Journey Together - Visit San Antonio Executive Brief

Q2 FY24

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Message from the CEO

Dear Valued Partners, 

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits as we look back on a fantastic Q2 in this installment of Journey Together—An Executive Brief. January through March were momentous for our city, from launching a new summer initiative and unveiling major news that will solidify San Antonio as the hub for cybersecurity. Additionally, the 2024 River Walk Royalty raised a record-breaking $76,000 for the San Antonio Hospitality Foundation, benefiting scholarships for San Antonio’s next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals. Congratulations to the new Royal Court for their outstanding achievement. 

Below is a recap of significant events from the previous quarter: 

Global Agencies Meeting 
Visit San Antonio’s Tourism Development and Communications teams hosted its first global representative agencies meeting in January. The meeting kicked off with a presentation by greater:SATX, so the global teams were aware of the global economic development message Jenna and her team were delivering. The meeting then focused on FY23 performance reviews from Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom. All agencies, including the new offices from Germany and China, presented FY24 strategic goals and plans for their respective market. The Visit San Antonio Marketing team also briefed the agencies on San Antonio’s new branding and targeted marketing efforts in each market to ensure there is alignment of all global efforts.  

Welcoming our Newest Hotel General Managers   
On March 5, Visit San Antonio and the San Antonio Hotel Lodging Association co-hosted a reception to welcome the new General Managers from all districts in the Alamo City. The goal was to welcome their new peers and offer a collaborative space to network. With so much growth and evolution happening across the city, we hope this will be a regular event for years to come.  

European Sales and Media Mission 
Visit San Antonio successfully hosted a multi-track mission to Frankfurt, Germany and London, United Kingdom, March 14-21, 2024. City Manager Erik Walsh, the San Antonio Airport and greater:SATX joined the mission in Frankfurt as we hosted a signature launch event for the Condor flight debuting May 17. More than 120 tourism, trade and media clients attended our events in Frankfurt.    

Representatives from Visit San Antonio and greater:SATX continued to London for a series of events. We hosted one-on-one meetings, a private dinner for 40 of the United Kingdom’s top culinary media and a signature gala event at the exclusive Park Row restaurant with approximately 140 key travel trade clients and media.  

Sales Roadshow 
Meeting professionals coast to coast have been invited to Visit San Antonio’s first-time multi-city roadshow, “On the Road, The Future Rocks,” now through May 2024. This ambitious initiative is taking our team, partners and cultural storytellers to 10 cities across the continental United States. The goal of the roadshow is to meet with meeting planners, provide a strategic update on new developments in San Antonio and highlight the best of the Alamo City!    

InCyber Forum 
Visit San Antonio, in partnership with greater:SATX and InCyber Forum, announced the upcoming launch of the first-ever United States debut of Europe’s largest annual cybersecurity conference, which will be in San Antonio, June 17-18, 2025. This monumental endeavor underscores the collaborative effort between Visit San Antonio and key entities, including the City of San Antonio, greater:SATX, Port San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio. InCyber Forum anticipates attracting up to 5,000 delegates in its first year in San Antonio.  

As always, if you have questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to reach out to me.    
 

With best regards, 

 
Marc Anderson

Destination Sales 

Courtesy of The InCyber Forum (Lille, France): Visit San Antonio’s Vice President of Corporate and Intermediary Sales, Lance Wheeler, invites delegates to come to San Antonio shortly after InCyber’s announcement of U.S. debut. 

Key Highlights for the Quarter

Force Sports Center Countdown City Classic Volleyball Tournament  
The convention sales team successfully secured the Countdown City Classic Volleyball Tournament for San Antonio, set to take place December 27-29, 2024, right after Christmas. This event will take over the entire Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC) with over 600 teams, resulting in an economic impact of over $4 million and 2,200 rooms per night at peak. This significant booking for a typically slow period will showcase San Antonio to an estimated 10,000 athletes, families and attendees. 

