Visit Springfield

What Visit Springfield does

Visit Springfield, formally the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB), is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for the City of Springfield, Illinois, operating as a department of the municipal government rather than a private enterprise. The organization markets Springfield as a leisure, convention, and sports tourism destination, anchored on three core cultural pillars: Abraham Lincoln heritage tourism, Route 66 Mother Road nostalgia (entering its 2026 Centennial), and Midwest culinary identity (centered on the signature Horseshoe sandwich). Its product portfolio spans physical visitor materials (the free Explorer Passport covering 25 sites/attractions, Abe's Hat Hunt scavenger hunt, Living Legends & Landmarks of Route 66 booklet), mobile digital experiences (the Bandwango-powered Springfield Horseshoe Trail across 24 restaurants with GPS check-ins), community programs (the free Tourism Ambassador Academy in partnership with Learn Tourism), and human-powered services (convention/meeting sales, group tour scheduling for adult/youth/motorcoach visits, and the seasonal History Comes Alive reenactment program).

Underlying technology is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: Bandwango powers the digital passport infrastructure, Crowdriff handles the #SnapSpringfield UGC photo contest, Carvertise deploys wrapped rideshare advertising in out-of-market feeder cities (Kansas City campaign: 33M+ impressions, 92,207 miles), and YouTube hosts the Stewards of Route 66 Oral History video archive. Business model mechanics are unusual: Visit Springfield does not charge end users or generate direct revenue, but rather drives visitor spending that produces local tax receipts — Sangamon County realized $601.3M in visitor spending and $18.8M in local tax revenue in 2023, supporting 5,000 tourism-related jobs. Funding flows through municipal allocations and state co-marketing grants (e.g., $35,000 in local tourism grants administered in 2026), with partnerships amplifying reach via the Enjoy Illinois statewide brand (every $1 of Illinois tourism campaign spend reportedly generates $10 in tax revenue). Customer segments are highly diversified across leisure travelers, convention/meeting planners, group tour operators, local tourism businesses, and sports event organizers, though the entire revenue base is concentrated within a single geographic market.

Name

Visit Springfield

Legal name

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://visitspringfieldillinois.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Springfield is the official municipal destination marketing organization for Springfield, Illinois, marketing the city as a leisure, convention, and sports tourism hub built on Abraham Lincoln heritage, Route 66, and culinary identity, without charging end users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Government & Municipal Event Venues (THAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism promotion services
• Convention meeting planning
• Visitor information services
• Travel tourism marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism-Driven Local Tax Revenue: As a department of the City of Springfield, Visit Springfield does not generate direct revenue. Instead, it drives visitor spending that generates tax revenue. Springfield/Sangamon County generated $601.3 million in visitor spending in 2023, producing $18.8 million in local tax revenue and supporting 5,000 jobs.
2. Local Tourism Grants: Visit Springfield administers an annual Local Tourism Grant program, allocating grant funds to qualifying local tourism-related projects. In 2026, $35,000 was allotted for grants to be used throughout the calendar year.
3. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue (in-kind and promotional): Visit Springfield generates value through partnerships with organizations such as Illinois Office of Tourism, Illinois DCEO, Enjoy Illinois, and others that co-fund marketing campaigns. The organization also secures sponsorships for events (e.g., Memorial Health Championship free admission sponsorship, PPA Challenger event).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Visit Springfield (Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau) is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Springfield, Illinois, operating as a municipal government department. It provides free visitor services including trip planning resources, a visitor center, digital passport programs (Explorer Passport, Springfield Horseshoe Trail), convention and meeting planning services, and group tour scheduling. The organization markets Springfield as a leisure, convention, and sports tourism destination, driving visitor spending that generated $601.3 million in economic impact in Sangamon County in 2023.

