Experience Columbus

What Experience Columbus does

Experience Columbus (legal name: Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau) is a private non-profit destination marketing organization founded in 1941 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The organization serves as the official DMO for Greater Columbus, operating with 101-250 employees to promote the region to leisure travelers, meeting planners, tour operators, and travel agents. Its core offerings include the CBUS Rewards mobile app for visitor engagement, a marketplace of digital experiential trails (Coffee, Buckeye Treat, Pizza, and Distillery Trails) that gamify exploration of partner businesses, the 1-Day Columbus Attractions Pass bundling admissions to top attractions, and a recently opened Columbus Welcome Center in the Short North Arts District.

The organization's technology stack centers on the Agentic City AI Platform, developed in partnership with Satisfi Labs and launched in March 2026. This platform deploys AI agents across city attractions, venues, and local businesses, connecting them through chat interfaces, connected screens, and a mobile app to deliver real-time visitor information while enabling first-party data sharing across the DMO member network. Experience Columbus distributes through its experiencecolumbus.com website, the CBUS Rewards app, the physical Welcome Center, social media channels (X, TikTok, Threads), and a network of DMO member partners including Easton Town Center, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Museum of Art, and National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

The revenue model is primarily based on hotel/motel tax allocations from the City of Columbus (currently 43% of the city's hotel/motel tax, with FRAC recommending an increase to 72%) supplemented by recurring membership fees from attractions, venues, hotels, and local businesses. The organization does not have disclosed external private equity or venture capital ownership and is governed as a non-profit accountable to the city. Sarah Townes serves as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, leading marketing and technology initiatives including the Agentic City platform rollout.

Name

Experience Columbus

Legal name

Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://experiencecolumbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Experience Columbus is the official non-profit destination marketing organization for Greater Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1941. It promotes the region to leisure travelers, meeting planners, and tour operators through the CBUS Rewards app, digital experiential trails, attraction passes, and the newly launched Agentic City AI platform connecting city attractions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Convention Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Convention visitors bureau
• Tourism marketing organization
• Visitor information services
• Meeting convention planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hotel/Motel Tax Revenue: Experience Columbus receives a significant portion of Columbus's hotel/motel tax revenue as the city's convention and visitors bureau. The organization has sought increased funding, with the Funding Review Advisory Committee recommending increasing Experience Columbus's share from 43% to 72%.
2. DMO Membership Fees: Experience Columbus operates as a membership-based organization with DMO members including attractions, venues, hotels, and local businesses that pay membership fees for promotional services and first-party data sharing capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Experience Columbus is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Greater Columbus, Ohio, promoting the region to leisure travelers, meeting planners, and tour operators. It sells bundled attraction passes (e.g., the 1-Day Columbus Attractions Pass), operates free gamified experiential trails (Coffee, Buckeye Treat, Pizza, and Distillery Trails), runs the CBUS Rewards mobile loyalty app, and has launched an Agentic City AI platform connecting attractions and venues. The organization also serves business clients through dedicated meeting and convention planning services and operates the physical Columbus Welcome Center.

Product overview

Experience Columbus operates a destination marketing platform that combines digital products with physical visitor experiences. The core digital offerings include the CBUS Rewards mobile app and a marketplace of experiential trails (Columbus Coffee Trail, Buckeye Treat Trail, Pizza Trail, Distillery Trail) that gamify exploration of local businesses. The company also provides attraction passes and recently launched the Agentic City AI platform in partnership with Satisfi Labs to connect attractions digitally. Physical presence includes the Columbus Welcome Center in Short North. The portfolio is designed to serve visitors, meeting planners, and tourism partners across the Columbus region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CBUS Rewards: Mobile rewards app allowing visitors to earn rewards for exploring Columbus attractions, events, and local businesses
• Columbus Welcome Center
• yes, Columbus
• Experience Columbus Foundation