Fellowship of Catholic University Students SEEK 2027 Conference 
The convention sales team successfully secured the SEEK 2027 conference for San Antonio, checking in on New Year's Day 2027!  With an economic impact of over $10 million and 3,200 rooms per night on peak, this is a significant booking for a typically slow period for group events. San Antonio will host the conference from January 1-5, 2027, showcasing our city to an estimated 13,000 attendees.  

Key Metrics for the Quarter

Convention Sales Key Metrics

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

Fiesta FAM with Streamline Events (April)  
Visit San Antonio was thrilled to host a collaborative multi-day familiarization tour (FAM), April 22-24, with Streamline Events, bringing over 15 new corporate customers to experience San Antonio during this annual festive celebration. The customer list included target accounts, such as Amazon, F5 and Broadcom. 

IMEX Frankfurt (May)  
From May 14 through May 16, Visit San Antonio’s convention sales team attended IMEX Frankfurt for the first time in collaboration with Travel Texas. This key international tradeshow, dedicated to the meetings and events industry, typically attracts nearly 12,000 participants from across the globe, including around 3,800 invited and visitor buyers from over 90 countries. It presented a fantastic opportunity to bring the San Antonio story to the rest of the world.

Destination Experience  

Visit San Antonio hosted the Cvent planning team for a three-day site visit, which included stops at the Henry B. González Convention Center, River Walk, Pearl, other venues, restaurants and an exciting visit to the 75th Anniversary San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. 

Key Highlights for the Quarter

Satisfaction Score and Sales Leads 
Visit San Antonio achieved an overall destination experience satisfaction score of 4/4 and presented six groups with a peak of 2,500+ with the “Heart of the City." It also provided three booking leads to the sales team. 

Key Metrics for the Quarter   

• In Q2, the team serviced 40 groups with hotel blocks, representing just over 162K room nights and 121K attendees, with an estimated economic impact calculator total of $125M, and supported 48.7K+ jobs    

• In Q2, the team conducted 22 planning site visits with 183 planning team members, visiting with 224 local Visit San Antonio Members for confirmed future groups 

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives 

Connect SA 
The Connect SA RFP was awarded on April 30, in which rebranding for the program was implemented. The city’s healthcare sector was the pilot industry for the rebrand. New initiatives to track attendance-building enhancements were also explored.  

Marketing

Key Highlights for the Quarter 

Q2 Campaigns 
The spring campaign was launched in January with a $1.9 million media spend, reaching 179 million impressions via a multimedia strategy to target key personas. We also introduced the Condor campaign in Germany for the first transatlantic nonstop flight to San Antonio, featuring high-impact out-of-home advertising in key German markets, video, content and a dedicated German page on our website. 

River Walk Website 
We launched a new River Walk website and introduced AudioEye® technology to improve accessibility on both River Walk and Visit San Antonio websites, ensuring easy access for all users. 

Key Metrics for the Quarter

Marketing Key Metrics

• Visit San Antonio’s FY24 Q2 Web Performance

  • ​1.7M users

  • 2.1M sessions

  • 3.4M pageviews  

• Visit San Antonio FY24 Q2 Social Media Performance 

• River Walk Web FY24 Q2 Performance 

  • 238K users

  • 300K sessions 

  • 708K pageviews 

• River Walk Social Media FY24 Q2 Performance 

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

Summer 2024 Campaign 
"Dive Into the Many Cools of San Antonio" has a $3.4 million media spend and is expected to have 311 million media impressions from April 15 – August 9, 2024.  

Theme Park Capital of Texas 
In April, Visit San Antonio collaborated with Six Flags, SeaWorld and Morgan’s Wonderland for the new campaign "San Antonio is The Theme Park Capital of Texas."   

Metaverse 
The team is launching phase 2 of the Metaverse to support "The Theme Park Capital of Texas" with a unique museum initiative and gamification at 210 Plaza, including hotel bookings via Expedia.

Media Relations and Communications 

Key Highlights for the Quarter

Media Mission Los Angeles 
Q2 was busy and provided many media hits for San Antonio. The Visit San Antonio Media Relations team partnered with the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Culture to host top travel, culinary, arts, culture and movie trade media at an event in Los Angeles.    

DreamWeek and Black History Month 
The team also worked hard to promote Black heritage, including DreamWeek and the MLK Day March. Additionally, Visit San Antonio secured domestic national media that told the story of Black culture at the San Antonio rodeo and the impact of Black cowboys. Visit San Antonio took a slightly different angle in hosting top travel media from the United Kingdom, which highlighted the duality of Mexican and American rodeo celebrations.   

European Media Mission 
To close the quarter, the Media Relations team helped organize successful sales, economic development, and media missions to Frankfurt, Germany, and London, United Kingdom. The team met with approximately 100 media representatives in both markets, increasing the awareness and desire to travel to San Antonio from these two key European markets.
 

Key Metrics for the Quarter

Media Relations and Communications Key Metrics

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

Summer Promotions 
In April, a pre-summer series of TV interviews in key regional feeder markets occurred, along with media pitching and hosting of family travel media outlets and social media content creators.     

IPW Los Angeles 
In May, staff attended U.S. Travel’s IPW, occurring in Los Angeles, where the media relations team met with domestic and international media, securing additional coverage for San Antonio following last year’s hosting of the conference in our city.    

Media Mission: New York
Also, during Q3, the team will conduct media missions in New York City—focused on culinary media, including a private media dinner at the James Beard Foundation’s Platform showcasing two Asian American San Antonio restaurants—and in Florida—concentrated on national television personalities and family travel.  

Global Development

Attendees enjoy some of San Antonio’s world-class cuisine at Sabor es Polanco. 

Key Highlights for the Quarter

FAMs and Sales Missions 
In Q2, staff hosted a FAM group from Mexico and the United Kingdom, giving over 30 clients a San Antonio experience to enhance their current San Antonio offerings and inspire them to develop new products to sell to travelers. In addition, the team executed sales missions in three countries. In Mexico, staff met with key clients to plan programming and promotions for the summer. For the first time, staff attended EPTUR, a travel agent-based trade show for operators, wholesalers and destinations to share information on their products. Visit San Antonio also had the opportunity to present destination training at the trade show. In addition, we coordinated the participation of four local chefs in Sabor es Polanco, a premier food festival that allowed us to solidify our position as the Culinary Capital of Texas. 

European Marketplace 
Visit San Antonio’s President and CEO Marc Anderson led the Frankfurt, Germany, to promote the Condor Airlines direct flight, which is scheduled to launch May 17. Included in the delegation were Jenna Saucedo Herrera, CEO of greater:SATX, Eric Walsh, San Antonio City Manager and Jesus Saenz, San Antonio Airport Director. For the first time, local tourism industry partners, including hotels, attractions and sightseeing tours, attended the mission. During the mission, Visit San Antonio hosted a travel trade and media marketplace, allowing partners to meet with clients one-on-one, followed by a networking event. Most of the delegation continued to London, United Kingdom, for a weeklong mission, which included meetings with travel trades and discussions on programming and promotions for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 and closed with a client event. 

 Key Metrics for the Quarter

Tourism Development Key Metrics

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

“Dive into the Many Cools of Summer” Consumer Roadshow 
The staff put together a San Antonio consumer experience and is taking it to all key Texas drive markets. These consumer engagements will provide an experience for Texas cities and are designed to increase demand for summer visitation. Stops will include Houston, Austin, Dallas and the Rio Grande Valley. From April 27-May 25 (excluding May 5), attendees will enjoy a taste of San Antonio via a “pool party” vibe. Our cool and refreshing experience will include music/DJ, entertainment by local artists, food vendors, animal activations and giveaways.     

Summer Short-Term Strategy  
As a part of our effort to increase demand during the summer, staff also put together a robust plan focused on promoting local hotels and attractions. These campaigns will launch in May and run through August. Our selling channels include Expedia, Amadeus, Get Your Guide and Price Travel.    

