Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
OVERVIEW
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) knew that the strong popularity of their iconic Southern California beach town as a travel destination could not be taken for granted. Instead of sitting back and reacting to the unfolding future of the city as a destination, they wanted to proactively shape that future to not only ensure Santa Monica remains as relevant a destination in 10, 15, and 20 years from now as it is today, but that the visitor economy synergistically works to honor resident quality of life and the area’s natural environment. To that end, SMTT and their partner, the City of Santa Monica, contracted with Coraggio to build an Experience Management Plan that would serve as an enduring north star, guiding them as they lean into the high aspirations of a future Santa Monica that will, even more than today, inspire visitors from around the world, create ongoing economic stability, and consistently contribute to the unique quality of life residents expect.
APPROACH
From the beginning, it was evident that SMTT embodied a spirit of partnership in the community and an understanding that the livability of Santa Monica is an integral part of a positive visitor experience. To better understand visitor and resident sentiment, SMTT, Coraggio, and Sparkloft Media worked together to administer surveys, conduct interviews, facilitate focus groups, and examine social media sentiment going back three years. More than 7.8 million online conversations were analyzed, and by adding economy + infrastructure and health + wellness to the topics analyzed, the evolving perception of life in the Santa Monica community came into sharp focus. The Situation Assessment that was developed based on this analysis informed the planning phase of the project. With the planning committees drawn from the City, local businesses, cultural and community organizations, and other stakeholders, SMTT again modeled that it takes an entire community to create the experience of that community. Meeting over nine sessions facilitated by the Coraggio team, the Experience Management Plan was developed, including its nine strategies and related catalytic actions designed to make sure that Santa Monica continues to delight and inspire visitors and residents for years to come. Finally, Coraggio and SMTT worked together to develop a Collective Impact Implementation Plan to outline resources and partners needed to achieve the plan’s vision and operationalize the identified initiatives over the coming years.
OUTCOMES
The Experience Management Plan is an enduring north star, allowing SMTT and its many partners to lean into a shared aspirational vision for the city while being grounded in its community-created framework.
By locking arms with many organizations around a common vision, SMTT was able to lead the way for a new era of partnership and shared ownership of Santa Monica’s future.
While the strategies and actions in the plan were unsurprisingly put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the existing framework has allowed SMTT to jump right back into planning, working with Coraggio to update its strategies and actions to reflect post-pandemic challenges.
