Tourism Committee
Regular MeetingPekin, IL · July 7, 2025
Minutes
City of Pekin
PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE TOURISM COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF PEKIN, ILLINOIS,
HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF CITY HALL
111 S. CAPITOL ST
ON MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025 AT 5:00 PM
Call to Order
Chairperson, Mel Matthews called the Tourism Committee Meeting to order at 5:02PM
in the Pekin City Hall Council Chambers. A quorum was established.
Members present: Chris Dunn, Mel Matthews, Amy McCoy, Cindy Galyean, Emily
Lambe and Shawn Powers.
Approve Agenda
Shawn Powers moved to approve the agenda as presented. It was seconded by Emily
Lambe. Motion approved by voice vote.
Approval of Minutes
3.1. Minutes from the Regular Tourism Committee Meeting on May 5, 2025
Cindy Galyean moved to approve the minutes from the Tourism Committee
Meetings on Monday May 5, 2025 as presented, seconded by Shawn
Powers. Motion approved by voice vote.
*Note: There were no minutes from the June 2, 2025, meeting because a
quorum was not established.
Public Input
None
Reports
5.1. Dragon's Fire Balloon Fest Event Report
The Committee felt it was a success and agreed that it would be scheduled
again for the last weekend in June in 2026. There was discussion on how to
possibly create ways to generate more revenue and to look into the possibility
of offering balloon rides, as many attendees requested.
5.2. FY25 End of Year Tourism Fund Report
The Committee viewed FY25 Year End Report and held a discussion about
the FY26 Budget.
5.3. Discover Pekin Marketing Report
The Committee reviewed data gathered for the report by McDaniel’s
Marketing.
New Business
6.1. Tourism Grant Request from Asher's Bar & Grill for St. Jude’s Summer
Rides Event
Shawn Powers presented the request from Asher’s Bar for funds to pay for
the St. Jude’s Summer Rides Event that has already taken place. Seconded
by Cindy Galyean.
Mr. Wray noted that, according to the application, the only expenses to be
reimbursed were police protection and application fees, which do not need to
go through the grant program since separate funding for those City expenses
is included in the Tourism Fund budget. Therefore, Mr. Wray recommended
formally denying the application, and staff will work with Asher's to ensure
those expenses are covered by the City.
Motion failed by voice vote.
6.2. Tourism Grant Request from Roger Brotherton for Car Club Event on
Front Street
Roger Brotheron attended the meeting to present a new car club event. A
motion was presented by Shawn Powers for a Tourism Grant, not to exceed
$1,500, for a car club event on Front St on August 9, 2025, seconded by Amy
McCoy. Motion passes by voice vote.
6.3. Request for Funding: Hampton Inn Road Improvements
After discussion, the vote was postponed, requesting more information and
clarification to be brought before the Committee. Amy McCoy moved to table
the item until the next Tourism Committee meeting, seconded by Emily
Lambe. Motion passed by voice vote.
Any Other Business to Come Before the Committee
None
Adjourn
Cindy Galyean moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:05pm, seconded by Amy McCoy.
Motion approved by voice vote.
Agenda
City of Pekin
REGULAR TOURISM COMMITTEE MEETING
MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025
5:00 PM
1. Call to Order
2. Approve Agenda
3. Approval of Minutes
3.1. Minutes from the Regular Tourism Committee Meeting on May 5, 2025
4. Public Input
5. Reports
5.1. Dragon's Fire Balloon Fest Event Report
5.2. FY25 End of Year Tourism Fund Report
5.3. Discover Pekin Marketing Report
6. New Business
6.1. Tourism Grant Request from Asher's Bar & Grill for St. Jude’s Summer Rides
Event
6.2. Tourism Grant Request from Roger Brotherton for Car Club Event on Front Street
6.3. Request for Funding: Hampton Inn Road Improvements
7. Any Other Business to Come Before the Committee
8. Adjourn
Packet
City of Pekin
REGULAR TOURISM COMMITTEE MEETING
MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025
5:00 PM
1. Call to Order
2. Approve Agenda
3. Approval of Minutes
