Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

The Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Aberdeen Area CVB) markets the City of Aberdeen to visitors at trade shows, travel shows, in print advertising, digital marketing, Internet web sites (www.VisitAberdeenSD.com and www.HuntFishSD.com), social media, special events, and co-op marketing with regional and state tourism organizations.The Aberdeen Area CVB provides many services that no other organization in Aberdeen does. The Aberdeen Area CVB bids on conventions, meetings, events, and sporting events and provides free complimentary services to these groups including, but not limited to, personalized name badges, visitor welcome packets, coupons, maps, weather updates, registration staff assistance, site location selection, official City welcomes, hospitality breaks, event sponsorship, and spouse tours. In addition, the Aberdeen Area CVB coordinates volunteers for many events and hosts hospitality rooms for the SDHSAA State Tournament events. In 2025, the Aberdeen Area CVB coordinated over 178 volunteer hours with our core group of volunteers for a total value of $5,551.82 (Independent Sector Report).The Aberdeen Area CVB operates two Visitor Information Centers, one in our main office at 506 S Main St, Suite 1 and another two being an information kiosk in the Visitor Center at Storybook Land and the Cabin at Wylie Park. The Aberdeen Area CVB direct staff continue to order and stock both centers with tourism literature while assisting visitors. The Aberdeen Area CVB maintains and fills 26 information racks throughout Aberdeen in various locations. We also provide the SD State Information Centers with thousands of the official Aberdeen Visitor Guide which we develop each year. The official Aberdeen Visitor Guide is also made available to other organizations and businesses such as the Downtown Association, Chamber, ADC, Aberdeen Regional Airport, library, city offices, lodging facilities and other Aberdeen businesses to be used in their marketing and recruiting efforts.The Aberdeen Area CVB is the only organization that coordinates requests for information about our city and attractions. In 2025, we mailed or distributed 28,313 vacation requests and 10,538 hunting guide requests for information from our ad placements, our websites, travel show attendance, social media, digital marketing, and by phone. The Aberdeen Area CVB will continue to track our requests for information by location and promotion/ad to determine effectiveness and response rate.The Aberdeen Area CVB currently maintains a database of 612 conventions/reunions/group tours. We continue to revamp the database to be more efficient on our end. This represented some classifications and numerous updates to make the process easier to track. We continue to contact/update each of these groups in 2025 depending upon their meeting date. We have set a goal to research and be more accountable on tracking the economic impact of events held in Aberdeen.The Aberdeen Area CVB is proud to play a role in economic growth, vitality, and quality of life in Aberdeen. We will continue to work hard to showcase Aberdeen as a great place to visit, to play and to stay.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: Limited
• Program expense ratio: Limited
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 52.8%; rating input score 53; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.09; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 17.4%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.8% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings