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HomeMy Public PortalAbout07. Claremont Chamber of Commerce Annual Report 2022-23 Claremont City Council Agenda Report File #:4826 Item No:7. TO:ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER FROM:JAMIE EARL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DATE:SEPTEMBER 12, 2023 Reviewed by: City Manager:AP SUBJECT: CLAREMONTCHAMBEROFCOMMERCEVISITORCENTERSERVICESANNUALREPORT 2022-23 (FUNDING SOURCE: AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) FUND) SUMMARY TheCityofClaremontcontractedwiththeClaremontChamberofCommerce(Chamber)in2022-23 toprovideVisitorCenterservicesonbehalfoftheCity.Asarequirementofitsagreementwiththe City, the Chamber must prepare an annual year-end report on its Visitor Center services. RECOMMENDATION StaffrecommendsthattheCityCouncilreceiveandfiletheClaremontChamberofCommerceVisitor Center Services Annual Report for 2022-23. ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative: Request additional information from the Claremont Chamber of Commerce and/or City staff. FINANCIAL REVIEW CompensationunderthecurrentagreementbetweentheCityandtheClaremontChamberof Commercewas$60,000for2022-23.Fundingforthisagreementfor2022-23and2023-24was includedintheadopted2022-24GeneralFundOperatingBudget.Theagreementwasfundedin 2022-23usingAmericanRescuePlanAct(ARPA)funding,receivedfromtheUnitedStatesTreasury to support individuals and businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thestaffcosttopreparethisreportandadministerthiscontractisestimatedat$628andisincluded CLAREMONTPage 1 of 3Printed on 9/7/2023 powered by Legistar™ in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department. ANALYSIS TheChamberhaspreparedanAnnualVisitorCenterServicesReport(Attachment)outliningthe servicesitrenderedtotheCityin2022-23.Staffhasevaluatedthe Chamber’sreportandfindsthe Chambertobeincompliancewiththetermsoftheagreement.Theannualreportisbrokendowninto sectionsaccordingtotheagreementandprovidesactionstakentomeeteachrequirementduringthe year,withcorrespondingquantitativedatawhereapplicable.Belowisanoutlineoftheservices provided by the Chamber: TheChambercontinuedtorespondtoinquiriesfromthegeneralpublicbyproviding informationonavarietyofsubjectsincluding,butnotlimitedto,businessandbusiness opportunities,Citygovernmentservicesandprocedures,Cityprojects,visitorandnew residentinformation,anddemographics,particularlyasthoseinquiriesrelatedtobusiness.In 2022-23, the Chamber responded to 19,216 inquiries via phone, walk-ins, mail, and email. Inadditiontomanagingseveralsocialmediapages,theChambermanagedawebsitewitha fullrangeofinformation,includinglinkstoCityCouncil,Commission,andCommitteemeeting schedules and special events. The Chamber website had 110,631 page views in 2022-23. TheChamberproducedanddistributedCity,visitor,andbusinessinformationmaterials.The informationdisseminatedincluded,butwasnotlimitedtotheChamber'sBusinessand Community Directory, City and Village maps, and Friday Nights Live band listings. TheChamberpromotedtheCityanditsbusinessesthroughavarietyofoutlets.In2022-23, theChamberpromotedboththeCityanditsbusinessesatClaremontHeritage,theClaremont Colleges,Claremonthotels,shoppingcenters,andmanystoresandotherfacilitiesthathave materials available to the general public. TheChamberwasresponsiblefordeveloping,coordinating,andadvertisingevents.The ChambercoordinatedtheannualVillageVentureStreetFaire,whichincluded347vendors andwasestimatedtohaveattractedover10,000visitors.OthereventsincludeFridayNights Live and ribbon cuttings, of which there were ten of in 2022-23. TheChambercontinuedtheClaremontGiftCardprogramwith$22,410insales.Theprogram currently includes over fifty participating businesses. TheChamberworkedwiththeClaremontPoliceDepartmenttopromotetheCitywide Business Watch Program and sent out 23 Crime Alerts via email. RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS Staffhasevaluatedtheagendaiteminrelationshiptothe City’sstrategicandvisioningdocuments andfindsthatitappliestothefollowingCityPlanningDocuments:CouncilPriorities,GeneralPlan, and 2022-24 Budget. CEQA REVIEW ThisitemisnotsubjecttoenvironmentalreviewundertheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct (CEQA). PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS TheagendaandstaffreportforthisitemhavebeenpostedontheCitywebsiteanddistributedto CLAREMONTPage 2 of 3Printed on 9/7/2023 powered by Legistar™ interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office. Submitted by:Prepared by: Jamie EarlKatie Wand Assistant City ManagerAssistant to the City Manager Attachment: 2022-23 Visitor Center Services Report CLAREMONTPage 