Mendocino County Lodging Association

Mendocino County
Lodging Association
Spring 2012
Available online: mcla.info
Printed on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper
MCLA Board of Directors
North Coast:
* Pamela Amante (Beachcomber Motel)
* Roger Martin (Agate Cove Inn)
* John Dixon (Glendeven Inn)
* Jo Bradley (Dennen's Victorian Farmhouse)
* Cally Dym (Little River Inn)
* Chris Knoerdel (Atrium Bed & Breakfast)
* Christina Affinito (North Cliff Hotel)
* Sue Callahan (Blue Door Group)
South Coast:
* Pauline Zamboni (Victorian Gardens)
* Mike Bradbrook (Gualala Country Inn)
* Kevin Gallagher (Coast Guard House)
Inland Corridor:
* Stuart Marcus (Shambhala Ranch)
* Robert Pinoli (Pinoli Country Inn)
* Jitu Ishwar (Holiday Inn Express)
* Raakesh Patel (Super 8 Motel)
* Jan Rodriguez (Baechtel Creek Inn)
BID Changes. 2%, Really?
This is a year of change and opportunity for the lodging industry in Mendocino County. As owners
and managers of lodging establishments, we have all experienced, and in many instances suffered,
over the past few years from the downturn in the economy which hit the lodging and tourism
businesses hard. As a result, we have had to work harder and spend more to keep business alive
and to put as many “heads in beds” as possible.
This has been true, not only for us as individual owners of lodging establishments and
vacation rental properties, but also for our organization, the Mendocino County Lodging
Association (MCLA). We, working as a team with Visit Mendocino County, Inc. (VMC), have had to
take a long and hard look at just how to better address the issue of competing with our neighbors in
successfully attracting and keeping those lodging and tourism dollars within our County. The most
obvious and effective means for doing this is to increase our efforts toward marketing and promotion, which also means increasing our current budget dedicated to those activities.
Discussion of just how to achieve this began in earnest last year, and it was decided that one potential we had for increasing our marketing and promotional budget was to increase the existing assessment, which we receive from the Business Improvement District (BID) from 1% to 2%. Just this
change alone could result in a budget of $1,200,000, in addition to our County match of approximately $300,000 annually. This increase would continue to keep us below or on par with what
other counties and cities are charging their overnight
Promotional
guests so no business would be lost as a result.
County
TOT %
BID %
Budget $
MCLA Advisory Board
Coastal:
* Jim Hurst, Fort Bragg
* Susie Plocher, Mendocino
Inland:
* Anil Bhula, Ukiah
* Anne Everett, Ukiah
MCLA:
* Jo Bradley, Little River
Visit Mendocino County, Inc
President & CEO:
* Scott Schneider
Director of Tourism Development:
* Richard Strom
Operations Manager:
* Erin Placido
Director of Marketing:
* Betsy Wildberger
Website Manager & IT Specialist:
* Brendan McGuigan
Event Coordinator:
* Alison De Grassi
Administrative Assistant:
* Susan Peakall
Sales Associate:
* Colby Bowans
Inside this issue:
In the News / Annual Mtg
2 /3
Arts Council
of Mendocino County Update
3
Events/Coastal Nat’l Monument
4
BID Ordinance continued
5
Why a BID Increase?
6
Jack Rabbit Systems/Sales Update
7
Message from the President
8
While contemplating the efforts required to increase
BID revenues, it seemed to also be the right time to
take the opportunity to examine the possibility of
changing our existing 1989 BID Ordinance Law to the
1994 Law. The advantages to our MCLA membership
would include increased transparency and control via
MCLA due to mandatory compliance with the Brown
Act and the Public Records Act, more stability by being
afforded a renewal period of up to 5 years in place of
annually, and allowing for the possibility for future restructuring of our current three board organizations,
MCLA, VMC and the Mendocino County Promotional
Alliance (MCPA), leading to a more streamlined system
of conducting the business of marketing and promoting
our county’s lodging and tourism businesses.
Mendocino
County
Humboldt
County
Sonoma
County
$ 872,000
10
1
10
2
9
2
Lake County
10
0
Marin County
10
2
Napa County
Del Norte
County
Monterey
County
12
2
8
0
12
n/a
$ 1,500,000
$ 4,800,000
Unknown
$ 600,000
$ 4,000,000
$ 350,000
$ 4,600,000
That was the thinking behind the MCLA Board’s decision to move forward in making these changes.
