2024 ANNUAL REPORT
EXHIBIT 4
Travel Santa Ana is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Santa Ana.
Travel Santa Ana is dedicated to promoting the city as a desirable Orange County destination for business, leisure, meetings, sports, and group travel.
Travel Santa Ana is a non-for-profit, 501 C (6), funded by a 2% assessment implemented by the Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District (SATMD). The SATMD is comprised of 17 hotels and motels with (70) rooms or more within the boundaries of the City of Santa Ana. The assessment is paid for by visitors who stay at those hotels and motels.
2024-2026 Travel Santa Ana Board of Directors
Chair: Aaron Saliba, General Manager, Hotel Zessa a DoubleTree by Hilton Vice Chair: Alissa Salma, General Manager, Courtyard Santa Ana/Orange County Past Chair: Julie Buettner, General Manager, Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro Treasurer: Ryan Chase, Owner, 4th Street Market
Secretary: Erin Warady, Marketing Chair/CMO, Cannabis Chamber of Commerce At-Large:
Frank Atayde, General Manager, Holiday Inn Orange County Airport Marc Morley, Economic Development Manager, City of Santa Ana Cory Sams, General Manager, MainPlace Mall
Quinn Su, General Manager, Doubletree by Hilton Orange County Airport Marketing Advisory Group
Amanda Blazey, Director of Marketing, Orange County School of the Arts Logan Crow, Executive Director & Founder, Frida Cinema/DTSA Artwalk Paul Eakins, Public Affairs Information Officer, City of Santa Ana Cori Lantz, Recreation & Community Services Supervisor, City of Santa Ana Parks & Recreation Scott Melvin, Vice President of School Relations, Mater Dei High School Kelly Radomske, Vice President of External Affairs, Bowers Museum Maribel Silva, Operations Coordinator, Santa Ana Zoo
Daniela Valencia, Marketing Director, MainPlace Mall
Jason (J-Bird) Venable, Co-Founder, Suavecito
Erin Warady, Marketing Chair/CMO, Cannabis Chamber of Commerce Cherie Whyte, Vice President, Marketing, Discovery Cube
WENDY HAASE-ROBERTS, CDME
President & CEO
ANALAURA BECERRA, CDME, CMP, CTA
Director of Sales
MARIA GONZALEZ, PDM, CTA
Content & Community Engagement Manager
staff
about travel santa ana
EXHIBIT 4
mission
To share Santa Ana with the world.
values
Passion
We are passionate in
our efforts to strengthen
our community’s
economic vitality.
Inclusiveness
We are diverse
and inclusive.
All are welcome.
Collaboration
We value and respect
each other, and recognize
we are stronger when we
work together.
Relevance
We are valued in our
community for our
leadership, expertise,
and integrity.
Awareness
We are aware of our
community’s cultural
heritage and history and
continue to ask questions
and learn.
Vision
Santa Ana is the authentic & welcoming Orange County experience. about travel santa ana
EXHIBIT 4
The Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District (TMD) includes lodging businesses, existing and in the future, available for public occupancy within the boundaries of the City of Santa Ana. The boundary, as shown in the map below, currently includes seventeen (17) lodging businesses that have seventy (70) rooms or more. boundaries
EUCLID ST.
NEWHOPE ST.
FLOWER ST.
BROADWAY BROADWAY
MAIN ST.
1st ST. 1st ST. FLOWER ST.
HARBOR BLVD. HARBOR BLVD.
FAIRVIEW ST.
FAIRVIEW ST.
RAITT ST.
GRAND AVE.
RAITT ST.
BRISTOL ST. BRISTOL ST.
FAIRVIEW ST.
EDINGER AVE.
MCFADDEN AVE. MCFADDEN AVE.
17th ST.
GARDEN GROVE BLVD.
SANTA ANA BLVD.
17th ST.
SANTA CLARA AVE.
TUSTIN AVE.
WARNER AVE.
DYER RD.
SEGERSTROM AVE.
MACARTHUR BLVD.
WARNER AVE.
405
55 55
22 22
CIVIC CENTER DR.
MAIN ST.
5 3rd ST. 4th ST.
