Experience Champaign-Urbana

What Experience Champaign-Urbana does

Experience Champaign-Urbana (also operating as Experience CU) is a private, non-profit destination marketing organization (DMO) and Convention & Visitors Bureau founded in 1982 and headquartered at 17 E. Taylor Street, Champaign, Illinois. It serves as the official tourism promoter for Champaign County, covering 15 or more communities including Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Rantoul, Mahomet, St. Joseph, Homer, Paxton, Monticello, Tuscola, Arcola, and Arthur. The organization maintains a 10-person staff and operates a digital platform anchored by an event calendar with 1,623+ listed events, curated experience passes (Art In CU Trail, CU on the Farm, CU Mocktail, Cities of the Big Ten, CU In Asia Food Trail), and recurring annual programs such as Restaurant Week (10th annual in 2026), Heritage Trail Bus Tours, and America 250 commemorative events.

The organization serves four primary user segments: visitors and tourists seeking trip planning resources; meeting, convention, and sports event planners; new residents and recruits via the Make It CU and Community Ambassador Program; and film industry professionals served through a dedicated Film Office offering permits, location scouting, vendor coordination, and a workshop series. It also publishes wedding planning resources and experience guides in print and digital formats. Technology is limited to a content and event calendar website with standard web analytics (Google Analytics, ADARA) and cookie-based tracking; no proprietary technology, API endpoints, or AI capabilities are documented.

The revenue model is non-transactional for end users (the platform is free to visitors and residents) and is funded through a combination of tourism-related taxes, membership dues, and event sponsorships. Visible commercial relationships include a flagship presenting sponsorship from University of Illinois Community Credit Union for Restaurant Week, with tiered sponsorships from Koerner Distributor and Clancian Creative, plus institutional partnerships with the University of Illinois, Enjoy Illinois, Visit The USA, and Peoria Charter. Specific revenue figures, contract values, and financial filings are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Experience Champaign-Urbana

Legal name

Experience Champaign-Urbana

Website

https://experiencecu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Experience Champaign-Urbana is the official destination marketing organization for Champaign County, Illinois, promoting tourism through a 1,623+ event calendar, curated experience trails, Restaurant Week, Heritage Trail tours, and a Film Office for visitors, event planners, filmmakers, and new residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (56152), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts) (THAHAAAL), Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF), Event Production & Theming (Décor, Creative, Entertainment Booking) (THAHADAH)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Convention visitors bureau
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor information services
• Community event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign, IL

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: The organization serves as the official destination marketing organization for Champaign County, funded through a combination of tourism-related revenues, sponsorships, and partnerships. Revenue appears to be generated through membership programs, event sponsorships, marketing opportunities, and potentially hotel/tourism taxes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Experience Champaign-Urbana operates as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) and Convention & Visitors Bureau for Champaign County, Illinois, curating and promoting a year-round calendar of more than 1,600 events across 15+ communities. It designs and distributes Experience Passes and themed trails (such as Art In CU Trail, CU on the Farm, CU Mocktail, Cities of the Big Ten, and CU In Asia Food Trail), produces signature programs including Restaurant Week and Heritage Trail Bus Tours, and supports filmmakers, meeting planners, and wedding planners through dedicated Film Office, meeting services, and wedding resources. The organization also publishes experience guides and digital trip-planning resources for visitors, new residents, and event organizers.

Product overview

Experience Champaign-Urbana is a destination marketing organization that operates a digital tourism platform comprising multiple interconnected services. The core offerings include an Event Calendar with over 1,600 searchable events, Experience Passes (curated trail experiences), Restaurant Week (annual culinary celebration), Trip Planning Services, Film Office support, Wedding Planning Resources, Heritage Trail Bus Tours, and America 250 commemorative events. The platform serves tourists, new residents, meeting planners, filmmakers, and wedding planners seeking information about the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Calendar A searchable, filterable calendar of more than 1,600 events across the Champaign-Urbana area, organized by category, date, and location for visitors and residents.
• Experience Passes Curated themed trail experiences including Art In CU Trail, CU on the Farm, CU on the Trail, CU Mocktail, Cities of the Big Ten, and CU In Asia Food Trail, distributed through the website and local partners.
• Restaurant Week An annual nine-day culinary celebration showcasing local restaurants with special menus and dining options across the Champaign-Urbana area.
• Trip Planning Services
• Film Office Services
• Wedding Planning Resources
• Heritage Trail Bus Tours
• America 250 Events
• Experience Guides

Quantifiable outcome

• Midwest Living readers voted Champaign-Urbana as Greatest Midwest Food Town

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

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

• University of Illinois Community Credit UnionflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the 10th Annual Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week (January 30–February 7, 2026). Also sponsoring Restaurant Week contest prize package.
• Koerner DistributorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntrée level sponsor for Restaurant Week.
• Clancian CreativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAppetizer level sponsor for Restaurant Week.
• Peoria ChartercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation partner for Heritage Trail Bus Tours, making cultural heritage tours possible for visitors.
• University of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner; University of Illinois Campus hosts major events including July 4th celebrations, homecoming, and provides cultural attractions (Spurlock Museum, Krannert Center, Allerton Park). The university is part of the Cities of the Big Ten network.
• Enjoy IllinoisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Illinois tourism partner promoting Champaign-Urbana as a destination.
• Visit The USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial USA tourism partner featuring Champaign-Urbana as a destination.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Destination Madison: Official DMO for Madison, Wisconsin — a similar Midwest college-town (University of Wisconsin) destination marketing organization of comparable scale, with event calendar, Film Office, and cultural heritage programming paralleling Experience Champaign-Urbana.
• Experience Lexington: DMO for Lexington, Kentucky — peer mid-sized college-area destination marketing organization (University of Kentucky) with comparable meetings, sports events, Film Office and cultural tourism mandate.
• Visit Bloomington: DMO for Bloomington, Indiana (Indiana University) — peer Midwest college-town destination marketing organization of comparable scale with overlapping meetings, events, and cultural tourism mandates.
• Experience Grand Rapids: DMO for Grand Rapids, Michigan — similar mid-sized Midwest city destination marketing organization with comparable event calendar scale, Film Office, and cultural/community programming.
• Destination Ann Arbor: DMO for Ann Arbor, Michigan — directly comparable Big Ten university-town destination marketing organization with similar visitor services, events calendar, and meetings/sports event support.
• Experience Lafayette-West Lafayette: DMO for the Greater Lafayette area (Purdue University) — directly comparable Midwest Big Ten college-town DMO with analogous event promotion, Film Office, and university-anchored programming.

Broad incumbents

• Experience Columbus: DMO for Columbus, Ohio — larger Midwest state-capital DMO with similar meetings/conventions, Film Office and sports event mandates, but greater budget and broader geographic scope.
• Visit Indy: Official DMO for Indianapolis, Indiana — broader Indiana/Midwest incumbent destination marketing organization with similar meetings/conventions, sports and Film Office functions but at materially larger scale.
• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago, Illinois — same-state broad incumbent destination marketing organization with overlapping meetings/conventions and Film Office services, but serving a major-metro global destination.

Regional players

• Visit Springfield Illinois: DMO for Springfield, Illinois — same-state regional destination marketing organization providing a directly comparable Illinois CVB peer with similar tourism, meetings and cultural programming focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/experiencechampaign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Experience Champaign-Urbana