A N N UA L R E P O RT

2018 / 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACHIE V ING SUCCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

LOC AL IMPACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

F INANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MARKETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

D IG ITAL MARKETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

V IS ITOR SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1

MEMBERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

COMMUNIC ATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CONVENTION SALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

TOURISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

HOTEL PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1

ACHIEVING SUCCESS

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R ACHE L SACCO President & CEO

ACHIEVING SUCCESS

DEAR VALUED PARTNER:

Each year, Experience Scottsdale strives to enhance the local community by promoting the Scottsdale area as a luxury destination for meetings, events and leisure travel.

The 2018-19 fiscal year was no exception, and our efforts to establish Scottsdale as a year-round, luxury destination were a resounding success – for both the organization and the local tourism industry at large.

Here are a few of our most significant results from the year:

› Injected art into our out-of-home campaigns in highly trafficked areas of New York City and Toronto, generating 40 million advertising impressions.

› Assisted media around the world to help tell the Scottsdale story through editorial placements worth $48 million in equivalent advertising value.

› Booked 625 meetings, conferences and events into Scottsdale-area hotels and resorts, representing a record-high 202,892 incremental room nights.

› Educated 3,730 travel professionals during trade shows, sales missions and product training seminars.

It has been our privilege to represent this critical industry for more than 32 years, and we are thrilled to share our accomplishments from the past fiscal year on behalf of the destination and our 400+ members. These achievements would not have been possible without your support and partnership.

Best regards,

DOUG HE ATON Board Chair

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Experience Scottsdale’s destination promotion has proven effective at inspiring interest in the Scottsdale area, growing tourism and supporting local businesses.

IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE

When Experience Scottsdale promotes the destination, local businesses, public services and citizens win. Experience Scottsdale’s tourism promotions directly generate an average of $31.4 million in annual state and local tax revenue.

Without these travel-generated revenues, each Scottsdale household would have to pay an average of $307 more in state and local taxes every year to maintain the same level of services.

policeTHE SALARIES OF 498 POLICE OFFICERS AND

FIREFIGHTERS

write4THE SALARIES OF 830

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

nature2BUILDING 8 TRAILHEADS

IN THE MCDOWELL SONORAN PRESERVE

guide2REPAVING 98 MILES

OF FOUR-LANE CITY STREETS

THIS REVENUE SUPPORTS ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES AND IS ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR:

OR

OR

LOCAL IMPACT

On average, Experience Scottsdale’s annual direct economic impact is

$247 million.

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ADVANCING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

*Compares ranking by those who have not seen Experience Scottsdale’s ad campaign or visited Scottsdale with those who did see the ads and/or visited.

Sources: Longwoods International, Tourism Economics

PERCEPTION OF SCOTTSDALE AS A “GOOD PLACE TO START A BUSINESS”*

EXPOSED TO ADVERTISING

VISITED SCOTTSDALE

EXPOSED TO ADVERTISING &

VISITED SCOTTSDALE

39% MORE LIKELY TO VIEW SCOTTSDALE AS A “GOOD PLACE TO START A BUSINESS”

50% MORE LIKELY TO VIEW SCOTTSDALE AS A“GOOD PLACE TO START A BUSINESS”

74% MORE LIKELY TO VIEW SCOTTSDALE AS A “GOOD PLACE TO START A BUSINESS”

Travel is the first step in shaping perceptions, and Experience Scottsdale’s destination promotion contributes to a positive overall impression of the area. Consumers who recalled our advertising were not only more likely to visit, but also more likely to view Scottsdale as a good place to live, work, start a business, attend college, purchase a vacation home and retire.

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Experience Scottsdale uses resources efficiently for the benefit of the Scottsdale area and our members. A combination of public and private investments allows us to leverage our revenue for maximum impact to the community.

ANNUAL AUDIT

We received the best report possible during our annual financial audit conducted by an independent CPA firm. The audit highlighted our extensive internal control policies and prudent use of funds.

State of Arizona

Prop 30214%

City of Scottsdale

Bed Tax69%

Private Sector

6%Town of Paradise

ValleyBed Tax

10%

Other1%

REVENUE SOURCES

“Experience Scottsdale is a well-run organization with excellent policies and procedures.”

