Presentation

M E S A  C I T Y  C O U N C I L  ·  E C O N O M I C  D E V E L O P M E N T  C O M M I T T E E
FY25-26 Update
(Including overall visitor economy performance)

V I S IT  M E S A
Visit Mesa — FY25-26
WHO WE ARE
Visit Mesa is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the 
City of Mesa, charged with branding, selling and marketing the 
destination; generating overnight visitation; supporting the hospitality 
industry that employs thousands of residents; and elevating the quality of 
life of Mesa residents.
Current # of staff members: 13*
Current # of board members: 25*
FY 25-26 Budget: $4,705,079 (includes Mesa TLT, Prop 302 and private 
sector investment)
FUNDI NG  M OD EL
Visit Mesa is funded primarily through hotel (bed) tax revenue paid by 
overnight visitors — not by Mesa residents or general fund dollars. For 
every $1 of public funding invested in Visit Mesa, an estimated $24 in 
direct visitor spending is generated in Mesa.

T H E  2 0 2 4  V IS I T OR  E C ON OM Y :  A  K E Y  E C O N O M I C  D E V E L OP M E N T D R IV E R
Independent analysis: Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company
4.4M
V I S I T O R S  T O  M E S A
+0.3% YoY
$749.0M
D I R E C T  V I S I T O R  S P E N D I N G
$2.1M per day, on average
$1.2B
T O T A L  E C O N O M I C  I M P A C T
Direct + indirect + induced
8,121
J O B S  S U P P O R T E D
~1 in 14 Mesa jobs
W HER E T HE $ 74 9M  I S D I R EC T LY SPE NT
$253.7M
$205.1M
$119.4M
$104.0M
$66.8M
Lodging
Food & Beverage
Retail
Transportation
Recreation
Source: Tourism Economics — Economic Impact of Visitors to Mesa, 2024 (Client Preliminary, July 2025). Total impact includes direct, indirect, and induced effects.
J O B S S U PP O R TE D  B Y  TH E  VI S I TO R  EC O N O M Y I N  20 24

V I S IT O R  E C O N O M Y  F I S C A L  IM P A C T S  - C Y 2 024
$159.5M
T O T A L  G O V T  R E V E N U E
Generated by visitor activity
$84.7M
S T A T E  &  L O C A L  T A X E S
Direct to Arizona & Mesa
$432
P E R  H O U S E H O L D  O F F S E T
What each Mesa household saves
$6.9M
M E S A  H O T E L  B E D  T A X  
R E V E N U E
Funds Visit Mesa & tourism
ST AT E & L O C A L  T A X B R EA K DO WN  ( $M ,  20 24 )
$48.1M
$19.4M
$6.9M
$5.0M
$4.7M
$0.6M
Sales Tax
Property Tax
Bed Tax
Excise & Fees
Personal Income
Corporate
W H Y  T H I S  M A T T E R S
Without the visitor economy, each Mesa household 
would need to be taxed an additional $432 to 
replace the state and local taxes visitors generate.
Tourism is a low-cost, high-return tool for funding city 
services without burdening residents.
Source: Tourism Economics — Economic Impact of Visitors to Mesa, 2024. Household tax offset assumes redistribution of $84.7M in state/local taxes across Mesa households.

V I S IT O R  TR E N D S  — C A LE N D A R  Y E A R  2 0 2 5
Growing overnight visitation drives hotel occupancy, restaurant sales, retail spending, and tax revenues. 
1.67M
O V E R N I G H T  T R I P S
+2.7% vs. 2024
+13.7%
D E C E M B E R  Y o Y
Strongest month of the year
Q4 2025
M O M E N T U M  P H A S E
Three consecutive +8% months
M ES A O V ERN I G H T T R I P S B Y  M O NT H — 2 02 5 V S 2 02 4 ( t h ou sa nd s)
0
50
100
150
200
250
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2024
2025
Source: Placer.ai — Mesa overnight trips, Jan-Dec 2025 vs. Jan-Dec 2024.

G R O WI N G  D E M A N D  S U P P O R T S  H OT E L  I N V E S T M E N T
( R u n n i n g  1 2  M o n t h s  a n d  F Y  2 5 - 2 6  T o  D a t e )
Demand and revenue holding steady as supply expands; peak season shows strong compression
65.2%
1 2 - M O  O C C U P A N C Y
Through April 2026
$118
1 2 - M O  A D R
Mesa overall, all classes
+4.7%
S U P P L Y  G R O W T H
New rooms outpacing demand
+3.4%
D E M A N D  G R O W T H
Room nights consumed
M ES A  M O N T H L Y O C C U PA N C Y — F Y25 - 2 6 ( J ul  20 25  – A p r  20 26 )
K E Y  T A K E A W A Y
Demand is up +3.4% on a trailing 12-month basis, but supply 
growth of +4.7% is compressing year-over-year RevPAR.
Peak winter months (Feb-Mar 2026) cleared 75% occupancy 
with ADR above $160 — confirming the destination's 
pricing power when demand is present.
Source: CoStar — Mesa Hospitality Submarket Report, April 2026. Trailing 12-month metrics through April 2026.