EXHIBIT 4
Name Location # Rooms Meeting Space
Best Western Plus Orange County Airport North 2700 Hotel Terrace Drive 148 1 Room, 800 sq. ft.
California Lodge Suites 2909 S. Bristol St. 181 Guestrooms only Comfort Inn & Suites Orange County John Wayne Airport 2620 Hotel Terrace Drive 127 Guestrooms only Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro 3002 S. Harbor Blvd. 145 3 Rooms, Largest 676 sq. ft. 1,553 sq. ft. total Courtyard Marriott Santa Ana 8 MacArthur Place 155 4 Rooms, Largest 3,953 sq. ft., 5,059 sq. ft. total DoubleTree Santa Ana - Orange County Airport 7 Hutton Center Drive 168 5 rooms, Largest 1,848 sq. ft., 3,976 sq. ft. total Embassy Suites - Santa Ana Orange County Airport 1325 E. Dyer Road 301 9 Rooms, Largest 4,407 sq. ft., 7,629 sq. ft. total Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Ana Orange County Airport 2720 Hotel Terrace Drive 121 1 Room, 400 sq. ft.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Ana Orange County 1600 E. 1st St. 161 8 Rooms ( 1 per floor), Each 600 sq. ft.
Holiday Inn Santa Ana Orange County Airport 2726 S. Grand Ave. 176 5 Rooms, Largest 1,866 sq. ft., 5,000 sq. ft. total Hotel Zessa a DoubleTree by Hilton 201 E. MacArthur Blvd. 253 5 rooms, Largest 7,308 sq. ft., 8,638 sq. ft. total La Quinta by Wyndham Orange County Airport 2721 Hotel Terrace Drive 180 Guestrooms only MainStay Suites Orange County John Wayne Airport 2701 Hotel Terrace Drive 176 Guestrooms only Motel 6 Santa Ana/Irvine Orange County Airport 1717 E. Dyer Road 150 Guestrooms only Motel 6 Santa Ana 1623 E. 1st St. 80 Guestrooms only
Red Roof Inn Santa Ana 2600 N. Main St. 125 Guestrooms only Sonesta Simply Suites Orange County Airport 2600 S. Red Hill Ave. 122 Guestrooms only TOTAL GUESTROOMS 2,770
santa ana hotel inventory
EXHIBIT 4
Santa Ana Hotel Inventory: 2,770 rooms at 17 Hotels
*DoubleTree rebranded to Hotel Zessa a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Annual Revenue: Over $76 Million*
Hotel Visitor Tax: $9.4 Million
Tourism Marketing District Collections: $1.5 Million
Hotel Average Daily Rate: $122.49*
Hotel Occupancy: 69%*
hotel overview
*Includes 15 of the 17 TMD hotels. Santa Ana CA Lodge and Red Roof Inn do not report to STR, the global leader in hospitality data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights.
EXHIBIT 4
tourism matters
2023 Direct Travel Impacts to Santa Ana
$414.7 Million
direct travel spending
YOY 9.2%
940,341 VISITORS YOY 5%
2,980 SANTA ANA JOBS ARE SUPPORTED
BY VISITORS EQUALING $135.6 MILLION
IN WAGES TO SANTA ANA’S ECONOMY!
$27.1 Million
IN TAXES BY DIRECT
TRAVEL SPENDING
EXHIBIT 4
Tourism revenue helps to support:
ARTS &
CULTURE
PARKS & RECREATION
PUBLIC SAFETY
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
NEIGHBORHOOD
SERVICES
Santa Ana households would pay $195 more a year in local taxes without visitor-generated taxes received by local government.
SANTA ANA’S
MAJOR VISITOR
SPENDING
CATEGORIES
$109 million
Dining
$107 million
Accommodations
$81.5 million
Arts, entertainment,
& recreation
$63 million
Local
transportation
& gas
$36.8 million
Retail sales
$16.7 million
Food stores
tourism matters
These numbers are estimates from the Economic Impact of Travel report, Calendar Year 2023, a tourism economic impact study conducted by Dean Runyan Associates for Santa Ana.
