What Visit Cincy does

Visit Cincy is the official nonprofit destination marketing organization (DMO) and convention and visitors bureau for the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region, founded in 1945 and headquartered at 525 Vine Street, Suite 1200, Cincinnati. The organization promotes the bi-state region to two principal end markets: leisure travelers and tourists (B2C) and professional meeting planners, convention organizers, and sports event coordinators (B2B). Its core product is the VisitCincy.com website, built on Simpleview's DMO technology platform and complemented by the Insider's Guide blog, Cincy Sports (a regional sports commission), printed and digital visitor guides, and a meetings and conventions services line staffed by a dedicated convention center sales team. The organization employs a dual go-to-market motion: a direct field sales force targeting convention and meeting planners to drive group bookings, paired with content marketing, social campaigns (#VISITCINCY, #SureThingCincy), PR, and regional tourism partnerships targeting leisure visitors.

The business model is assessment- and membership-funded rather than transactional: revenue is generated from hotel taxes, tourism improvement district assessments, partner memberships, and grants, then reinvested into destination promotion, convention sales, and content production. End consumers receive visitor guides, event calendars, restaurant directories, and trip-planning tools at no charge. Major strategic catalysts in 2026 include the completion of a $265 million convention center renovation, business booked through 2031, the launch of the Cincy Sports regional sports commission, the MICHELIN Guide American Great Lakes Edition partnership, and an ongoing CEO search with Julie Kirkpatrick serving as interim CEO; a headquarters hotel connected to the convention center is expected to open in 2028. Distribution is supported by a regional tourism alliance with MeetNKY and partnerships with Ohio Tourism, Team Kentucky, Brand USA, and Cincinnati Metro Transit, providing multi-state and international promotional reach.

Name

Visit Cincy

Legal name

Visit Cincy

Website

https://visitcincy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Cincy is the official nonprofit destination marketing organization for the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region, promoting tourism, conventions, and sports events. It serves leisure travelers, meeting planners, and sports organizers via its website, sales team, and regional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

City/Urban Convention Hotels (THAGALAA), Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA), Convention Center–Adjacent/Connected Hotels (THAGALAD)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention planning services
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor bureau services
• Travel trade marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: Visit Cincy is funded primarily through hotel taxes, tourism improvement district assessments, and membership fees from partner businesses and attractions. As a nonprofit destination marketing organization, revenue is reinvested into tourism promotion and convention sales for the Cincinnati region.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visit Cincy is a nonprofit destination marketing organization (DMO) that promotes Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as a destination for leisure travel and meetings/conventions. It operates the visitcincy.com website, provides convention sales and meeting planner support services, runs destination marketing campaigns, and engages local tourism industry stakeholders through a membership/partnership program.

Product overview

Visit Cincy operates as a destination marketing organization (DMO) for the Cincinnati region, offering a unified platform of tourism products and services. The core offering is the Visit Cincy Tourism Website (visitcincy.com), a comprehensive digital travel guide complemented by the Insider's Guide blog, Cincy Sports (regional sports commission), visitor guides, and meetings/conventions services. These products work together to serve tourists, locals, meeting planners, and sports event organizers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meetings & Conventions Services Free destination support services for corporate, association, and tradeshow meeting planners considering Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky, including RFP assistance, site visit coordination, venue and supplier introductions, and local logistics guidance.
• Visit Cincy Destination Website (visitcincy.com) Public-facing destination website providing leisure travelers with information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, events, and itineraries for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, plus a dedicated planner portal for meeting professionals.
• Destination Marketing Campaigns Paid media, public relations, and content campaigns promoting Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to leisure travelers and meeting planners in target feeder markets.
• Tourism Industry Membership Program Partnership program for local hotels, attractions, venues, restaurants, and tourism suppliers that provides cooperative marketing exposure, listing on visitcincy.com, and access to meeting planner referrals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $7 million in sports tourism economic impact and 30,000 future hotel nights generated in first six months of regional sports commission operations
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• MeetNKY (Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeetNKY serves as the primary regional tourism alliance partner for Visit Cincy, covering Northern Kentucky tourism promotion. Both organizations share branding under 'Visit Cincy & MeetNKY' and coordinate marketing efforts, with shared headquarters at 525 Vine Street Suite 1200 in Cincinnati. The partnership provides unified visitor resources for the bi-state Cincinnati region spanning Ohio and Kentucky.
• Simpleview Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationSimpleview Inc. provides the technology platform powering VisitCincy.com, including content management, event calendars, listing management, and visitor engagement functionality. The footer notes 'Made by Simpleview' indicating ongoing technology partnership.
• Ohio TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio Tourism is an official partner logo displayed on VisitCincy.com, representing the state tourism organization's role in promoting Cincinnati as a destination within Ohio tourism marketing initiatives.
• Team Kentucky / Kentucky TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTeam Kentucky tourism branding partner supporting Northern Kentucky tourism promotion as part of the regional tourism alliance covering the bi-state Cincinnati region.
• Brand USAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand USA partnership positions Cincinnati in international tourism marketing, leveraging federal tourism promotion resources to attract international visitors to the region.
• Metro (Cincinnati Metro Transit)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMetro transit authority partnership supporting visitor transportation information and promotion of public transit options for visitors navigating the Cincinnati region.
• MICHELIN GuideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Cincy partnered with the MICHELIN Guide for the official announcement that Cincinnati would be included in the inaugural restaurant selection for the MICHELIN Guide American Great Lakes Edition, providing significant prestige and culinary tourism promotion.
• Wyoming Office of Tourism (Grant Funded)minorOthersGrant funding source for tourism infrastructure projects, demonstrating Visit Cincy's role in securing external tourism development funding for the region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City. Direct functional peer — also a nonprofit CVB that drives leisure and convention demand through digital content, sales, and major partnerships, but at a vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago. Closest functional peer — similarly a nonprofit CVB driving convention sales and leisure visitation with comparable mission, funding model (hotel tax), and stakeholder structure.
• Visit Denver (Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau): Official DMO for Denver. Direct peer — nonprofit CVB marketing a mid-size US city with comparable convention sales + leisure mix, hotel tax funding, and recently completed convention district investments.
• Experience Columbus: Official DMO for Columbus, Ohio. Direct regional peer with the same Midwest positioning, similar size, and overlapping partner relationships with Ohio Tourism.
• Destination DC: Official DMO for Washington, DC. Direct peer — nonprofit CVB with a similar convention sales + leisure + group tour mix, funded by hotel taxes, marketing a single urban destination.
• Visit Pittsburgh: Official DMO for Pittsburgh. Direct peer — mid-size Rust Belt city CVB with comparable convention/leisure mix, recently refreshed convention infrastructure, and similar regional rebranding challenges.
• Meet Boston: Official DMO for Boston. Direct peer — CVB with strong convention focus, similar sales-led GTM for planners, and a comparable dual leisure/convention business model.
• Visit Orlando: Official DMO for Orlando. Direct peer — large US CVB with substantial convention center footprint, sports tourism strength, and tourism assessment funding model analogous to Visit Cincy's.

Others

• Simpleview Inc. Provider of the CRM, CMS, and digital platform that powers Visit Cincy's destination website. Included as a key technology vendor/ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• MeetNKY (Northern Kentucky CVB): Flagship regional alliance partner covering Northern Kentucky. Functions as a parallel DMO for the Kentucky side of the bi-state region, with shared branding and joint marketing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/visitcincy
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitcincy
• Xx.com/visit_cincy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visitcincy

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 Visit Cincy