In order to undertake a process which would allow for all points of view to be heard and considered, MCLA established a steering committee, the BID Ordinance Committee, whose members
were selected from both MCLA and MCPA. The task of this committee was to focus on and assess
four areas of potential change for consideration. They were: one, to change the BID Law from the
existing 1989 to the 1994 Law; two, to increase the existing BID tax assessment from 1% to 2%;
three, to establish and/or assist in the establishment of new BID’s for other businesses/entities in
order to enhance programs and budgets; and four, to change the flow of BID monies from MCLA/
MCPA to VMC directly, with MCLA’s continued oversight and approval of the Marketing Plan; and to
increase the VMC’s Board of Directors by the appointment of additional lodging representatives.
Continued on page 5...
Page 2
Mendocino County Lodging Association
Public Relations Update—Mendocino County In The News!
We share our personal stories and experiences with friends,
neighbors and family every day, and often, these powerful exchanges help to shape and shift our lives and thoughts. A large
part of these shared messages revolve around travel and places
visited far and wide. Through the efforts of VMC, Mendocino
County is in the collective conversation like never before, and
this means more visitors to the County, generating more dollars
for lodging properties, restaurants, retail shops and more!
For the Public Relations team, part of these efforts include
getting the travel and tourism editorial world engaged with
Mendocino County as a destination, and we have had great
success with this over the past quarter. From features on CBS
News with Peter Greenberg, to coverage in the official in-flight
magazine of United Airlines, to extensive promotion of all of our
annual and inaugural festivals, we have generated more than 60
million consumer impressions this quarter, and expanded our
reach on a global level. Local personalities were highlighted in
video vignettes, running on the Virgin Airlines in-flight TV network, and Mendocino County was featured in double page
spread in the New Zealand Herald (which has a circulation of
over half a million).
We love hearing firsthand from happy innkeepers that they’ve
booked a visitor as a result of a media placement that was generated through our efforts. Wherever you turn, the Mendocino
County message is growing and catching on, and that is something we can all benefit from!
SAVE THE DATE!
MCLA ANNUAL MEETING
The Mendocino County Lodging Association will be
hosting their annual meeting once again.
Enjoy lunch, guest speakers and lots more!!!
Please mark your calendars:
When: Thursday, September 13th
Where: Rivino Winery, 4101 Cox Schrader Rd, Ukiah
Sampling of Mendocino County Media Coverage
from January—March 2012:
CBS This Morning with Peter Greenberg – March 3, 2012
“One Tank Getaways”
Daily viewers: 3,000,000
This quarter also marked a new level of media outreach for Visit
Mendocino County. Together, we literally transported the
bounty of the County to New York City, where we conducted
showcase events and met with more than 70 editors from publications such as Martha Stewart Living, O, The Oprah Magazine,
Saveur, National Geographic Traveler, Reuters News, Travel +
Virgin Airlines Australia – January 2012
Leisure, Ladies’ Home Journal, Every Day with Rachael Ray and
“Food Wine Dine” in-flight video featuring mushroom foraging
more. At each showcase, we poured wine, served crab cakes and
in Mendocino County
mushroom profiteroles, and shared the Mendocino County message. Each editor also received a gift bag full of Mendocino
County goodies, such as wine, mustard, olive oil, salts, solar fans,
cookbooks and more.
We have many editor and producer visits in the works in the
months to come and we are forecasting a very busy, successful
summer for all, as we continue to keep the Mendocino County
message in conversation and on the radar of editors, producers
and visitors from far and wide!
Destination Weddings & Honeymoons – March/April 2012
“California Dreamin’”
Circulation: 350,000
Page 3
Mendocino County Lodging Association
More Great PR!
Arts Council Update
An Spring 2012 Update from the
Arts Council of Mendocino County
Today’s Diet & Nutrition – March 22, 2012
“Eat, Play, Love”
Unique Visitors per Month: 5,578
San Jose Mercury News – March 21, 2012
“Pairing Dungeness Crab with Wine”
Circulation: 527,568
The Arts Council is proud to announce that the 3rd Annual
Sculpture Gallery at the Mendocino Coast Botanical
Gardens is scheduled to open June 9, 2012. ACMC has
also formed a new partnership with the City of Point
Arena for the purposes of commissioning a work of public
art for installation along Highway 1 in Point Arena this
summer. The Arts Council is facilitating the call to artists,
exhibition of entries, and panel decision. Artists who are
interested in submitting a design should visit
www.ArtsMendocino.org for guidelines and an application
(available soon).