3.1. Minutes from the Regular Tourism Committee Meeting on May 5, 2025
4. Public Input
5. Reports
5.1. Dragon's Fire Balloon Fest Event Report
5.2. FY25 End of Year Tourism Fund Report
5.3. Discover Pekin Marketing Report
6. New Business
6.1. Tourism Grant Request from Asher's Bar & Grill for St. Jude’s Summer Rides
Event
6.2. Tourism Grant Request from Roger Brotherton for Car Club Event on Front Street
6.3. Request for Funding: Hampton Inn Road Improvements
7. Any Other Business to Come Before the Committee
8. Adjourn
Page 1 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Page 3 of 20
REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
Agenda Date: July 7, 2025
To: Members of the Tourism Committee
From: Joshua Wray, Economic Development Director
AGENDA ITEM: FY25 End of Year Tourism Fund Report
DESCRIPTION:
FY25 FY25 FY26 Budget
Budget Actual
Beginning 710,262
Fund 585,669 585,669
Balance
Total 300,000
Revenues 375,000 356,408
Total 526,870
Expenses 299,042 231,815
Net Profit (226,870)
(Loss) 75,958 124,593
Ending 483,392
Fund 661,627 710,262
Balance
Page 4 of 20
General Ledger
Summary Trial Balance
User: jlwray@ci.pekin.il.us
Printed: 07/02/2025 - 8:30AM
Period: 01 to 12, 2025
Include: Revenue and Expense
Account From: 208
Account To: 208
Include Uncommited JE's: True
Account Number Description Budget Amount Beginning Balance Debit This Period Credit This Period Ending Balance
Fund 208
REVENUE
Department 208
208-208-411005 Home Rule Motel Tax 375,000.00 0.00 3,085.82 317,127.78 -314,041.96
208-208-442500 Federal Grants 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-442600 State Grants 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-463500 Late Payment Penalty 500.00 0.00 0.00 412.42 -412.42
208-208-463600 Interest Charges 250.00 0.00 0.00 82.48 -82.48
208-208-490100 Interest Earnings 350.00 0.00 62.00 23,479.72 -23,417.72
208-208-492100 Loan Proceeds 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-493600 Training Reimbursements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-498700 Farmer's Market Revenue 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-499201 Tourism Contributions 2,500.00 0.00 0.00 1,500.00 -1,500.00
208-208-499800 Miscellaneous Receipts 0.00 0.00 0.00 16,953.44 -16,953.44
208-208 REVENUE Totals: 378,600.00 0.00 3,147.82 359,555.84 -356,408.02
REVENUE Totals: 378,600.00 0.00 3,147.82 359,555.84 -356,408.02
EXPENSE
Department 208
208-208-511600 Salary: All Personnel 15,126.86 0.00 2,150.59 1,100.00 1,050.59
208-208-511601 Admin Cost Allocation 0.00 0.00 14,221.64 0.00 14,221.64
208-208-515000 Overtime 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-515500 Vacation Pay 990.84 0.00 803.20 0.00 803.20
208-208-515501 Vacation Payout 0.00 0.00 80.31 0.00 80.31
208-208-515600 Holiday Pay 660.56 0.00 643.90 0.00 643.90
208-208-515800 Sick Pay 396.34 0.00 327.22 0.00 327.22
GL-Summary Trial Balance (7/2/2025 - 8:30 AM) Page 1
Page 5 of 20
Account Number Description Budget Amount Beginning Balance Debit This Period Credit This Period Ending Balance
208-208-515801 Sick Payout 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-516700 Wellness Program 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-517000 Oasdi/city Share 6.2% 1,064.82 0.00 1,024.68 0.00 1,024.68
208-208-517001 Medicare/city Share 1.45% 249.03 0.00 240.29 0.00 240.29
208-208-517401 IMRF 1,119.78 0.00 1,143.63 0.00 1,143.63
208-208-518000 Group Insurance 2,184.16 0.00 4,188.55 0.00 4,188.55
208-208-518300 Workers Comp Insurance 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-518700 Mileage 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-519000 Training And Education 0.00 0.00 331.35 0.00 331.35
208-208-520200 Office Supplies 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-520277 Transfer to BDD 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-520400 Postage 0.00 0.00 20.50 0.00 20.50
208-208-538000 Maintenance Agreements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-550300 Telephone 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-551000 Printing And Publications 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-551600 Dues And Subscriptions 32,500.00 0.00 32,500.00 0.00 32,500.00
