Visit Stockton Quarterly Report - April 2024

2024 Q1 REPORT |

JANUARY 2024 - MARCH 2024

A LETTER FROM THE CEO

Welcome to Spring!

As the Stockton Kings G-League basketball season comes to a close (congrats on an amazing season!) and the Stockton Ports bring professional baseball back to the Stockton Ballpark, we too are looking for a shift in seasons as we continue to experience softness in the lodging space that has been ongoing since late 2023.

This regional lodging decline has been understandably frustrating to our lodging partners and the Visit Stockton team. The decline in overnight stays is a regional challenge, and while Stockton’s hotel occupancy was off by 11% for February, other regional city’s posted similar reductions in hotel occupancy with Lodi down 10.2%, Modesto down 14.1%, and Lathrop down 17.9%. While the consensus is that these reductions are the result of economic factors and a return to pre-pandemic levels, our region continues to be one of the most impacted in the state. Along with lodging impacts, all communities in San Joaquin County continue to experience a decline in visitor foot traffic ranging from 8% to 10% over the past quarter. Rest assured, our commitment to navigating these challenges remains steadfast. We know brighter days are ahead.

Despite the lodging sector facing hurdles, Visit Stockton remains committed in our

mission to enhance the city’s profile and image for the benefit of our partners and the greater community. The following are some key successes from the first quarter:

• Stockton Restaurant Week: The new year commenced with the 14th successful iteration of Stockton’s hallmark culinary event, with participation from more than 32 restaurants. The event garnered high praise from both the participating eateries and our city’s residents.

• Enhanced Meeting Incentive Program:

To spark interest and secure more group business, Visit Stockton rolled out an improved meeting incentive program, offering financial perks for new group reservations made in Stockton.

• Stockton Lodging Promotional Videos: We are in the process of producing a 60-second promotional video for Stockton hotels, a collaborative venture that serves as a marketing tool for both the hotels and Visit Stockton, spotlighting the variety of accommodation options available within the city.

While Visit Stockton is regularly launching fresh marketing content, our cornerstone project for 2024 will be the renewal of the Stockton Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). Established in 2007, the TBID stands as Visit Stockton’s primary funding source, where our lodging partners collect a self-imposed assessment on overnight guests at all Stockton lodging properties. Visit Stockton is working to extend the district’s term for another decade, with the next renewal slated for 2034. Expect extensive information and opportunities to learn more about this initiative starting this summer.

The level of dedication and success our team has demonstrated is truly beyond words. We’ve not only reached our goals but set a new standard for excellence. With such momentum, I’m fully confident that our future projects will be met with the same remarkable performance.

Please take a moment to review the attached report, which highlights our achievements to date and outlines the exciting prospects on our horizon. Your insights are highly valuable to us, so I encourage you to share any questions or ideas you may have with myself or any member of the Visit Stockton team. We appreciate and look forward to your contributions as we continue this successful path.

Chief Executive Officer

CURRENT EFFORTS

State of Travel Tourism Breakfast

The Annual State of Travel Tourism Breakfast serves as a pivotal gathering where we reflect on the successes and narratives of 2023, while also charting the course for our future programming, campaigns, and events. Additionally, we are excited to announce the return of the Hospitality Awards, a ceremony dedicated to recognizing the outstanding individuals who have played a pivotal role in enhancing our tourism offerings.

Hotel Promo Videos

The marketing team is collaborating closely with our hotel partners to develop personalized promotional videos showcasing the distinct features of each property. These videos will spotlight everything from versatile meeting spaces to picturesque outdoor lounges, serving as valuable assets for both the hotels and our marketing initiatives in positioning Stockton as a premier destination for visitors.

If you’re a hotelier in Stockton interested in creating a promotional video for your property, please don’t hesitate to contact amy@visitstockton.org

Stockton Arts Commission Grant

Visit Stockton, representing Stockton Flavor Fest, successfully secured a $20,000 grant from the Stockton Arts Commission to enrich the artistic landscape of the event. This funding will be allocated by our team to support local artists in delivering a diverse array of creative endeavors including art workshops, cultural performances, live art demonstrations, and installations throughout the festival scheduled for May 17-19, 2024.