– Julie Hart, CFO by Design

FINANCE

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2016-17$18,942,068

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONSGO A LONG WAY

Our members provided $1,079,096 worth of free rooms, meals and activities, all of which allowed us to host more clients to experience Scottsdale firsthand.

REVENUE

Public Sources $14,312,503

City of Scottsdale $10,404,240

City of Scottsdale – Event Funding* $168,109

Town of Paradise Valley $1,514,011

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community $100,000

State of Arizona – Prop 302 $2,126,143

Private Sources** $976,918

Revenue Total $15,289,421

*Pass-through dollars from the City of Scottsdale for the Fiesta Bowl.

**Includes money received from members for membership dues and for participation in Experience Scottsdale cooperative ads, emails and other programs. With this investment from our members, we extended the destination’s exposure and funded additional projects.

EXPENSES

Programs $8,975,964

Marketing $7,191,655

Convention Sales & Services $832,341

Communications $574,106

Tourism $377,862

Personnel $5,248,793

Operations & Administration $1,301,163

Expenses Total• $15,525,920

• Revenue carried over from the previous year was deployed to augment marketing programs.

+ The audited 2018-19 financials will be available Oct. 1, 2019.

2018-19 REVENUE & EXPENSES For the year ending June 30, 2019 (un-audited)+

Total bed-tax collections increased 13% from 2017-18 to 2018-19*

BED TA X RISING

$22,409,523

$19,834,3202017-18

2018-19

*Short-term rental taxes collected since January 2019

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ADVERTISING IMPRESSIONS

HEATING UP SCOTTSDALE’S NEED PERIODS

296.8 MILLION

178 MILLION

digital advertising impressions

traditional advertising impressions

Experience Scottsdale brands the area as a luxury leisure and meetings destination with multi-layered marketing campaigns, including out-of-home advertising, television and high-end print publications.

963,460 total brand engagements (17% year-over-year increase):guide and collateral downloads, email opens and social media followers

SUMMER CAMPAIGN

› Targeted Phoenix, Tucson, and Los Angeles with It’s That Hot messaging

› 79% increase in page views

› 230+ social media users shared snaps of Experience Scottsdale’s It’s That Hot local murals

HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN

› Brought Scottsdale cheer to Chicago, New York, Canada and secondary markets

› 107% increase in page views for member packages, promotions and coupons

› 18% increase in average November/December occupancy over campaign’s seven-year lifespan

MARKETING

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CAPTURING SCOTTSDALE’S UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

PAINTING A PICTURE OF SCOTTSDALE

Commissioned Arizona artist, Lauren Lee, to add some artistic inspiration to our monthlong, high-impact advertising campaigns in our top domestic and international feeder markets.

TORONTO

› St. Andrews, Roy Thompson Tunnels and Bloor Yonge Station

› 13.6 million impressions

“Scottsdale is known as an arts and culture hub in Arizona and to bring that aspect to a larger audience on a larger scale – to export Scottsdale’s known reputation as the arts and culture place – makes for a really com-mon-sense fit. I think that it transcends advertisement. I think it’s going to knock the socks off everyone, including me.”

– Lauren Lee, Artist

Teamed with award-winning filmmaker Andrew Gooi to share Scottsdale’s unique attractions and stories.

› 9 videos produced throughout the year covering art, shopping, outdoor adventure and more

› 152,367 combined views and counting

MARKETING

NEW YORK

› Penn Station and Penn Plaza

› 26.7 million impressions

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Experience Scottsdale develops deeper, more personal connections with poten-tial visitors and customers and captures their attention through digital marketing. We provide the information they need before they arrive and once they are here.

DIGITAL MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Partnered with National Geographic Traveler to promote Scottsdale on its Instagram account, @natgeotravel.

› 6 Scottsdale images from award-winning photographer Michael Clark

› 122,000 likes and 400 comments

› 180 new followers for @ScottsdaleAriz

DIGITAL MARKETING

ExperienceScottsdale.com received

3.9 million page views from 2.1 million visitors

WEB TRAFFIC

› 457,379 page views for member listings

› 79,241 page views for member packages and promotions

› 104,998 click-thrus to member sites

› 72% web traffic accessed on mobile devices

› 77% new visitor traffic

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SOCIAL MEDIAEMAIL MARKETING

95,348 Twitter followers @ScottsdaleAZ

284,034 YouTube views@ExperienceScottsdaleAZ(30% year-over-year increase)

416,999 people opened emails from Experience Scottsdale to learn more about the destination(212% year-over-year increase)

31,678 Instagram followers@ScottsdaleAriz(92% year-over-year increase)

287,103 Facebook likes@ExperienceScottsdale(20% year-over-year increase)

28,342 Pinterest average monthly views @ScottsdaleAriz

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Experience Scottsdale services both potential and current visitors. Our visitor center concierges serve as destination experts – greeting guests and offering insight into our destination’s depth and breadth of amenities to ensure a memorable visit.