S A L E S  &  E V E N T S
F Y  2 0 2 5 – 2 6  y e a r  t o  d a t e  t h r o u g h  M a y  3 1 ,  2 0 2 6
Publicly funded sales efforts generated
102
D E F I N I T E  E V E N T S
Booked in FY25-26
98,540
C O N T R A C T E D  R O O M  N I G H T S
Total definite business
121,263
A T T E N D A N C E  B O O K E D
Across all definite events
$123M
E S T .  D I R E C T  S P E N D
$73.4M actualized to date
D E FI NI TE BO O K E D  B U S I N ES S BY  SEG M ENT  — F Y25 - 2 6
SEGMENT
CONTRACTED RN
ATTENDANCE
EST. VISITOR SPEND
Sports
57,974
94,215
$78.3M
Meetings & Conventions
12,520
15,046
$34.7M
Leisure — OTA & Attribution Campaigns
28,046
12,002
$10.0M
TOTAL DEFINITE
98,540
121,263
$123M
T H E  B O O K E D - B U S I N E S S  S T O R Y
Sports is the volume engine — 57,974 contracted room 
nights and $78.3M in estimated spend.
Conventions, meetings & group business delivered $34.7M
in estimated spend, including wholesale travel-trade 
production.
Leisure OTA campaigns (Adara, Expedia) added 28,046 
contracted room nights to date.
Source: Visit Mesa Sales Report Executive Summary, 7/1/2025 - 4/30/2026 (turned definite). Segments reflect booking sales team; Conventions/Meetings/Group includes wholesale travel-trade production. EI = total direct economic impact (estimated; actualized as 
events occur).
OTA: Online Travel Agency (Expedia.com, hotels.com, VRBO.com, etc).

F Y 2 5 - 2 6  W I N S  - S P O R T S  E V E N TS
Publicly funded sales efforts generated
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 TEAM BASE CAMP
GL OBA L ST AGE · S U M ME R  2 0 26  · 4 ,6 0 0+ ROO M NI GH TS
Mesa selected as a team base camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026 —
international exposure and team room-night impact.
MOUNTAIN WEST & WAC BASEBALL 
CHAMPIONSHIPS
1 ,8 8 5 ROO M NI GH TS · 2 ,4 50  ATT END EES
Simultaneous NCAA conference championships hosted in Mesa —
demonstrating venue depth and capacity.
NAIA WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL 
CHAMPIONSHIP
2 50  ROOM  NI GHT S  · 70 0  A TTE N DE E S  · 2-YR DEA L
Multi-year championship secured. Establishes Mesa as home of an emerging 
NCAA-feeder event.
MLS NEXT FEST
6 ,0 0 0 ROO M NI GH TS  · 1 4, 00 0  A TTE N DE E S
Premier youth soccer event drawing teams from across North America; 
multi-year agreement secured.
TRIPLE CROWN SPRING SHOWCASE
5 ,5 0 0 ROO M NI GH TS · 2 1, 00 0 + A TH LETES
Major multi-session spring tournament series — among the largest sports 
room-night generators of the year.
MSBL & NABA WORLD SERIES
1 ,5 2 2 ROO M NI GH TS · 1 ,2 50  ATT END EES
Adult amateur baseball championships — long-duration events with strong 
shoulder-season value.
Source: Visit Mesa Sales Activity Report, FY25-26 (7/1/2025 - 6/30/2026). Room-night and attendance figures reflect Mesa-
contracted business. MSBL = Men’s Senior Baseball League ,NABA = National Adult Baseball Association
Western Athletic Conference
MLS Next

