Written Comments — Santa Monica City Council, August 27, 2024

1 David Yakobson
From: Kim Koury <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2024 11:02 AM
To: councilmtgitems; David White
Cc: Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: Re: Please consider OFF THE HOOK Santa Monica Seafood Festival for an Item 16

EXTERNAL
Hello City Council,
Thank you for adding OFF THE HOOK to Item 16. Please note the date of this event has since been changed to SUN. OCT. 13th. I look forward to tomorrow’s meeting.

Best, Kim

Dear City Manager, Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, and City Council; I am reaching out to present my community event, the Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival, to city council to ask that it be added as an Item 16 on the next agenda. My hope is that the City will consider waiving it’s portion of the Santa Monica Pier rental fee in order to help with the costs to produce this hyper-local event that supports our local chefs and restaurants.

I self-produced this festival for 5 years in a row before Covid and have been asked repeatedly by restaurants and members of the community to bring it back after a 5-year hiatus. However, with increased fees to produce an event of this nature, I am looking to the City and community partners for financial support. The festival is tentatively scheduled to return on Sat. Oct 12 from 3-7pm for National Seafood Month.

For those of you who don’t know me, my company Spin PR Group is a Santa Monica-based PR, Marketing and Events agency. We have been self-funding community events and representing local small businesses in Santa Monica for over 17 years. All of our events have the same mission - To bring the community together, support local businesses, and give back to a noteworthy cause. I have been a Santa 2 Monica resident for 22 years and serve/ed on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Foundation. I have a deep love our city and supporting local businesses.

As you know, the Pier’s rental fee is $16,000 (plus $300 for the staff supervisor for the day, plus $400 for hookup/access to City electricity). Other hard Pier costs include an additional $5-$8,000 for harbor patrol, police, fire, coast guard, recycling, security, and neighborhood notification fees. Of those fees, the City collects $5,940 for the buyout of the parking spaces.

In addition to managing the production of the event, my firm handles all of the PR, marketing, promotions and promotions and can guarantee incredible press for the City and our expansive variety of dining offerings. The festival includes restaurants from all 4 bids - Main, Montana, DTSM and Pico in addition to the restaurants on the Pier.

I believe it should be easier for local event producers to host events on our beloved Pier and be given a special rate.

With this said, I would like you to kindly consider the following:

Why should the City waive your fee?
 Off the Hook brings revenue to the city (parking, hotels, etc) and attracts nearly 1000 locals and tourists alike
 The event garners over 30 million media impressions from our PR outreach to over 400 print, online and broadcast media and secures positive press for the City  It is one of the only festivals that emits zero-waste and is 100% free of single-use plastics  The City does not have a food festival celebrating our local chefs and restaurants  Off the Hook is FUN, builds community, and raises awareness for keeping our beautiful Santa Monica ocean clean!!!
 We are planning to have Heal the Bay as our charity partner again but would be willing to change it and donate a portion of net ticket sales to SM Pier Corp, Sustainable Works or another City nonprofit if need be.  It is a great way to promote Locals Night on the Pier to the target demo  It will allow us to keep a low ticket price to keep it accessible for everyone  It will help us make a larger donation to charity
Here’s the recap video from 2019 to give you a feel for the event.

Other community events Spin has produced or supported include the annual MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street (500 ppl), Day of the Dog Festival on Main Street (10,000 ppl), the 1st SANTA Monica Pride on the Promenade Festival (10,000), Buy Local Health & Fitness Expo, the City’s Endless Summer CAMP at Tongva Park (500), and the annual SANTA Monica Pub Crawl (4,000 ppl) which has raised over $200,000 for the Westside Food Bank over the last 15 years and is consistently one of the bars busiest nights of the year.

Please see attached for more info on my company along with a past press report from OFF THE HOOK’s 2019 event and one-sheet. I have also included sample press clips from our last event, MAINopoly Taste of Main Street in May. For more information on OFF THE HOOK, please visit www.offthehookseafoodfest.com.
3 I greatly appreciate your consideration!
Thank you,

KIM KOURY

KIM KOURY
President
s p i n
public relations | marketing | social media | promotions | events [email protected]
www.spinPRgroup.com
P: 323-330-9559 C: 310-497-6324
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN
Click Here to Join our VIP List
<About Us_Spin PR Group_2023_FINAL.pdf>
<Off the Hook Press Clippings 2019 (1)-compressed.pdf>
<OTH 2024 One Sheet.pdf>
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Santa Monica Daily Press
Main Street’s board game twist a boon for
local restaurants
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by Thomas LefflerMay 15, 2024
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The annual “MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street” event serves as an attention grabber for restaurants and bars along Main
St Credit: Courtesy photo
Main Street restaurants will be passing “Go” this weekend, collecting business from local patrons with a board game twist.

