What Experience Butler County does

Experience Butler County PA (legal name: Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau) is a nonprofit destination marketing organization designated in 2002 by the Butler County Board of Commissioners as the official tourism promotion and development body for Butler County, Pennsylvania. The organization rebranded to its current name in January 2025. Headquartered in Butler, PA with a secondary office in Zelienople, EBC employs roughly 10-12 staff led by President Amy Pack and operates on an approximately $2 million annual budget funded by county hotel tax revenue, business membership dues, Pennsylvania state tourism matching grants, and contributions to the affiliated Butler County Tourism Foundation 501(c)(3).

EBC's core offering is the ExperienceButler.com website — a content portal featuring visitor guides, event calendars, business directories, downloadable maps, and an event submission/RFP workflow. Digital products include the Tasty Trails program (self-navigated digital passports for Coffee Connection, Sweet Tooth Trail, and Hops Grapes & Grains), the Media Hub for journalists, and the quarterly photo contest. The organization also runs two grant programs — the Partner Grant Program (up to $2,000 per project) and the Butler County Tourism Foundation grant ($10,000 annually, $500-$2,000 per project for preservation and education) — and produces signature events including the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and the Moraine State Park Regatta, plus the annual Toast to Tourism awards dinner.

EBC's go-to-market is event- and partnership-driven. It targets out-of-region visitors (primarily the 25-mile Pittsburgh metro area), meeting and event planners, media/travel writers, and a network of local tourism business partners across agritourism, fairs/festivals, golf, history, outdoors, arts/culture, family fun, dining, shopping, and accommodations verticals. Marketing channels include content marketing via the "Butler Bound" blog, social media (#ExperienceButlerCounty), email newsletters, photo contests, brochure rack distribution, and earned media outreach. EBC has driven $601M in annual visitor spending (2022), supports roughly 4,000 tourism jobs, and contributed to hotel inventory growth from 1,409 rooms (2009) to 2,948 rooms (2018) in the county.

Name

Experience Butler County

Legal name

Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau

Website

https://experiencebutler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Experience Butler County PA is a nonprofit destination marketing organization designated by Butler County, Pennsylvania to promote tourism through visitor information, events, grant programs, and digital trail experiences. It serves visitors, meeting planners, and local tourism business partners across western Pennsylvania, 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor information services
• Convention bureau services
• Travel marketing organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Zelienople

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. County Hotel Tax: Primary funding source from a tax on overnight hotel stays. This tax generates revenue that supports local tourism operations, marketing, and grant programs.
2. Membership Dues: Annual partnership/membership dues from tourism-related businesses including agritourism, fairs and festivals, golf, history, outdoors, arts and culture, family fun, dining, shopping and accommodations.
3. State Tourism Matching Grants: State tourism matching grants and cooperative programs administered through Pennsylvania tourism initiatives.
4. Butler County Tourism Foundation Grants: 501(c)(3) foundation awarding grants ($500-$2,000 per project) for historic preservation and educational tourism projects. Funded through charitable contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Experience Butler County is the official county-designated destination marketing organization for Butler County, Pennsylvania. It promotes tourism through a comprehensive digital platform (experiencebutler.com), self-guided trail programs with digital passports, an annual destination guide, curated gift baskets, event planning services, and partner grant programs. The organization markets Butler County's attractions including Moraine State Park, the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, historic German-heritage towns, and a range of outdoor, cultural, and culinary experiences.

Product overview

Experience Butler County PA is a nonprofit destination marketing organization (DBA Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau) that operates a portfolio of tourism promotion products and services. The core offering is the ExperienceButler.com website, which serves as a comprehensive digital hub featuring visitor guides, event calendars, business directories, and interactive planning tools. The organization supports local tourism through its Partner Grant Program ($500-$2,000 awards) and Butler County Tourism Foundation Grant Program ($10,000 annual awards for historic preservation and education). Digital products include the Tasty Trails self-guided food/drink trail programs with digital passports, downloadable Maps and Brochures collection, and the annual Destination Guide. The organization also manages signature events including the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and Moraine State Park Regatta, plus seasonal offerings like Butler Baskets gift boxes and quarterly Photo Contests. The Media Hub provides press resources for journalists covering Butler County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ExperienceButler.com Website Comprehensive tourism destination website featuring visitor guides, event calendars, interactive maps, trail resources, business directories, and booking/visit planning tools for Butler County, Pennsylvania.
• Destination Guide Annual printed and digital destination guide showcasing Butler County attractions, dining, accommodations, and experiences for visitors.
• Media Hub Resource center for journalists and content creators containing press releases, high-resolution media images, video assets, and media visit request functionality for tourism-related stories.
• Tasty Trails Self-navigated digital trail programs featuring interactive passports that reward visitors for checking in at participating local food and beverage establishments, including the Coffee Connection, Sweet Tooth Trail, and Hops, Grapes & Grains tour.
• Maps, Brochures, and Trail Guides Collection of downloadable digital maps and trail guides including Butler County map, Moraine State Park map, North Country Trail guide, Butler-Freeport Trail, and Washington's Trail guide.
• Butler Baskets Curated gift basket program featuring locally-sourced products from Butler County businesses including jellies, coffee, olive oil, BBQ sauce, chocolate, and artisan items available for $75 plus shipping.
• Partner Grant Program Annual grant program awarding up to $2,000 to EBC partners for tourism enhancement projects including attraction improvements, signage updates, and new event creation. Nearly $50,000 distributed to 15 recipients in 2025.
• Butler County Tourism Foundation Grant 501(c)(3) foundation grant program awarding $10,000 annually for historic preservation and educational tourism projects in two categories: Preservation Projects and Educational Projects.
• Event Services Comprehensive event planning services including concessions, vendor coordination, and local business connections for meetings, conventions, and special events in Butler County.