About.com – March 21, 2012
“Coast Botanical Gardens”
Unique Visitors per Month: 46,336,600
A second Art in Public Places project is in the
works: County roundabouts located just south of Fort
Bragg, east of Hopland, and (planned) in Willits are ripe for
sculpture! The ACMC is endeavoring to secure funding for
public art in each of the County roundabouts. The ACMC
and VMC have again partnered to produce an updated
“Guide to Artful Living” brochure. Please contact the
ACMC or VMC if you would like a stock of these guides
(listing galleries, music venues, annual arts events, and
arts organizations).
Spenser Magazine – January/February 2012
“Mystical Allure of Mushrooms”
Circulation: 11,000
The campaign slogan of the ACMC 101 FRIENDS of the
Arts Council membership campaign is Let's Grow the
Arts! The Arts Council is proud to partner with the
Mendocino County Lodging Association and Visit Mendocino County. The Arts Council of Mendocino County promotes the arts and cultivates creativity to benefit and enrich the lives of residents and visitors.
Please "friend" the ACMC on Facebook! Also now on
Twitter: @ArtsMendo
ARE YOU BENEFITING ALL YOU CAN FROM THE LODGING BID?
Military Officer – February 2012
"Wild and Free on the Mendocino Coast"
Circulation: 337,991
** Generated nearly 40 media placements in print,
broadcast and internet media, resulting in more than 62
million consumer impressions and $2 million dollars in
comparable advertising value.
If you are not already receiving regular e-mails from
MCLA and/or VMC, let us know.
 Take advantage of visiting travel writers
 Participate in trade shows, packages and more
 Become an active part of the Mendocino County
story!
Call 707-964-9010 for more information
Page 4
Mendocino County Lodging Association
Festivals & Events
Where the Earth IS First
The Crab & Wine Festival, January 20-29, 2012, was a huge success. The
signature event, the Crab Cake Cook-off, drew visitors from 9 states and
22 California counties and raised approximately $60,000 for the
Mendocino Coast Clinics.
Mark your calendars! The Wine & Mushroom Festival will be held November 2-11, 2012. This year, the Wine & Mushroom Train signature
event will partner with the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco to benefit
Camp Mendocino. All funds raised will stay in Mendocino County.
Email Alison@VisitMendocino.com for information or to enter the
2012 Crab & Wine Festival.
This year marks the inaugural year for the Where
the Earth IS First Festival,
a nine-day celebration of
Earth Day events that
took place around the
County. Some of the
event highlights include: a family Earth Day
festival at Barra of Mendocino; a celebration of
inland Mendocino County at the Solar Living
Institute in Hopland ; a Fort Bragg-style Earth
Day at the Noyo Food Forest's Learning Garden; the Big River launch of Redwood Blue--a
sail and solar powered 33-foot outrigger canoe; beach, trail, and invasive species cleanups; a sold-out fundraiser to Keep Hendy
Woods Open hosted by Navarro Wines; workshops at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; historical and organic farm and ranch
tours in Potter and Redwood Valleys; and even
a one-day Ukulele Festival!
CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT
2012-2013 Official County Visitor Guide
Many of us “locals” take for granted the gorgeous rocks and the
waves splashing off our Mendocino Coast. These spectacular off
-shore rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles are part of the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) which was proclaimed
by President Clinton in 2000.
DON’T MISS OUT!!
This National Monument is one of 100 Monuments in the U.S.
and it is for us all to enjoy. It extends from the Oregon border
to Mexico along 1100 miles of California Coastline and it’s estimated that there are 20,000 rocks comprising the Monument.
When chatting with your Lodging guests, please let them know
about our unique and extensive coastal monument. You and
they can Google “ccnmblm” for more information. Those shoreline rocks really are our own, local, breathtaking California
Coastal National Monument.
An exciting event recently happened! The Fort Bragg City Council voted to become a Collaborative Partner of the CCNM and to
be the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Gateway Community. They join
with Gateways Point Arena, Trinidad, Pigeon Point, PiedrasBlancas-San Simeon and Palos Verdes in
outreach efforts and commitment.
Many area organizations are Collaborative Partners, including
Visit Mendocino County and the Mendocino Coast Chamber of
Commerce and Visitor Center. All agree to recognize and promote our rocks. CALL 707.964.9010 NOW TO RECEIVE YOUR
“ROCK WALK” MAPS.
Planning is now underway for the 2012-2013 Official
Mendocino County Visitor Guide.
Publishing of the visitor’s guide is now LOCAL AND IN-HOUSE!!
High quality guide will continue with improved photography
and content!
Lower advertising rates from previous years!