EXHIBIT 4
TOP 10 VISITOR MARKETS % VISITORS % VISITOR SPEND AVG. VISITOR SPEND Los Angeles CA 13.6% 2.1% $102
San Diego CA 12.9% 3.4% $105
Phoenix AZ 8.6% 3.4% $134
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CA 7.3% 7.9% $120
Las Vegas NV 5.8% 2.3% $136
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto CA 4.4% 2.8% $119
Fresno-Visalia CA 2.7% 1.2% $137
Palm Springs CA 2.2% 0.7% $103
Salt Lake City UT 2.1% 2.6% $102
Dallas-Ft. Worth TX 2.1% 2.9% $142
MEXICO
STATE MAJOR SPENDING CATEGORY
Baja California Retail
Baja California Arts & Entertainment
Baja California Accomodations
Baja California Food
Baja California Colleges & Universities
Baja California Attractions
Baja California Medical
Jalisco Retail
Michoacán Retail
Baja California Education
CANADA
PROVINCE MAJOR SPENDING CATEGORY
Nova Scotia Food
Ontario Retail
Ontario Food
Ontario Accomodations
British Columbia Arts & Entertainment
Manitoba Food
British Columbia Retail
British Columbia Accomodations
Ontario Arts & Entertainment
Manitoba Accomodations
Average Visitor Spend $169 all markets
VISITORS AGED 25 TO 54
60%
% OF VISITORS - $100K+
57%
% OF VISITORS WITH
CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD
38%
visitor profile
SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK
CHICAGO
DALLAS
HOUSTON
PHOENIX
LAS VEGAS
demographics
MEXICO & CANADA MARKET OVERVIEW
top origin markets
Visitor data tracked by Zartico.
EXHIBIT 4
The
Community
Vitality
Wheel
It Starts With A Visit
You Need To Keep
The Wheel Turning and
Manage Its Speed
That is the
Work at a
Destination
Organization
From Visit,
To Live,
To Work,
To Invest
1.VISIT
If you built a place where
people want to visit, then
you have built a place
where people want to live.
4.invest
And if you built a place where
business and residents will invest,
then you have built a place where
people will want to visit.
2. live
And if you built a place
where people want to live,
then you have built a place
where people want to work.
3. work
And if you built a place
where people want to
work, then you have built
a place where business and
residents will invest.
THE WORK OF A
DESTINATION ORGANIZATION
EXHIBIT 4
• Amplify audience exposure to the brand across all touchpoints of the travel planning journey. • Cultivate third-party meeting planner relationships that amplify and magnify the city’s sales impact in the marketplace, including attending sales missions and tradeshows. • Develop creative marketing campaigns that drive awareness and bookings. • Implement a strategic marketing mix that drives conversions from target demographics. • Test and track each marketing initiative to optimize performance. • Adjust campaigns on an ongoing basis to reach key performance metrics for the highest ROI. strategies
goals
• Build awareness of Santa Ana’s assets and destination by storytelling through video, imagery, and content. • Position Santa Ana as a desirable Southern California meeting location for appropriate groups both domestic and international.
• Drive measurable web traffic through a mix of earned, paid, and owned media. • Support hotels’ efforts to increase bookings by prospecting select drive centric geographic markets, high inbound air flight traffic locations and small market states. sales and
marketing
Travel Santa Ana
community
alignment
sustainable
organization
EXHIBIT 4
Client events & FAM Tours:
Hosted client events in Chicago, Greenville, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Vancouver.
Hosted 2 Familiarization (FAM) Tours for qualified meeting planners. $9.3 Million
in potential hotel revenue
17 site inspections
24 1,179appointments tradeshows
101
qualified leads
sales highlights
Sacramento-based meeting planners explore DTSA. IPW attendees visit Suavecito HQ during a SoCal FAM.