3 of 3Printed on 9/7/2023 powered by Legistar™ CITY OF CLAREMONT AGREEMENT FOR THE CLAREMONT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SERVICES ANNUAL REPORT July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 Pursuant to the Agreement for Claremont Chamber of Commerce Services made on th the 15dayofJune2022between the City of Claremont and the Claremont Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber is pleased to provide the following Annual Report for services rendered during the period of July 2022 through June 2023. A.Visitors Information Center General information and services concerning the City: 1.Respond to inquiries from the general public by providing information on a variety of subjects including, but not limited to, business and business opportunities, City government services and procedures, City projects, visitor and new resident information, and demographics, particularly as those inquiries related to business. The objective is to handle all phone, walk-in, mail, and email inquiries in an efficient and informative manner in the classifications listed below. Inquiries continue to be dealt with on a daily basis at the Chamber office, in person, by telephone, and email. Recorded activity figures for the Annual Report were as follows: a.Phone call inquires8,320 b.Walk-ins requesting general information4,940 c.Service Corps of Retired Executive (SCORE) Appointments15 d.Brochures through the Chamber outdoor kiosk915 e.Brochures taken from Chamber lobby3,286 f.Distribution Points1,740 TOTAL RESPONSES TO INQUIRIES19,216 Relocation Requests are set up on our Chamber website where an email request is sent directly to contact@claremontchamber.org. Packets are then mailed within 24 hours of receiving the request. Ten (10) Relocation and tourist packets mailed, as requested, to people in the following states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, and Texas. 2.Manage, update, and maintain Chamber website with full range of information, including links to council, commission, and committee meeting schedules and special events, as provided. The objective shall be to update the website on a twice a month basis to receive as many "accesses" per year as possible. • Number of successful Page Views on the Chamber Website for July 2022 - June 2023 was 110,631 (Information taken from Google Analytics). We continue to add and update information on the Chamber website. a. Top Viewing Cities • Los Angeles – 7,873 Pomona – 2,583 • • Claremont – 1,844 • San Diego – 1,324 • Upland – 1,060 • Rancho Cucamonga – 894 Ontario – 488 • • Permanent links on website to the City of Claremont website. • Permanent links on Chamber website to the Claremont Colleges calendar. • Maintaining three (3) Facebook pages for the Chamber: Claremont Chamber of Commerce, Friday Nights Live, and Village Venture. • Maintain two (2) Instagram accounts for the Chamber: a. Claremont Chamber of Commerce b. Village Venture • The Chamber posted a total of 1,870 social media postings. • Number of accounts reached on the Claremont Chamber of Commerce Instagram for July 2022 – June 2023 was 35,176. • Number of followers as of June 2023 was 3,687. • Number of accounts reached on the Village Venture Instagram for July 2022 – June 2023 was 1,794. 3. Produce, update, and maintain City, visitor, and business information. These materials include our Business and Community Directory, City maps, and Village/retail center list. The Discover Claremont kiosk is located inside of the Chamber, accessible on weekdays during regular business hours. The Discover Claremont kiosk allows visitors to plan their visit and download the Discover Claremont app on their smartphones, view a map of the City, and receive recommendations on places to go. In addition, plenty of our materials are housed in an outdoor "kiosk- type" brochure stand to allow visitors to access the information on weekends and any days the Chamber office is closed. The kiosk is located outside the Chamber front door where a variety of brochures and other seasonal information is provided for visitors. • Official Destination Guide & Business Directory • Village Map • Parks, Arts & Museums • Hotels • Friday Nights Live Band Listings • Quarterly Magazine • Visit California magazine and maps 4. Update current distribution network (currently ten distribution points) for distributing materials utilizing outlets throughout the region and within the city. The distribution materials will be different for each type of distribution point. The regional distribution points include: Chamber and City offices, Claremont Heritage, any Claremont Colleges admission office that allows distribution materials, all Claremont hotels, and shopping centers throughout Claremont. The Chamber shall continue to review new distribution points and work with City staff to update as needed. 