Experience Sioux Falls

EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS WORKS WITH STRATEGIC PARTNERS TO MARKET SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, DEVELOP TOURISM, AND STRENGTHEN EVENTS PROVIDING POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE SIOUX FALLS COMMUNITY.

EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS, FORMERLY THE SIOUX FALLS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, IS FUNDED BY TWO SOURCES. WHEN THE ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY 70'S, THE CITY AGREED TO FUND THE GROUP THROUGH A 1% ROOM TAX PLUS 500,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND. THIS ROOM RAX WAS COLLECTED FROM ALL SIOUX FALLS HOTELS AND DIRECTED TO THE ORGANIZATION. IN 2011, A BID (BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT) WAS FORMED BY SIOUX FALLS HOTELS, IN COOPERATION WITH THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, TO FURTHER FUND EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMAINING COMPETITIVE IN SALES AND MARKETING. THE BID BECAME EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1, 2011, VIA CITY ORDINANCE AND IS COLLECTED FROM ALL HOTELS WITH 40+ ROOMS IN THE CITY LIMITS OF SIOUX FALLS. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE 500,000 WAS NO LONGER PROVIDED TO EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS. EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS (ESF) - FORMERLY KNOWN AS CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (CVB), EXISTS TO BRING VISITORS TO SIOUX FALLS TO CREATE ECONOMIC IMPACT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I.E.: HOTEL ROOM TAX, SALES TAX, AND JOBS. ESF BOOKED 97 CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS, AND EVENTS INVOLVING 56,181 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. ESF DISTRIBUTED 113,516 VISITOR GUIDES VIA MAIL, DIRECT MAIL, READER RESPONSE, DOWNLOADS, AND VIEW, AND TO CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS, AND EVENT ATTENDEES IN SIOUX FALLS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS TO SIOUX FALLS ESTIMATED BY ESF IS 1,190,763. ESF SERVICED 106 CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS AND EVENTS INVOLVING 230,781 PEOPLE. ESF PRINTS PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS SIOUX FALLS VISITOR GUIDE (150,000). ESF TRAVELS NATIONWIDE MAKING SALES CALLS AND BID PRESENTATIONS TO BRING NEW BUSINESS TO THE CITY. DIGITAL AND PRINT SALES AND MARKETING PROGRAMS ARE COMPLETED TO ADVERTISE THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER AT FALLS PARK IS ALSO MANAGED BY ESF. ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2022, ESF BECAME AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION AND RECEIVED A TRANSFER OF NET ASSETS FROM THE GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THIS TRANSFER IS REFLECTED AS PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUE IN PART VIII, STATEMENT OF REVENUE.