Explore Gwinnett (tourism & Film Office)

What Explore Gwinnett (tourism & Film Office) does

Explore Gwinnett Tourism + Film, legally the Gwinnett County Convention & Visitors Bureau (GCVB), is the official destination marketing organization for Gwinnett County, Georgia, operating as a quasi-governmental nonprofit under the oversight of the Gwinnett County Government. Headquartered in Duluth, GA, the organization markets Gwinnett County — Georgia's second-most populous county comprising 17 cities — as an overnight destination for conventions, sporting events, meetings, film productions, and leisure travel. It operates three core subsidiaries: the Gwinnett Sports Commission, the Gwinnett Film Office, and the Gwinnett Creativity Fund grant program.

The organization's platform is built on the Simpleview destination marketing system with Crowdriff-powered social media aggregation, delivering a content portal (exploregwinnett.org), free visitor magazine, e-newsletter, and event calendars. Branded product lines include the Seoul of the South Food Tour and digital passport program (launched May 2025), Gwinnett Beer Week (5th year in 2025), Gwinnett Burger Week (11th year in 2026), ARTober Gwinnett, the Gwinn & Tonic cocktail contest, and the inaugural Not Your Mother's Art Fest (October 2024).

Revenue is primarily derived from hotel/motel tax revenues and tourism development fees administered by Gwinnett County, supplemented by transactional income from ticketed food tours, merchandise sales through the Love Gwinnett brand, and partnership program fees. End-customer segments span leisure travelers, meeting and convention planners, sports event organizers, film production companies, wedding parties, and reunion groups. Distribution is multi-channel: self-serve digital for consumers, direct enterprise sales for meeting planners, and a hospitality partner network (L.E.A.D., Check-In, Ambassador programs) for resellers.

Name

Explore Gwinnett (tourism & Film Office)

Legal name

Gwinnett County Convention & Visitors Bureau (GCVB)

Website

https://exploregwinnett.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Explore Gwinnett is the official quasi-governmental destination marketing organization for Gwinnett County, Georgia, promoting tourism, conventions, sports events, and film production across 17 cities via digital content, branded events, and a hospitality partner network funded primarily by hotel/motel tax revenues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention services
• Film commission
• Sports tourism
• Visitor promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: Destination marketing services funded by Gwinnett County, supported by hotel/motel tax revenues and tourism development fees. Activities include marketing Gwinnett as an overnight destination for conventions, sporting events, meetings and leisure travel.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from organized events including Seoul of the South Food Tours, ticket sales for events, and partnership programs. Tours are often sold out indicating strong demand.
3. Merchandise Sales: Love, Gwinnett merchandise program selling apparel and branded goods to visitors and residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Explore Gwinnett Tourism + Film is Gwinnett County's official destination marketing organization (DMO), promoting the county as an overnight destination for conventions, sporting events, meetings, and leisure travel. It delivers group sales and destination marketing services, operates the Gwinnett Film Office for production support, manages the Gwinnett Sports Commission, runs culinary and cultural events such as Seoul of the South Food Tours and Gwinnett Beer Week, and administers the Gwinnett Creativity Fund arts grant program.

Product overview

Explore Gwinnett Tourism + Film serves as Gwinnett County's official destination marketing organization, operating as a platform offering multiple branded programs and services. The core offerings include tourism marketing and visitor services (visitor magazine, e-newsletter, website portal), event programs (Gwinnett Burger Week, Gwinnett Beer Week, ARTober Gwinnett), food & beverage passes (Seoul of the South Pass, Sippin' in the Suburbs Pass, Gwinn & Tonic), cultural experiences (Seoul of the South Food Tours), and specialized services for meetings/conventions, film production, sports events, and weddings. Supporting infrastructure includes the Gwinnett Creativity Fund grant program, Gwinnett Film Office, and Gwinnett Sports Commission, all designed to strengthen the county's economy through tourism and group sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seoul of the South: Korean cultural and food tour program showcasing Gwinnett's large Korean-American community and authentic Korean dining experiences.
• Gwinnett Creativity Fund
• Gwinnett Beer Week
• Gwinnett Burger Week

Products and services

• Seoul of the South Food Tour
• Seoul of the South Pass
• Sippin' in the Suburbs Pass
• Gwinnett Burger Week
• Gwinnett Beer Week
• Gwinn & Tonic
• ARTober Gwinnett
• Meetings & Conventions Services
• Wedding Planning Services
• Reunion Planning Services
• Gwinnett Film Office
• Gwinnett Sports Commission
• Gwinnett Creativity Fund
• Visitor Magazine
• Happy Gwinnsday E-Newsletter
• Not Your Mother's Art Fest