SCOTTSDALE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTERS

OFFICIAL SCOTTSDALE VISITOR GUIDE

61,774electronic guides downloaded

(59% year-over-year increase)

28,046walk-in visitors greeted

by concierges

› 112,341 visitor guides distributed

› 7,985 visitor guides downloaded (111% year-over-year increase)

› 89% of user survey respondents “extremely likely” or “very likely” to visit Scottsdale after reading the visitor guide

› 87% of user survey respondents found all the information they “wanted or needed” in the guide

Increased our visibility and access by moving to a new location within Scottsdale Fashion Square, as well as opening a visitor center in Old Town’s 5th Avenue Shopping District as a pilot program.

“#Marketing at work! I entered a @scottsdaleaz email contest and they sent me this glorious snail mail package. I devoured it cover to cover. Now we are planning a trip!”

– Twitter Follower

VISITOR SERVICES

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Experience Scottsdale works with our members to help them tap into the lucrative tourism market. One of our primary goals is to ensure that all members receive a return on their membership investment that exceeds expectations.

OUR DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP

Dining 14%Accommodations 16%

Activities 14%

Meeting Services 14%

Arts & Culture 4%

Golf 7%

Allied 6%

Shopping 6%

Outdoor Adventure 7%

Transportation 4%

Events 2%

Moving to Scottsdale 1%Visitor Services 1%

Spa + Wellness 2%Nightlife 2%

KEEPING OUR MEMBERS ENGAGED

426members

61new members

“You do a wonderful job. The entire Experience Scottsdale staff is amazing! We are always appreciative of the support, professionalism, and well-organized activities that Experience Scottsdale brings to every interaction … Your team rocks!”

– Old Town Member

90%retention

MEMBERSHIP

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Experience Scottsdale garners positive publicity for the community by telling the stories of our destination and promoting the amenities of our members. Targeted, positive media exposure helps generate consumer interest.

1,157Scottsdale

editorial stories

6.1 BILLIONreaders/viewers

reached(66% year-over-year

increase)

$48.1 MILLION

in advertising value (35% year-over-year

increase)

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEDIA

805 ELLE (Germany) THE NEW YORK TIMES

“I just wanted to say thank you again for such a fantastic trip. I can honestly say that it was one of the best press trips I’ve been on. I didn’t expect to love Scottsdale so much, but I want to come and live there now! Everything on the itinerary – the food, the hotels – was all brilliant.”

– Magazine Editor, United Kingdom

› Assisted 2,406 media with Scottsdale coverage

› Hosted 384 journalists and influencers in Scottsdale (58% year-over-year increase and highest number on record)

› Met with 453 journalists during 14 media missions

COMMUNICATIONS

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ARTS & CULTURE: 35% of all stories

CULINARY: 26% of all stories

OLD TOWN: 44% of all stories

STAYING SOCIAL

Partnered with influencers and traditional media to generate buzz on Instagram and YouTube, mediums that increasingly help drive travel inspiration. › 44 influencers hosted represented a combined audience of 11 million

TELLING UNIQUE STORIESRepresented diverse areas and interests within Scottsdale and shared their stories around the globe, generating niche coverage in the following areas:

@ROAMAROO 178,000 FOLLOWERS @NYTIMESTRAVEL 977,000 FOLLOWERS

“Experience Scottsdale is without question my favorite tourism group to work with. Every time I’ve come out here with them, everything is just perfectly scheduled. The activities are amazing. The food’s amazing. If I ever get an email from Experience Scottsdale, I am jumping on that right away.”

– Social Media Influencer, Illinois

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Experience Scottsdale generates incremental meetings business for our community by exposing meeting planners to the area and educating them on Scottsdale’s myriad destination services and amenities to meet their programs’ needs.

CONVENTION SALES

Experience Scottsdale’s sales efforts

generated $96.5 million in

future economic impact.

