flagstaff 2016 annual report and marketing plan

FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU211 W. Aspen Ave. | Flagstaff, AZ 86001 | 928.213.2910 | 800.217.2367

Annual Report &Marketing Plan

FY 2015

FY 2016

Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau

1FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN

Convention and Visitors BureauTo develop, promote and maintain Flagstaff as a year-round destination with professional visitor services that will benefit the community economically, environmentally and socially.

Visitor CenterTo introduce and educate visitors about the vast tourism opportunities within Flagstaff and the surrounding areas, and to increase the frequency of visits to Flagstaff and length of stay.

Convention and Visitors BureauFlagstaff is recognized as the destination for all seasons.

Visitor CenterFlagstaff Visitor Center is recognized for providing exceptional visitor services.

2 | Industry Stats

4 | Marketing

6 | Advertising

8 | Online Marketing

10 | Public Relations

11 | Film

12 | Travel Trade

14 | Meetings and Events

16 | Visitor Services

18 | Community Relations

20 | Budget

21 | Directory

This year has been full of exciting and award winning destination marketing programs, but that was just the tip of the iceberg for what the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) had in store for industry partners. With innovative promotions such as the Flagstaff Cool Zone located in the heart of our top inbound market, to collaborative sales efforts that promote rural travel, the staff have been hard at work promoting all that Flagstaff has to offer; and the results of these efforts are showing.

During FY 2015 Flagstaff continued to improve in all key tourism indicators; 8.1% increase in Occupancy, 15.8% Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) and an amazing 10.7% increase in tourism tax revenues. These record breaking achievements could not have been reached without the help of our area partners. With the support of the entire community, tourism has been acknowledged as the top economic driver for our community, and we plan to continue this trend.

After a yearlong visitor intercept study, the CVB created an updated Flagstaff Visitor Profile with visitor demographic highlights. This profile data along with other indicators are being used to better target travelers and extend the reach of sales and marketing campaigns. Each year we strive to benefit Flagstaff residents and visitors alike through improved tourism tax revenues and collaborations.

This coming year the CVB has many new promotions planned which highlight Flagstaff’s unique assets and provide the opportunity for partners to participate in several ways. To begin with, the success of the Flagstaff Cool Zone will be expanded into an overall #VisitCool valley-wide promotion for the year, and we are planning for the 90th Anniversary of the Mother Road with 66 Kicks on Route 66, as well as launching the Flagstaff Selfie Trail that encourages sharing of iconic images throughout the city.

Our work at the CVB continues to make a positive impact on Flagstaff’s economy and it’s our privilege to share our accomplishments and plans with you.

Best regards,

Heidi HansenEconomic Vitality Director

Executive Summary

Mission Statement

Vision

Contents

2 3FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN

FY15

The CVB tracks industry trends and statistics in order to make well-informed decisions on different marketing strategies, from media type to type of traveler.Industry Stats

12

3

5 46

40%

49%

11%

ArizonaPhoenix 18%Scottsdale 8%

Mesa 7%Gilbert 6%

Glendale 6%

Other US States

California 11%Texas 4%

Illinois 3%Colorado 2%

Nevada 2%

InternationalUK 27%

Canada 25%Australia 7%

France 6%Germany 5%

12

3

5 46

Visitor Origin

Visitor Top Activities

USTA Forecast: Domestic travel [ number of visitors] increase of 1.8%, international travel increase of 4.2% and 2016 travel expenditures up 4%. (US Travel Association, July 2015)

Recognition2014 Hermes Creative Awards Gold Award: Outdoor Advertising Flagstaff Cool Zone

2014 Hermes Creative Awards Gold Award: Facebook Promotion Flagstaff Advent Calendar

In FY 2015, BBB tax collections increased 10.7% for a total of $6,981,772.