IPW Los Angeles  
U.S. Travel’s IPW was hosted in Los Angeles May 3-8. Visit San Antonio staff coordinated member participation, booth set-up, and, most importantly, scheduled appointments with key clients from key target markets of Mexico, Canada, China, Germany and the United Kingdom. In addition, we have also targeted Australia and Latin America. This year, we had 15 members participating, with staff in over 300 appointments. In addition, the Visit San Antonio Communications team coordinated an epic press conference and conducted client meetings during the media marketplace. Destination Services coordinated a VIP client dinner and sponsorship activation at the Travel Texas event. We also activated a space in the convention center's main lobby and featured two local small businesses. 

San Antonio River Walk

Key Highlights for the Quarter  

Spring River Parades 
Mardi Gras Weekend (February 10-12) featured the Bud Light Mardi Gras River Parades, celebrations at La Villita and the Mardi Gras Artisan Show, drawing 93,500 visitors. The Coronation for River Walk Royalty raised over $76,000 for the San Antonio Hospitality Foundation, with the Queen and King chosen based on fundraising levels. St. Patrick's weekend (March 15-17) showcased the Bud Light St. Patrick’s River Parades, celebrations at La Villita, river dyeing and the St. Patrick’s Artisan Show, attracting 148,000 visitors. Lastly, the Q2 issue of Rio Magazine was published online and printed, with around 25,000 copies distributed at River Walk establishments. 

Key Metrics for the Quarter  

• The downtown River Walk experienced 1.8M visits, while the Museum Reach saw 100.3K visitors 

• From the Museum Reach to downtown, spanning the Pearl to the Convention Center, there were a total of 2.4M visitors  

• St. Patrick’s Day weekend stood out as the most visited weekend of the quarter, with Saturday, March 16th, recording the highest single-day visitation of 69.9K visitors 

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

The Q3 River Walk events include the Ford Mariachi Festival, Fiesta Artisan Show in April and River Walk Live! concerts, started in May on the third Thursday of each month. Other events include Stella Artois Drift & Dine and the Bud Light Pride River Parades in June. 

Legislative Spotlight

Texas Senator José Menéndez has distinguished himself as a dedicated public servant with a deep commitment to fostering economic growth and enhancing community resources in Texas. Born and raised in San Antonio, Menéndez has a profound connection to his roots, which is reflected in his legislative priorities. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he earned a degree in business administration, equipping him with the skills to understand and influence economic and policy landscapes. 

Menéndez began his political career in the Texas House of Representatives in 2000, where he served for over a decade, focusing on education, healthcare and economic development before his election to the Texas Senate in 2015. His legislative agenda has consistently emphasized improving public services, support for veterans and expanding educational opportunities. 

A notable aspect of Senator Menéndez’s career has been his advocacy for mental health services, aiming to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and improve access to care. His work in this area has led to expanding resources and services for mental health across Texas. 

His recent legislative achievement, Senate Bill 2220, underscores his ongoing commitment to economic development. By securing funding for infrastructure improvements in San Antonio, he hopes to not only enhance the city's facilities but also ensure long-term economic resilience and growth.  

Here’s a deeper look at the transformative impact of SB 2220: 

• Infrastructure Enhancement: The bill provides for significant upgrades to the Alamodome and the Henry B. González Convention Center, adding vital space and modern amenities to attract large-scale events 

• Economic Growth: By hosting more events, San Antonio anticipates an increase in tourism-related revenue, projected to bring an additional $921 million from new conferences and conventions alone 

• Job Creation: The expansion and upgrading of facilities will generate numerous jobs in the construction, hospitality and service sectors, supporting local employment and economic stability

• Local Business Boost: Increased visitor traffic means more business for local establishments, including restaurants, shops and cultural venues, contributing to the economic vitality of the community

• Tax Revenue Generation: The project finance zones established by SB 2220 allow for the use of tax rebates to fund further improvements, ensuring a cycle of reinvestment and growth 

Senator Menéndez’s leadership has made him a key figure in Texas politics, continually working towards making the state a better place for its residents. Through his efforts, he has made significant strides in transforming San Antonio into a thriving hub for tourism and business, demonstrating a strategic vision that aligns with the city’s long-term economic interests. 