› 25% new business – new to Scottsdale or Experience Scottsdale

› 1 ,903 hotel leads (7% year-over-year increase)

› 625 meetings booked into area hotels and resorts (33% Conversion)

› 202,892 room nights generated (5% year-over-year increase and highest number on record)

› 378 destination services leads

SALES BY THE NUMBERS

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Corporate Misc. 21%

Association Professional 12%

Association Nonprofit 4%

Healthcare / Pharma 20%

SMERF & Government 6%

Corporate High Tech 8%

Association Misc. 3%

Corporate Retail 3%

Corporate Manufacturing 6%

Sports 5%

Corporate Financial / Insurance 12%

2018-19EXPERIENCESCOTTSDALE BOOKINGS BY MARKET

Texas 6%

Greater D.C. 10%

New York / New Jersey 5%

Illinois 5%

Minnesota 6%

Arizona 20%

California 11%

2018-19EXPERIENCESCOTTSDALE BOOKINGS BY STATE

10%+

5-9%

3-4%

0-2%

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35% of FAM attendees had never been to Scottsdale before

“Thank you for your wonderful hospitality in Scottsdale! Not only was the trip educational but also fun. All details were well planned from start to finish, with a lot of great opportunities to tour strong meeting options, experience actual events and network with local suppliers. This oppor-tunity was invaluable as I was able to tour and map out a lot of potential meeting configurations. It’s been years since I’d been to Scottsdale, and there are definitely a lot of great options with impressive renovations.”

– Medical Meeting Planner, New York

CONVENTION SALESHOSTING FAMILIARIZATION TOURS

Invited highly qualified meeting planners actively considering Scottsdale to explore the area.

› 78 U.S. and Canadian planners attended familiarization tours

› 46 hotel leads

› 6 meetings booked into area hotels and resorts

› 3,676 room nights generated

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SITE SEE & FLY FREE PROMOTION

› 66 planners visited Scottsdale

› 16 meetings booked into area hotels and resorts

› 10,196 room nights generated

“Experience Scottsdale is one of my favorite DMOs. They really take the time to understand my programs, understand my company, and they go out of the way to make sure we’re finding the right venues and the right experiences in Scottsdale. In my opinion, Experience Scottsdale does it right by really having that engagement – with the client, with the customer, with the venues, with the suppliers here in Scottsdale.”

– Customer Advisory Board Member, Washington

FORMING THE CUSTOMER ADVISORY BOARD

Partnered with 26 area hotels and resorts on a program designed to generate business during summer.

› 26 meetings booked into area hotels and resorts

› 33,718 room nights generated

› $11.9 million in future economic impact

Formed an inaugural customer advisory board to tap into current trends and best strategies in the meetings space.

› 16 high-caliber meeting planners

› Representing a variety of segments and a range of budgets and group size

› Recommendations will result in a revamped meetings website, a social media presence and increased access to destination services

SECURING SUMMERTIME MEETINGS

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Experience Scottsdale ensures the destination has a widespread presence. We provide extensive guidance to travel professionals from around the world so they can best capture the Scottsdale experience for their clients.

ArizonaHome to show-stopping landmarks, from the faces of Monument Valley to the sheer crevices of the Grand Canyon and statuesque Cathedral Rock, as well as iconic destinations and striking landscapes, Arizona is a state for exploration.

Immerse in the majestic beauty of this diverse landscape, with the green golf courses of Scottsdale, the saguaro-dotted deserts of Tucson, the sunset glow of Camelback Mountain and the red rocks of Sedona. Arizona really does offer something for everyone, from relaxing poolside at luxury resorts, to exploring the galleries, sophisticated shops and

excellent restaurants. Ideal for both outdoor adventures and relaxing retreats, the rugged terrain provides the perfect backdrop for adventurous pursuits. Venture through the desert on hikes and tours or, for something more daring, thrill

seekers can go rock climbing and skydiving while those who enjoy being on the water can try rafting, canoeing and kayaking along the Colorado River. Whether you seek a refined resort with stylish finishes or a luxury ranch with a rustic

edge, there is no shortage of impressive accommodation. Embrace this ‘cowboy country’ through a host of authentic experiences, from horse riding with crossbows to barbecue dinners at sunset, where you will feel like the star of your own

Western. Whether by Jeep, horseback, bike or even on foot, there is no end of amazing sights to behold in Arizona.