20,287 arrivals / 20,271 departures increase of 4.7%

68,534 enplanements increase of 12.5%

63% Dining

36% Shopping

31% Route 66 Nostalgia

30% Hiking Trails

8% Nightlife

7% Special Events

7% Wildlife/Bird Watching

7% Guided Tour

7% Attending Meeting

7% Visiting Art Galleries

5% Snowplay

Tourism Industry Measures

RevPAR ADR Occupancy

STR 2016 ForecastRevPAR 5.8%ADR 5.0%Occupancy 0.8%

0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

-6.0

-8.0

-2.0

-4.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

FY 2

010

FY 2

011

FY 2

012

FY 2

013

FY 2

014

FY 2

015

FY 2

016

-10

-50

510

1520


FY15

The CVB utilizes a mix of traditional, online, experiential and outdoor placements to gain maximum exposure to Flagstaff and drive visitation.Marketing

FY16Goals Marketing

� Continue strategic collaboration between visitor services, sales, public relations and marketing programs to create a cohesive destination message.

� Improve depth of image library through photo/video shoots and increase use of visual content for marketing purposes.

� Implement an innovative, comprehensive and aggressive media plan in targeted markets utilizing a mix of advertising media.

Created updated trade show booth and table top displays with reimaged branding and photography.

Consumer ShowsAugust 2015Arizona Get Outdoors Expo

August 2015Arizona League of Cities

November 2015AAA Travel Show

November 2015Las Vegas Snow Jam

March 2016San Francisco Travel & Adventure Show

Produced the Flagstaff Cool Zone, a yearlong outdoor placement in Phoenix including 1,200 square feet of imagery and live temperature display, receiving more than 4 million impressions for the year.

Distributed 150,000 Flagstaff Visitor Guides including 19,206 fulfillments and 6,432 online requests.

Countries of OriginUS, Canada, Germany, UK, Australia

States of OriginCalifornia, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York

TOP 5

Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureauflagstaffarizona.org

FLAGSTAFF itinerary pla� ing guide

ExploreENGLISH Redesigned 8

Explore Flagstaff Guides and translated into French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Italian.

Hosted #dbacks_coolzone Instameet with 50 participants, 358 likes and 120 new followers.

Held 5 activations at the Cool Zone.

6 7FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN

FY15

With the Super Bowl taking place in Arizona, the CVB enhanced online and print efforts with in-flight video and airport advertising.Advertising

Capture My Arizona photo contest resulted in 343 photo entries and 16,646 votes.

Ads seen in New York Times Square on the ABC’s Good Morning America screen.

Promoted Flagstaff to

Arizona Bowl Game travelers.

Produced 75 print ads, 292 online ads and 4 video/pre-roll ads.

Conducted 3 video production shoots including winter, NAU and fall colors.

Placed American Airlines in-flight video advertising.

Created flagstaffarizona.org/bowl-season landing page with Super Bowl travel and event information, generating 1,245 views.

Hosted Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee mascot “Spike” 2 times.

Produced 3 Phoenix Light Rails and 3 Metro Bus wraps

in addition to 4 Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport terminal 4 backlit sign boards.

Placed ad in NFL Pro Bowl Official Game Day Program.

tablet ad goes here

FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN


FY15

The CVB engages visitors through a variety of interactive elements, including the website which is the lead call to action on all placements. Online Marketing

Website Visits by Traffic Type49.7% Organic

14.8% Direct

13.7% Referral

12.5% Paid

7.2% Other

2.1% Banner

FY16Goals Online Marketing + Social Media

� Increase fan/follower social media and website engagement by 3%.

� Utilize blog posts across platforms to generate more relevant content.

� Implement direct to hotel online booking engine.

366,955 sessions,1,203,394 page views with 2:51 average visit duration

flagstaffarizona.org

flagstaff365.com79,373 sessions240,791 page views

Thank you so much for offering this service [Flagstaff Happenings]. It is great having this at our fingertips. Love this place in which we are so blessed to live and to share with guests. Di and Dick Thorson, Alpine Stone Cottage

9.6% increase in Facebook fans[50,879 fans]

17.6% increase in Twitter followers [6,193 followers]

36% increase in YouTube views[129,175 views]

Launched new Instagram page[1,094 followers]

20 Geocache visits per month per cache[417 total visits]

Developed Flagstaff Advent Calendar featuring 24 days of pre-Christmas offers receiving 3,750 views.