Call the office today to receive a rate card and information.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to get your business name in
the hands of 50,000 visitors!
Someone should also be calling you shortly to ensure that
your lodging establishment is listed properly in the Accommodation Section.
Mendocino County Lodging Association
Page 5
BID Ordinance Update, Continued from Page 1
Numerous meetings of the BID Committee which began last July were routinely held and the results reported back to
the respective Board organizations for further discussion, comment and direction. Efforts to reach MCLA’s lodging
membership resulted in conducting two open forums held in October, 2011, one coastal and the other inland; in preparing and circulating a Questionnaire and Informational packet which was mailed and available online to all of our
lodging members for their input; and in the establishment of a Focus Group comprised of respondents to the Questionnaire who wanted to meet for further discussion regarding the proposed changes. In addition, early in the process a
meeting was held with Mendocino County representatives, Carmel Angelo and Steve Dunnicliff from the Executive Office, to discuss their views of and position on the potential of the changes as being proposed, to be supported by the
Board of Supervisors.
Discussions to assess the viability of moving forward with the proposed changes were also held with John Lambeth of
Civitas, the attorney who both assisted MCLA in its first efforts in 2006 to establish what is now our BID and the author
of the 1994 BID Law revised and rewritten from the 1989 Law.
The results of approximately nine months of work came to fruition at the MCLA Board of Directors April meeting,
where they considered and approved a motion from the BID Ordinance Committee to move forward in making the following changes: one, increasing our BID assessment to 2%; two, changing to the 1994 BID Law; and three, increasing
the VMC Board of Directors from 10 to 11 members by the addition of one lodging representative appointed by MCLA.
Now the work begins. We have secured the services of Civitas to assist us in this process. With the approval by the
MCLA Board of Directors to move forward with these changes to the BID, the appropriate documents for doing so are
now being drafted as a first step, the preparation of a Management District Plan and Petition. Between now and the
end of this process, estimated to be completed in October, we will be on a schedule to undertake the following steps:
to circulate and finalize the Management District Plan and Petition; to begin the petition drive toward the end of June;
to begin and complete the public hearing process during August and September with the four incorporated cities
within the County - Point Arena, Fort Bragg, Willits and Ukiah; and with the County’s Board of Supervisors; and to put
into place the Resolution of Formation of the new BID in late October. With the Petition drive proving fruitful, and with
the County’s Board of Supervisors approval, it is anticipated that collection by lodging establishments of the new 2%
BID tax will begin January, 2013.
There will be monthly updates on the process and progress of these activities, given routinely at the MCLA Board of
Directors meetings which are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. (for postings of location and the
Agenda, please go to MCLA’s website at MCLA.info). All lodging members are not only invited but encouraged to
attend and to participate in these meetings; we would appreciate your ongoing interest, support, and input.
Should there be questions and/or
requests for additional information
regarding these efforts, please contact
Pauline Zamboni, Chair of the BID
Ordinance Committee, at: email
address: pczamboni@earthlink.net;
or by telephone: (707) 882-2718.
Issue: Spring 2012
Page 6
WHAT IS A TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (TBID)?
A tourism business improvement district (TBID) is a stable source of funding for marketing efforts designed to increase occupancy
and room rates for lodging businesses. Funds raised through a small assessment on lodging stays are used to provide services desired by and directly benefitting the businesses in the district.
WHAT DOES A TBID DO?
TBIDs can have many functions, all of which are aimed at increasing tourism. A TBID’s operations are determined by the businesses
funding the TBID. TBID activities can include print and internet advertising, visitor center operations, sales lead generation and
many other marketing efforts.
WHO MANAGES A TBID?
A new non-profit corporation can be formed to manage district funds, or an existing corporation (i.e. a Conference and Visitor’s
Bureau) can fill this role. The businesses forming the TBID decide how the corporation will be structured and who will manage it.
HOW IS A TBID FUNDED?
TBIDs are funded through an assessment on certain lodging stays. The amount of the assessment is determined by business owners at the formation of the district, within particular legal guidelines. Certain types of stays can be exempt from the assessment if
they are not procured as a result of district activities. Funds raised through the assessment must be spent for the benefit of the
businesses paying the assessment. Funds raised through a TBID cannot be diverted to government programs.
WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT FORMING A TBID?
As the economy struggles, marketing efforts are an increasingly important aspect of maintaining a popular destination. TBIDs provide stable funding for the necessary marketing to keep a destination competitive in a difficult economy. As cities and counties are
forced to sacrifice tourism promotion funds, TBIDs provide funding to supplement or replace those monies. Because TBID funds
are not controlled by a government entity, they cannot be subjected to the budget cuts municipalities have been forced to make.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A TBID?




