What Experience Jackson does

Experience Jackson (legal entity: Jackson County Visitors Bureau) is the official convention and visitors bureau for Jackson County, Michigan, operating as a private nonprofit headquartered at 134 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson, MI. The organization is funded primarily through tourism/lodging tax allocations, membership fees, and partnership contributions, with revenue not publicly disclosed. Its mission is to strengthen perception of Jackson County as a must-visit destination and to stimulate associated economic development; it is governed by a board representing local hotels, businesses, and community organizations and led by President/CEO Ryan Tarrant alongside a small leadership team including VP of Marketing & Communications Rachel Buchanan, VP of Community and Business Engagement Melissa Burgett, Director of Internal Operations Kelly Sharrer, Research and Data Director Jess Boldt, Outdoor Recreation Manager Steve Trosin, Sales & Investor Relations Manager Mike Pulgini, and Administrative Assistant Cindy Rees (6–8 total staff).

The organization's core product surface is a multi-channel digital destination-marketing platform comprising: an Experience Jackson mobile app on iOS and Android featuring event discovery, location check-ins, and gamified challenges; an interactive web-based Trip Planner widget (experiencejackson.visitwidget.com) that maps attractions, events, restaurants, hotels, and activities with social sharing; the official Experience Jackson Podcast on Spotify, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts hosted by Rachel Buchanan; eleven themed self-guided tour modules (Bright Walls Mural, Underground Railroad, Jackson Winery, Jackson Brewery, Stained Glass Architectural, 1920s Architecture, Pioneer Wine Trail, Jackson County Museum, Five Day Golfing, Prison History, and historic group tours); the inaugural Jackson County Parks Challenge 2026 spanning 14 park locations (June 23 – September 7, 2026); and a monthly Constant Contact email newsletter. Supporting marketing channels include a website/blog, Instagram (engagement reaching 46+ likes per post), influencer partnerships (notably with UK-based "Josh from England"), and promotion of major annual events such as Jackson Civil War Muster, Hot Air Jubilee, Bright Walls mural festival, America250 celebrations, and Irish Hills Gravel.

The business model is mission-driven rather than commercial. All visitor-facing resources, the mobile app, the Trip Planner, the podcast, and the new Destination Uplift digital marketing education program (delivered in partnership with TwoSix Digital as 10 live webinars in 2026 plus an on-demand library) are provided free to consumers and eligible local businesses/Chamber members. There is no paid product SKU; monetization occurs upstream through public tourism-tax funding, SMB membership contributions, and event/partner sponsorships. Primary customer segments are (i) tourists and visitors from Chicago, Detroit, and other drive markets seeking trip planning, (ii) Jackson County SMBs seeking marketing support, and (iii) meeting, wedding, and group-tour planners seeking venue and lodging coordination across the county's 1,000+ hotel rooms and ~20 golf courses. Geographic scope is restricted to Jackson County, and the organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or external funding rounds.

Name

Experience Jackson

Legal name

Jackson County Visitors Bureau

Website

https://experiencejackson.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Experience Jackson is the official Jackson County, Michigan Convention and Visitors Bureau (legal entity: Jackson County Visitors Bureau), a nonprofit that promotes county tourism through a mobile app, trip planner, podcast, gamified park challenges, and a digital marketing education program for local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB), Cultural Heritage & Indigenous-Led Visitor Services (Tribal Tours, Heritage Sites, Co-management) (THAAAGAL), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor bureau services
• Travel planning platform
• Convention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion and Convention Services: Experience Jackson operates as the Jackson County Convention and Visitor Bureau, funded to strengthen positive perception of Jackson County as a must-visit destination and stimulate economic development. Revenue appears to come from membership fees, partnership contributions, and likely local government/motel tax allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Experience Jackson is the official Jackson County, Michigan Convention and Visitors Bureau, a private nonprofit destination marketing organization that promotes Jackson County as a tourism destination. It sells trip-planning tools including a cross-platform mobile app, a web-based trip planner, self-guided tours, and a podcast, while also providing group event and meeting coordination services. It additionally operates the Destination Uplift digital marketing education program, delivering free training to local Jackson County tourism-related businesses.

Product overview

Experience Jackson operates as the Jackson County Convention and Visitor Bureau, providing a digital destination marketing platform centered around the Experience Jackson mobile app and Trip Planner. The core offering consists of the mobile app (iPhone/Android), interactive web Trip Planner, and official Experience Jackson Podcast. Additional products include themed self-guided tour modules (Bright Walls murals, Underground Railroad, wineries, breweries, architecture, museums, golf, and prison history), the Destination Uplift digital marketing education program for local businesses, the Jackson County Parks Challenge gamification initiative, and email newsletter subscription service. The platform also supports event planning services, visitor guides, and group tour coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experience Jackson Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• Jackson County offers 1,000+ hotel rooms and nearly 20 golf courses, positioning it as a significant regional tourism destination
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TwoSix DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026TwoSix Digital provides digital marketing education content for Experience Jackson's Destination Uplift program. The partnership delivers 10 live webinars in 2026 plus an on-demand library of marketing tutorials and resources for Jackson County businesses and Chamber members.
• Jackson County ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJackson County Parks partnered with Experience Jackson to create the Jackson County Parks Challenge 2026, a gamified initiative encouraging visitors to explore 14 park locations using the Experience Jackson app to check in and win prizes.
• Jackson County Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is a co-eligible organization for Experience Jackson's free Destination Uplift digital marketing education program, allowing Chamber member businesses to access the training resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: Official CVB for Ann Arbor and surrounding Washtenaw County, Michigan. Directly comparable as a county-level DMO running destination marketing, events promotion, and lodging coordination in a Michigan market.
• Visit Detroit: Official destination marketing organization for Detroit, Michigan. Comparable as a Michigan DMO promoting urban tourism, events, and attractions, though at significantly larger scale and budget.
• Visit Grand Rapids: Official Convention and Visitors Bureau for Grand Rapids, Michigan. Directly comparable as another Michigan regional DMO with similar mandate to promote tourism, lodging, and events, though operating at larger scale.
• Travel Marquette: Convention and Visitors Bureau for Marquette County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Comparable as a small, county-level DMO focused on outdoor recreation, parks, and seasonal tourism in a Michigan market.
• Traverse City Tourism: Regional DMO promoting the Traverse City area of northern Michigan. Comparable as a Michigan destination marketing organization focused on attracting visitors with curated experiences, events, and outdoor recreation.

Broad incumbents

• Pure Michigan (Travel Michigan): State-level destination marketing campaign operated by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Comparable as a DMO authority for Michigan tourism, operating at the state level rather than county level.

Others

• Simpleview: CRM, content management, and digital platform provider purpose-built for destination marketing organizations. Comparable as the technology stack that powers many DMOs' websites, trip planners, and apps.
• CrowdRiff: Visual marketing platform used by DMOs and tourism boards to source, curate, and distribute user-generated content and photography. Comparable as an enabling technology used by destination marketing organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/joshfromenglandfb
• Instagraminstagram.com/experiencejxn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/experience-jacksonmi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Experience Jackson