Quantifiable outcome

• Gwinnett Beer Week celebrating local craft breweries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seoul of the South Korean Food Tour PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2025Network of Korean restaurants participating in the Seoul of the South food tour program including 770 Korean BBQ, K-BBQ Factory, Honey Pig, and 9292 Korean BBQ.
• Hemsworth CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic relations firm handling all media inquiries for Explore Gwinnett. Primary contact for journalists and press-related communications. Contact: [email protected]
• Simpleview Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the Explore Gwinnett digital destination marketing platform. Mentioned as creator of the website technology.
• Gwinnett Sports CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-organization of Explore Gwinnett managing sports tourism and athletic events in Gwinnett County. Works to attract sporting events and support sports-related tourism.
• Gwinnett Film OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivision of Explore Gwinnett supporting film and production companies with locations, facilities, regulations, permits, incentives, and vendor resources.
• Gwinnett Creativity FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts and cultural grant program managed by Explore Gwinnett, awarding over $160,000 in 2026 to support local arts and culture organizations.
• L.E.A.D Program PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHospitality partner program engaging local hotels and tourism businesses in Gwinnett's tourism promotion and visitor services.
• The Check-In Hospitality MeetingsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHospitality partner initiative connecting meeting planners with local hotels and venues for conventions and events.
• Ambassador Program PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmbassador program engaging local tourism advocates to promote Gwinnett as a destination.
• The Westin Atlanta GwinnettcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAtlanta's newest Westin hotel property adjacent to Gas South District, featuring Sweetsong Kitchen and Bar and Overstory Bar rooftop dining. Part of the convention campus.
• Gas South DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner118-acre lakefront campus featuring Gas South Arena (13,000 seats) and convention center. Undergoing $170 million renovation. Home to Atlanta Gladiators hockey team.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Simpleview (CRM/DMS platform vendor): Website platform and CRM provider for DMOs. Simpleview powers Explore Gwinnett's digital platform and is an ecosystem/technology enabler rather than a competitor; included as a peer to flag the DMO technology stack.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau: Miami-Dade's DMO. Operates as a large, established DMO with multi-vertical programming (film commission, sports commission, culinary programming, arts grants) closely mirroring Explore Gwinnett's three-pillar operating model.
• Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: Georgia's largest city-level DMO. While Savannah and Gwinnett serve different visitor profiles, both operate within Georgia's tourism economy and compete for state-level tourism marketing dollars and inbound leisure travel.
• Visit Orlando: A large, established US destination marketing organization. While Orlando is a much larger destination, Visit Orlando is comparable as a DMO business model — funded by tourism taxes, marketing group sales, leisure travel, and convention business through partner venues.
• Destination DC: Washington DC's official destination marketing organization. Comparable as a large US DMO with multi-segment marketing (leisure, conventions, sports, film) and a portfolio of branded programs akin to Explore Gwinnett's Seoul of the South and signature events.
• Visit Austin: Austin's convention and visitors bureau. Comparable as a DMO that has built a distinctive cultural/food brand (live music capital, BBQ, food scene) — structurally similar to how Explore Gwinnett has built Seoul of the South around its Korean cultural identity.

Regional players

• Visit Atlanta: The official destination marketing organization for Atlanta. Both Visit Atlanta and Explore Gwinnett operate as quasi-governmental DMOs in the Atlanta metro area, marketing overlapping attractions, dining, and event venues to leisure and convention audiences.
• Visit Charlotte: Charlotte's destination marketing organization. Comparable as a mid-sized Southeastern US DMO with a focus on conventions, sports events, and culinary tourism, competing with Explore Gwinnett for regional group travel bookings.

Direct peers

• Cobb Travel & Tourism: Cobb County's DMO and convention marketing entity. It is a direct geographic peer to Explore Gwinnett, both serving Atlanta-area suburban counties with convention sales, leisure promotion, and signature events competing for the same overnight stay market.
• DeKalb County Convention & Visitors Bureau: DeKalb County's destination marketing organization, adjacent to Gwinnett in the Atlanta metro. Both serve suburban Atlanta counties with similar assets (parks, cultural attractions, dining) and target overlapping leisure and meeting segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/exploregwinnett

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Explore Gwinnett (tourism & Film Office)