A V E R A G E T E M P E R A T U R E

30°CG E T T I N G T H E R E

British Airways from London Heathrow to Phoenix.

F L Y I N G T I M E

10hrs 40mB E S T T I M E T O V I S I T

With soaring daytime temperatures throughout the summer and cold nights during the winter, the ideal months to visit are March to April

and October to November.

G M T

-7 hoursF U R T H E R I N F O R M A T I O N

Local Currency US DollarTourist Office www.visitarizona.com / 020 7593 1707

AR

IZO

NA

Grand Canyon VillageTusayan

Phoenix

Sedona

Scottsdale

Marana

Arizona

Hot Air BallooningEnjoy part of your day up, up and away with a truly thrilling hot air balloon ride. Take in unobstructed 360-degree views from the comfort of the balloon’s basket, ‘riding on a cloud’ at varying altitudes as the fresh air

engulfs you. Spend an hour sky high, before descending to the ground where you will

enjoy breakfast and champagne in the heart of the desert.

When it comes to golf, few places can compete with Scottsdale. Home to nearly 200 exceptional

courses with somewhere to suit all levels and abilities; it is little wonder that more than

40 current and former PGA and LPGA tour professionals call Scottsdale home. When the

scorecards are signed, head for one of the dazzling 19th hole options, including traditional

clubhouses and acclaimed restaurants.

Head out on and off-road across stunning landscapes with one-of-a-kind Jeep tours, led by highly trained guides with excellent

knowledge of each destination’s flora, fauna, geology, and history. The Pink Jeeps are a

great way to explore, whether you set out from Sedona, Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon, every option promises to be vibrant and

fun for all.

Championship Golf Pink Jeep Safari

Things you should do

Specialists in luxury travel7272 73Contact your travel agent to book your Lusso holiday

NORTH AMERICA TRAVEL SERVICE (United Kingdom)

TRAVEL BRANDS(Canada)

LUSSO(United Kingdom)

PRODUCT TRAINING & EDUCATION

1,052 travel professionals (47% year-over-year increase) were trained to sell Scottsdale through 56 product training seminars at call centers, road shows and client offices.

SECURING SCOTTSDALE PRODUCT IN TOUR BROCHURES

TOURISM

Experience Scottsdale educated

3,730 travel professionals during trade shows,

sales missions and product training seminars.

› 2,121 leads and services sent to Experience Scottsdale members (10% year-over-year increase)

› 21 client events › 17 trade shows › 13 sales missions

TOURISM BY THE NUMBERS

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“The excursions we were introduced to and the resorts and staff of the properties were above and beyond anything I have ever experienced in the 38 years of my travel career … I look forward to sending my clients to the area to experience everything that I experienced last week.”

– Travel Advisor, Massachusetts

“Wow – what a finale! Scottsdale produced a finale the travel agents will never forget. What a way to showcase the best of Scottsdale. The partnership with Scottsdale and Phoenix to host the 100 top U.K. and Irish agents truly showed how it should be done.”

– Chris Ellis, Brand USA

REACHING INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

Partnered with Brand USA to reach key international markets: Mexico, Germany and United Kingdom.

› Featured in layered ad campaigns, including print, digital and online media

› Campaigns generated 17 million impressions with an 8:1 ROI in booked hotel revenue

› Hosted 100 U.K. and Irish travel professionals during the Brand USA Mega FAM

CONNECTING WITH INDEPENDENT ADVISORS› Reached 268 independent travel advisors in 4 top U.S. markets

› These advisors, many top sellers who work remotely outside of brick-and-mortar agencies, were all new clients for Experience Scottsdale

HOSTING FAMS & SITE VISITS› Hosted 40 site visits and familiarization tours for 286 travel professionals

(178% year-over-year increase)

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COMMUNIT Y PARTNERS

Source: STR, Inc. Republication or other re-use of this data without the express written permission of STR is strictly prohibited.

OCCUPANCY ADR REVPAR

0.0%

-2.0%

-4.0%

2.0%

4.0%

8.0%

6.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

January February March April May June July

HOTEL PERFORMANCEPercent change of Scottsdale market area hotel performance January through July 2019 versus January through July 2018.

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4343 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 170, Scottsdale, AZ 85251480.421.1004 | ExperienceScottsdale.com

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