Santa Rosa tourism board reviews 2024 annual report and a more detailed 2025 work plan; several program updates outlined

The Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area advisory board reviewed a final draft of the 2023–24 annual report and a more detailed work plan for 2025 during its meeting, and staff said the plan will return to the board after review by the city manager and city attorney before a recommendation to City Council.

Board members and staff focused on adding clearer performance metrics, clarifying the board’s procedural duties and committee roles, and using transient occupancy tax (TOT) and SRTBIA funds strategically to drive “heads and beds” (overnight stays). Staff and Visit Santa Rosa representatives also reported several program updates, including a September–October art walk of 10 sculptures, an August 1 application opening for SRTBIA event funding, a weekly Sunday farmers market, and a planned September study session on downtown pedestrianization for City Council.

Why it matters: board members said the revised work plan is more “meaty” than prior one‑page documents and called for specific marketing targets, measurable KPIs, and clearer links between events the board funds and hotel room nights. Staff said the tourism strategic plan — a separate, larger effort — will supply multi‑year goals and KPIs and guide any future contract revisions between the city and Visit Santa Rosa.

Key details

• Work plan and review process: City staff said the draft before the board incorporates earlier feedback and will go next to the city manager’s office and the city attorney before returning for the board’s final recommendation to City Council. The plan covers alignment with the city’s economic development strategy, an operational review of SRTBIA processes and procedures, and creation of bylaws and rules of order for the advisory board to clarify roles and responsibilities.

• Governance and committee roles: Staff and several board members discussed moving routine administrative or clerical tasks to staff rather than requiring full board action each time, and clarifying that the event‑funding decisions are made by a selection committee (including two board members) with recommendations returned to the full board for ratification.

• Financial transparency and budgeting: Visit Santa Rosa staff said some budget and revenue lines will be broken out in more detail in next year’s annual report (digital marketing, print, community engagement, trade shows, and tours). A reserve balance of $500,000 in the Visit Santa Rosa budget was confirmed; event support payments shown on the draft totaled about $113,000 for the period covered.

• Marketing and measurement: Board members requested benchmarks to pre‑2019 levels (for ADR and occupancy) and more granular campaign reporting (feeder markets and campaign KPIs). Staff said the city has obtained PlacerAI mobile analytics and will combine it with Visit Santa Rosa campaign data to better measure where event attendees come from, whether they stay overnight and how marketing campaigns drive visitation.

• Event funding and targeting: The work plan calls for enhanced event support that prioritizes tourism‑generating events that increase overnight stays and economic impact, including outreach to out‑of‑area markets (examples cited included Sacramento and the South Bay). Staff noted that event applicants may designate SRTBIA funding specifically for destination marketing if they apply under that funding category.

• Tourism strategic plan: The board heard that the tourism strategic plan does not yet exist; the work plan includes procurement and completion of a Santa Rosa‑specific tourism strategic plan that staff expect will be a multi‑year, more detailed document (staff estimated it could be 3–5 years in scope and substantially longer than the current work plan).

Department updates reported at the meeting

• Art walk: Meredith Knudson, the city’s arts and culture coordinator, said the Art & Public Places Committee approved 10 sculptures to be installed downtown in September–October. Selected artists include participants from California, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona and Minnesota; the theme is urban renewal and staff plan destination marketing tied to the installations.

• SRTBIA funding applications: Staff said the SRTBIA application period opens Aug. 1 and closes in September; staff will promote the opportunity and coordinate review with the selection committee.

• Farmers market and Second Sundays: Rachel Beer, program analyst, reported the Sunday farmers market runs weekly in Courthouse Square from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through September and averages about a couple hundred attendees per week. Second Sunday activations (June–September) brought additional daytime attractions — for example, one Second Sunday in June had an estimated 800 people across the day and Rosie the Trolley recorded about 113 rides — and staff said they will continue to evaluate vendor participation.

• Event management transition: Staff said the city assumed management of Courthouse Square events effective July 1 and is coordinating the permitting and event knowledge transfer with the Chamber.

• Pedestrianization study session: City staff said a study session will go to City Council in September to present findings of outreach about possible street closures and pedestrianization (notably Fourth Street). The staff summary said community feedback was mixed: some residents favor more walkable, plaza‑style areas while some downtown businesses raised concerns about programming and impacts. The council item will present pros, cons and next steps for council direction.

Actions and next steps

• Staff will revise the work plan to add the clarifications requested by board members (including more explicit marketing target markets, clearer committee/clerical role language and KPIs) and return the plan to the board before recommending adoption by City Council.

• The SRTBIA event funding application window opens Aug. 1; staff will use the selection committee process for awards and bring recommendations to the full board for ratification.

• City staff will present the pedestrianization study session to City Council in September for direction.

Ending note: Board and staff emphasized they are in the early stages of retooling tourism efforts and expect the forthcoming tourism strategic plan and improved data (PlacerAI and campaign analytics) will inform more specific tactics and measurable goals going forward.