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Home My WebLink AboutTDC Packet MarchPlease note – Meetings are recorded. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation to attend this meeting should contact the St. Lucie Tourism Office at (772) 462-1472 or TDD (772) 462-1428 at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. ST. LUCIE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Wednesday, March 14, 2018 3rd Floor Conference Room St. Lucie County Administration Building 2300 Virginia Avenue Fort Pierce, FL 34982 1. Call to Order ......................................................................................................................Chris Dzadovsky 2. Roll Call .............................................................................................................................. Tayler Hardison 3. Self-Introductions ..............................................................................................................Chris Dzadovsky 4. Approval of Minutes from January 24, 2018 .....................................................................Chris Dzadovsky 5. Public Comment… ............................................................................................. ……… Chris Dzadovsky 6. Financial & Web Report ...................................................................... Charlotte Bireley / Tayler Hardison a. December 2017 / January 2018 Revenue and P & L Report b. December & January Monthly Expenses vs. Revenue Comp Report c. January & February Website Activity Report d. January & February Social Media Activity Report 7. Summer Campaigns ........................................................................... Charlotte Bireley & Tayler Hardison a. Friends & Family Campaign b. Fishing & Family Campaign – Central Florida c. Family & Couples Getaway Campaign – South Florida 8. Tourism Activity Update .............................................................................................................................. a. Treasure Coast Sports Commission – Rick Hatcher b. Eco-Tourism – Mike Middlebrook 9. Other Business ...................................................................................................................Chris Dzadovsky 10. Adjournment ......................................................................................................................Chris Dzadovsky ST. LUCIE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING Wednesday, January 24, 2018 ◊ 2:00 P.M. MINUTES Members present: Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky, St. Lucie County Commissioner Rufus Alexander, City of Fort Pierce Michelle MacNichol, Perfect Drive Vacation Rentals Karen Marrone, Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites Buzz Smith, The Beachfront Inn John Wilkes, The Sunrise Theater Terissa Aronson, St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce Stephanie Morgan, City of Port St. Lucie Members absent: Paul Taglieri, St. Lucie Mets Mayor Oravec, City of Port St. Lucie Staff present: Katherine Barbieri, St. Lucie County Attorney Charlotte Bireley, St. Lucie County Tourism Tayler Hardison, St. Lucie County Tourism Mike Middlebrook, St. Lucie County ERD Also present: Ryan Strickland, Treasure Coast Sports Commission Rick Hatcher, Treasure Coast Sports Commission Noreen Kruse, Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites Laura O’Brien, PSL Civic Center Tim Fuller, PSL Civic Center Robin Moran, Club Med Sales Jill Hanson, Residence Inn Marriott Karen Costello, Sheraton PGA Sales Dawn Grigsby, Sheraton PGA Sales Rocky Adrianson, Sheraton PGA Sales Sandra Burke, Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Don Bestor, Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society Rachel Krier, Club Med Sandpiper Bay 1. CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky called the meeting to order at 2:09 PM. 2. ROLL CALL: Tayler Hardison called roll. Tourist Development Council Meeting ◊ January 24, 2018 Page 2 of 4 3. GUESTS INTRODUCED THEMSELVES: Guests introduced themselves. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes from December 13, 2017 were not approved, as there was not a quorum at the start of the meeting. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT: Kelsey Doyle with the Savannas Preserve State Park gave a brief welcome presentation to the council. 