2019 ANNUAL REPORT
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO Partners, Stakeholders, and Community Members,
We are pleased to say that 2019 was another successful year for travel and tourism in Stockton. Our city witnessed continued growth in the demand for hotel overnight stays which increased Stockton’s overall occupancy rate to over 72% with an average daily rate of over $91 (a new record). This growth allows our hotel community to invest in their properties to enhance and improve the guest experience. We were equally excited to see the launch of our new air service in Stockton with the addition of twice daily flights between LAX and SCK. Serviced by United Airlines, this transportation option for travelers began in August. Visit Stockton has made this new service a priority in our marketing efforts and will continue to work directly with the airport to find new strategies to ensure its success. As the first new airline in Stockton in over a decade, we wholeheartedly believe these flights are essential for future economic and visitor growth. When out in the community, I am consistently amazed and humbled by the recognition Visit Stockton receives for its efforts to move this city forward. I am extremely proud of, and grateful for, the work our team accomplished this past year on behalf of our community. We have a strong belief that these efforts result in an improved quality of life for our residents. As we move forward, we will continue to be bold, take risks, and stay ahead of the curve in our efforts to promote our city. The hard work of our dedicated team, one of the best teams in tourism, did not go unrecognized last year. Visit Stockton was proud to receive the top prize, the Golden Bear, at the California State Fair for our work on the San Joaquin County exhibit. Additional top accomplishments for the Visit Stockton team in 2019: • The Amgen Tour of California, the second largest cycling event in the world, returned to Stockton for the second year in a row. The Stockton community stepped up by attending the lifestyle festival and by volunteering on the route. • The 2nd annual Feast at the Fox farm to table dinner, produced in partnership with the City of Stockton, was expanded, sold out (again), and raised $20,000 for the San Joaquin Delta College Culinary Arts Program. • Stockton Brew Fest found a new home at the Waterloo Gun & Bocce Club which allowed Visit Stockton to break all previous attendance records and provide funds to our Stockton Sports Foundation. As always, our success in 2019 would not have been possible without the support and partnership of our hotel partners, our local businesses and nonprofits, our Stockton Tourism Ambassadors, and residents. We know 2020 will continue to bring more opportunities for Stockton, and it is our team’s pleasure to promote the city of Stockton for everyone.
Regards,
MEET THE TEAM Wes Rhea, CTA CDME, Chief Executive Officer
Robyn F. Cheshire, CTA Director of Marketing & Communications
Christa Griffith, CTA Office Manager & CTA Program Coordinator
Anthony Esteves, CTA Social Media Content Manager
Tim Pasisz, CTA CMP, CSEE Director of Sports & Tourism Development
Kalena Fields, CTA Graphic Designer
Courtney Phelps, CTA Events Administrative Coordinator
Rebecca Scharmann, CTA Events & Community Engagement Manager
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 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 Jai Patel Red Roof Inn
Susan Obert, CTA Treasurer, Haggin Museum John Cammack Immediate Past President, Attorney
Christina Fugazi Council Appointee Councilmember, District 5, City of Stockton
WHO WE ARE
Visit Stockton 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 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.
MISSION STATEMENT To promote Stockton by increasing the awareness and enhancing the image of our diverse cultural, historical, and recreational assets.
OUR VISION 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
Accountability • Have Fun • Excellent Service
Giving Back • Learn and Improve
Wes Rhea, CEO
TOURISM & IT’S IMPACT
Visit Stockton celebrated 40 years of promoting travel
and tourism for the city on June 27, 2019. In celebration of
Build a place where BUSINESS has to be, and you’ll build a place where people want to VISIT.
that achievement, Visit Stockton shared results from Build a a report by Dean Runyan and Associates, a research place firm specializing in the travel and tourism sector. where people According to the report, Stockton experienced want to VISIT, and record direct visitor spending in 2018. During you’ll build a that year, visitors to Stockton, roughly one-third place where of which were day travelers, spent over $338 people want million. A breakdown of that significant number to LIVE. included $99 million spent on dining, $59 million on retail and $44 million on arts, entertainment, and recreation. The direct visitor spending in 2018 also contributed nearly $6.3 million to the general fund through local taxes. Wes Rhea, CEO of Visit Stockton since 2005, stated, “These Build a numbers represent real dollars coming into our place where community. The funds help improve the quality of people want life for our residents by supporting local businesses, to LIVE, and you’ll build a place putting people to work, and generating tax revenue.” where people want to WORK.
rts a t s with a It all
Build a place where people want to WORK, and
you’ll build a place where BUSINESS has to be.