208-208-554200 Meals Lodging 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-559900 Receivable Charge Off 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-560500 Consulting Services 30,000.00 0.00 19,766.98 1,310.00 18,456.98
208-208-560600 Corporate Counsel Fees 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-561200 Engineering Fees 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-569000 Other Contractual Service 0.00 0.00 2,169.10 0.00 2,169.10
208-208-573100 Grants 25,000.00 0.00 3,089.61 0.00 3,089.61
208-208-580201 Land Improvements 30,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-583000 Loan Agreements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-590400 Interest Paid 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-590600 Bank fees 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-591200 Developer Agreement Payments 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-591400 Loan Payments 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-597700 Sponsorships 63,750.00 0.00 65,149.00 37.00 65,112.00
208-208-598100 Public Relations 30,000.00 0.00 44,315.41 0.00 44,315.41
208-208-598500 Farmer's Market Expense 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208-598505 Special Events 66,000.00 0.00 42,870.42 774.50 42,095.92
208-208-599000 Miscellaneous 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
208-208 EXPENSE Totals: 299,042.39 0.00 235,036.38 3,221.50 231,814.88
GL-Summary Trial Balance (7/2/2025 - 8:30 AM) Page 2
Page 6 of 20
Account Number Description Budget Amount Beginning Balance Debit This Period Credit This Period Ending Balance
EXPENSE Totals: 299,042.39 0.00 235,036.38 3,221.50 231,814.88
Fund 208 Totals: 79,557.61 0.00 238,184.20 362,777.34 -124,593.14
Report Totals: 79,557.61 0.00 238,184.20 362,777.34 -124,593.14
GL-Summary Trial Balance (7/2/2025 - 8:30 AM) Page 3
Page 7 of 20
Apr 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Traffic Overview
Web Overview Sessions Trending
Organic Traffic Sessions Sessions (previous year)
1K
Active users New users
4,183 4,085 750
2.1% 1.1%
500
250
Total Traffic
0
Apr 1 Apr 8 Apr 15 Apr 22 Apr 29 May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 Jun 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24
Active users New users
23,039 22,920
162.6% 164.3% Top Landing Pages
Page path Views ▼
%Δ Active users %Δ
/events/dragons-fire-balloon-fest/ 2,943 - 1,700 -
Engaged sessions Engagement rate /things-to-do/ 567 9.0% 446 9.9%
12,154 43.04%
119.2% -18.1% / 408 -5.3% 206 17.7%
/downtown-concert-series/ 407 97.6% 276 80.4%
/events/ 399 -17.7% 289 -9.1%
Sessions Sessions per user
/things-to-do/family-fun/ 193 -28.5% 162 -28.6%
28,240 1.23
167.5% 1.9% /food-drink/ 154 63.8% 126 63.6%
/event/spring-carnival-2/ 129 - 92 -
1 - 100 / 365 < >
Page 8 of 20
Apr 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Organic Traffic Audience Detail
Visitor Locations What device are people using? Popular Days
City Region New users ▼
6K
14.6%
1. Chicago Illinois 1,675
2. Pekin Illinois 760
4K
3. East Peoria Illinois 571
82.9%
4. Peoria Illinois 246
2K
5. Bloomington Illinois 167
mob… des…
6. (not set) Illinois 137
Device categ… Active us… ▼
Views
7. (not set) Iowa 94 0
y y y y y y y
1. mobile 19,909 30,302
t u rda unda Frida onda esda esda rsda
< > S dn Tu u
Sa M Th
1 - 100 / 887
2. desktop 2,585 5,159 We
3. tablet 599 935
New vs Returning Visitors 1-4/4 < > Source Medium
Sessions How people found your site:
New Visitor 10,376
m.facebook.com
Organic Social
1,688
Organic
3,719 Search fb
Returning Direct
2,408
Visitor 1,713 Paid Social
Paid Other
Others
0 2K 4K 6K 8K 10K 12K
2,265
(direct) google
Page 9 of 20
Apr 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Organic Keywords
5,064 Organic Keywords Trend
-30.7%
Site CTR Impressions
1.1% 412.2K
-11.4% 11.2%
Average Position Clicks
12.2 4.5K
2.8% -1.5%
AIO Trend
Keyword Intent
Keyword intent is the reason behind why
someone types a specific phrase into a search
engine. By creating content with that intent, it
increases the chance of showing up in search
results.
