Memphis Tourism

What Memphis Tourism does

Memphis Tourism is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County, established in 1925 and operating as a private nonprofit or quasi-governmental entity with 11-50 employees headquartered at 47 Union Avenue, Memphis. The organization promotes Memphis as a leisure, convention, sports, and group travel destination by aggregating and marketing the city's cultural assets — including its music heritage (1,000+ song mentions, Elvis Presley's Graceland, Sun Studio, Stax Museum, Beale Street), its position on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail (anchored by the National Civil Rights Museum), and its barbecue and live-music scene — through a multi-channel destination marketing platform.

The core product is memphistravel.com, a content-driven destination marketing website supported by specialized service modules: Meeting Planner Services (venue coordination, vendor connections, group hotel booking, transportation), the Memphis Sports Council (tournament and event hosting at venues including the 227,000 sq ft Memphis Sports & Events Center at Liberty Park), Wedding Planning Services, Group Travel Services, the Memphis Music Hub content platform, and a Visitor Guide and Maps program. Memphis Tourism also serves as the managing partner of the Renasant Convention Center, a 300,000-square-foot, $200M-transformed facility that anchors its meetings and conventions business. Distribution spans owned digital channels (website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, X, I Love Memphis Blog, email newsletter) and direct sales teams for enterprise convention, sports, and meeting planner customers.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues from local hospitality businesses (hotels, restaurants, attractions, tour operators), quasi-governmental public funding typical of DMOs, and direct enterprise sales to convention, meeting, and sports event customers. Pricing is quote-based for membership investment levels and bundled into convention/sports bookings. The customer base is diversified across association, healthcare, manufacturing, and service-organization verticals, with no single logo representing a dominant share. Memphis Tourism's value proposition rests on Memphis's structurally lower hotel costs (28% below national average) and 30+ free attractions, which together position the city as a cost-efficient alternative to higher-priced U.S. destinations.

Name

Memphis Tourism

Legal name

Memphis Tourism

Website

https://memphistravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Memphis Tourism is the official destination marketing organization for Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County. It operates memphistravel.com, manages the Renasant Convention Center, and delivers specialized services for meeting planners, sports event organizers, wedding couples, and group travelers across consumer and enterprise channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Convention Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Incentive Travel Design & Rewards Programs (THAHADAB), Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF), Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Convention sales bureau
• Meeting planner services
• Sports event hosting
• Visitor travel guides

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Local hospitality businesses pay membership dues to Memphis Tourism in exchange for marketing support, exclusive opportunities, visibility on national and international stages, industry connections, and member resources.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Memphis Tourism is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County. It markets Memphis as a leisure, convention, sports, wedding, and group travel destination through its memphistravel.com website, digital content, and direct sales teams, while operating a paid membership program for local hospitality businesses. The organization also serves as managing partner of the Renasant Convention Center.

Product overview

Memphis Tourism operates a multi-module destination marketing platform centered on memphistravel.com, offering comprehensive travel planning resources for visitors alongside specialized services for meeting planners (via the Meeting Planner platform), sports event organizers (via the Memphis Sports Council), wedding couples, and group travelers. The ecosystem includes dedicated content hubs like the Memphis Music Hub, plus visitor guides, maps, and media services. The platform architecture is content-driven, connecting travelers with attractions, events, hotels, restaurants, and neighborhoods across Memphis, Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meeting Planner Services
• Memphis Sports Council Services
• Group Travel Services
• Wedding Planning Services
• Membership Program
• Media and Press Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Memphis hotels are 28% more affordable than hotels around the nation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Ford PhilanthropycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026Ford Philanthropy is a sponsor of the National Civil Rights Museum's Juneteenth Community Day event, which Memphis Tourism also supports. The partnership contributes to community programming and cultural events.
• Caesars EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026Caesars Entertainment is a sponsor of the National Civil Rights Museum's Juneteenth Community Day event, supporting health services and cultural performances.
• NikeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026Nike is listed as an event sponsor for the National Civil Rights Museum's Juneteenth Community Day.
• ArtsMemphiscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026ArtsMemphis is a sponsor of the National Civil Rights Museum's Juneteenth Community Day, supporting the arts and cultural programming.
• Renasant Convention CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemphis Tourism is the managing partner of Renasant Convention Center, which underwent a $200M transformation. The center features 300,000 square feet and is the anchor of Memphis's meetings and conventions business.
• LEO EventscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLEO Events is highlighted as a fantastic partner in event planning, working alongside Memphis Tourism and The Peabody for conference hosting.
• Brand USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand USA is listed as a partner in footer, promoting international travel to Memphis and the United States.
• DeltaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDelta Airlines is listed as a partner in footer, contributing to visitor transportation access to Memphis.
• Smart MeetingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmart Meetings named Renasant Convention Center Best Convention Center in their Smart Stars awards, providing industry recognition and marketing exposure.
• EXHIBITOR MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEXHIBITOR Magazine recognized Renasant Convention Center as a Center of Excellence and for Best Customer Service, providing industry credibility.
• Memphis Restaurant AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemphis Tourism works closely with the Memphis Restaurant Association, with Memphis Restaurant Association President Ernie Mellor praising the tourism research and destination marketing value provided.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Nashville (Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp): Official DMO for Nashville, Tennessee. Direct peer operating as a city-level destination marketing organization with overlapping music, food, and convention business, competing head-to-head for similar leisure, meeting, and group demand in the Mid-South region.
• New Orleans & Company: Official DMO for New Orleans. Direct peer combining destination marketing, convention sales, and member services with a similarly music-and-food-led brand narrative and convention center operations.
• Visit Atlanta: Official DMO for Atlanta. Direct peer promoting a Southern U.S. city with a large convention center footprint, civil rights heritage, and a diversified leisure and meetings platform comparable in scope to Memphis Tourism's operations.
• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago. Comparable in operating model as a city destination marketing organization with convention sales, member program, sports council, and group travel services targeting a U.S. major metro convention/leisure market.
• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City. Direct peer in DMO model, offering visitor marketing, convention bureau services, member hospitality network, and content hubs at a larger scale, used as a benchmark for DMO structure and revenue diversification.
• Visit Dallas (Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau): Official DMO for Dallas. Direct peer with a comparable large convention center, meetings sales, sports council, and member program targeting convention, leisure, and group travel demand in a U.S. Southern/mid-continental city.
• Visit Denver: Official DMO for Denver. Direct peer with similar convention sales, leisure marketing, and member services operating in a comparable U.S. metro convention market, often cited alongside Memphis in mid-size DMO comparisons.
• Visit Orlando: Official DMO for Orlando. Direct peer with a large convention center, dedicated sports and meeting planner divisions, and a strong member program — a high-revenue DMO benchmark for leisure-plus-conventions destination marketing.
• Visit Austin: Official DMO for Austin. Direct peer combining live-music cultural branding with convention sales and member services, competing for similar Southern creative-city and meetings demand.

Others

• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for the United States. Ecosystem partner listed on Memphis Tourism's site, helping drive international inbound demand to Memphis and other U.S. cities through cooperative marketing.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/memphistravel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MemphisCVB
• Facebookfacebook.com/memphistravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/memphistravel
• TikToktiktok.com/@memphistravel?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Memphis Tourism