F Y 2 5 - 2 6  W I N S  - M E E T IN GS / C O N V E N TI O N S / E V E N T S
Publicly funded sales efforts generated
PENTEC HEALTH SUMMIT 2026
82 0 ROOM NI GHTS  IN THE  ME DICAL M ARKET S EGME NT 
Medical market segment has been an elusive one for the lack of resort 
product, but the Pentec Summit hosted at the Sheraton Mesa Hotel was a 
welcome exception.
VEX DIAMOND IN THE DESERT
INTE RNATIONAL ROBOTICS  COMPE TITION · 3 50 ROOM 
NIGHTS
600+ high school and 400+ middle school students participated at the 
inaugural Diamond in the Desert  robotics competition that took place at the 
Mesa Convention Center. 
Source: Visit Mesa Sales Activity Report, FY25-26 (7/1/2025 - 6/30/2026). Room-night and attendance figures reflect Mesa-contracted business
MASTER TECH EXPO 2026
TRADE-SHOW · 90 0+ ROOM NIGHTS & 1,0 00 ATTENDEES
2026 was the 5th consecutive year that the Mesa Convention Center has 
hosted this international trade-show and annual meeting. Major brands like 
Sony, Kenwood, JBL are among the exhibitors.
ARIZONA ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED AND 
TALENTED
AAGT 20 26 ANNUAL CONFERENCE · 9 5 ROOM NIGHTS
Over 1,000 educators, students and advocates gathered at the Mesa 
Convention Center for this annual conference  for the 5th consecutive year. 
COPPER STATE BEER FESTIVAL
SIG NA TUR E F ES T · 5,000 ATTENDEE S
Mesa festival drawing regional visitation and showcasing the local beer, 
craft & culture scene.
ALT FEST
A WAR D-WI NN IN G F EST IVAL · 4,600+ ATTENDE ES
Award-winning arts and music festival extending Mesa's creative-
destination brand and downtown activation.
MEXICAN BASEBALL FIESTA & SLOAN PARK
C UB S PAR TN ER SHI P · EXPA ND IN G
Continued partnership with the Cubs and Hispanic community engagement; 
expanding to six teams.
W HY T HI S M AT TE RS  F O R E D:  Sports and group business alone generate more than 70,000 contracted room nights and over $113 million in estimated visitor 
expenditures, driving demand for hotels, restaurants, retail, and attractions. Signature events like Copper State Beer Fest and ALT Fest further activate downtown, strengthen 
Mesa’s destination brand, and create economic impact across the community.
Master Tech Expo 2026

T H E  LE A K A G E  OP P O R T U N IT Y
Mesa attracts major demand it cannot fully capture — room nights and high-value group business leak to neighboring cities
41.2K
A V G .  L E A K E D  M O N T H L Y  
V I S I T O R S
In Mesa during the day, booking elsewhere
17%
M O N T H L Y  L E A K A G E  R A T E
Overnight visitors lost to other Valley cities
~494K
A N N U A L  L E A K E D  V I S I T O R S
Overnight demand not captured at Mesa hotels
69.2%
M E S A  C A P T U R E  R A T E
Overnight Stays held in Mesa
•
Mesa hosted MLS Next Fest but, with limited hotel inventory, held only ~18% of the room nights — the remaining 
33,000+ booked in Scottsdale, Tempe, and Phoenix. This does not include the estimated room nights for families and 
guests, which would make the leakage even greater.
LEAKAGE IS A PATTERN, NOT A ONE-OFF
• Requested sports room nights exceeded current contracted capacity 
by more than 75,000 room nights.
• The issue is not lack of demand. The issue is in-market capacity and 
capture.
• This supports a broader economic-development case around 
lodging product, event-support infrastructure, and visitor-serving 
growth.
LOST GROUP BUSINESS:  limited hotel inventory and insufficient 
meeting, ballroom, and exhibit space cost Mesa convertible business 
from Nestlé Health Sciences, Blank Rome, and Madrigal 
Pharmaceuticals, among others.
The demand is already here — Mesa needs the product to capture it.
Sources: Visit Mesa CRM & Destinations International Event Impact Calculator 
EVENT 
TOTAL EVENT RN
MESA RN
GAP
MLS Next
39,000+
<6,000
33,000+
SC Del Sol
3,500+
877
2,600+
Triple Crown Spring Showcase
21,000+
~5,000
16,000+
SPORTS ROOM-NIGHT LEAKAGE EXAMPLES
Placer.ai Leakage Report, Last 12 Months
•
Estimated leakage impact: approximately $177.8M in lost hotel revenue, equal to roughly $12.4M in 
combined TLT/TPT,based on a 3-night average stay and $120 ADR.