$20,000 grant awarded

Website Redesign

In collaboration with our website and CRM provider, Tempest, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of a redesigned Visit Stockton website in early summer 2024. This revitalized platform is designed to mirror the vibrancy, diversity, and distinctiveness of our city, serving as a bold representation of our identity amidst competition. While retaining beloved features such as event listings and blogs, the new website will also showcase enhanced character and highlights specific to our brand, offering visitors a more engaging and immersive experience.

Podcast Redirection

As we embark on the journey into 2024, the This is Stockton podcast is undergoing some exciting transformations, particularly in featuring an increased presence of Wes and Amy. Our analysis revealed a strong connection with our internal content among listeners, prompting us to pivot towards producing more in-house episodes.

These episodes will spotlight themes such as “Top Things to Do in Stockton According to Trip Advisor” and “Fun for the Whole Family,” aligning closely with the interests of our audience. Rest assured, we remain committed to monitoring our listenership and leveraging data-driven insights to guide the direction of our programming decisions.

IN REVIEW

Visitor Guide Distribution

The 2024 Stockton Guides experienced an overwhelming demand, swiftly flying off the shelves! Our team managed the entire distribution process in-house, showcasing the dedication and adaptability of our staff as they diligently ventured into the community to fulfill this endeavor. These guides are now readily available at various locations including hotels, the airport, community centers, attractions, and bustling businesses throughout the city. However, for convenience, individuals can always order a copy directly from visitstockton.org.

Paul Thomas Anderson – Filming a Movie in Stockton

Visit Stockton is home to the San Joaquin County Film Commission, and the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film featuring Stockton represents a significant public relations milestone for our community. Our office collaborated closely with the production team, facilitating rentals, securing locations, and serving as a primary information hub for the film. We eagerly anticipate witnessing Stockton grace the silver screen when the film premieres in 2025.

Launch of a Revamped Stockton Meeting Incentive Program

To generate increased interest and more potential group business, Visit Stockton launched a new and improved meeting incentive program offering monetary incentives for new group business in Stockton. For more information, please visit visitstockton.us/MeetingIncentive

Stockton Restaurant Week

Stockton Restaurant Week made its triumphant return for its 14th consecutive year, taking place from January 18 - 29, 2024. As one of our flagship events and promotional campaigns, we were thrilled to witness the overwhelmingly positive reception garnered across various media outlets and social platforms. This annual dining extravaganza serves as a vital initiative aimed at bolstering support for our restaurant partners during traditionally sluggish periods in the industry.Thanks to the tireless efforts of our exceptional events team, we strived to ensure that the 2024 edition surpassed all expectations. Below, we’ve outlined some standout highlights from this year’s program!

LOOKING FORWARD

Stockton Flavor Fest

After considerable preparation behind the scenes, we are on the brink of launching our marketing campaign for Stockton Flavor Fest 2024. Bigger and more vibrant than ever, this event stands as a significant placemaking initiative orchestrated by Visit Stockton in collaboration with the City of Stockton. Taking place May 17-19, 2024, at the Weber Point Events Center, Stockton Flavor Fest promises an unforgettable experience. For further details, visit stocktonflavorfest.com

Sports City Golf Tourney

Returning for its third consecutive year, the Sports City Golf Tourney is set to tee off on October 18, 2024, at The Reserve at Spanos Park. The events team is thrilled to revive this charitable event in support of the Stockton Sports Foundation, an annual fundraising endeavor aimed at fostering sports development in our community. Stay tuned for further details in the months ahead!

Photo courtesy of Stockton Record: ANGELAYDETROCHA

We have noticed a decrease in our engagement rate over Q1 2023, and upon inspection of our data and analytics, this is mainly because we have not started our paid efforts behind Stockton Flavor Fest 2024 (90k engagement deficit) and because of the virality of the 2023 Fantastic 4 Stockton campaign (40k engagement deficit).

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER YOUTUBE SOCIAL PROFILE PERFORMANCE

Source: Localhood

Source: Mailchimp

Source: Youtube Studio

In early 2023, we ran a very large paid podcast promotion campaign, hence our views in Q1 2024 being down compared to Q1 2023.