Products and services

• CBUS Rewards Mobile App Mobile loyalty application for visitors to discover Columbus events, attractions, restaurants, and earn rewards like merchandise and gift cards for exploring the city. Available on iOS and Android.
• 1-Day Columbus Attractions Pass Bundled ticketing pass offering savings of more than 20% on combined admission to multiple Columbus attractions including Columbus Zoo, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Museum of Art, and National Veterans Memorial and Museum. Pass holders have 24 hours to explore included stops.
• Columbus Coffee Trail Free digital gamified trail that guides visitors through local Columbus coffee shops. Users earn points for purchases and check-ins at participating locations, redeemable for prizes such as t-shirts and insulated tumblers.
• Columbus Buckeye Treat Trail Culinary trail featuring chocolate and peanut butter buckeye treats inspired by Ohio's state tree. Users check in at participating locations to earn prizes including t-shirts and custom candles.
• Columbus-Style Pizza Trail Culinary trail celebrating Columbus's signature square-cut, thin-crust, edge-to-edge topping pizza style. Users check in at participating stops to earn points for prizes including t-shirts and pizza peels.
• Columbus Distillery Trail Free digital trail showcasing seven local Columbus craft distilleries. Visitors explore distilleries, learn about proprietary recipes and processes, and earn prizes including vouchers and t-shirts.
• Agentic City AI Platform AI-powered destination platform developed with Satisfi Labs that connects attractions, venues, and local businesses through a shared system. Enables first-party data sharing among DMO members and provides visitors real-time, location-specific information through chat interfaces, connected screens, and a mobile app.
• Columbus Welcome Center Visitor information center in the Short North Arts District serving as a community gathering space, retail location featuring local art, and podcast studio. Operated by Experience Columbus as a physical visitor hub.
• CBUS Soul Sculpture Trail Public art trail showcasing sculptures across Columbus, registered as a branded visitor experience under the CBUS Soul mark.
• Meeting and Convention Planning Services Dedicated B2B service line for meeting planners, convention organizers, and tour/reunion planners sourcing Columbus as a destination, providing venue sourcing, hotel room block negotiation, teambuilding activity curation, and destination marketing support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53M+ annual trips to Greater Columbus supporting 82,500+ jobs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Satisfi LabscoreTechnology or Integration · 27 March 2026Satisfi Labs partnered with Experience Columbus to launch the 'Agentic City' AI platform, deploying AI agents across city attractions and venues to enhance visitor experiences. The program connects attractions, venues, and local businesses through a shared system enabling first-party data sharing among DMO members.
• DMO MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Network of DMO member attractions, venues, hotels, and local businesses participating in the Agentic City AI platform with first-party data sharing capabilities. Initial rollout includes select DMO members with plans to expand.
• The Pizzuti CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026The Pizzuti Companies partnered with Experience Columbus to develop the new Columbus Welcome Center in the Short North Arts District, serving as a community gathering space, visitor information hub, and retail location.
• ZenGeniusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026ZenGenius designed the Columbus Welcome Center, a community gathering space and visitor information hub in the Short North Arts District.
• Delta Air LinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDelta SkyMiles partnership offering miles for travel, upgrades, and other benefits for visitors booking travel to Columbus.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Indianapolis: Mid-major Midwest convention & visitors bureau promoting Indianapolis as a leisure, meetings, and conventions destination — directly comparable DMO model, scale, and funding structure to Experience Columbus.
• Visit Denver: Mountain West mid-major DMO with outdoor, culinary, and meetings positioning; comparable in scale, awards profile, and reliance on experiential trail/pass-style programs.
• Discover Atlanta: Larger Southeast DMO combining leisure tourism, conventions, and event-driven GTM — relevant peer for benchmarking scale-up pathways and major-event hosting capability.
• Choose Chicago: Larger Midwest CVB with similar award-winning positioning, convention focus, and multicultural destination marketing — relevant for understanding how a scaled Midwest DMO operates.
• Visit Pittsburgh: Mid-major Rust Belt CVB operating with a similar tax-funded DMO model, balanced leisure/convention focus, and comparable event-driven GTM — making it a strong peer for benchmarking.
• Visit Phoenix: Sun Belt mid-major DMO with comparable leisure/convention mix and multi-channel marketing operations — relevant for seasonal visitation and sports/event tourism benchmarks.
• Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau: Ohio-adjacent DMO at similar mid-major scale, focused on regional tourism, culinary positioning, and meetings — directly comparable in market size and stakeholder mix.
• Discover Cleveland: Ohio's neighboring DMO for Greater Cleveland, comparable in mid-major market size, lodging-tax funding model, and mix of leisure and convention marketing.
• Visit Philadelphia: Mid-Atlantic DMO of comparable size, emphasizing historical/cultural tourism and meetings — directly comparable in CVB function and partner-network model.

Broad incumbents

• Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA): Much larger DMO operating as a destination authority with broad convention, event, and leisure scope; useful as a scaled-up incumbent reference for the same destination-marketing model Experience Columbus operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/expcols
• Instagraminstagram.com/experiencecolumbus
• TikToktiktok.com/@experiencecolumbus
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExperienceColumbus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Experience Columbus