M A R K E T IN G &  D E M A N D  G E N E R A TI O N  — F Y TD  T h r u  M a y  
Paid media, search, and social channels driving measurable room nights and outperforming targets
25.9M
P A I D  M E D I A  I M P R E S S I O N S
+70.4% YoY FYTD
892K+
W E B S I T E  S E S S I O N S
+12.3% FYTD
43:1
A V E R A G E  R O A S
Peaked at 62.6:1 in February
+12.8%
W E B  E N G A G E M E N T  R A T E  Y O Y
Engaged site users from Paid Traffic
86.7K
S O CI AL  F O L LO W ER S
+19.5% vs. prior FY (72.5K)
28K+
AT T RI BUT E D RO O M  N IG H TS
93% of annual goal
8.8%
V IS IT  RAT E
Foot traffic driven by website visits (attribution 
per Tourism Economics)
5.9 Days
L EN G TH  O F  ST AY
+26% YoY (Adara)
Marketing is pacing to deliver est. 30K attributed and OTA room nights this fiscal year — up from 
20.6K in the prior full fiscal year, a projected 36% year-over-year gain. 
Year-over-year comparisons reference the last complete fiscal year (FY24-25). Current-year figures are FYTD and pacing to meet or exceed prior-year totals.
Source: Visit Mesa Marketing Dashboard, Google Analytics, Adara attribution, FYTD May2026. Prior-year figures reflect the full FY24-25. ROAS = revenue-attributed room-night value divided by paid media investment.

Marketing Creative Examples
M A R K E T IN G C R E A T IV E  E X A M P L E S
These campaigns helped drive 28,000+ attributed room nights.

A I  &  S E A R C H  LE A D E R S H IP
AI is changing how destinations compete, operate, and connect with visitors. Visit Mesa is applying it strategically, using practical tools with 
clear purpose and human oversight. AI tools help Visit Mesa extend marketing reach and improve productivity without proportional increases in 
staffing costs.
W HAT  W E' RE D O I N G
AI Optimization Strategic Plan
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to surface Mesa in AI answers, not just search results.
Scrunch AI brand monitoring
Real-time tracking of how and when Mesa is cited across AI platforms.
Custom GPTs + org-wide adoption
Internal AI tools across marketing, communications, and destination experience (Partnership sales).
AI webinar series
Open to all Mesa businesses, sharing practical AI insights from Visit Mesa’s roadmap to support 
innovation across our community.
W H Y  T H I S  M A T T E R S
Search is being rebuilt around AI Across travel, organic clicks are down 20–30% 
YoY as AI answers replace blue links.
Mesa is bucking the trend: Search site impressions are up 38% YoY because we 
optimize to be the source  that AI engines cite.
We are leading this shift, not reacting to it — protecting Mesa's visibility as 
visitor behavior changes.
Sources: Visit Mesa CEO Annual Performance Report FY25-26; Visit Mesa / Madden Media SEO performance review. Organic-decline figure reflects observed industry-wide travel search trend.
AI Roadmap Implementation
First DMO in the nation to implement a formal procedural roadmap which includes both execution 
by individual staffer and department lead, while adhering to organization-wide usage policies.

P . R .  &  E A R N E D  M E D IA  — F Y TD  ( T h r u  M a y )
National media exposure strengthens Mesa's reputation among visitors, event planners, investors, and future residents.
248
M E D I A  M E N T I O N S
198% of annual goal
$5.1M
P U B L I C I T Y  V A L U E
Earned media equivalent
335M+
A U D I E N C E  R E A C H
Estimated impressions
11M
M A Y  A U D I E N C E
Single-month peak
W HAT  TH E N A T I O N A L P R ESS  I S SAYI NG  ABO UT M E SA
AC CE SS IB IL I TY  L E ADE RS HI P
Mesa is consistently profiled as a national leader in 
accessible and inclusive tourism — covered by national 
outlets following the Dani Bowman / Love on the 
Spectrum FAM tour.
AR TS  & CUL T URE  W EE K
Mesa Arts & Culture Week earned significant earned-
media coverage in regional and national lifestyle 
publications, helping establish Mesa as a creative 
destination beyond Spring Training. This partner 
collaboration has earned recognition by the 2026 AZ 
Travel Awards as the Destination Marketing Campaign of 
the Year.
CI T Y L IM I TL E SS ® PO D CAS T
Our podcast expanded Mesa's storytelling reach through 
compelling conversations with influential guests, 
introducing new audiences to the destination and 
elevating brand awareness. These efforts earned a Telly 
Award and contributed to the podcast's recognition by 
the 2026 AZ Travel Awards as Destination Social Media 
Account of the Year.
Source: Visit Mesa Communications, Critical Mention, FYTD May 2026.

