Discover Ames
Discover Ames is a non-profit destination marketing organization (Ames Convention and Visitor's Bureau) that promotes Ames, Iowa and Story County to leisure visitors, ISU families, and event attendees through visitor guides, a business directory, events calendar, itineraries, and a 21-employee partner network spanning 23 hotels and 100+ restaurants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAmes, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Discover Ames does
Discover Ames is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) and Convention and Visitor's Bureau for Ames, Iowa, operating as a non-profit entity (legal name: Ames Convention and Visitor's Bureau) with 21 employees headquartered at 1601 Golden Aspen Dr. The organization promotes Ames and Story County as a destination for leisure visitors, Iowa State University families, and event attendees by centralizing visitor information, event promotion, and business referrals across hotels, restaurants, attractions, and shops.
Its core offerings include an annual Visitors Guide, the Ames Insider publication, a downloadable Ames Map and Cyclone City Tour, an online business directory, an events calendar, and curated itineraries tailored to families, foodies, gardeners, art lovers, sports fans, and pet owners. The underlying technology is a WordPress-based content management system supporting digital guides, the directory, the events calendar, and an interactive favorites/itinerary builder; no proprietary AI/ML, API, or mobile application is offered. Distribution is multi-channel, encompassing discoverames.com, social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube) generating 1.5M+ impressions annually, printed visitor guides (25K+), newsletters (30K+), and partner networks across 23 hotels and 100+ restaurants.
Discover Ames generates revenue primarily through annual partnership fees structured as a subscription, with Destination Partners at $275/year for visitor-facing stay-do-eat-shop businesses and Community Partners at $175/year for supporting businesses. Additional funding flows from the Iowa Tourism Office, City of Ames, and community grants, which collectively support operations, visitor marketing, community grants (over $100K annually), and tourism promotion. Strategic partnerships with Iowa State University Athletics, the City of Ames, Ames Alliance, Visit Boone County, and major development projects (CyTown, The LINC) anchor its visitor economy initiatives.
Discover Ames firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Discover Ames
- Legal name
- Ames Convention & Visitor's Bureau
- Website
- https://discoverames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Discover Ames is a non-profit destination marketing organization (Ames Convention and Visitor's Bureau) that promotes Ames, Iowa and Story County to leisure visitors, ISU families, and event attendees through visitor guides, a business directory, events calendar, itineraries, and a 21-employee partner network spanning 23 hotels and 100+ restaurants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Discover Ames industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Destination Marketing / Tourism Promotion Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)
Keywords
Where Discover Ames is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ames
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Discover Ames business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Partner Memberships: Discover Ames generates revenue through two partnership tiers: Destination Partner ($275/year) for hotels, restaurants, attractions and other visitor-facing businesses; and Community Partner ($175/year) for businesses that support the mission but may not be visitor-facing directly.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Destination Partner - $275/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Community Partner - $175/year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Discover Ames product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Discover Ames operates as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Ames and Story County, Iowa, promoting tourism to visitors through visitor guides, event calendars, business directories, and itineraries. The organization runs a tiered partnership program (Silver, Gold, Platinum) that local hospitality businesses, attractions, and retailers join, and reinvests a portion of partner dues into a Community Grant Program supporting local initiatives.
Product overview
Discover Ames is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Ames, Iowa, operated by the Ames Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization offers a portfolio of marketing and promotional services including an annual Visitors Guide publication, the Ames Insider local-focused guide, interactive online directories of local businesses and events, curated visit itineraries for various traveler segments, downloadable maps and resources, partnership programs for local businesses, community grants, and volunteer opportunities. The organization focuses on promoting tourism and economic development for Story County by connecting visitors with local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visitors Guide
- Ames Insider Newsletter
- Partnership Program (Silver, Gold, Platinum)
- Community Grant Program
- Business Directory
- Events Calendar
- Cyclone City Tour
- Ames Map
Quantifiable outcome
- Visitors to Story County spent $243.6M in 2024, supporting local economy
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Discover Ames
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Discover Ames technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Discover Ames partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, major and partner.
- Iowa State University AthleticscoreCollaboration with ISU Athletics for sports tourism, including promoting game day experiences, CyTown development updates, and Jack Trice Stadium events. Discover Ames engages at student-focused events like EIS (Experience Iowa State) and Orientation, and partners with key ISU departments to connect with students and families.
- Iowa Tourism OfficecoreIowa Tourism Office provides promotional funding and partnership for Discover Ames marketing initiatives. The project is paid for in part by the Iowa Tourism Office.
- City of AmescoreCollaborating on tourism developments like CyTown and The LINC, funding feasibility studies for local projects, advocating for tourism with local officials, and coordinating on emergency management and road closure information.
- Visit Boone CountyminorRegional tourism partnership for promoting the broader central Iowa area including Boone County attractions like Seven Oaks Recreation, Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, and Rail Explorers.
- Ames AlliancecoreCollaboration on community initiatives, maintaining relocation resources, and coordinating with Ames Alliance on retirement communities information and Hotel & Attraction Council activities.
- CyTown DevelopmentmajorJoint promotion of the CyTown development project - a unique, year-round destination to be built by fall 2027 by ISU Athletics. Discover Ames provides updates and promotes the development as a major community attraction.
- Ames Event Center / The LINCmajorThe Ames Event Center will anchor the transformative LINC development. Discover Ames is helping advance this major tourism development project.
- Hampton Suites Ames & SuitespartnerHotel partner providing visitor accommodations. General Manager Jeremy DeVore has provided testimonial praising the partnership for driving guest experiences and community service.
- Reiman GardenspartnerMajor attraction partner with record attendance driven by Discover Ames promotional support. Marketing and Communication Manager Andrew Gogerty notes Discover Ames is 'one of the most important assets' in their marketing toolbox.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Discover Ames competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Discover Ames social profiles
Digital presenceDiscover Ames financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Discover Ames leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Discover Ames funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Discover Ames M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Discover Ames
What does Discover Ames do?
Discover Ames operates as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Ames and Story County, Iowa, promoting tourism to visitors through visitor guides, event calendars, business directories, and itineraries. The organization runs a tiered partnership program (Silver, Gold, Platinum) that local hospitality businesses, attractions, and retailers join, and reinvests a portion of partner dues into a Community Grant Program supporting local initiatives.
Is Discover Ames a public or private company?
Discover Ames is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Discover Ames founded?
Discover Ames was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Discover Ames based?
Discover Ames is headquartered in Ames, United States, in the North America region.
How does Discover Ames make money?
One revenue line is on record: partner Memberships.
Does Discover Ames have an API?
No public API is recorded for Discover Ames.
What industry is Discover Ames in?
Discover Ames's product category is Destination Marketing / Tourism Promotion Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHADAA, Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations). Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 8600.