Member Update and Spotlight

Visit San Antonio staff mingled during a product presentation at the newly opened Pink Shark located in the heart of downtown. The owner, Jessica Marinez, gave samples of their handcrafted cocktails and delectable breakfast and lunch menu. Staff toured Pink Shark’s venue space and gained insights into the exciting future events planned.  

Key Highlights for the Quarter

Launched Summer Campaign Member Outreach  
We kicked off the summer campaign outreach with a webinar and member panel discussion. On the panel were representatives from Elsewhere, SiDECARS, Witte and Canopy by Hilton San Antonio River Walk, who all discussed their curated summer initiatives. There have been 71 member submissions for the summer campaign. 

Member Benefits and Events  
Q2 member benefits consisted of individual outreach and a toolkit that provided over 80 ideas to help members engage with local and out-of-town visitors. We also hosted a Connect and Learn Session that provided strategies to help elevate customer experiences, in addition to nine product presentations and monthly membership meetings. A Maximize Your Benefits workshop was hosted by the tourism development team, with 34 members in attendance. Lastly, 129 invitations were sent to the New Hotel General Managers’ welcome reception in partnership with the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association. 

Key Metrics for the Quarter

• 37 First Time (New) Members joined Visit San Antonio Membership  

• End of Quarter a total of 681 FY24 Members renewed membership 

• Generated $540K+, putting the department at 90% of revenue goal 

• Total of 1K+ Business Opportunities for Q2 

Q3 FY24 Planned Initiatives

We will announce the new San Antonio Hospitality Champion program in May, and, in partnership with the City of San Antonio Economic Development Department, we will help support small businesses impacted by construction. 

At February's Connect and Learn mixer, Estevan Guerra of A.T.O.M. Consulting discussed customer-centric strategies to boost revenue growth with Visit San Antonio members, focusing on enhancing summer business ideas.

Visit San Antonio members enjoy a Platinum benefit: a product presentation allowing them to spotlight their businesses to Visit San Antonio staff. Victor Rivera, owner of La Vida Coffee Lounge, shares his passion for crafting curated international coffee flavors for his visitors, showcasing his story and love for his craft.

Member Spotlight  

La Vida Coffee 

Business Summary
Discover the charm of our revamped downtown coffee shop, where every sip tells a story. Indulge in a world of international flavors, from the robust kick of our espressos to the soothing embrace of our exquisite teas. Whether you're on the go or savoring the moment in elegant glassware, our offerings are crafted to elevate your coffee experience. Step into our inviting space and embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of global coffee culture. 

What is a project you're working on right now? Why is it meaningful to you?
I am currently working on getting educational classes in La Vida. We will be providing classes about coffee culture and how to do latte art.  This is meaningful because coffee is more than a drink it has different uses and benefits in all parts of the world. The social aspect is underrated, and we want to share this with customers. As for the latte art, we want to help bring beautiful coffee designs you can do on your own.

What do you love the most about your job?
I have traveled the world, and I am not done. However, at La Vida, I feel like the world comes to visit us. Our customers have come from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, Japan and more.

Who/what inspires you?  
I am inspired by some of the best listeners and communicators. Jon Stewart is an incredible interviewer, and he does it with a sense of humor.  

What has been your biggest professional achievement? 
Professionally, I have helped multi-billion dollar corporations with customer relationships. However, being a business owner and being able to manage employees, vendors and clients in a way that makes us all winners is exciting for me. I like to share my San Antonio explorations and my stories of travel with them. But more than anything, I like to hear their stories too. 

What do you like most about being a member of Visit San Antonio?  
Knowing the impact that Visit San Antonio has on the downtown area and the city as a whole, I love to experience a city-wide convention where the streets are filled with visitors waiting to see what there is to see, how they are treated by the locals and some great hidden gems. 

Be a Tourist In Your Own Town