What Arlington CVB does

Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau (Arlington CVB) is the destination marketing organization for Arlington, Texas, founded in 1972. The CVB promotes Arlington as a destination for meetings, conventions, sports events, and leisure travel, with a primary service area anchored by a dense entertainment cluster: AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys and a FIFA World Cup 26 venue with 9 scheduled matches including a semifinal), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Texas Live!, and the National Medal of Honor Museum. The CVB is led by CEO Brent DeRaad, operates from a single Arlington, Texas headquarters, and maintains a staff in the 11-50 employee range under CEO Brent DeRaad.

The organization's product surface is the arlington.org destination portal — a content and discovery platform built on the SimpleView CRM platform that handles event listings, venue directories, partner management, and meeting planner RFP intake. The CVB also publishes itineraries, visitor guides, a "World of Wonderful" newsletter, and specialized content such as a FIFA World Cup 26 fan guide and lodging packages page. Operationally, it coordinates with the City of Arlington, which uses Granicus software to monitor online rental marketplaces (Airbnb, Vrbo) for short-term rental compliance enforcement, with 310 permits issued ahead of the World Cup and fines up to $2,000 per violation.

Arlington CVB is funded primarily through the city's 7% Hotel Occupancy Tax on short-term rentals, supplemented by recurring membership and partnership fees from local businesses, and by visitor-services revenue tied to meeting planner RFP handling. Customer segments span tourists/leisure travelers, meeting planners and convention organizers, sports fans (notably international visitors for FIFA World Cup 26), group tours and reunions, and short-term rental operators. Its go-to-market is event-driven and content-led: digital marketing through arlington.org, email, social, partner referrals including the Arlington Discount Passes program, and major event hosting anchored around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.

Name

Arlington CVB

Legal name

Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://arlington.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau is the non-profit destination marketing organization for Arlington, Texas, promoting the city as a venue for meetings, conventions, sports events (including 9 FIFA World Cup 26 matches), and leisure travel, funded by a 7% hotel occupancy tax and partner membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

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. Hotel Occupancy Tax: The city collects a 7% Hotel Occupancy Tax from short-term rental operators, which funds tourism promotion activities managed by the CVB.
2. Membership and Partnership Fees: CVB operates partner programs where local businesses and attractions join as partners, providing membership benefits and directory listings on arlington.org.
3. Visitor Services: CVB provides visitor guide distribution, RFP handling for meeting planners, and informational services to promote Arlington attractions and events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arlington CVB is a non-profit destination marketing organization that promotes Arlington, Texas as a tourism, meeting, and convention destination. The CVB operates arlington.org as a centralized destination portal and provides a Planners Toolkit, RFP handling system, partner directory, discount programs, and group tour coordination for meeting planners, sports/event organizers, and leisure travelers. The organization also manages Esports Stadium Arlington as a dedicated event venue and serves as a host city liaison for major events including FIFA World Cup 2026.

Product overview

Arlington CVB (Convention & Visitors Bureau) operates arlington.org as a destination marketing and tourism promotion platform for Arlington, Texas. The site aggregates visitor-facing information across attractions, events, dining, accommodations, and trip planning. It does not offer a distinct commercial software product or platform — its primary offering is the arlington.org website as a content and discovery platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sports Commission: Arlington Sports Commission promotes sporting events and athletic competitions in Arlington, Texas
• Esports Stadium Arlington