Implemented online direct to hotel booking engine receiving 2,616 hotel referrals in the first month.

Installed Flagstaff Webcam at the Visitor Center52.3% of visits from a desktop

32.3% of visits on a mobile phone15.4% of visits on a tablet

TOP 5

Countries of Origin US, Canada, UK, Mexico, Germany

States of Origin Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Illinois

Pages Visited Things to Do, Fourth of July, Historic Route 66 Tour, Accommodations, Fall Colors

Developed 20 unique landing pages, 6 hubs and 1 microsite

1110

Assisted with 78 pieces of editorial coverage.Earned PR Value $4,048,525

Total circulation of earned media 183,401,579

Hosted 78 journalists, 24 domestic and 54 international, on 32 individual press trips

and 6 group trips.

FY15

The public relations program works directly with media, pitching story ideas, hosting press trips and responding to inquiries to garner positive editorial coverage.Public Relations

Hosted 11 productions including The Great Food Truck Race and

Hotel Impossible, assisted with 41 film and media inquiries.

Thank you so much for your cooperation with our Japanese TV travel documentary program. With your help we could videotape more than expected and included valuable information of Flagstaff. I am looking forward to working with you and visiting Flagstaff again in the future. Mika Yamamoto, Bonobo Communications Inc

Developed film and media permitting process

Met with a total of 421 journalists.

Produced 11 issues of InfoBytes

distributed with an average open rate

of 29.6%.

Distributed 6 Note from the Director e-newsletters with an

average open rate of 34.8%.

FY16Goals Public Relations

� Increase CVB-assisted editorial pieces generated by 5%.

� Increase percentage of domestic outlets vs. international in regards to total media hosted.

August 2015Book Passages Travel Writer Conference

September 2015New York Media Mission

October 2015Society of America Travel Writers (SATW) Annual Conference

November 2015Australia Media MissionToronto Media Marketplace

Travel+Tradeshow Schedule

March 2016San Francisco Media Mission

May 2016Germany and France Media Mission

June 2016IPW

Film

OC TOBER 2014

USA Today’s 10 Best (#6) “Best College-town Weekend”

AUGUST 2014

Parade Magazine finalist for “America’s Best Main Street”moneycrashers.com’s list of “10 Best American Vacation Towns to Live In Year-Round”

Recognition

FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN FLAGSTAFF CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT / FY 2016 MARKETING PLAN


FY15

The CVB provides guidance and assistance to travel trade professionals around the world to increase product inventory and travel to Flagstaff.Travel Trade

� Continue to connect with stakeholders holding a minimum of 50 meetings.

� Continue to track leads generated through sales missions and day-to-day correspondence by utilizing our economic impact calendar to show overall revenue generation.

� Meet with a minimum of 300 tour operators through FAM tours, trade shows and sales missions in our target markets. These meetings will showcase all our Flagstaff offerings and following each mission we will prepare trip reports to all stakeholders.

FY16Goals Travel Trade

Generated 39 leads resulting in 12,837 room nights with an economic impact of

$4,710,560.July 2015Los Angeles Sales Mission

September 2015French Sales Mission

October 2015Arizona ShowcaseHermosillo, Mexico

November 2015World Travel MarketLondon, UK

Travel+Tradeshow Schedule

January 2016American Bus Association

February 2016Go West Summit

March 2016Australian Sales Mission

April 2016Las Vegas Sales Mission

June 2016IPW

Provided 13 FAM tours for 48 Travel Trade professionals from US, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, China and Japan.

Secured 8 new itineraries with 6 Australian tour operators.