Page 10 of 20
Apr 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Top Performing Keywords
Query Clicks ▼
Impressions Site CTR Average Positi…
1. pekin balloon festival 204 294 69.39% 1
2. pekin hot air balloon festival 194 274 70.8% 1.07
3. dragons fire balloon fest 105 181 58.01% 1.27
4. things to do in pekin il 81 557 14.54% 2.22
5. discover pekin 53 88 60.23% 1
6. balloon festival pekin il 51 78 65.38% 1
7. dragon fire balloon festival 45 74 60.81% 1.16
8. dragon's fire balloon fest 36 67 53.73% 1.48
9. hot air balloon pekin il 35 42 83.33% 1.02
10. menards pekin il 25 22,575 0.11% 10.17
11. pekin carnival 23 338 6.8% 3.05
12. things to do pekin il 17 162 10.49% 2.79
1 - 20 / 7724 < >
Page 11 of 20
Apr 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Tips & Tricks
Quarter 2 Completions: Changing Report Date Range:
1. Keyword research for new blog ideas An exciting feature we’ve added to your report is the ability to check past analytic data. This can be
2. Uploaded new podcast episodes onto site
accessed by toggling the date range button in the upper right hand corner of each page (see image
3. Added events
4. Optimized title tags below for example):
5. Updated page content
6. Added internal links
7. Adding AIO data
You’ll notice that the report will always pull data from the most recent month, but it can be easily
altered by simply clicking the toggle shown above.
Changing a Page:
To toggle between different pages of the report, simply click the arrows in the top left corner located
under the title of the report
Quarter 3 Objectives:
1. Keyword/ topic research
2. Focus on creating more informative content This is an interactive report, so don’t worry, there’s no way you can break it or mess it up. Feel free to
3. Continue uploading podcast to site
click around and run your mouse over different elements and charts!
4. Make blog suggestions & post
Download Or Print the Report:
*Make sure you are using Google Chrome & logged into a Google account*
To download this report as a PDF click in the top right corner. Then, when prompted, click
Client Goals:
"download".
1. Increase traffic to the website using relevant keywords
2. Decrease the time a new website users spends searching for information To print this report, first download as a PDF (see directions above). Once downloaded as a PDF open
3. Make it easier for possible visitors to find discoverpekin.com the document and click 'file' then 'print'. Note that some operating systems may require you to select
'fit to page' in the printer settings in order to allow the report to print correctly.
Page 12 of 20
June 2025 PPC Report
Page 13 of 20
Facebook/Instagram Ad Creative
Page 14 of 20
Select desired date range using the toggle below.
Jun 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Facebook & Instagram Performance
Click Through Rate & Impressions Cost Per Click Quick Definitions
• Impressions: The number of times your ads were on
by Clicks, CTR, and Impressions by Amount Spent, CPC (All), and CPC (Link) screen.
Link clicks CTR (all) Impressions Amount spent CPC (All) CPM • Clicks (All): The total number of clicks produced by
8,824 4.87% 385,676 $1,224.80 $0.07 $3.18
your ads. This includes all interactions including Link
Clicks, Reactions, Comments, Shares, etc.
-8.8% -16.0% -3.5% 6.3% 31.2% 10.2%
• CTR (All): The percentage of times people saw your
ad and then interacted with it.
Amount spent (USD) CPC (all)
Clicks (all) CTR (all)
100 0.3 • CPC (All): Average cost for each Click (All).
3K 10%
0.2 • Cost: The estimated total amount spent on this ad
2K during the reporting period.
50
5% 0.1
• Page Likes: The number of new Likes of your
1K
Facebook Page attributed to your ads.
0 0
Jun 1 Jun 6 Jun 11 Jun 16 Jun 21 Jun 26
0 0% • Post Reactions: The number of reactions on your
Jun 1 Jun 6 Jun 11 Jun 16 Jun 21 Jun 26 ads. The reactions button on an ad allows people to
share different reactions to its content.
Social Engagement • Post Comments: The number of comments
generated by your ads during the reporting period.
Ad set name Link clicks ▼
Impressions Post reactions Post shares Post comments Amount spent (… • Post Shares: The number of shares of your ads.
People can share your ads (or posts) on their own or
Dragon's Fire Balloon Fest 4,512 101,281 305 202 14 $361.46 friends’ Timelines, in groups and on their own Pages.
This expands the reach of your ad beyond its initial
Website visitors Ad: KNOW… 1,643 39,737 62 14 13 $149.99
targeting.
Website visitors Ad: Watch … 1,101 29,658 86 50 12 $74.9
• Link Clicks: The number of clicks on your ad to
Tee Off in Pekin 2025 795 98,451 33 1 2 $319.99 select destinations on or off Facebook-owned
properties.
Disc Golf in Pekin 2025 773 116,549 52 4 1 $318.46
• CPC (Cost per Link Click): The average cost for each
Link Click
Grand total 8,824 385,676 538 271 42 $1,224.8
Page 15 of 20
Select desired date range using the toggle below.