Quantifiable outcome

• $601 million in visitor spending in Butler County (2022)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• White Barn (Prospect, PA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025Event venue host for EBC's annual Toast to Tourism dinner and awards ceremony.
• Bear Run Campground (Todd & Keith Wehr)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 May 2025Multi-generational campground partner collaborating with Moraine State Park on events like the Regatta. 2025 Tourism Ambassador of the Year award recipients.
• Pennsylvania Tourism Partners (Visit PA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2025State tourism matching grants program providing funding matched against EBC's county hotel tax allocation. EBC falls under the 'Pittsburgh & its Countryside' region for Visit PA's economic impact reporting.
• Butler County Tourism FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2010501(c)(3) charitable organization for historic preservation, revitalization and education. Administered through EBC; established May 2010. Awards $10,000 in annual grants for preservation and educational projects.
• Butler County Board of CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body that designated EBC as the official tourism promotion and development organization for Butler County in 2002.
• Mühlhausen, Germany (Saxonburg Sister City)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaxonburg's sister city partnership with Mühlhausen, Germany, tied to Roebling family legacy. Results in cultural exchanges between communities.
• Friends of the Bantam Jeep AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that plans and executes the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. FBJA uses operational proceeds to support charitable contributions to local non-profits.
• Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest (Dennis Quigley)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAward-winning resort attracting families each season. 2025 Destination Development Award recipient for transforming Harrisville campground.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: The national destination marketing organization for the United States. Comparable as a higher-tier DMO that runs cooperative international/domestic marketing campaigns in which county-level CVBs like EBC participate and align messaging.
• Visit PA: The state-level DMO for Pennsylvania. Broader incumbent operating across all PA counties; provides the matching grant program that flows funding to EBC and comparable county CVBs.

Direct peers

• Visit Erie: The official DMO for Erie, PA. Directly comparable as a Pennsylvania CVB of similar scale and mandate, focusing on outdoor recreation, water-based attractions, and event-driven tourism promotion.
• Visit Bucks County: The official tourism promotion agency for Bucks County, PA. Comparable in operating model (county CVB, hotel-tax funded, member-driven), with a mix of heritage, outdoor, and family attractions similar to Butler County's positioning.
• VisitPittsburgh: The official DMO for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, operating as a sister CVB in the same 'Pittsburgh & its Countryside' tourism region. Highly comparable in mission (county-level destination promotion), revenue model (hotel tax funded), and product mix (digital content, events, partner programs).
• Visit Galveston: A county/parish-level DMO comparable in scale, with a similar mix of outdoor recreation, heritage sites, signature events, and digital trail/promotion programming.
• Gettysburg Travel Bureau: The destination marketing organization for Gettysburg/Adams County, PA. Comparable as a heritage-driven Pennsylvania CVB, with similar grant/partnership programs and visitor-center-driven distribution.
• Discover Lancaster: The official DMO for Lancaster County, PA. Comparable as a Pennsylvania county-level destination marketing organization with similar funding model (hotel tax), partner membership structure, and emphasis on heritage/culinary tourism.
• Visit Loudoun: The official DMO for Loudoun County, Virginia. Comparable mid-sized county CVB with rural/agri-tourism positioning, wine and culinary trails, equestrian activities, and a hotel-tax-funded operating model similar to EBC.

Others

• Simpleview: The dominant CRM/website platform provider to US destination marketing organizations. Relevant peer as a technology enabler that powers many CVB websites, content libraries, and member partner tools similar to those EBC uses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Butler County