2019 AVERAGE HOTEL OCCUPANCY
LODGING BY THE NUMBERS
72.4% YTD DEC . 2019
2019 TOTAL REVENUE
1 , 957 OF THE 2 , 704 4.7%
STOCKTON HOTEL ROOMS WERE SOLD EACH NIGHT IN 2019.
UP FROM 2018
2019 DEMAND (ROOM NIGHTS) 2019 2018 2017 2016
715k 684k 670k 656k
2019 AVERAGE DAILY RATE YTD REVENUE GENERATED FROM OVERNIGHTS VISITS IN 2019 WAS
$65,200,700
2018 REVENUE: $61,522,644 | 2017 REVENUE: $57,524,242 | 2016 REVENUE: $52,355,112
ANNUAL TOURISM BREAKFAST
2019 2018 2017 2016
91.2 89.9 85.8 79.7
On April 30, Visit Stockton updated the community on
Kelly Howard of SMG as CTA of the Year. These individuals
their 5-year pins and certificates. Also honored were the
mission and assist in making Stockton a better place to
the state of tourism in the city and honored 21 CTAs with Delta Windjammers Disc Golf Club as Sports Partner of
the Year, 105.9 The Bull as Tourism Partner of the Year, and
and organizations show their support of the Visit Stockton live, work, and visit.
SCK TO LAX
On August 16, the Stockton Metropolitan
Airport (SCK) celebrated the launch of twice
daily flights between SCK and LAX. Visit Stockton
understands the impact these flights have on the
quality of life in our community and their potential to
bring more opportunities to the region. As such, Visit Stockton committed resources to promoting the service in 2019 and will continue to invest in the endeavor in 2020.
74,791
TOTAL INVESTMENT
$42,000
WEBSITE VISITS
A
ROOM NIGHTS GENERATED/ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT
Me
n’s Water P
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,
o
AMG
u EN To
ro
f
In 2019 Visit Stockton Reviewed 113 Potential RFPs, Submitted 84 Bids, and Attended 10+
ticket sales, and ancillary events at the facility or within the city. All events
41
ol
Ca
pion
am
A
C
NC
SPORTS & EVENTS
Conferences and Tradeshows to promote Stockton.
also utilized a regional average of expenditures for persons coming
IN 2019 A TOTAL OF SPONSORED EVENTS WERE HOSTED LEADING TO A TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
lifo
ship
ON SOCIAL, DISPLAY, NATIVE AND PRINT PROMOTIONS.
rnia
OVER
6 MILLION IMPRESSIONS
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.).
$3.28 MILLION
MOST IMPACTFUL HOSTED EVENTS OF 2019
TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS:
3,382
(IN ORDER OF ROOM NIGHTS GENERATED)
West Coast Conference Baseball Championships 496 Room Nights, $319,087 Economic Impact
STOCKTON HOSTED THE
CALIFORNIA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONVENTION IN JULY, 2019.
2,000 DELEGATES ATTENDED REPORTED ECONOMIC IMPACT:
$1,479,470
CCAA Baseball Championships
418 Room Nights, $234,363 Economic Impact
NCAA Men’s Water Polo National Championship 374 Room Nights, $492,813 Economic Impact
California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Convention 362 Room Nights, $1,479,470 Economic Impact
FEAST AT THE FOX
USA Water Polo Golden State Invitational Water Polo Tournament 281 Room Nights, $287,743 Economic Impact
Amgen Tour of California
251 Room Nights, $507,843 Economic Impact
The 2nd annual Feast at the Fox fundraiser was held on
in partnership with the City of Stockton, with assistance
previous year) for the San Joaquin Delta College Culinary
are earmarked for scholarships that assist students who
May 10 and raised nearly $20,000 (more than double the Arts Program. 224 guests dined on a five-course, locally-sourced meal under the neon glow of the Bob Hope
(Fox) Theatre. This annual event is hosted by Visit Stockton,
from the culinary arts program and local chefs. The funds are chosen to travel to Parma, Italy (one of Stockton’s sister cities) to study at the Marco Polo Institute for Mediterranean Culture and Tourism.
DIGITAL/PRINT MARKETING 40,000
STOCKTON AMBASSADOR PROGRAM The Stockton Ambassador Program is a multifaceted
copies of the 2019 Visit
program that serves to increase tourism by inspiring
Stockton Guide to Flavor & Fun were
front-line employees and community members to
distributed throughout the state and
turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience
mailed around the world by request.
55,000
by highlighting the quality of life in our city.
AS OF 12/31/19 WE HAVE CERTIFIED
San Joaquin
700 STOCKTON CTAS!
County Farm Guides were distributed
up and down the Highway 99 corridor,
throughout the San Francisco Bay
Area, and beyond.
IN 2019...