The ninth annual traversing of the Monopoly board takes place Sunday, as popular bars and eateries take part in the “MAINopoly:

Taste of Main Street” event that’s continued to bring the board game to life. Attendees will don their best monocles and bowties, but instead of taking properties from other players, they’ll be roaming Main Street between Strand and Pier Ave. for a unique walking tour. 5 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Beginning at 1pm, locals can check in at The Victorian and California Heritage Museum lawn to begin their dice rolls, landing in over 20 locations like Jameson’s Pub, Tavern on Main, Rabano and Ashland Hill. Heading into each spot and taking part in a food or drink sampling will give participants a “stamp” of their dedicated game board. Once the board is complete, attendees are entered into raffles for prizes like the “Taste of Main Street” prize back valued at $1,000.

Those who want to take a break from main gameplay can dive into the Community Chest of other activities, such as the “Go To Jail” beer garden with beverages from Venice Duck Brewery and the “Just Visiting” Photo Booth. A portion of all proceeds will benefit the Main Street Business Improvement District, aiding community
programming and keeping Main Street “in the public conversation,” according to the district’s Executive Director Hunter Hall. 6 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. “The side benefit of all the events we do is that it’s always just reminding people that Main Street exists, which of course spills into people’s daily shopping habits, whether it’s going to Main Street restaurants or going to a boutique on Main Street … that’s a misunderstood and overlooked benefit of events in general is that there’s an after-effect, an afterglow if you will, to any event in a district like Main Street,” Hall said.

Hall took over the business improvement district in 2017 after his time in the restaurant industry, and has made entertainment a priority, bringing events like MAINopoly and Day of the Dog to the neighborhood. This event specifically aids the eateries of Main Street that have been hit by a bevy of economic factors in recent years.

Aside from the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-present issue of inflation, Hall said local restaurants have 7 been dealing with rising labor costs and regulations that bring down already-shrinking profit margins.
“It’s hard, there’s no other way to put it,” Hall said. “There’s lots of headwinds, lots of things changing … there’s a laundry list of [things] affecting restaurants that don’t get much press.”
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He added that locations have attempted to combat these changes with creativity, crafting new employee schedules and new menus to save on labor and food costs. Main Street itself has been buoyed by the opening of several restaurants and cafes in 2024, such as Sushi Vegan, Zona Little Italy, Rabano and MUD\WTR.
8 More additions will be coming to the neighborhood as well, Hall said, including a new concept from the creators of Met Him At A Bar and Met Her At A Bar on La Brea Ave. The openings and events are what keep Hall going in his endeavor to bring attention on Main Street. “I think it’s the best commercial neighborhood in Santa Monica … in terms of a good and eclectic mix of restaurants and funky shops and proximity to the beach … I was just lucky to fall into it,” Hall said.

Tickets for MAINopoly are $35 for general admission, $20 for the beer garden only, $20 for kids aged 5-12 and $60 for a VIP beer garden ticket. For more information, visit mainopolysm.com
[email protected]
MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street
Returns to Santa Monica on Sunday, May
19th
May 15, 2024 Stephan Martin Events 0
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The 9th Annual MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street returns Sunday, May 19th from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. This allages, pet-friendly tasting experience is an interactive twist on the classic board game offering a culinary walking tour of Santa Monica’s Main Street. MAINopoly allows attendees to exchange their “MAINopoly dollars” for tastings at over 20 of the street’s best restaurants, bars, and eateries. Once the players complete their official game board and go to every location, they can win a “Taste of Main Street” Prize Pack valued at $1,000.

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Other activities include “Go To Jail” Beer Garden with brews from Venice Duck Brewery, beverages from Dulce Vida Tequila and JuneShine, food from Pasjoli and Papille Gustative, DJ, lawn games, “Just Visiting” photo booth, free rides up and down the street courtesy of Green Goddess Pedicabs, pet adoption from the VCA, and more boardgame-inspired fun! 9 Some of the many food offerings include Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with Kimchi on Danish Rye from Papille Gustative, Falafel Bites with Hummus & Tahini and Chicken Shawarma with Tzatziki from Ashland Hill, French Onion Tart from Pasjoli, Acai Bowls from Ubatuba Acai, Original Sin Taro Donut from Holey Grail Donuts, Tomato Arancini from The Victorian, and so much more! So, throw on your top hats and monocles, get your “dice” ready, and make your way around the gameboard to experience Main Street’s finest! A portion of all proceeds will benefit the Main Street Business Improvement District to help fund community programming.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in Monopoly-inspired attire for added fun and costume contests.

