Tc Convention & Visitors Bureau

What it reported doing in 2025

1. Marketing the destination traverse city tourism focuses the majority of its marketing efforts on the leisure travel market knowing that leisure also drives group demand. Target audiences vary depending on the time of year, theme, events, and attraction highlights. Throughout much of the year we target market segments that align with our values and show a propensity to convert. Frequent themes for promotion include: agriculture, culinary and wine / craft beverage offerings; outdoor recreation; events; golf; and sleeping bear dunes. Addition areas of focus include shopping, entertainment, casinos and more. Tct engages in collaborative marketing partnerships with regional partners to build awareness of common regional assets among targeted interest groups and collaborates with pure Michigan at a national and regional level to promote our region. Success is measured over the long-term impact on the destinations economy, as well as by evaluating near-term accomplishments reaching targeted audiences with our campaign. We use google analytics, smith travel research, airdna, and other research tools to track our marketing efforts and conversion. One of the best indicators of effectiveness is monitoring our monthly assessment collection to analyze year-over-year revenues. We actively review visitor numbers to the sleeping bear national lakeshore and tvc throughput. We also seek out anecdotal information from our members to help determine what they are observing and to corroborate the data with personal experiences and member data. 2. Promoting and supporting conferences, meeting and group travel, and international traverse city tourism has a sales and group services department that assists those planning a meeting or other group event in the area. Our primary goal is to proactively attract meetings and events that take place during off-peak times (need times), helping ensure greater industry sustainability by spreading out demand for hospitality businesses and staff resources. Target group markets include but are not limited to state, regional and national associations; corporate; smerf (social, military, education, religious and fraternal); sports; and group tours.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 79.7%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 91.3%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

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

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9.6%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.02; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 28% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings