Selma BID staff says PlacerAI estimates show rising downtown event visits and longer dwell times

Selma Business Improvement District staff presented mobile-device analytics this evening that show rising downtown visit estimates and longer dwell times at major events, but cautioned the board the figures are sampled estimates rather than exact head counts.

The presentation, led by staff member Jose, summarized multi-event PlacerAI outputs that staff used to guide programming choices. Jose said the tool reported about "983 visitors" at a full‑street event and roughly "1.3,000 folks" for a Lincoln Park block party; another large park event was estimated at "2.3,000 folks" with a median dwell time of 159 minutes. "It's not a direct headcount," Jose said, adding the product estimates unique mobile devices and extrapolates from a panel.

Why it matters: the BID is using the data to decide which bands and activations to book, how long events should run and which parts of the region to target for promotion. Jose said PlacerAI also supplies demographic snapshots — median age in the low 30s, a Hispanic share around three‑quarters of attendees, and a median household income listed near $58,000 — and can show probable origin zip codes to inform outreach.

Board members pressed staff on limits. Board member Rose Robertson questioned whether the median ages were skewed by the sampled panel; staff acknowledged the platform relies on data fed by partner apps and that older attendees or people who opt out of tracking may be undercounted. "There could always be more," Jose said, comparing the method to media-sample polling: "they use samples, they don't know the exact head count."

Staff recommended continuing to use the output as a planning tool (program selection, vendor outreach and marketing), while cross‑checking with permit counts, vendor reports and anecdotal observations at events. Jose also noted the platform's geographic output indicated draws from nearby towns, which helps the BID position downtown as a regional evening destination.

The board did not adopt new policy based solely on the data; members asked staff to bring future event post-mortems that combine PlacerAI estimates with permit and vendor feedback.

Next steps: staff will keep using the PlacerAI panels for planning, will attempt to cross‑reference results with census and permit counts where possible, and will present post‑event summaries at upcoming meetings.