WHERE:

Main Street (5 blocks between Strand Ave. and Pier Ave.) CHECK-IN LOCATION:

The Victorian / California Heritage Museum Lawn | 2640 Main St. Santa Monica, CA 90405 WHEN:

Sunday, May 19th
1pm – 5pm (VIP check-in starts at Noon)
COST:

Tickets start at $30 in adv. for GA, $60 in adv. for VIP, and $20 for kids ages 5-12. Kids under 5 are free.

GA tickets include the official gameboard, 20 “MAINopoly dollars” to exchange for tastings at participating locations, access to food & drink specials, photo ops, and more.

VIP ticket holders get everything in GA, PLUS – 1-hour early entry (12pm) and access to the “Go To Jail” VIP Beer Garden, with 2 cocktails courtesy of Venice Duck Brewery, JuneShine, and Dulce Vida Tequila, food from Pasjoli, Papille Gustative, and Triple Beach Pizza, DJ, games, “Just Visiting” photo booth, and more!
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TICKETS:
www.mainopolysm.com
Loop Magazine

10 MAINopoly: A Taste of Main
Street Returns to Santa
Monica
 By: Ashley Joy Parker
 May 10, 2024

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Do not pass go, head straight to fun….
11 Throw on those top hats and monocles, the 9th Annual MAINopoly: Taste of Main Street is returning on Sunday, May 19 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m..

This all-ages, pet-friendly tasting experience is an interactive twist on the classic board game offering a culinary walking tour of Santa Monica’s Main Street. MAINopoly allows attendees to exchange their “MAINopoly dollars” for tastings at over 20 of the street’s best restaurants, bars, and eateries.

Once the players complete their official game board and make their way to every location, they can win a “Taste of Main Street” Prize Pack valued at $1,000. Attendees are encouraged to dress in Monopoly-inspired attire for added fun and costume contests.
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Some of the many food offerings include Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with Kimchi on Danish Rye from Papille Gustative, Falafel Bites with Hummus & 13 Tahini and Chicken Shawarma with Tzatziki from Ashland Hill, French Onion Tart from Pasjoli, Acai Bowls from Ubatuba Acai, Original Sin Taro Donut from Holey Grail Donuts, Tomato Arancini from The Victorian, and so much more.

A portion of all proceeds will benefit the Main Street Business Improvement District to help fund community programming. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Details
14 WHERE: Main Street (5 blocks between Strand Ave. and Pier Ave.) CHECK-IN LOCATION: The Victorian / California Heritage Museum Lawn | 2640 Main St. Santa Monica, CA 90405
WHEN: Sunday, May 19th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (VIP check-in starts at noon)
COST: Tickets start at $30 in adv. for GA, $60 in advance for VIP, and $20 for kids ages 5-12. Kids under 5 are free. GA tickets include the official gameboard, 20 “MAINopoly dollars” to exchange for tastings at participating locations, access to food & drink specials, photo ops, and more.

VIP ticket holders get everything in GA, PLUS – 1-hour early entry and access to the “Go To Jail” VIP Beer Garden, with two cocktails courtesy of Venice Duck Brewery, JuneShine, and Dulce Vida Tequila, food from Pasjoli, Papille Gustative, and Triple Beach Pizza, DJ, games, “Just Visiting” photo booth, and more
BUY TICKETS: HERE
PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS:
 Ashland Hill
 Holey Grail Donuts
 JuneShine
 Jameson’s Pub
 Tavern on Main
 Pasjoli
 The Victorian
 Ubatuba Acai
 Alfalfa
 Sunny Blue
 Triple Beam Pizza
15  MUD\WTR
 Sea Shore Motel
 Rabano
 Papille Gustative
 Library Alehouse
 Mystic Journey Bookstore
 Jinya Ramen Bar
 Blow Me Candle Co.
 Samosa House
 Holy Guacamole
 VCA Santa Monica
 LuLa’s Cocina Mexicana

Santa Monica City CouncilAugust 27, 2024

Santa Monica City Council
August 27, 2024