US BasedReceptive51.3%

23.2% DomesticOperator

InternationalOperator15.4%

Other10.1%

Leads by Segment

Met with 50 stakeholders for meetings and property site tour updates.

Increased Student tour activity with the additionof 3 new groups.

I will have 5 groups travelling through Flagstaff in January. We’ve gone from 1 to 3 to 4, now to 5! Thanks again for all of your help and support. I’m looking at ways to utilize more of your partners for our groups.

Product Manager, Student Tour Company, Melbourne, Australia


FY15

The meetings and events program promotes Flagstaff as a premier meetings destination by working directly with meeting planners and event organizers.Meetings+Events

� Continue to track leads generated through sales missions and day-to-day correspondence by utilizing our economic impact calendar to show overall revenue generation.

� Continue to update meetinflagstaff.org website and online resources to better meet the needs of potential meeting planner inquiries.

� Conduct 1:1 Sales Meetings with a minimum of 30 stakeholders for the year.

� Increase Meeting and Event bookings with a 2% increase in leads.

FY16Goals Meetings+Events

Generated 81 leads resulting in 56 bookings with 11,620 room nights and an

economic impact of $3,082,663.

Created Twitter presence with

@meetinflagstaff as well as unique online

presence with meetinflagstaff.org.

August 2015AZMPI EduCon ConnectMarketplace

September 2015Small Market Meetings

October 2015Destination ArizonaNavajo Nation Sales Mission

Travel +Tradeshow ScheduleNovember 2015Phoenix Sales Mission

January 2016Diversity Marketplace

April 2016Phoenix Sales Mission

June 2016Phoenix Sales Mission

Government/PublicAdminstration20.7%

18.3% Third Party

14.6%

13.4%

12.2%

8.6%

8.6%

1.2%

1.2%

1.2%

Travel Agent

Sports Group

Local/Social

Association

Religious

Other

Not for Profit

Corporate

Meetings by Segment

including Resource Modeling Association Conference, Arizona Airports Association Conference and the Arizona Historic Preservation Conference.

41assists

MONTH 2015

Successful Meetings Magazine’s

2015 Pinnacle Award Voted by the readers based on the

quality of service the Flagstaff CVB

provides to discerning meeting and

incentive travel planners.

Recognition

Launched destination wedding campaign and website with 1,764 page views.

Developed destination video for meeting planners to utilize in promoting Flagstaff conferences.


FY15

The Visitor Center provides excellent customer service to visitors and the community while assisting them with area information to help make their stay memorable.Visitor Services

� Increase Walk-ins by 1% through enhanced programming.

� Add three new events in addition to National Train Day to increase visitation and community involvement.

� Increase Visitor Center involvement with stakeholders and community, allowing for higher levels of customer service by attending FLRA (Flagstaff Lodging & Restaurant Association) and DBA (Downtown Business Alliance) meetings on a regular basis.

� Commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Train Station in conjunction with National Train Day 2016.

� Continue to monitor and measure Trip Advisor satisfaction ratings of the Visitor Center.

� Improve quality and functionality of the station platform.

FY16Goals Visitor Services

Helpful staff TripAdvisor 5 out of 5 stars

The staff at the Visitor Center were very knowledgeable and helpful in planning my stay in Flagstaff. They provided all the information I needed to make the most of my trip. They also have some coupons to save money on a number of the attractions. In all well worth stopping by at the beginning of your visit to make the most of it. Reviewed July 29, 2015

Provided service to 88,383 walk-ins, an increase of 4%.

4.5 out of 5 average TripAdvisor rating

Received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor due to consistently positive reviews. Continued Visitor Center Referral Program

with hotels collecting 179 cards.


Developed Flagstaff Chocolate Walk, increasing day-of visitation by 270%, selling 557 passports and generating $1,954; donated to United Way of Arizona.

Stamped 1,478 Route 66 Passports, an increase of 15%.

Refreshed Visitor Center appearance with new wall photos, exterior paint andinterior upgrades.

America the Beautiful pass salesincreased by 19%.