6. Financial & Web Report: Charlotte Bireley reported that Tourism revenues were $283,933 for the month of November 2017, which was a 14% increase over revenues from November of 2016. She reported that Tourism revenues were up 13% year to date. On the year to date report, Charlotte reported that Tourism expenses were all in line according to budget. John Wilkes asked about the recent TCPalm article that stated that Indian River & Martin Counties’ bed tax revenues were much higher than St. Lucie County. Commissioner Dzadovsky stated that we have had record year after year for the last 4 years, while others have not. Charlotte also explained that their total revenues are not higher than St. Lucie County’s, but that there increases may be higher – Indian River County has a much higher ADR than St. Lucie and that Martin County just opened the new Marriott hotel on Hutchinson Island, increasing their revenues. Web Report: Tayler Hardison went over the web report for the month of December. She pointed out the continued decline in bounce rate, the increase of time spent on site and the steady mobile usage for those accessing the site. She explained that these performance measures are important to watch over time. She noted that 57% of the users on the site in December were from Florida. Tayler also explained the State Visitors month by month to the Website on the following page. Social Update: Tayler Hardison went over the social media update for the month of December. She explained that the total Facebook reach for the month doubled due to the 2 campaigns that performed very well. She explained the increase in engagement for Instagram was due to the paid campaign that launched for a week in December which pushed people to come visit St. Lucie beaches in the winter. Tourist Development Council Meeting ◊ January 24, 2018 Page 3 of 4 7. SEM / SEO Program Update Charlotte Bireley presented the SEM/SEO update to the council. She explained the definitions of SEM & SEO and their importance and the increasing competition for sites to be seen by online search engines. She explained that through this program with Madden Media, the website has received over 15,000 clicks to the tourism site. She showed a word cloud of the top performing paid key words that users are searching for and clicking on, “best beaches in Florida” “port st lucie” and “things to do in florida” were the top three. On the last slide, she gave recommendations moving forward to continue to partner with Madden Media and increase the SEM budget to $40,000, keeping the SEO budget at $6,720. A couple members of the council asked how comparable this budget is to other destinations and Charlotte explained that this increase would still keep us competitive in the marketplace but still on the low-end of the spending average, and that large destinations are spending up hundreds of thousands of dollars on SEM per year alone. Michelle MacNichol made a motion. Terissa Aronson seconded. There were none opposed. The motion passed. 8. FAM Tours / Press Trips / Event Sponsorship Policy Charlotte Bireley went over the summary sheet she passed out, explained that this highlighted the policies that Tourism would be setting into place for future event sponsorships, press trips and FAM tours. Commissioner Alexander made a motion to approve. Michelle MacNichol seconded. There were none opposed. The motion passed. 9. 2018 Travel Guide Tayler Hardison directed everyone to take a look at the Travel Guides that were distributed. She explained that they focused on storytelling and adding new content to this year’s guide. She explained that these will be distributed at all upcoming travel shows, available at all St. Lucie County hotels & attractions at the Visit Florida welcome centers and other distribution outlets. 10. Tourism Activity Update Treasure Coast Sports Commission Tourist Development Council Meeting ◊ January 24, 2018 Page 4 of 4 Rick Hatcher started off the update explaining that in the fall of 2017, St. Lucie County picked up a lot of room nights from neighboring counties events’. He mentioned that there are some new events looking for locations and that St. Lucie county does not have enough room nights to accommodate them. Ecotourism Update Mike Middlebrook updated the group on the current projects the ERD is working on. He explained how the Greenways & Trails project is moving and that funding is still being discussed. He reported that new kiosks have been added to the North Fork Paddle Trail & that they are working on getting a brochure together listing all of the paddle trails. 11. Other Business Buzz Smyth announced that his new marina, Causeway Cove is now open to the public with space for events, RV sites and many boat slips. 12. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 3:46 PM. TDC December 2017 Variance P & L Report Actual Budget Budget Bed Tax Revenue $65,393.05 $51,600 27% Carry Forward 37,486$ 37,486$ 0% Interest 42$ 42.00$ 0% Total Revenue 102,921$ 89,128$ 15% Direct Expenses Salaries/Benefits 13,001$ 17,395$ -25% Other Contract Services 2,000$ 5,000$ -60% Software Support 50$ 2,500$ -98% Travel 1,298$ 708$ 83% Communications -$ 150$ -100% Postage 675$ 750$ -10% Printing -$ 1,458$ -100% Promotional Items -$ 333$ -100% Promotional Entertainment -$ 1,308$ -100% Office Supplies 427$ 125$ 242% Dues 190$ 333$ -43% Training & Seminars -$ 167$ -100% Aid 49,500$ 49,500$ 0% G & A 5,155$ 5,155$ 0% Materials Center -$ 83$ -100% Promotional Advertising 9,866$ 18,750$ -47% Equipment -$ -$ 0% Tax Collector 1,218$ 1,218$ 0% Total Direct Expenses 83,380$ 104,933$ -21% Net Income 19,541$ 19% TDC January 2018 Variance P & L Report Actual Budget Budget Bed Tax Revenue $91,095 $70,950 28% Carry Forward 37,486$ 37,486$ 0% Interest 