Product overview

Visit Springfield (Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau) is the official destination marketing organization for Springfield, Illinois. Their product portfolio centers on tourism promotion services rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include the Explorer Passport (a scavenger-hunt style adventure program covering 25 local sites), the Springfield Horseshoe Trail (a mobile digital passport for culinary tourism powered by Bandwango), and the Living Legends and Landmarks Route 66 experience. Supporting programs include group tour coordination, meeting/convention planning services, the History Comes Alive historical reenactment program, and the Snap Springfield photo contest. The organization also provides visitor resources including guides, maps, and the Tourism Ambassador Academy online certification. These offerings work together to market Springfield as a convention, meeting, and leisure destination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Explorer Passport: A free pocket-size passport featuring 25 sites, attractions, museums and culinary adventures including Abe's Hat Hunt scavenger hunt and Living Legends and Landmarks of Route 66.
• Springfield Horseshoe Trail
• Tourism Ambassador Academy

Products and services

• Explorer Passport A free pocket-size passport program featuring 25 sites, attractions, museums and culinary adventures across Springfield. Includes the Abe's Hat Hunt scavenger hunt (12 sites/museums) and Living Legends & Landmarks of Route 66 (13 local businesses). Distributed free at the Springfield Visitors Center, Lincoln Home Visitor Center, Dana-Thomas House, and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Aimed at leisure travelers and families seeking self-guided exploration of Springfield's heritage, culinary, and cultural sites.
• Springfield Horseshoe Trail A mobile-friendly digital passport trail (powered by Bandwango) showcasing Springfield's culinary scene featuring the signature Horseshoe sandwich at 24 local restaurants. Visitors sign up via web browser (no app download required), check in via GPS at participating restaurants, collect points, and redeem points for branded logo prizes at prize stops. Aimed at foodies and culinary tourists seeking an interactive dining experience in Springfield.
• Group Tours (Adult, Youth, Motorcoach) Organized group tour programs for adult groups (15+ people), youth groups, and motorcoach tours with online self-service scheduling to visit various Springfield sites and attractions. Aimed at tour operators, school teachers, and group leaders coordinating multi-site Springfield visits.
• Meeting & Convention Planning Services Convention and meeting planning services including venue finding, custom services, and RFP submission for booking meetings and conventions in Springfield. Served by a dedicated B2B sales team for professional meeting planners, corporate event organizers, and association executives.
• History Comes Alive A seasonal historical reenactment program (now in its 17th season) featuring costumed interpreters bringing Springfield's rich Abraham Lincoln and Civil War-era history to life at various historic sites across the city. Aimed at history buffs, families, and educational visitors.
• Snap Springfield Photo Contest An annual summer photo contest (June–August) encouraging visitors and residents to submit images of Springfield across six categories (Eat + Drink, Art Glass Adventure Finds, Outdoors, Sites + Attractions, Springfield Events, Short Form Video) for prize opportunities. Powered by the Crowdriff platform. Generates user-generated content for Visit Springfield's marketing use.
• Living Legends and Landmarks of Route 66 A self-guided tour experience featuring Springfield's legendary local entrepreneurs and landmarks along Route 66, including 13 locations with passport completion rewards. Part of the broader Explorer Passport program. Aimed at Route 66 enthusiasts, road-trippers, and history buffs.
• Stewards of Route 66 Oral History Project An oral history preservation project documenting stories from 17 area Route 66 business owners and custodians, created in partnership with Vanishing Postcards founder Evan Stern. Videos hosted on YouTube; project archived at the Illinois State Archives. Aimed at Route 66 history enthusiasts and cultural heritage visitors.
• Tourism Ambassador Academy A free online certification course (developed in partnership with Learn Tourism) that trains community members and business staff as certified tourism ambassadors, covering visitor engagement, greetings, and local tourism knowledge. Aimed at building community-based word-of-mouth marketing. Nearly 90 participants enrolled within the first two weeks post-launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• $601.3 million in visitor spending in Sangamon County in 2023, a 12% increase year-over-year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and major.