FY15

The CVB staff actively participates in our local community and region and continues to share our message about the quality of life our industry provides Flagstaff.Community Relations

� Continue to partner with the AOT, AzLTA, Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce and all other memberships that are pertinent to the growth of our programs in Flagstaff.

� Continue to participate on local board, alliances and such to spread the message about Flagstaff and what tourism means to our quality of life.

FY16Goals Community Relations

Arizona Lodging and Tourism AssociationJoanne Hudson2014 Tourism Employee of the Year

2014 City Manager’s Excellence AwardsCVB and Visitor Center StaffAgassiz Award for Communication

RecognitionHosted Market Insights: The Flagstaff Visitor Profile stakeholder breakfast highlighting newly released profile sheet and research data.

Held Tourism Celebration featuring the newly released video series and marketing plan/annual report.

Conducted 24 local, regional and national speaking engagements on behalf of Flagstaff.

Served on 18 boards and organizations.

Met with 74 attendees at Director’s Coffee Klatch meetings.

Nominated Henry and Sam Green of the Weatherford Hotel for

the Arizona Governors Tourism Award for Historic Preservation, which they won.

The CVB led a community voting effort for the Outside Magazine “Best Towns” competition, which Flagstaff placed 7th.



STAFF

ECONOMIC VITALITY DIRECTOR

Heidi [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST

Carrie [email protected]

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RE LATIONS MANAGER

Heather [email protected]

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST/ F ILM COMMISSIONER

Joanne [email protected]

C R E A T I V E S E R V I C E SL E A D W O R K E R

Ralph [email protected]

C R E A T I V E S E R V I C E SS P E C I A L I S T

Jennifer [email protected]

C R E A T I V E S E R V I C E SS P E C I A L I S T

Michael [email protected]

S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G M A N A G E R - T R AV E L T R A D E

Joyce [email protected]

S A L E S & M A R K E T I N GM A N A G E R - M E E T I N G S & E V E N T S

Jessica [email protected]

V I S I T O R C E N T E R M A N AG E R

Jessica [email protected]

V I S I T O R C E N T E R S TA F F

Marsha AlmarezAndy BoydAnna GoodKevin MoriartyCarolyn PinnickCraig Rose

FLAGSTAFF TOURISM COMMISSION

C H A I R

Ruben Abeyta

V I C E C H A I R

Debbi Grogan

Dino DullbsonBen MurphyLori PappasSusan Shields

FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL

M A Y O R

Jerry Nabours

V I C E M A Y O R

Celia Barotz

Karla Brewster Coral EvansJeff Oravits Scott Overton Eva Putzova

F L A G S T A F F C O N V E N T I O N A N D V I S I T O R S B U R E AU

211 W. Aspen Ave.Flagstaff, AZ 86001928.213.2910800.217.2367928.556.1305 [email protected]

VisitFlagstaff

Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

F L A G S T A F F V I S I T O R C E N T E R H I S T O R I C T R A I N S T A T I O N

One E. Route 66Flagstaff, AZ 86001928.213.2951800.842.7293928.556.1308 [email protected]

F L A G S T A F F C I T Y H A L L

211 W. Aspen Ave.Flagstaff, AZ 86001928.213.2000flagstaff.az.gov

FY16Budget Directory

Marketing& Promotions50%

Visitor Services

Public Relations

Milligan House

General Administration

Train Station

13%

13%

1%

11% Sales

6%

5%

0% Film

FY 2016 Budget Allocations

The Flagstaff hospitality industry is a significant economic driver for the region, generating more than 7,311 jobs and delivering nearly $460 million in direct spending annually. Tax revenue collected from this industry, specifically

the bed, board and booze (BBB) tax of 2%, directly enhances the quality of life for local

residents and creates a vibrant community for travelers to visit. The CVB receives 30%

of the BBB tax to promote Flagstaff as a premier travel destination through marketing,

sales and public relations efforts while providing professional visitor services.