E A R N E D  M E D I A

S T R A T E G IC  P L A N  E X E C U T IO N  ( C Y  2 0 2 4  – 20 26)
A calendar-year view of Visit Mesa’s strategic priorities, showing progress from planning to measurable execution.
89
T O T A L  T A S K S
Strategic priorities
77
C O M P L E T E D
As of April 2026
12
I N  P R O G R E S S
Active workstreams
87%
O V E R A L L  C O M P L E T I O N
8+ months remaining
C O M P LE TED  TH I S YE A R
✓
AI Roadmap, GuideGeek, & operational AI integration
✓
New VisitMesa.com website launch
✓
Adventure Guide & Brand Book refresh
✓✓
Campaign attribution via Adara pixel
✓
Accessible tourism resources & adaptive sports development
✓
Partnership automation & CRM
✓
Event Investment & Marketing Framework
C O MM U N I T Y  I M P A C T I N I T I AT I V ES
M E S A  A R T S  &  C U L T U R E  W E E K
Established as a destination-defining signature initiative — drove measurable visitation and earned media.
S P R I N G  T R A I N I N G  G U I D E
Premium destination content paired with sports tourism — drives early-year overnight visitation.
A L L E G I A N T  A I R  C O - O P
Expanded reach in direct-flight markets through influencer marketing and strategic air service alignment.
E V E N T  D E V E L O P M E N T  &  S I G N A T U R E  E V E N T  S T R A T E G Y
Advanced signature event alignment while supporting new and emerging events including ALT Fest, Flavors on Main, Dia de los
Muertos, Copper State Beer Festival and Mesa International Film Festival. Aligned event producers, venues and stakeholders 
around opportunities that drive visitation and economic impact.
C I T Y  L I M I T L E S S ®  P O D C A S T  &  C O N T E N T
Award-winning storytelling platform extending Mesa's brand reach across audiences.
Source: Visit Mesa Strategic Plan Tracker as of April 2026. The strategic plan is developed and measured on a calendar-year cycle; 87% complete with 8+ months remaining.
✓
Hotel development business case & universal design addendum
✓

A W A R D S  &  R E C O G N I TI O N  — F Y 2 5 - 2 6
W I N S  B Y C A TE G O R Y
AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS
"AI Can't" Campaign
Gold ADDY
DESTINATION SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
City Limitless® Podcast
AZ Travel Award
DESTINATION MARKETING  CAMPAIGN
Mesa Arts & Culture Week
AZ Travel Award
EVENT MARKETING
ALT Fest
AZ Travel Award
PARTNERSHIP MARKETI NG
Las Sendas
AZ Travel Award
OUTDOOR / RECREATION
Hawes Trail System
AZ Travel Award
ATTRACTION MARKETING
Arizona Baseball Museum
AZ Travel Award
TELLY AWARD (BRANDED CONTENT)
Jesse Cole / Savannah Bananas Episode
City Limitless® Podcast
Source: American Advertising Awards (ADDY) 2026; Arizona Office of Tourism — AZ Travel Awards 2026; Telly Awards 2026.

L OO K I N G  FO R W A R D  — Q 4 FY 2 5 - 26  A N D  B E Y O N D
Priorities, pipeline, and momentum carrying Mesa into FY26-27
N E A R - T E R M
Q4 FY25-26 PRIORITIES
• Spring/summer sports actualization 
(NAIA, WAC/MWC conference 
championships)
• IPW international buyer marketplace
• Summer Adventure campaign launch
• Year-end KPI reporting
P I P E L I N E
HOTEL DEVELOPMENT 
PIPELINE
21 properties / 3,146 rooms tracked:
• 943 rooms under construction (2026–27)
• 2,203 in planning/proposed 
(incl. AC Marriott Hotel, Residence Inn, 
two stadium hotels, 600-room Legacy Park, 
Longbow select service)
S T R A T E G I C
TIA — TOURISM 
IMPROVEMENT AREA
Continued advocacy for a TIA 
mechanism to provide stable, 
sustainable funding for destination 
marketing — a tool used successfully by 
25 states and, as of now, 215+ U.S. 
cities.
N E W  F Y
FY26-27 PLANNING
2027–2029 strategic plan session, AOT 
Prop 302 execution, and a brand 
campaign with MOED connecting 
destination awareness to resident and 
business attraction.
O P P O R T U N I T I E S  T O  A L I G N
Continued collaboration on visitor economy infrastructure, full-service hotel and event space development, and sustainable destination funding tools such as 
TIA/TID exploration.
Sources: CoStar Mesa Hospitality pipeline (Apr 2026); Visit Mesa Strategic Plan & FY26-27 Planning. TIA = Tourism Improvement Area; TID = Tourism Improvement District.