RECAP: Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), June 20, 2024
High Desert Jazz and Palm Springs Life reps give presentations and STR income surpasses hotels
In an information-dense 90-minute meeting on Thursday, June 20, the Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) entertained presentations on a potential jazz festival and on advertising opportunities. With Board member Heidi Grunt absent and new appointee Ben Uyeda not yet approved, TBID conducted business with the quorum minimum of three members: Chair Rakesh Mehta and Board members Ashton Ramsey and Maria Madrid. We will dive into meeting highlights — the full agenda with attachments can be reviewed here.
High Desert Jazz Festival
Event producers Gopi Sangha, president of events company Cusp, and Jon Bizarra, creative director of OOO Studios1, pitched the concept of a High Desert Jazz Festival. Details will be announced in January 2025, with the festival taking place in October 2025. Per Sangha, the idea was developed after he and Bizarra were approached by Chair Mehta and TBID Marketing Director Brianne Dusastre to conceptualize an event.
We wanted to explore how jazz influences things like hip hop, house music, electronic music, R&B—the whole spectrum—and create unique, intimate experiences, which take advantage of the beautiful landscapes that this community has to offer. Our idea here is to incorporate local venues, spaces, businesses, in almost a decentralized festival fashion, all events to be ticketed limited capacity to make sure that we can accommodate all the guests that we were planning to have. But the idea is to create an exploratory space not just in music, but in the community as people venture through the weekend of event programming.
Sangha described his prior festival experience as “Business Development Director and Director of Digital for Coachella and Stagecoach.” This would have been while he was employed at Goldenvoice, which produces both festivals, as well as Splash House in Palm Springs. Bizarra discussed most recently being interested in the intersection of fashion and food. The development team for the High Desert Jazz Festival is drawn from both of their agencies.
Festival details were primarily theoretical as it appeared that potential community partners were just beginning to be approached. Among the ideas presented were hotel packages similar to what’s offered for Splash House, using Freedom Plaza as “a free and open hub and marketplace,” after parties at local bars, and a desire for “amazing” outdoor venues. Sangha’s intent is to keep audiences to 250 people per event, and for artists to play multiple times over the weekend. Indeed, with the mentioned projected draw of 3,000 people, there would be at least 12 performances over the weekend if the per concert cap is 250.
Although budget wasn’t mentioned during the presentation, Desert Trumpet asked Sangha and Bizarra about a figure at the end of the meeting: $300,000 to $500,000, is what they are projecting as cost to be underwritten in part through ticket sales.
Because the festival was not presented under Discussion and Action Items, no vote on TBID support or sponsorship was taken. However, Board members Ramsey and Mehta expressed their enthusiasm for the proposal with Mehta promising TBID support:
I'm really glad that you guys can see the vision that the Twentynine Palms destination has to offer. And with the pure talent and your credibility and your experience, I think this could be a great partnership and as TBID I can assure you that we will cooperate in this effort.
Visit 29 Palms Marketing Update
Marketing Director Dusastre reported that revenue from Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) from short-term rental (STR) outpaced hotels in the opening quarter of 2024, a first. TBID collected 1.5% of revenues, resulting in $61,483 from STRs versus $57,252 for hotels and RVs. However, the 7% drop in overall revenue represented the first decline in growth in more than three years per her report. Year-to-date collections for TBID’s share of TOT for October 2023 through March 2024 between the two revenue sources were $105,335 for STRs and $105,682 for hotels / RVs, a virtual tie.
Dusastre also reported a 13% drop in STR inventory, which currently stands at 417 permits. Anecdotal feedback indicates owners moving to long-term rentals, moving into the homes themselves, or putting the former STRs on the housing market.
Other details included tourism forecasts provided via the state’s contract with Tourism Economics, contacts made at industry events, promotional placements in print media and upcoming events sponsored by TBID grants. The full slide deck with details can be viewed here.

Public Comment
Aubrey Hodge spoke about Freedom Daze 29, taking place July 4-6 at Freedom Plaza, and organized by JT City Limits, promoters who’ve organized music events throughout the Basin, most notably the Morongo Valley Music Festival and Morongo Daze. Terence Latimer also spoke to an upcoming event, the 29 Food Festival and Restaurant Week, currently scheduled for September 22-29. That event recently received increased funding from City Council.

Palm Springs Life Advertising Proposal
Liz Utley of Palm Springs Life magazine conducted a highly detailed 20-minute pitch for advertising placement in the new “High Desert” section of their Annual Desert Living Guide. The ask was taking place somewhat last minute as the publication is released in September 2024 with production in mid-July and finalized in mid-August.
After the meeting, Desert Trumpet inquired as to who the other participants in the new section would be, and Utley responded that the TBID was her first presentation. The proposal was for a two page “advertorial” in a soft-bound annual with a one-year shelf life and a print run of 105,000 copies. A digital version will be available online linking back to the visit29.org website.
During Board discussion City Manager Stone James pointed out that the comparable Cathedral City advertorial spread was more than two pages and praised the effectiveness and creativity of the larger spread. Utley clarified that cities in the Coachella Valley are offered a different “schematic” not available to cities elsewhere.
Board member Ramsey requested that should editorial visit Twentynine Palms, he’d appreciate the opportunity to show them around and mentioned a 2022 story with photos by Nate Abbott. Oddly, unmentioned by Utley or the Board, was an April 2024 Palm Springs Life feature on local musician and designer Rich Good, who runs the Corner 62 store Very Very with his partner Dana Longuevan.
After deciding to cover costs by moving funds from the Special Projects budget, the three TBID Board Members approved the purchase of a two-page advertorial with a cost of $11,940. Public comment was not solicited on this item.

TBID Reauthorization Timeline
As reported in our City Council agenda preview, the TBID released its reauthorization schedule at this meeting, appointing Ramsey and Chair Mehta to the reauthorization subcommittee. The schedule is as follows:
• August 1: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget and Plan presented at TBID meeting
• August 13: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget and Plan presented at City Council
• September, date to be determined: Public Hearing on reauthorization at City Council
The TBID experienced a rocky road to reauthorization in 2023, with many long-time City leaders calling for reorganization at the time. Yet to date, that reorganization has not materialized. While the TBID successfully implemented a professional process to grant the $200,000 mandated by Council last year, they remain the only City body without terms of office or rotation of officers. For instance, the current Chair has been has been serving in that position since the TBID was formed in 2017.
Will recent improvements in Board and meeting processes, the appointment of new members, and the success of funded events be sufficient to ensure a smooth road to reauthorization in 2024? Stay tuned!
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Editor’s note: The emailed version of this article repeated one of the presentation slides for the High Desert Jazz Festival. It was fixed for the online version.
The Desert Trumpet has been unable to independently verify the information presented by Mr. Bizarra in the biography included in the slide presentation.