Products and services

• Arlington.org Destination Portal Centralized online destination portal providing attraction listings, event calendars, partner directory, visitors guide, and trip-planning resources for leisure travelers, group tour operators, and meeting planners visiting Arlington, Texas.
• Meeting Planner RFP Services and Planners Toolkit Structured request-for-proposal system and planners toolkit enabling meeting and event professionals to source venues, lodging blocks, and event services in Arlington for conventions, corporate meetings, and trade shows.
• Arlington Discount Passes Destination-wide discount program connecting visitors with member hotels, restaurants, and attractions offering reduced rates, activated through the arlington.org website for leisure and group travelers.
• Arlington Eat Pass Specialized dining deal pass that aggregates restaurant offers and discounts for visitors exploring Arlington's food and beverage scene.
• Esports Stadium Arlington Arlington CVB-managed event venue purpose-built for esports tournaments, corporate gaming events, and spectator competitions, available for rental to event organizers and tournament operators.
• FIFA World Cup 26 Lodging Packages Bundled hotel accommodations and visitor services program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 host city activation, designed for international and domestic fans traveling to the 9 scheduled matches at AT&T Stadium.
• Group Tours & Reunions Coordination Coordinated itinerary planning and on-the-ground support service for organized group tours, school trips, and family reunions visiting Arlington, including lodging, dining, and attraction arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 FIFA World Cup matches hosted at AT&T Stadium
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• GranicuscoreTechnology or Integration · 11 March 2026Granicus provides software used by the City of Arlington to monitor online rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo for non-compliant short-term rental listings. This technology enables enforcement of the city's short-term rental regulations ahead of the FIFA World Cup, with fines up to $2,000 for violations.
• Texas Live!flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Live! is Arlington's premier dining and entertainment complex located between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. The CVB promotes Texas Live! as a key destination for visitors, featuring multiple restaurants, sports bars, and venues. Texas Live! hosts FIFA World Cup watch parties on 100-ft screens across 11 venues.
• AT&T StadiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys and hosts major events including FIFA World Cup 26 with 9 matches. The CVB coordinates extensively with AT&T Stadium for event promotion and visitor services.
• Globe Life FieldflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobe Life Field is the home of the Texas Rangers MLB team. The CVB promotes Globe Life Field tours and games as key attractions, including the pregame tour experiences.
• Arlington Sports CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arlington Sports Commission is a related organization focused on attracting and supporting sports events in Arlington, working with the CVB to promote sporting events and tournaments.
• SimpleView CRMcoreTechnology or IntegrationSimpleView provides the CRM platform powering arlington.org, handling event listings, venue directories, partner management, and visitor communications.
• Visit The USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit The USA is featured on the Arlington CVB website as part of the international tourism marketing network.
• Trinity Railway Express (TRE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional rail service that visitors can use to travel between Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth. The CVB promotes TRE as a transportation option for visitors attending World Cup matches, with dedicated shuttle buses from CentrePort/DFW Airport Station to AT&T Stadium.
• Local Shuttle ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal businesses including J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill, Arlington Highlands, and Grease Monkey provide shuttle services to AT&T Stadium on match days, promoted by the CVB transportation guide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visit Dallas: Visit Dallas is the official DMO for the City of Dallas — directly comparable as a Texas-metro CVB competing for the same meeting planners, group tours, and leisure travelers in the DFW metroplex that Arlington CVB targets.
• Visit Fort Worth: Visit Fort Worth is the DMO for Fort Worth, Arlington's immediate neighbor in the DFW metroplex. It competes head-to-head for the same DFW-region convention, sports, and leisure demand and shares DFW Airport access.
• Visit Orlando: Visit Orlando is the DMO for Orlando, the most structurally similar U.S. destination to Arlington — anchored by theme parks (Walt Disney World, Universal) plus major professional sports venues, and heavily reliant on a hotel-occupancy-tax funding model.
• Experience Kissimmee: Experience Kissimmee is the DMO for Kissimmee, Florida, adjacent to Orlando's theme park cluster. Strong structural analog — short-term rental management, theme park-driven leisure demand, sports venue proximity, and tax-funded marketing.

Regional players

• Houston First Corporation (Visit Houston): Houston First Corporation is the DMO and convention center operator for Houston, Texas. A direct functional peer as a Texas CVB, but operating in a different metro with a different venue mix (convention center + Astrodome + theater district vs. sports/theme-park cluster).
• Visit San Antonio: Visit San Antonio is the DMO for San Antonio, another major Texas destination CVB funded through hotel taxes. Comparable structure and mission; differs in attraction mix (heritage tourism vs. Arlington's sports-and-theme-park focus).
• Visit Austin: Visit Austin is the DMO for Austin, Texas. Direct peer as a Texas CVB; positioned differently around music/festival/convention tourism rather than the professional sports + theme park model in Arlington.

Broad incumbents

• Choose Chicago: Choose Chicago is a major U.S. city DMO with a substantially larger scope and budget. Useful broader incumbent comparable for understanding scale, partner programs, and RFP handling at a major-metro level.
• NYC & Company (NYC Tourism + Conventions): NYC & Company is the official DMO for New York City. Functions as a national/global benchmark for large-metro CVB operations — convention sales, international marketing, and partner networks — against which Arlington's scope and budget can be calibrated.

Others

• Brand USA: Brand USA is the United States' national destination marketing organization. Arlington CVB already partners with Brand USA's 'Visit The USA' network for international promotion, making Brand USA a relevant ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitArlingtonTexas
• Xx.com/visit_arlington

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 Arlington CVB