They provide a stable funding source for tourism promotion
They are designed and created by those who pay the assessment
They are governed by those who pay the assessment
Funds cannot be diverted for government programs
WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE MONEY???
Our job is to keep Mendocino Count in the conversation! Some initial plans are:
 Increased advertising online, in print, on radio and outdoor throughout Northern California spreading to Southern CA
 Improved website to incorporate social media channels, increased content encouraging more conversation between businesses and potential visitors
Congratulations to MCLA Board Member Raakesh Patel
and his team at Super 8—Ukiah
The Wyndham Hotel Group recently presented
Raakesh with the following awards at their Annual
Convention in Las Vegas:
“Spirit of Super 8” Award & “Green Hotel”
Issue: Spring 2012
LOW COST ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM





Free online booking system
(if you don’t already have one)
Compatible with your existing system
(if you have one)
Only $10 per room per year!
No commissions
Increase your online bookings
After searching for an online booking system that
EVERY lodging property could use, we are pleased to
offer Jack Rabbit Systems. All bookings are linked
through your property’s existing booking system if
one exists. If you do not have an existing system,
Jack Rabbit will install one for you at NO COST!
Jack Rabbit Systems BookDirect Engine provides
visitors to VisitMendocino.com with similar functionality as a traditional Online Travel Agent (OTA)
or Metasearch booking engine, allowing visitors to
enter their desired travel dates and receive
immediate lodging search results listings of
availability and pricing.
Unlike OTA or GDS lodging solutions, Book Direct
redirects site visitors to your property. Reservations
are then booked DIRECTLY with you, guaranteeing
the best value that consumers can only get through
a direct reservation.
Page 7
SALES UPDATE
It is with great pleasure that we report an increase in the number of inquiries from tour groups, both international and domestic. Currently, there are 9 groups from the UK that are
coming to the County this Spring and Fall.
We recently returned from POWWOW in Los Angeles which is
our largest trade show of the year. We partnered with San
Francisco Travel and the North Coast Tourism Council. Over 80
appointments with International representatives took place
over the course of the event.
CalTrans was recently awarded $1.2 Million for Confusion Hill
areas which will allow for a visitor service facility. VMC will be
working closely over the next few months with the County and
others in its development.
In other signage news, all permits have been obtained for a
visitor kiosk in Anderson Valley. The goal is to have this in
place in the coming months. We also continue to explore a
location for a gateway sign on Highway 20 coming from Lake
County. Our current sign continues to get rave reviews !
Please email Richard@VisitMendocino.com
for more information on any of our sales programs
These direct bookings keep all the lodging revenue
(and taxes) in market, and save members the increasing fees typically associated with traditional
OTA and GDS booking solutions. In addition, this
direct distribution gives pricing and service control
back to lodging partners, allowing you to “own” the
customer booking experience.
For more information, please call the office at
707.964.9010
Meeting with editors at New York City media event
WHAT IS A TOURISM BID?

BID ORDIANCE—2%?

LOW COST ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM

(866) 637-MCLA
Www.mcla.info
admin@mcla.info
Post Office Box 300
Fort Bragg, Ca 95437
Message from MCLA President Cally Dym
The 2012-2013 Marketing Plan and Budget were recently approved by all three BoardsMCLA, MCPA and VMC - and will be posted soon on www.mcla.info. It has been exciting to
watch over the years how our marketing plan has gone from larger brush strokes to a very
precise and thorough plan with measurable goals. It is also evidence of how well VMC staff
and committees have honed in on what works best for marketing Mendocino County.
There are so many ways for individual lodging properties to participate in the County-wide
marketing efforts. Some examples are: responding to requests for stories or promotions from
Hype House, our public relations firm, participating in co-op advertising; or joining us at a
travel trade show. The best way to find out about these opportunities is to sign up for the
VMC and/or MCLA list serve. You can do this by calling the Fort Bragg office—707-964-9010
and/or by emailing info@visitmendocino.com.
It is only through partnership and participation that we can all benefit from the efforts we all
make to increase visitation and visitor spending throughout Mendocino County. It is my hope
that with an increase in BID funds VMC will be able to create even more benefits and marketing opportunities for our members. Feel free to contact me anytime with questions, ideas or
concerns you may have about our promotional efforts. Your feedback only helps make our
programs even more successful! I wish you all a very prosperous summer season.