Tour Connection

What Tour Connection does

Tour Connection, Inc. is a privately held, founder-led B2B membership platform founded in 1990 and headquartered in Rochester, Michigan. The company operates "The Entertainment Industry's Tour Guide," an online and printed directory plus recurring in-person event series that connects entertainment travel buyers (booking hotel and transportation for concert tours, film/TV/theatre production, and VIP travel) with entertainment-friendly supplier members including hotels, transportation providers, and Convention & Visitors Bureaus.

The core platform is an online directory with a searchable hotel and transportation listing, a password-protected buyer dashboard, a direct booking inquiry/messaging system, and venue cross-referencing that ties hotel profiles to up to twenty entertainment venues per market. Tiered membership products are priced annually: hotel memberships span five tiers ($999 to $4,500), transportation memberships span two tiers ($800 to $1,600), and CVB membership is $2,000. Higher tiers buy better search placement, advertising placements (banners, lightbox ads, Buyer News promotions), and guaranteed invitations to networking events. The company monetizes through subscription fees and web advertising; buyers access the platform free. The annual event calendar is a primary demand-generation lever, with three signature events in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville, plus a South Florida event and exclusive TCU (Tour Connection University) weekend formats; events scheduled through 2027 indicate ongoing operational activity.

The business is bootstrapped, with no external funding, no disclosed revenue, and a small (11-50) employee team led by President Allan Goetz with regional buyer-relations staff across California, New York, the UK, and other markets. The company reports a 90%+ annual membership renewal rate as evidence of customer satisfaction. No AI/ML, patents, awards, partnerships, M&A, or regulatory actions are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Tour Connection

Legal name

Tour Connection, Inc.

Website

https://tourconnection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel industry directory & networking platform

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel Subscription, Membership & Deal Clubs (THAKAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tour & Artist Management Services (HSACAHAN), Experiential Logistics & Tour Management (Roadshows) (MPAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Entertainment travel directory
• Hotel membership platform
• Travel buyer resources
• Industry networking events
• Booking inquiry system

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fees from hotel members at multiple tier levels (Basic, Upgraded Basic, Premier, Premier Plus, Impact), with pricing ranging from $999 to $4,500 per year. Higher tiers receive better search placement and event access.
2. Transportation Provider Memberships: Annual subscription fees from transportation companies at Basic ($800/year) and Premier ($1,600/year) tiers, providing directory listings and visibility to travel buyers.
3. CVB Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fees from Convention & Visitors Bureaus at Basic tier ($2,000/year), providing name, website, and contact details visibility.
4. Web Advertising: Additional revenue from web advertisements including Buyer Dashboard Welcome Banners, Home Page Large Banners, and Search Results banners sold to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tour Connection operates a membership-based online directory and printed booking guide that connects entertainment travel buyers (concert tour managers, film/TV/theatre production coordinators, VIP travel agents) with entertainment-friendly hotel properties, transportation providers, and Convention & Visitors Bureaus worldwide. The company sells tiered annual subscriptions to supplier members (Basic through Impact tiers priced $800-$4,500/year) that deliver directory placement, booking inquiries, advertising, and access to signature networking events in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville.

Product overview

Tour Connection operates as a membership-based B2B platform serving the entertainment travel industry. The core product is an online directory and resource tool connecting entertainment travel buyers (tour managers, production coordinators) with entertainment-friendly hotels, transportation providers, and CVBs. The platform offers tiered membership programs (Hotel, Transportation, CVB memberships) with pricing ranging from $800-$4,500/year, where higher tiers receive better search placement and event access. Key features include the Booking Inquiry System for direct communication, and Premier Plus/Impact members receive guaranteed invitations to annual networking events in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville, plus exclusive TCU weekend events. Travel buyers access the platform for free to search properties, send booking inquiries, and reference the printed booking guide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TCU (Tour Connection University): Exclusive biannual intimate weekend networking events in varying locations for members.

Products and services

• Hotel Membership Platform Tiered membership directory and booking resource connecting entertainment travel buyers with entertainment-friendly hotel properties worldwide. Five tiers priced $999-$4,500 per year with varying placement priority, advertising options, and event access.
• Transportation Provider Membership Directory service for transportation providers serving the entertainment travel industry with Basic ($800/year) and Premier ($1,600/year) tiers featuring listing placement and promotional capabilities.
• CVB Membership Membership program for Convention & Visitors Bureaus to gain exposure to entertainment travel buyers, with Basic membership at $2,000/year including website listing, representative contact details, bio link, sticky vertical side banner in city search results, and event invitations.
• Annual Networking Events Three signature annual events (Los Angeles, New York, Nashville) and TCU (Tour Connection University) weekend events where hotel members can network with entertainment travel buyers. Event access is tiered by membership level, with Premier Plus and Impact members receiving guaranteed invitations.
• Travel Buyer Resource Portal Password-protected platform for entertainment travel buyers to access hotel listings, submit booking inquiries, view commissions and special offers, and obtain the printed booking guide.
• Booking Inquiry System Standalone booking inquiry feature allowing travel buyers to send direct booking inquiries and messages to hotel members, with inquiry response and message history tracking; bundled with hotel memberships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ annual membership renewal rate demonstrates high customer satisfaction and retention

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cvent: Dominant B2B event management and group sourcing platform with hotel sourcing, attendee management, and venue selection tools. Broader incumbent offering overlapping functionality with Tour Connection's directory and booking inquiry system but serving a much wider market.
• Travel Leaders Network: Large travel agency consortium and host agency providing suppliers with access to thousands of affiliated travel agents. Comparable business model of monetizing supplier access to travel agent members, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Encore (Encore Global): Major event technology and production services provider serving corporate events, trade shows, and live entertainment. Comparable in serving live entertainment touring needs but with broader event production scope rather than hospitality directory focus.

Direct peers

• HelmsBriscoe: Largest B2B hotel sourcing and group booking intermediary in the meetings/events industry. Comparable as a membership-based platform connecting hospitality suppliers with professional group bookers, though broader in scope beyond entertainment.
• ProductionHUB: B2B marketplace serving film, television, and live event production professionals with crew, equipment, and services listings. Directly comparable as a vertical-specific directory and marketplace serving entertainment industry professionals.
• Passkey: B2B group hotel booking platform serving corporate meetings, events, and conferences. Comparable business model connecting event organizers/travel buyers with hotel inventory and group rates, with similar technology-enabled booking inquiry workflows.
• Agent Summit / Ensemble Travel: Travel agency consortium and membership network serving travel advisors with supplier relationships, training, and group booking tools. Comparable membership-based B2B platform connecting travel agents with hospitality suppliers.

Emerging players

• Groups360: B2B platform focused on simplifying group hotel booking through integrated technology (GroupSync). An emerging modern alternative to traditional directory-based group sourcing platforms serving Tour Connection's addressable use case.
• Backline (by Lyte): Touring logistics and crew services platform supporting live entertainment touring professionals. Comparable in addressing the entertainment touring ecosystem with technology-enabled service coordination.

Regional players

• ShowClix: Ticketing and event management platform serving live entertainment venues and promoters. Adjacent in the entertainment touring ecosystem with overlapping buyer base of entertainment professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tourconnection
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tour-connection-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Tour Connection