OUR DISPLAY AND NATIVE ADVERTISING GENERATED A TOTAL OF
95 CTAS WERE CERTIFIED
22,887,483 IMPRESSIONS
76% CTA RENEWAL RATE IN 2019 EXCEEDING OUR GOAL OF 65%
Positive visitor experiences generate more visits and spending, which equals a positive economic impact on our community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM:
SOCIAL MEDIA
113K TOTAL
16.6M TOTAL
FOLLOWERS
StocktonAmbassadors.com | CTANetwork.com
Please send referrals and questions to Christa Griffith: 877.778.6258 or christa@visitstockton.org
591K TOTAL
IMPRESSIONS
ENGAGEMENT
PAID SOCIAL 11,329,615 IMPRESSIONS MEDIA PROMOTIONS: 1,018,111 ENGAGEMENT
WEBSITE RE-LAUNCH (JUNE 21) VisitStockton.org re-launched in the
summer with a new design. Upgrades
VISITSTOCKTON.ORG 2019 SNAPSHOT TOP 10 PAGES OF 2019 1. Home 2. Events 3. Blog: Fly Out of the Stockton Airport 4. San Joaquin Asparagus Festival 5. Stockton Restaurant Week 6. Blog: Best of the Best - Haggin Museum
UP
23% 27%
PAGEVIEWS UP
16%
1.09M VISITS
784.8K USERS
7. Things to Do 8. Blog: Things to Do According to Tripadvisor 9. Blog: Kid Friendly Places in Stockton 10. Free Things to Do
UP
1.62M
STOCKTON BREW FEST
included easier navigation, streamlined
event page templates, and the introduction of an itinerary builder via VisitWidget.
OUR MARKETING EFFORTS GENERATED A TOTAL OF
50,853,504
DIGITAL IMPRESSIONS IN 2019.
In 2019 the intention was to expand the 4th annual Stockton
previous years) ate delicious food, played games, and tasted
location outdoors at the Waterloo Gun & Bocce Club. On
successful year of the event, by far. Proceeds from the event
Brew Fest into a beer, music, and food festival with a new
August 10, the response to this change was overwhelmingly
positive. Nearly 1,100 guests in attendance (more than double
brews from over 30 California breweries, making it the most
supported the newly established Stockton Sports Foundation.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS GOOGLE WORKSHOP (OCTOBER 22 AND NOVEMBER 7) Visit Stockton hosted a free two-part educational series for local businesses and nonprofits that included a webinar (October 22) and in-person workshop (November 7) focused on Google’s search and travel products.
STOCKTON BEER WEEK (AUGUST 9-18) STOCKTON RESTAURANT WEEK (JANUARY 18-27) 38 restaurants joined Visit Stockton to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stockton’s favorite foodie extravaganza. Deals, discounts, and special menus drove traffic to participating restaurants throughout the 10-day promotion. The event was once again held in partnership with Visit California as part of California Restaurant Month.
PHOTO SHOOT (MAY 29-31) A 3.5 day photo and video shoot captured assets at 19 locations across the city with the help of over 100 volunteer models.
26 locations across the city participated in the 8th annual celebration of craft brews, featuring creative special events and delicious beer tastings.
JAPANESE MEDIA TOUR (NOVEMBER 5) Visit Stockton hosted Japanese media, in collaboration with In Season Market and Nursery, as part of a Visit California media tour.
STOCKTON ARTS WEEK (OCTOBER 11-20) CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR (JULY 12-28) STOCKTON SONG CONTEST (FEBRUARY 1 - MAY 15) Darien Fields won the 2019 Stockton Song Contest with his original song, “Made Me.” The song was recorded at The Press Recording Studio and a music video was produced. Watch it at: visitstockton.us/MadeMe
With support from the San Joaquin County Ag Commission, Visit Stockton created the San Joaquin County exhibit at the California State Fair in Sacramento. The exhibit took home a 1st place ribbon in professional build, the best social media award, and the designation of Best of Show.
Over 65 events from various artists and organizations marked the 4th annual celebration of arts, culture, and collaboration in Stockton.
COLLIDE ARTS FESTIVAL (OCTOBER 19) Funded in part by a grant from the California Arts Council, the Collide Festival was a free community event hosted by the City of Stockton, supported by Visit Stockton, the Stockton Arts Commission, and a committee of local artists/arts organizations. It served as a finale to Stockton Arts Week and featured art in its many forms.
NCAA DI MEN’S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP (DECEMBER 7-8) Fueled by an exciting opening round game on December 5, sold-out crowds were given even more high-energy play throughout the weekend. Stockton’s own University of the Pacific came away with 2nd place.
FOR A LIST OF ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, SPONSORSHIPS, AND MEMBERSHIPS PLEASE VISIT: VISITSTOCKTON.US/PARTNERSHIPS