Visit Stockton Quarterly Report - October 2022

Welcome to Fall!

We are still in awe that we are already in October. It has been a whirlwind year, with mostly ups and a few downs, as we all continue to try to figure out what recovery looks like. With three months remaining in 2022, our team continues to work diligently on behalf of the Stockton community and our local partners in travel and tourism.

This past quarter did bring some great news to the Visit Stockton team. In September, our organization was recognized by the International Festival and Event Association with a Gold Award for Best New Festival for the Stockton Flavor Fest. Our team was excited to earn this award, a true validation of our teams' hard work, and our successful partnership with the City of Stockton. We are already busy planning the 2023 festival, so be sure to mark your calendars for May 19-21 – for a three-day celebration of our community's diverse cultures.

the equally historic and iconic Sperry Building at 146 West Weber. We hope to begin this move before the end of the year and welcome you all to an open house in early 2023.

To finish off the new year, and for the first time since 2019, we are having our holiday party. We hope you will join us for our annual Visit Stockton Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 13 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Haggin Museum. We look forward to celebrating the year with our friends and partners over great food and holiday cheer!

As always, we are here to serve and support our partners and the Stockton community. If you are seeking a partnership, have feedback or ideas you would like to share, or just have a question, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of our team.

Local lodging continues to be challenged, feeling the impacts of labor shortages, high gas prices, inflationary pressures, and the lack of pre-pandemic levels of business travel. The last two quarters have seen a softening in hotel occupancy, but average daily rates are still at an all-time high, a combination that is keeping hotels at overall revenue levels above those in 2019. Some interesting info to note: we are seeing year-over-year growth in the short-term rental market, and our visitor location data shows overall destination foot traffic above 2019 levels. Hopefully 2023 will return us to some more consistent metrics – we will keep you posted.

The quarter ahead brings another big change for Visit Stockton as we are relocating! After nearly 10 years at our current location in the historic B&M Building, we are moving down the street to

Chief Executive Officer

IFEA Awards Festival

Stockton Brew Fest 2022

Sperry Building

Aug

Aug

Sep 1,

Sep 15,

Oct 6,

Oct 20,

This is Stockton Podcast

The much anticipated “This is Stockton” podcast is live! Episodes will continue to be released on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, featuring interviews with local celebrities, Stockton pop-culture moments, and highlights of upcoming events. Since the launch, we have had nearly 600 unique listens to the podcast, one of the fastest growing shows on the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. You can check out all our episodes at thisisstockton.com, and find supplemental images and tidbits on Instagram at @thisisstocktonpodcast

& CONFERENCES

CalTravel Summit October 2022

Visit California Board Meeting October 2022

Destinations International Advocacy Summit October 2022

US Travel Destinations Council Board Meeting December 2022

US Sports Congress/Collegiate Championship Symposium December 2022

CalSAE Seasonal Spectacular December 2022

Stockton

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Stockton - See It For Real Visit Stockton is gearing up to release our new marketing campaign that will feature the real people of Stockton, featuring local business owners, entrepreneurs, and folks who choose to make Stockton their home. The “See It For Real” campaign will get up-close and personal with real Stocktonians, sharing the stories of what makes Stockton awesome.

Video production and creative assets are being finalized, and we are excited to launch this campaign before the end of the year. Videos will highlight the Golden Rose Barber Shop, Terra Coffee, and Stockton Soul. After the first three videos are released (produced by Augustine Agency) we plan to continue creating these videos in-house to share more of Stockton’s stories.

Stockton Sweet Trail

After much deliberation amongst the team, Visit Stockton made the decision to pause the relaunching of the Stockton Taco Trail. This decision was made in order to give some time for our consumers to “miss” the trail, and to create anticipation for when we plan to relaunch in 2023.

Until then, we geared up and are anticipating the launch of our newest foodie trail, the Stockton Sweet Trail! The Stockton Sweet Trail features a baker’s dozen locations to satisfy sugary cravings! The free pass will be launched on the newest version of our Experience Pass platform and will feature new ways to earn points and win prizes. Additionally, all passes will become available in one location, creating ease for our users and allowing for additional in-app registrations.

To register for this pass, visit StocktonSweetTrail.com, and check-out all our experience passes at ExperienceStockton.com

Stockton: VisitStockton.us/EventsEmail

CURRENT

Visitor Guide

Back for the first time since early 2020, Visit Stockton is happy to announce we will be releasing a new full-sized visitor guide for 2023. The publication will be a similar size to the 2020 version, and be an updated look at the happenings, places, and people that draw visitation to our area. There will also be a focus on neighborhoods in this year’s publication, as we recognize that visitors like to explore areas with ample activity and walkability. Be on the lookout for the new visitor guide in early 2023, and if you would like copies of this publication for you store, hotel, or other location, please contact nicholas@visitstockton.org.