Jun 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 arrow_drop_down
Facebook & Instagram Demographics
Age Breakdown Gender Breakdown Device Breakdown
by Clicks by Clicks by Clicks
7.4% 6%
30%
15% 65+ 31.7%
55-64
female mobile_app
45-54
male mobile_web
35-44
unknown desktop
25-34
21.3% 18-24 67.6%
25.1%
93.6%
Geographic Breakdown Recommendations/Observations:
by DMA and Clicks
In June, The Spring-Summer and the Balloon Fest campaigns continued.
DMA Clicks (all) ▼
Impressions Overall for the month there was a slight decrease in clicks to 8,824 and
1. Chicago 5,749 145,193 impressions to 385,676.
2. Peoria-Bloomington 2,829 26,070 The CTR is still very strong at 4.87% and the CPC is very low at $0.07! Both
metrics out performing the industry standards!
3. Indianapolis 931 45,659
The Balloon Fest Campaign did extremely well with 4,512 clicks and 101,281
4. St. Louis 893 38,002 impressions. It continued to have a lot of engagement on the posts with 305
Post reactions, 202 shares, and 14 comments.
5. Davenport-R.Island-Moline 549 20,933
For geographical reach, most clicks came from the Chicago area, followed
6. Rockford 524 17,383
by the Peoria-Bloomington region. For Geography reach we are targeting
7. Champaign&Sprngfld-Decatur 404 4,860 day trippers and overnight markets. For the age breakdown 55% of the
audience was over the age of 55.
8. Madison 145 3,251
9. Cedar Rapids-Wtrlo-Iwc&Dub 111 4,783
10. Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk 107 4,972
Page 16 of 20
Industry Benchmarks
Facebook&
Instagram
CTR (All Industries) 0.90%
CTR (Tourism) 0.90%
Avg. CPC (All Industries) $1.72
Avg. CPC (Tourism) $0.63
Page 17 of 20
Tips & Tricks
Changing Report Date Range:
An exciting feature we’ve added to your report is the ability to check past analytic data. This can be accessed by
toggling the date range button in the upper right hand corner of each page (see image below for example):
You’ll notice that the report will always pull data from the most recent month, but it can be easily altered by
simply clicking the toggle shown above.
Changing a Page:
To toggle between different pages of the report, simply click the arrows in the top left corner located under the
title of the report
This is an interactive report, so don’t worry, there’s no way you can break it or mess it up. Feel free to click
around and run your mouse over different elements and charts!
Download Or Print the Report:
*Make sure you are using Google Chrome & logged into a Google account*
To download this report as a PDF click in the top right corner. Then, when prompted, click "download".
To print this report, first download as a PDF (see directions above). Once downloaded as a PDF open the
document and click 'file' then 'print'. Note that some operating systems may require you to select 'fit to page' in
the printer settings in order to allow the report to print correctly.
Page 18 of 20
REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
Agenda Date: July 7, 2025
To: Members of the Tourism Committee
From: Joshua Wray, Economic Development Director
AGENDA ITEM: Request for Funding: Hampton Inn Road Improvements
DESCRIPTION: Hampton Inn has requested the Tourism Committee's consideration of funding the
improvements of the road that leads from Vandever Ave to the hotel. While the road itself is on
private property, it is publicly used to access the hotel and the shopping center with Harbor Freight,
Dunham's, and Aldi. According to the Tazewell County GIS map, approximately 25% of the road is
owned by the hotel owner, and the rest is owned by East Court Village II (Cullinan Properties).
However, the hotel owner is responsible for maintenance of the entire road per agreement with
Cullinan from when the property was purchased. Two quotes for the project have been shared with
staff, and both were approximately $75,000.
Option 1 - Fund with Budget
The Committee could recommend funding this project from the $150,000 budgeted in the Tourism
Fund for capital projects. This would reduce the amount available for other projects, such as City
entrance signs. Approximately $75,000 would still be available for other projects depending on how
much of this road project the Committee wants to fund.
Option 2 - Fund with Fund Balance
The Committee could recommend funding this project from fund balance. This would potentially
reduce the FY26 projected end-of-year fund balance to approximately $405,000 depending on how
much of the project the Committee wants to fund. This option would require a budget amendment
by the City Council, which requires a 2/3 vote of approval (5 affirmative votes).
Option 3 - Do not Fund
The Committee could decide not to fund the project in the current budget year.
Page 19 of 20
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