EXHIBIT 4
Road & Trade Show Highlights
Visit CA Canada Mission
January
Calgary • Edmonton • Vancouver
Travel Agent Appointments:
60+ (Edmonton)
80+ (Calgary)
100+ (Vancouver)
Brand USA Mexico Mission
February
Guadalajara • Mexico City
Appointments:
53 travel agents representing 41 organizations
Plus, presentation to 150 travel agents in
Guadalajara & 185 travel agents in Mexico City
U.S. Travel Association’s IPW
May
Los Angeles
Appointments:
40 international buyers
39 international media
Plus, co-hosted reception with Visit Buena Park
for Mexican media with over 100+ attending.
Visit California Roadshow East
June
Chicago • Washington D.C.
Meeting Planner Appointments:
33 Chicago + networking
42 D.C.
Connect Marketplace
August
Milwaukee
Meeting Planner Appointments: 47
Plus, presentation to 125 meeting planners
Visit Anaheim Canada Roadshow
November
Calgary • Edmonton • Vancouver
Meeting Planner Presentations:
88 Calgary
136 Edmonton
150 Vancouver
CalSAE’s Seasonal Spectacular
December
Sacramento
9 appointments
Plus, breakfast sponsorship for 250 qualified
association buyers & played Loteria with 118
attendees.
• CA DMO Alliance
• CalSAE Elevate
• Connect Spring & West
• HPN Global & Partner Conference
• HelmsBriscoe ABC
• Meetings Today Live
• Northstar’s Independent
Planners, Destination West
& Destination California
• Small Market Meetings
• Smart Meetings National
• Southern California Chapter of MPI
• Student Youth Travel Association
• TEAMS
Additional Road & Trade Shows Attended
EXHIBIT 4
marketing & pr highlights
Website pageviews: 571,891
top 5 pages:
1. Your Guide to the Heart of Orange County
2. Santa Ana Events
3.Fun Things to Do in Santa Ana: Attractions & Sights
4. Eat
5. Santa Ana Public Art Guide: Street Murals & Sculptures Visitors Guide
Mailed: 170
Downloaded: 464
(427 English, 37 Spanish)
Impressions: 28,393
(10,232 English, 18,161 Spanish)
Printed guide is distributed at
California Welcome Centers, Santa Ana
hotels, John Wayne Airport, and other
locations. The digital version is available in
English and Spanish.
1,017 scans
Top scanned campaigns:
• Website Promotional Table Tents
• Michelada Guide
• Spanish Visitor Guide
Rack Cards
• San Diego Cannabis
Postcards
547.47% increase monthly newsletter
1,022 New Subscribers
AN INCREASE OF 130.7%
• Food Fun & Faraway Places: 91.2K IG Followers
• TheTravelMom: 74.9K IG Followers
• JustinPlusLauren: 64.1K IG Followers
• Peter Greenberg: 51K IG Followers
• ConnieGoogleQueen: 22K TikTok Followers
• Exploreytion: 14.7K IG Followers
earned media
Travel Santa Ana’s public relations efforts
earned media coverage in the following:
• Avin Medios • Impact OC • Pasillo Turistico
• Periodismo y Ambiente Descubre
• Radio Formula • Smart Meetings • Teleformula
• The Packed Bag • The Passenger
• Travel Times • U.S. Travel News
influencers &
media hosted
trackable qr codes
EXHIBIT 4
Impressions: 4.09M
(an increase of 43%)
Engagements: 136.7K
(an increase of 5.7%)
Post Link Clicks: 79.7K
(an increase of 2.3%)
Engagement Rate: 3.3%
social media highlights
@travelsantaana
Overview
Posts = 346
Overall Spend = $16.3K
Impressions = 4.06M
Link Clicks = 123K
Cost-Per-Click = $0.21
Click-Thru Rate (CTR) = 2.59% ThruPlays = 1.7K
Cost Per ThruPlay = $9.65
Top Producing Ads or Boosts
Blading Cup 2024 = 59K Clicks
Santa Ana Michelada Guide = 52K Clicks
Dia De los Muertos Celebrations = 28K Clicks
San Diego Market Campaign = 27K Clicks
video stats
Impressions = 46,203
Views = 28.8K
Hours Watched = 479.3
Impressions CTR = 2.9%
Top Performing Videos
Always Bet on Us - Proud Santaneros Series 1
Discover Santa Ana - Destination Video
Santa Ana Is United by Originality - :30 Destination Video EXHIBIT 4
ADVERTISING highlights
“Always-On” Campaign
• 7,835 Room Nights | $1,075,112 in Hotel Revenue
OC Campaigns
• 47,318 Room Nights | $6,470,882 in Hotel Revenue