• BandwangocoreTechnology or Integration · 11 January 2024Bandwango is the technology company powering Visit Springfield's digital passport and trail programs, including the Springfield Horseshoe Trail (launched January 2024) and the Explorer Passport. Bandwango's platform enables mobile-friendly GPS check-ins, point collection, and prize redemption without requiring app downloads. The partnership forms the technology backbone of Visit Springfield's phygital visitor engagement strategy.
• CarvertisecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2023Carvertise provides wrapped rideshare (Uber and Lyft) advertising deployed in target markets. Visit Springfield partnered with Carvertise from March–August 2023 for a Kansas City market campaign using 6 wrapped vehicles, generating 33M+ impressions and 92,207 miles of travel exposure. Follow-up campaigns have been deployed. This is a key out-of-market demand generation channel.
• Illinois Office of Tourism / Illinois DCEOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Tourism co-markets with Visit Springfield under the Enjoy Illinois brand. The state provides grant funding (e.g., Illinois Route 66 Grants, Incentive Grant Program) that supported Shea’s Gas Station renovation, Carpenter Park Route 66 alignment, and the NHPA World Championship bid. The state also provided $35,000 in local tourism grants administered by Visit Springfield in 2026.
• Springfield Hotel & Lodging AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey industry partner representing Springfield's hotels and lodging providers. Collaborates with Visit Springfield on joint tourism growth initiatives. Visit Springfield's goal of 1 million hotel room nights annually directly benefits this partner.
• Vanishing Postcards (Evan Stern)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvan Stern, founder of Vanishing Postcards, worked with Visit Springfield to create the Springfield Stewards of Route 66 Oral History Project. Seventeen area businesses were interviewed, with videos hosted on YouTube and the project archived at the Illinois State Archives. The project preserves Route 66 history through audio/video storytelling.
• Illinois State MuseumimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Illinois State Museum independently conducted its own Route 66 Oral History Project (100 interviews), launched in connection with the Route 66 Centennial. Visit Springfield cross-promotes this content on its blog, providing a complementary historical resource for Springfield visitors.
• Learn TourismimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn Tourism collaborated with Visit Springfield to develop the Tourism Ambassador Academy online certification course. The free training program certifies community members and business staff as tourism ambassadors. Nearly 90 people enrolled in the first two weeks post-launch.
• The Pharmacy Gallery & Art SpaceimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Visit Springfield on The Road That Takes You: Springfield, Illinois Edition Route 66 Centennial Commission Certified Project and the Bob Waldmire Art Exhibition (opened July 11, 2025). The gallery provides a cultural venue for Route 66 art and history programming.
• Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PPA Tour selected Springfield, IL to host the Route 66 PPA Challenger (part of the inaugural Challenger Series powered by JOOLA) at the Premier Pickleball Center on June 13, 2025. Expected 300–700 players per event with estimated $240,000 economic impact. Championships Court action streamed on Tennis Channel App and PPA Tour YouTube.
• Memorial Health Championship / Korn Ferry TourmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Springfield sponsors free admission to all four rounds of the Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS, a PGA TOUR-sanctioned Korn Ferry Tour event held at Panther Creek Country Club (June 27–30). The tournament has an expected economic impact of over $5 million and a $1 million purse.
• Illinois Route 66 Scenic BywaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide Route 66 heritage corridor organization. Visit Springfield is a key partner in Illinois Route 66 programming. The Byway announced a statewide conference and Route 66 Centennial Celebration on November 11, 2026 at Motorheads in Springfield, hosted in partnership with Visit Springfield.
• Clydesdale Breeders of the U.S.A.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Clydesdale Breeders of the U.S.A. selected Springfield, IL to host the 2025 World Clydesdale Show (October 1–5, 2025) at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Expected 700+ exhibitors/patrons/spectators and 400+ Clydesdales from US, Canada, Scotland, and Europe. Budweiser Clydesdales also attending. Event was free to the public.
• American Flat Track (AFT) ChampionshipmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Springfield Mile, part of the AFT Championship, is hosted at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. First run in 1937, it is regarded as the world's fastest flat track motorcycle race. Visit Springfield supports media events and promotion for the race, which is a centerpiece of the 16-round AFT season.
• Enjoy IllinoiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnjoy Illinois is the official statewide tourism brand of the Illinois Office of Tourism. Visit Springfield co-markets under the Enjoy Illinois umbrella, gaining exposure through statewide tourism campaigns. The partnership provides Visit Springfield access to the $1:$10 ROI state marketing campaign and broader national/international tourism promotion.
• National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHPA selected Springfield for the 2028 World Horseshoe Pitching Championships (July 17–29) at the SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. Expected: 1,000+ athletes from US, Canada, Germany, Norway; 1,400+ hotel room nights; $2.8 million economic impact. The event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Springfield Horseshoe Sandwich (1928).
• Miles of PossibilityimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Springfield and Miles of Possibility co-announced Springfield as the host city for the 2026 Route 66 Conference. Renowned author Michael Wallis (author of Route 66: The Road and the People) was named keynote speaker. This partnership positions Springfield as a national hub for Route 66 centennial celebrations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/VisitSpringfield
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitSpringfield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springfield-illinois-convention-&-visitors-bureau
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitspringfield
• Pinterestpinterest.com/abesspringfield
• Xx.com/springfieldtrip

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Visit Springfield