42$ 42.00$ 0% Total Revenue 128,623$ 108,478$ 19% Direct Expenses Salaries/Benefits 15,981$ 17,395$ -8% Other Contract Services 2,000$ 5,000$ -60% Software Support 70$ 2,500$ -97% Travel -$ 708$ -100% Communications 114$ 150$ -24% Postage 478$ 750$ -36% Printing 23,904$ 1,458$ 1540% Promotional Items 236$ 333$ -29% Promotional Entertainment 160$ 1,308$ -88% Office Supplies 41$ 125$ -67% Dues 15$ 333$ -95% Training & Seminars -$ 167$ -100% Aid -$ -$ 0% G & A 5,155$ 5,155$ 0% Materials Center 33$ 83$ -61% Promotional Advertising 35,219$ 18,750$ 88% Equipment -$ -$ 0% Tax Collector 1,218$ 1,218$ 0% Total Direct Expenses 84,624$ 55,433$ 53% Net Income 43,999$ 34% TDC Year to Date 17/18 YTD as of 01/2018 Annual Variance P & L Report Actuals Budget Budget Bed Tax Revenue $269,708 $645,000 -58% Carry Forward 149,944$ $449,830 -67% Interest 168$ $500 -66% Total Revenue $419,820 $1,095,330 -62% Direct Expenses Personnel 63,642$ $208,742 -70% Contract Services 26,830$ $60,000 -55% Software Support 6,715$ $30,000 -78% Travel 3,204$ $8,500 -62% Communications 192$ $1,800 -89% Postage 3,058$ $9,000 -66% Printing 23,904$ $17,500 37% Materials Center 53$ $1,000 -95% Promo Items 865$ $4,000 -78% Promo Activites/Entertainment 425$ $17,000 -98% Promo Advertising 52,846$ $225,000 -77% Office Supplies 593$ $1,500 -60% Dues & Memberships 3,345$ $4,000 -16% Aid (TCSC)108,500$ $215,000 -50% Training & Seminars 245$ $2,000 -88% Equipment -$ $0 0% G & A 22,620$ $61,868 -63% Tax Collector 4,872$ $14,616 -67% Total Direct Expenses 321,909$ $881,526 -63% Net income 97,911$ 23% REVENUE VS. EXPENSE COMPARISON REPORT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 A B C D E F G H I J K L FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 Revenue/Expenses Revenue/Expenses Revenue/Expenses Revenue/Expenses Oct 36,505/26,241 Oct 38,190/68,910 Oct $49,813/$89,284 Oct $56,433/$97,941 Nov 40,217/69,602 Nov 45,677/35,981 Nov $48,793/$34,578 Nov $56,787/$52,810 Dec 50,417/38,845 Dec 60,421/37,675 Dec $53,209/$63,456 Dec $65,393.05/$83,381 Jan 74,046/104,150 Jan 84,832/66,124 Jan $79,044/$87,085 Jan $91,095/$84,624 Feb 97,234/43,806 Feb 96,839/91,967 Feb $96,610/$78,371 Feb Mar 109,221/51,665 Mar 115,858/58,382 Mar $115,320/$65,749 Mar Apr 59,760/47,839 Apr 57,049/56,421 Apr $75,166/$94,748 Apr May 45,070/44,247 May 48,445/39,469 May $56,693/ $67,053 May Jun 42,301/45,680 Jun 49,530/52,614 Jun $50,181/$75,735 Jun Jul 46,827/40,112 Jul 53,175/73,314 Jul $55,335/$56,966 Jul Aug 44,255/25,105 Aug 46,295/35,178 Aug $48,667/$50,119 Aug Sep 34,153/46,309 Sep 41,906.41/78,244 Sep $55,749/$70,288 Sep TOTAL 680,005/583,614 TOTAL 738,211/706,209 TOTAL $734,536/$833,563 TOTAL $269708.05/$318,756 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Visits 13,532 12,169 12,262 9,722 10,803 9,011 13,935 11,949 29,025 10,765 9,538 10,217 152,928 Bounce Rate 57%57%51%51%55%57%70%73%70%64%47%46%61% Average Time 1:45%1:43%2:00 1:28 1:37 1:36 1:10 1:07 1:12 1:45 3:25 3:08 1:32 New Visits 61%62%66%72%70%69%73%73%62%72%63%64%67% Social Sessions 292 276 264 879 492 302 659 2,740 4,263 2,450 1,500 1,719 15836 Mobile Usage 32%34%37%41%40%39%32%47%51%55%48%48%42% Jan Feb Total Visits 11,974 12,256 24,230 Bounce Rate 31%24%27% Average Time 2:51 3:13 3:02 New Visits 85%81%83% Social Sessions 1819 478 2297 Mobile Usage 56%56%56% Acquisition-February 2018 Top 5 States 1. Florida 50% 2. New York 6% 3. Texas 4% 4.Georgia 3% 5.California 3% Organic Search: Users who searched for something that led them to the site Direct: Users who typed in the URL or had a bookedmarked page Referral: Users who clicked on a link to the site via source site Social: A user who visited our website via a social platform February 2018 Web Report 2017 2018 Social Media Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Totals Facebook New Likes 82 34 126 97 118 72 163 138 131 70 85 391 188 17,309 Total Reach 88,395 44,061 66,312 18,867 22,708 33,218 122,154 27,027 259649 99837 228233 81849 42867 1,135,177 Post Engagement 8,358 9,500 11,042 4,549 6,512 4,063 11,562 3,697 7,542 3,772 5,156 12,342 5,097 93,192 Video Views 7,625 911 1,814 747 5,032 16,734 35,269 11,105 33,278 22,387 59,481 34,580 12,301 241,264 Instagram Engagement 2,100 2,589 3,411 1,940 2,723 1,952 1,970 3,039 1,250 1,310 2,615 1,990 1,499 28388 New Followers 328 200 207 166 179 55 205 95 111 56 80 159 120 1961 Twitter Mentions 54 101 97 72 112 152 136 122 110 104 64 58 73 1255 New Followers 41 53 47 36 42 75 38 66 25 55 98 25 40 1,683 Impressions 40,400 60,400 58,900 47,600 55,600 47,800 121,000 44,800 58,800 39,000 73,000 50,700 35,500 733,500 Profile Visits 1,828 2,539 2,459 600 1,497 1,163 1,744 1,161 1,109 1,219 1,901 1,322 824 19,366 Reach/Impressions Number of how many people viewed our posts Enagagement Likes/favorites, comments and/or shares New Follower A new user that can see all Visit St. Lucie posts on their feed Tweet A status posted on Twitter via text, photo or video in 140 characters Mention Someone tagged @VisitStLucie in their own post Page Likes Someone on Facebook has liked the Visit St. Lucie page