The Shires of Southwestern Vermont

What The Shires of Southwestern Vermont does

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont is a 501c3 nonprofit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) that promotes tourism and economic development across 15 towns and villages in Bennington County, Vermont — between the Taconic and Green Mountains and connected by Historic Route 7A (the federally and state-designated Shires of Vermont Byway). The DMO operates under the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce umbrella and serves member businesses, visitors, and the regional community through coordinated destination marketing, with two 'shire towns' anchoring the region — Bennington (South Shire) and Manchester (North Shire) — and proximity to NYC, Hartford, Boston, the Berkshires, and Northern New Jersey as source markets.

Its product portfolio is centered on a digital-plus-physical marketing stack: the exploretheshires.com information portal, the printed and digital Southwestern Vermont Travel Guide, the rack distribution system covering 20+ locations, the Holiday Inn Tours annual event across 17 lodging properties, the Shires of Vermont Byway documentary film, and destination marketing campaigns funded by State of Vermont tourism grants. The underlying technology stack is conventional digital marketing infrastructure — Squarespace-hosted web portal, Instagram and Facebook organic social, email newsletter, paid social/display buying, and rack-based print collateral — augmented by third-party creative agency partnerships (Matte Olive, Hearst StoryStudio) for campaign execution. The Transformational Tourism Campaign deployed inclusive storytelling and what the DMO terms 'location intelligence' for audience targeting in NY and MA feeder markets, generating 11,260 engagements and 1.1M+ impressions against guaranteed figures of 1,500 and 1M respectively.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue mix: (1) recurring chamber membership and affiliated organization fees across The Shires Young Professionals, the Bennington State Welcome Center, and the Southwestern Vermont Chamber Foundation; (2) State of Vermont tourism grant funding earmarked for marketing campaigns; and (3) per-transaction event ticket revenue from Holiday Inn Tours ($25 individual / $40 pair, with proceeds directed to local food-security nonprofits). Pricing for marketing services to lodging and attraction members is not publicly tiered; consumer-facing pricing is event-based only. The organization is governed by CEO Matt Harrington and operates with 1-10 employees from Bennington, Vermont.

Name

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont

Legal name

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization

Website

https://exploretheshires.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont is a 501c3 nonprofit Destination Marketing Organization promoting tourism across 15 towns in Bennington County, Vermont, through digital marketing, events, the Holiday Inn Tours program, and State of Vermont-funded destination campaigns targeting feeder markets in NY and MA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bennington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Chamber Memberships and Affiliated Organization Fees: The DMO operates as an entity under the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and oversees affiliated organizations including The Shires Young Professionals, Bennington State Welcome Center, and Southwestern Vermont Chamber Foundation. Revenue is derived from chamber memberships and affiliated organization contributions.
2. State of Vermont Tourism Grants: The organization receives state grant funding for destination marketing purposes, including transformational tourism grants that fund major campaigns.
3. Event Ticket Sales: The Holiday Inn Tours event generates ticket revenue ($25 per person, $40 for two persons) with proceeds benefiting local food security organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont is a 501c3 nonprofit Destination Marketing Organization that promotes tourism and economic development across 15 towns and villages in Bennington County, Vermont. The organization operates the exploretheshires.com website portal, publishes the Southwestern Vermont Travel Guide, runs the annual Holiday Inn Tours event, produces destination marketing campaigns (including a transformational tourism campaign targeting BIPOC travelers), and coordinates regional marketing across digital, print, social, and experiential channels in partnership with the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce.

Product overview

The Shires of Southwestern Vermont is a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) operating as a 501c3 nonprofit under the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The organization offers a unified product portfolio centered on regional tourism promotion, consisting of the Explore The Shires digital platform (website), the printed/digital Southwestern Vermont Travel Guide, the annual Holiday Inn Tours event program, the Shires of Vermont Byway documentary, and Transformational Tourism Grant campaigns. These offerings work together to market the region's 15 towns and villages as a four-season destination for travelers from major metropolitan areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holiday Inn Tours Annual self-guided holiday event showcasing 17 lodging properties across The Shires region from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with ticket proceeds benefiting local food security organizations. Targeted at visitors and community members interested in touring decorated lodging establishments during the holiday season.
• Explore The Shires Website The official tourism information portal for The Shires region, providing travel guides, event calendars, lodging and dining listings, recreation information, and articles about local attractions and activities. Targeted at visitors planning trips to Southwestern Vermont.
• Southwestern Vermont Travel Guide The official printed and digital travel guide for The Shires of Southwestern Vermont, published 2025-2026, featuring maps, listings, and feature articles about the region's attractions. Targeted at visitors seeking comprehensive information about Southwestern Vermont.
• The Shires of Vermont Byway Documentary

