HomeMy WebLinkAbout11012023 PACAB Laydown - Chamber Report cc \
: er
ar— ED Report $ rM
CHAMBER
PACAB II// (kZ)
Calendar: TAW
Nov 1-15- BOD Elections voting window. Scan QR code to vote -*
Q ik
November 16th - Coffee & Chat SBDC, Better Business Bureau, AK
Women's Business Center
November 8-10 - Pacific Marine Expo
November 9th - Chamber"Before 5" at Telegraph House with presentations from Wolf with
Seward Public Radio
November 25th - Shop Small Weekend
December- Chamber Luncheon TBD
January - NYE Fireworks
January 12-14the - Polar Bear Plunge
January - State of the Chamber
January - Chamber After 5 - TBD
Feb. - Valentine's Winter Weekend
March TBD - Community Awards
2023 Year Recap:
Overview: 1/1/23 -7/15/23
Total Trips Visitor Days
1,886,324 Trips 3,520,552 Days
T19.7%vs.1/1/22 - lj15, 2 4' -14.4%vs.1/1/22 -7/15/22
Average Length of Stay Unique Visitors
oO D,r
1.9 Days (—' 1,211,593 Visitors
4, -0.7 Days vs.1/1/22 -7/15/22 T 60.4%vs.1/1/22 -7/15/22
Total Trips were up 19%, with length of stay averaging just about the same at 2 days. We'd like
to see length of stay increase with marketing itineraries targeting vacation stays of 3 to 4 days in
Seward. Unique Visitors were up 60%, incredible!
Goes without saying that our most popular months are June, July & August.
Cc — November 2023
c d Seward Chamber ED Report
CHAMBER
PACAB
30.7 % of visitors are in the 25-44 range and 42% of our visitors have a household of 3-5.
Marketing Seward as a "Family Destination" could target these top demographics.
Visitor Center
Service Request Benefits
Total Referrals and Service Requests Sent
4K Y Y
3.2K ri ^
2.4K
1.6K
800
n n
O o ■ O o 0 0 0 0 0
No, ';ec Ian Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep C:
Service Requests Sent II,Referrals Sent
Approximately 11 K referrals delivered for our Member Business from May - September.
The Visitor Center and Derby Booth welcomed just under 9,000 guests this year.
StartUp Week & AKSBDC:
StartUp Week was extremely successful with 6 local events for business people of all levels to
attend and learn. Programs included: Creating financial projections. `meet your lenders,'
Pitch-Fest, Chamber luncheon with SBDC tax data. buying/selling a small business.
Seward SBA Metrics quarterly (year)
Client Hours: 133.2 (480.5)
Total Clients: 40 (72)
New Businesses Started or Bought: 0 (6)
Jobs Supported: 140 (220)
Capital Infusion: $530,000 ($2,604,584)
Client Surveys: 100% positive (100% positive)
Topics
1. Buy/Sell Business: 38.2 hrs (25%)
2. Start-up Assistance: 31.3 hrs (23%)
3. Financing/Capital: 29.9 hrs (22%)
4. General Management: 28.7 hrs (21%)
5. Business Planning: 3.0 hrs (2%)
Qc — November 2023
v�� Seward Chamber ED Report
CHAMBER
PACAB
Industries
1. Accommodation: 45.2 hrs (34%)
2. Food Services: 30.3 hrs (23%)
3. Retailers: 23.4 hrs (18%)
4. Entertainment: 17.7 hrs (13%)
5. Transportation: 9.7 hrs (7%)
MMR & 4th of July: A muddy race course provided challenging terrain for racers this year. The
Mount Marathon Race and 4;h of July brought in an increase of$62,000 from last year - The
online auction was a hit! We saw a record number of Vendors at our 4th of July Festival and a
return of the beloved children's games.
SSSD: Although angler numbers were down. we saw an increase in revenue from merchandise
sales and the first derby ticket price increase in history. Although the derby began with a few
weather days, we ended the final day with a line of anglers eager to get their fish weighed in.
Plans to continue to rebuild the derby through stringer charter engagement, sponsor recruitment
for alluring prices, and The Silver Salmon Ball.
ATIA: Hot topics included - "Sustainable Tourism" Employee retention and housing struggles.
Leaders encouraged an increase in "Length of Visitor Stay." Noted Winter Tourism as the "Last
Frontier' of Alaska Tourism. Connections with other Alaskan Chamber's and DMO's led to good
conversations and new partnerships on the horizon. QI571+��rt �
Ill ',vet o
2-., 1'0'1
Visitor Guide: In 2023 we distributed 70,000 guides nationwide. Currently in contract for 70,000
for 2024 and beginning the design process later this month. Paid advertisements help fund this
tool, which is stocked in local DMOs across the state. This publication keeps DMOs without
stable funding open for guests.
Future Goals: Partner with PACAB and Council to bring back critical services to Seward &
expand the tourism season.