5. Dissemination to the Distribution Network: We have given over 4,000 Discover Claremont information cards to the colleges between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Claremont Colleges (used for conferences, new student orientation, etc.) 1. Claremont McKenna 2. Pomona College 3. Scripps College 4. Harvey Mudd College 5. Pitzer College 6. Claremont Graduate University 7. International Place at Pomona College 8. Keck 9. Claremont Lincoln University Claremont Hotels 1. DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont 2. Hotel Casa 425 3. Motel 6 4. Claremont Lodge Shopping Centers throughout Claremont Stores and other facilities that have materials available for the general public 1.Ahmad Shariff Art Gallery 2.Bert & Rocky's 3.Buddamouse Emporium 4. Euro Café 5. California Botanic Garden 6. City Hall 7. Claremont Lewis Museum of Art 8. Hendricks Pharmacy 9. Alexander Hughes Community Center 10.Joslyn Senior Center 11.Ophelia’s Jump 12.Rio De Ojas 13.Service Center for Independent Life 14.Sotheby's International Realty Wheeler Steffen Real Estate 15.United Methodist Church 16.Webb Schools The Chamber continues to oversee and review the Distribution Network and work with the distribution point staff members as needed. Other information available at the Chamber upon request: Apartments Attorney and Legal Services Calendar of Events Chamber Business and Community Directory Claremont Facts & Figures City Map Financial Services and Insurance Friday Nights Live Band Listing Health & Wellness Hotels Parks, Art, & Theater Realtors Restaurants Schools Senior Services Village Map Worship Visitors Guide and Directory Claremont Heritage Brochure Claremont Wilderness Park Map Museum Brochures California Botanic Garden Walking Map Utilities Information Claremont Unified School District Information 1. Claremont After-School Programs Inc. /CLASP City Information 1. City of Claremont Recreation & Activities Guide 2. City Newsletter 3. Bi-Annual Budget Information Foothill Transit 1. Bus Book Schedule & Information Guide Metrolink 1. All Lines Timetables 2. System Maps 3. Metro Monthly 4. Metrolink How to Ride Guide Foothill Transit Colleges Calendar – Average of 50 distributed to the general public Claremont Quarterly – Average of 56 distributed to the general public Total brochures disseminated 3,286. 6. Maintain both a monthly and annual Calendar of Community Events: a. Keep a master monthly and annual calendar in the Chamber office, available for distribution to the public upon request, which includes special events. b.Coordinate with local media on Chamber & business-related events. Local media may include the Claremont Courier, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Foothill Reader, and Inland Empire Magazine. c. Monitor community events and potential conflicts through the Event Alert System. • The calendar includes all monthly events and information regarding the City's monthly meetings with all City contact information. This information is also available on the Chamber website. • Monthly and annual Calendar of Events continuously updated on the Chamber website. • The Chamber has a Business and Promotional Event Calendar as well as Community and Member calendars available on the Chamber website. • Chamber refers members to the Chamber Calendar to list their events. • Posters of Chamber member events are displayed in Chamber window. Develop events, entertainment and activities for the Village and 7. other commercial areas with the assistance of the City and other business representatives. a.Stage the Annual Village Venture Arts & Crafts Faire, overseeing the entire event. b. Village Venture was held on Saturday, October 22, 2022. We had 347 vendors participate for last year's event where an estimated 10,000+ visitors attended. c.Design and coordinate activities for the Village and other commercial areas with the assistance of the City. Meet with the City, VMG and other business representatives or groups regularly to dialogue about new opportunities to promote the Village and merchants city-wide. d.Explore potential possibility of developing more projects to promote and market Claremont merchants. e.Work with the Claremont Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) Marketing Committees to create and maintain a comprehensive marketing and outreach plan. f. The Executive Director (ED) is a Board Member of the California Travel Association, the advocacy voice for California’s travel and tourism agency. • Press Releases were sent out to local media to attract vendors. The following media outlets were contacted: 1.Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/Media Group 2. Claremont Courier 3. Los Angeles Times Foothill Reader 4. San Gabriel Valley Tribune 5. Pasadena Star News/ Whittier Daily News 6. Visit California 7. Sunset Magazine • Sponsored and produced with co-sponsors the City of Claremont, "Friday Nights Live! in The Claremont Tolkin Group for Village". Sonja Stump is contracted as the Band Coordinator and is responsible for booking the entertainment for the event. Bands played every Friday evening 6 pm to 9 pm from May- October. Venues are outside the Chamber Office, the Public Plaza, and Shelton Park. • The ED continues to attend the Tourism BID Quarterly Meetings. • ED oversees R. Antonette Communications, the consulting agency for the BID. • Supplies Claremont information packets for FAM (familiarization) tours. 8.Provide outreach efforts with other commercial centers with the goal of developing joint marketing and advertising campaigns and visitor information materials, promoting such centers as attractive . alternatives to the Village area 9.Maintain for sale a licensed City logo and Claremont logo’d merchandise and souvenirs. • Photos and pricing of all souvenirs for sale on Chamber website. • The Chamber gift shop offers: 1.Postcards 2. T-shirts 3. Sweatshirts 4. Posters 5. Tote bags 6. License plate frames 7. Baseball caps 8. Mugs 9. Pins 10.Stickers 10. Work with City merchants in continuing the Claremont Gift Card Program, in which gift cards are for sale at the Chamber office and advertised in the Chamber Newsletter. • Continue to sell gift cards. • Administer reimbursement program for participating merchants. • Currently 50+ businesses are participating in this City-wide program. • Print and update the list of participating merchants that accompany purchased cards and are posted on website on a monthly basis. • Laminated signs &/or stickers are provided to participating members for display in the store/business. • Information regarding this program is listed in the Chamber membership packets, on the Chamber website and occasionally in the weekly Chamber e-Newsletter. • From July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, the Chamber sold $22,410.00 in Chamber gift cards. B. Business Support Services 1. Participate in Agency's Business Visitation Program by having a Chamber representative accompany Agency and City representatives on visits to existing or potential Claremont businesses as requested by the City. • Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies (10) promoting "New Businesses" in Claremont 2. Develop assistance programs utilizing Chamber staff and resource to facilitate and coordinate meetings with City officials and merchants on matters of business interest or concern with a view to encourage creative and cooperative dialogue leading to potential solutions to business and economic development issues. • ED meets with the City Manager on a monthly basis and has regular communication with the Assistant City Manager and City Staff. 3. Assist in the development and distribution of materials relating to the City and projects in the form of a new Business Welcome Package, and work with the City to disseminate this information. • Agency and Small Business Assistance Program materials are available at the Chamber office. • Agency and Small Business Assistance Program advertised in Chamber newsletter. 4. Work with the Claremont Police Department (CPD). • Promote the City-wide Business Watch Program, with such management to include newsletter articles, workshops, and seminars on business crime, crime prevention, and safety related issues. • Meet with the Chief of Police as needed to discuss retail areas that may be experiencing crime issues. • Continue to send Crime Alerts to businesses, when received from CPD. 23 Crime Alerts were emailed to Chamber members. C. Submit an Annual Report to the City, due by September 1 of each year. • Report includes an accurate and complete record of the number and nature of public inquiries and progress on other goals and business support services required in this Agreement as conducted in the preceding year. • Present the Annual Report to the City Council on an agreed upon meeting date. • Occasionally, brief the City Council on other areas of mutual interest or reportable items as requested by the City. • A Chamber representative shall be made available to attend any City Council meeting at the request of City staff on areas pertaining to the Claremont Chamber and businesses.