Mexico Campaign
• 4,443,153 Total Impressions
• 6,384 Total Clicks
• $37,871 Total Bookings
• 264 Room Nights
• CTR = 0.14%
• Page Views = 40,618
• Number of Flight Bookings = 6
Orange 142*
Mexico Campaign
• 3,515,118 total impressions served to users in Mexico • 68,818 total clicks back to the website for an
overall CTR of 1.96%
• Video instream completed view rate 88.5%
• 286,912 completed views, for a :30 video that
equated to 143,456 minutes or 2,391 hours
*Three-month campaign
TACTIC INDUSTRY AVERAGE PERFORMANCE CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE Display .10% CTR 0.21% CTR
In-need (behavioral) ~.30 CTR (estimated) 0.76% CTR
Instream Video N/A 64% VCR
Instream Video Clicks N/A 4.84%
Meta .90% CTR 4.67% CTR
Retargeting N/A 0.25% CTR
Native .30% CTR 1.04% CTR
EXHIBIT 4
ADVERTISING
Santa Ana, CA is unlike any other destination
in Orange County. Discover a community
rich in culture offering attendees authentic
flavors reflective of our diversity and an art
scene that is a mix of funky and folk, including
200+ murals. Unique venues from historic to art
deco are perfect for off-site event locations.
The city’s year-round celebrations further
enhance the meeting experience.
MEETINGS IN
ARE
DIFFERENT
TravElSaNTaaNa.coM
coNTacT aNalaura BEcErra,
Director of Sales, Travel Santa Ana,
[email protected]
Every building has its own personality. Each Street
is totally different. I just love hearing the sounds of the city: the cars, the music, the people talking.
It’s just very rich and diverse. I love this city!
-Delilah Snell, owner Alta Baja Market
Print & Digital
EXHIBIT 4
special projects
Created the Culinary Passport to highlight the diversity of Santa Ana’s dining. The Passport features nearly 40 restaurants and provides information on what makes them special along with a must-try menu item. Visitors are encouraged to share their experience on social with the hashtag #CulinaryPassportSA
Created the Michelada Guide to highlight the iconic Mexican cocktail and showcase two dozen Santa Ana restaurants and bars that offer their own unique versions. Visitors are encouraged to share their experience on social with the hashtag #MicheladaManiaSA
Launched a complimentary training program for everyone, from frontline hospitality employees and tourism partners to city officials and residents passionate about Santa Ana. The program provides an overview of the tourism industry’s importance to the community and what makes Santa Ana unique to help better promote the destination to visitors. Those who complete the program receive an official enamel pin.
Worked with Peter Greenberg Worldwide Productions to film a segment of “Hidden Gems” featuring Alta Baja Market, the Blue Lot, Cerveza Cito,Lyon Air Museum, the Santa Ana Zoo, and THEM Skates.The segments are expected to air on PBS and AppleTV+ this year.
EYE ON TRAVEL
Recorded an “Eye on Travel” radio program with Peter Greenberg featuring Logan Crow of the Frida Cinema, Cat Decker with Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo, Tim Rush, a historian with Preserve Orange County, Hawk Scott with the City of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation, and Dr. Tianlong Jiao, the curator for the Bowers Museum.
EXHIBIT 4
Created a custom Santa Ana Lotería set featuring iconic buildings, attractions, events, and more. The game
includes a glossary that provides information on each
visual and its relevance to Santa Ana.
Created custom Santa Ana
stickers and pins featuring
iconic buildings, attractions,
events, and more.
The third series of “Proud Santanero” features two locals answering the question “what makes them a Proud
Santanero.” The locals include:
• Jon Julio, Owner, THEM SKATES & Blading Cup
• Tim Rush, Historian, Preserve Orange County
The video series is promoted on YouTube
and a designated website landing page.
