San Joaquin Delta College Culinary Arts Program
• Collide Festival – City of Stockton Community Services Department
• PARK(ing) Day
• All America City Awards
125 Bridge Place • 2nd Floor • Stockton, California • Call us at 877.778.6258 Office Hours: 8AM to 4PM, Monday - Friday