2023 Calendar

The Visit Stockton calendar is returning for 2023! This publication is a great awareness piece for our office, giving us the opportunity to highlight our programs, images, and campaigns. Calendars are distributed to our partners as a free giveaway, at community events, and during Visit Stockton programs. If you would like to distribute Visit Stockton calendars, please contact nicholas@visitstockton.org

IN REVIEW

Brick City Bucket List

The Brick City Bucket List launched in August with the integration of videos and audio-guided narrations. This pass was specifically designed to be sharable by our partners, whether you have a visitor in town for a sporting event, Parent’s Weekend, of visiting friends and family. We will continue to promote this pass for the next year, and we hope to get it into as many hands as possible. If you would like printed materials to promote the pass in your location, please let diana@ visitstockton.org know. For more information, and to register for a pass, visit BrickCityBucketList.com

Stockton Brew Fest

Stockton Brew Fest was held on September 10, 2022 at the Weber Point Event Center. We hosted over 600 people at the event, which included more beers, new entertainment, and new supporters! For the first time, the City of Stockton sponsored our “Artist Alley” which featured a dozen local makers and artists, plus we hosted a live DJ and more food trucks than ever before. We also welcomed the Stockton Ports and Stockton Kings who hosted fun activations that helped bring new excitement to our event and promote their programs. For images and more coverage from the event, please visit Stockton Brew Fest on Facebook, and be sure to tag yourself!

How Stockton, California Join the Marvel Universe

Dining on the Delta in Stockton, California

From Stockton, California to the Stars Above: The Story of José Hernández

USTA National Baton Twirling Championships • July 11-16, 2022

USTA returned to Stockton after hosting its International Competition in 2017. Following a two-year postponement, the Nation’s best baton twirlers returned to the Stockton Arena to compete for National titles in group and individual events. Competitions were also held at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium (July 13-15).

Connect SPORTS

The Development and Tourism team traveled to Detroit in early August. There, the team met with over 30 sporting event organizers and/or planners to better understand the needs for their respective events and to provide information on how Stockton could assist in bringing those events to our city.

MEET THE TEAM

ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS

Wes Rhea, CDME Chief Executive Officer wes@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1555

Christa Griffith

Office & Volunteer Program Manager christa@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1555

SPECIAL EVENTS

Diana Nuño Events & Community Engagement Manager diana@visitstockton.org | 209.851.3096

SPORTS & TOURISM

Rebecca Scharmann

Director of Sports & Tourism Development rebecca@visitstockton.org | 209.851.3096

Nicholas Ramirez Events Services Manager nicholas@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1552

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Amy Alpers

Director of Marketing & Communications amy@visitstockton.org | 209.636.4348

Anthony Esteves Content Manager anthony@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1557

Office Move!

The Visit Stockton office is excited for our big move to the historic Sperry Building at 146 West Weber Ave. After nearly 10 years at our current location, our employee count has doubled, our programs have expanded, and we are ready for the next chapter in our new home. We will be settled into our new location in early 2023 and look forward to being housed near some of Stockton’s top attractions, including the Children’s Museum of Stockton, Downtown Stockton Marina, and the future home of the Stockton Historical Maritime Museum.

Stockton Restaurant Campaign

Stockton Restaurant Week has been hosted by Visit Stockton every January for the past 14 years, promoting price-fixed menus and specials at some of the city’s favorite restaurants. Looking forward, we are excited to reimagine the traditional restaurant week format and look to promote more restaurants by expanding our participation.

UPCOMING DATES

Jesse Salazar Video Production Manager jesse@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1553

Wesley Sosa

Graphic Designer & Brand Manager wsosa@visitstockton.org | 209.938.1557

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

George Kaplanis President Omega Hospitality

Wes Yourth Vice President University of the Pacific

Susan Obert

Treasurer Haggin Museum

Alex Munro Hilton Stockton

Rhona Miles University Plaza Waterfront Hotel

Isadora Harness Marriott Properties

Jai Patel Red Roof Inn

Christina Fugazi Council Appointee Councilmember, District 5, City of Stockton

Visit Stockton Board of Directors Meeting

The next board meeting will take place on December 13 at 3:30pm at Visit Stockton’s new office.

Stockton Sweet

Visit