Partnered with local artist, Ali Coyle, to create the fifth signature within the series. The unique signatures replace a traditional destination logo and are interchangeable throughout marketing materials.
Ongoing
Stickers
and Pins
orange county
RESTAURANT
week
special projects
Loteria
travelsantaana.com travelsantaana.com
COLLECTIBLE ENAMEL PIN
travelsantaana.com
The annual Blading Cup brings skating competitors
from over 20 countries to Downtown Santa Ana.
COLLECTIBLE ENAMEL PIN
@TravelSantaAna
EXHIBIT 4
GOLD:
Official Santa Ana Visitors Guide (Print)
Santa Ana Public Art Guide (Landing Page)
HONORABLE MENTION:
Travel Santa Ana Signatures (Logo)
TravelSantaana.com (Website)
Santa Ana Stickers (Collateral/Branding)
PLATINUM: TravelSantaana.com (Website)
GOLD: Santa Ana Public Art Guide (Landing Page)
HONORABLE MENTION: Proud Santanero (Video)
PLATINUM: Discover Santa Ana (Video)
PLATINUM: Discover Santa Ana (Video)
GOLD: TravelSantaana.com (Website)
HONORABLE MENTION:
Santa Ana Public Art Guide (Landing Page)
SILVER: TravelSantaAna.com
Outstanding Website
GOLD: Discover Santa Ana (Video)
SILVER:
TravelSantaAna.com (Website)
Santa Ana Mexico Campaign Digital Marketing
(Campaign)
GOLD:
Discover Santa Ana (Video)
Proud Santaneros (Video)
Signatures (Logos)
SILVER: Santa Ana Loteria (Branded Content)
PLATINUM: 2023 Annual Report (Publications)
GOLD: Santa Ana Mexico Campaign Digital
Marketing (Campaign)
HONORABLE MENTION:
Official Visitors Guide (Publication)
awards
EXHIBIT 4
2024 Travel Santa Ana Budget
$1.9* million
2024 Santa Ana Tourism
Marketing District Revenue
$1.5 milllion
financial report
Category Budgeted Actual
Revenue
Tourism Marketing District Revenue $1.9* Million $1.5 Million* Expenditures
Sales & Marketing $1.7 Million $1.5 Million
Administration & Operations $143,350 $165,800
Reserve $0 $980,900
City Fees $36,000 $31,000
TOTALS $1,879,350 $2,677,700
*Projected TMD revenue for 2024 was $1.6M, the budget includes carryover revenue from 2023.
SALES & MARKETING: 80% RESERVES: 8%
CITY FEE: 2% ADMINISTRATION: 10%
EXHIBIT 4
financial report
ASSESSMENT
There is no change in the method and basis of levying the assessment. The annual assessment rate is two percent (2%) of gross short-term room rental revenue. Based on the lack of benefit received, assessments will not be collected on revenue resulting from: stays of more than thirty (30) consecutive days; stays by any officer or employee of a foreign government who is exempt by reason of express provision of federal law or international treaty; and stays that any nonprofit organization which, as the result of a disaster, provides at its own expense hotel or motel shelter to any victim of a disaster.
The term “gross room rental revenue” as used herein means: the total consideration charged, whether or not received, for the occupancy of a space in a lodging business valued in money, whether to be received in money, goods, labor or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits, property and services of any kind or nature, without any deduction therefrom whatsoever. Gross room rental revenue shall not include any federal, state, or local taxes collected, including but not limited to hotel visitor taxes. The assessment is levied upon and a direct obligation of the assessed lodging business.
However, the assessed lodging business may, at its discretion, pass the assessment on to transients. The amount of assessment, if passed on to each transient, shall be disclosed in advance and separately stated from the amount of rent charged and any other applicable taxes, and each transient shall receive a receipt for payment from the business. The assessment shall be disclosed as the “SATMD Assessment.” The assessment is imposed solely upon and is the sole obligation of the assessed lodging business even if it is passed on to transients. The assessment shall not be considered revenue for any purposes, including calculation of hotel visitor taxes.
EXHIBIT 4
www.travelsantaana.com
#TravelSantaAna @TravelSantaAna
EXHIBIT 4
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