Quantifiable outcome

• Campaign generated 11,260 engagements and 1.1+ million impressions, exceeding targets of 1,500 engagements and 1 million impressions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Matte OlivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Creative agency partner for transformational destination marketing campaign funded by State of Vermont tourism grant. Campaign targeted BIPOC day-trippers and travelers ages 18-45 in New York and Massachusetts, using inclusive storytelling, social media content, and location intelligence.
• Hearst StoryStudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Content studio partner for transformational destination marketing campaign. Campaign significantly exceeded performance targets, generating 11,260 engagements and over 1.1 million impressions against guaranteed figures of 1,500 and 1 million respectively.
• Manchester Business AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2025Coordinator of Holiday Inn Tours event with The Shires DMO. The event showcases 17 lodging properties across the region with proceeds benefiting Manchester Community Food Cupboard, Arlington Food Shelf, and Bennington County Meals on Wheels.
• Manchester Community Food CupboardminorOthers · 7 December 2024Nonprofit beneficiary of Holiday Inn Tours event ticket proceeds, supporting food security in the Manchester area.
• Arlington Food ShelfminorOthers · 7 December 2024Nonprofit beneficiary of Holiday Inn Tours event ticket proceeds, supporting food security in the Arlington area.
• Bennington County Meals on WheelsminorOthers · 7 December 2024Nonprofit beneficiary of Holiday Inn Tours event ticket proceeds, supporting food insecurity programs across Bennington County.
• Southwestern Vermont Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that stewards The Shires DMO and brand. The chamber oversees day-to-day operations of regional marketing including social, print, digital, rack distribution, and public relations.
• Bennington Area Trails System (BATS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative pursuing development of multi-use trails in the Bennington region, supporting outdoor recreation tourism.
• Shires Outdoor Adventure and Recreation (SOAR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative promoting the region's natural resources while making outdoor recreation accessible to everyone, regardless of expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Southern Vermont Arts Center: Manchester-based arts and culture organization listed by The Shires as a partner attraction; comparable as a regional cultural attraction organization that The Shires actively cross-promotes, providing a model for how non-DMO cultural institutions in the region monetize tourism.

Regional players

• Hudson Valley Tourism: Regional DMO for New York's Hudson Valley; comparable as a neighboring drive-tourism DMO targeting NYC metro feeders with cultural, outdoor recreation, and culinary tourism similar to The Shires' positioning.
• Adirondack Regional Tourism Council: Multi-county DMO promoting New York's Adirondack region; comparable as a rural destination marketing organization running four-season outdoor recreation campaigns targeting downstate NY feeders, similar audience model to The Shires.
• 1Berkshire (Berkshire Visitors Bureau): Regional DMO promoting the Berkshire region of Western Massachusetts; directly comparable as a neighboring New England DMO targeting overlapping NYC/Boston/CT/MA drive tourism audiences with a cultural, outdoor, and culinary positioning similar to The Shires.

Broad incumbents

• Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing: State-level DMO responsible for promoting Vermont tourism statewide; directly comparable because both The Shires and the Vermont DTM operate as destination marketing organizations promoting Vermont tourism, with The Shires functioning as one of Vermont's regional marketing partners.
• Discover New England: Multi-state regional DMO promoting New England tourism internationally and domestically; comparable as a destination marketing organization that aggregates regional partners like The Shires for larger campaign distribution and audience reach.
• New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development: State-level DMO for New Hampshire; comparable as a state-level destination marketing organization promoting New England tourism with similar outdoor recreation, foliage, and cultural event programming to Vermont's regional DMOs.

Direct peers

• Woodstock Vermont Area Chamber: Vermont regional chamber and visitor information organization in the Woodstock area; comparable as another small Vermont regional DMO promoting outdoor recreation, cultural events, and four-season travel in a multi-town setting.
• Manchester Vermont Chamber (parent organization overlap): Local business association coordinating Manchester tourism promotion alongside The Shires DMO; directly comparable as a partner organization sharing revenue streams (chamber memberships, event coordination) and overlapping marketing responsibilities within the same Shires region.
• Stowe Area Association: Regional DMO promoting Stowe and surrounding Lamoille County area in Vermont; directly comparable as another Vermont-based destination marketing organization running similar tourism campaigns, events, and content marketing for a multi-town region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theshiresofvermont
• Instagraminstagram.com/shiresofvermont

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 The Shires of Southwestern Vermont