Council supports Visit San Marcos rebrand but asks staff to make CVB and department pages easier to find

Rebecca Ibarra, director of Destination Services, told the council the department plans to rebrand the convention and visitor bureau as Visit San Marcos and to change internal advisory‑board names accordingly. "So, within the destination services department, we have the convention and visitor bureau… and Visit San Marcos," she said, describing the planned October 1 effective date and a memo to follow with implementation steps.

Council reaction: several councilmembers supported the brand and the marketing materials, but raised discoverability concerns. One member said web visitors searching for "Convention and Visitors Bureau" or "CVB" were not finding a department page with staff contacts and asked that the city either keep a CVB listing that links to Visit San Marcos or publish a conventional department page that points to the external Visit San Marcos site. Staff acknowledged the concern and agreed to coordinate with communications to add a department link or cross‑reference so residents can find the bureau by either name.

Why it matters: the rebrand aligns with a common destination marketing practice and staff argued the new name has a clearer call to action for tourism promotion. Council asked staff to preserve discoverability for residents and partner businesses by adding a clear department page or linking options, and to ensure links and advisory board names update consistently across city pages.

Next steps: Ibarra will supply a written memo with implementation details and staff will work with communications to adjust the department list and department pages so users searching for "CVB" or "Convention and Visitors Bureau" find the Visit San Marcos information and staff contacts.