LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Amazing You,
Before I became CEO of Visit Rapid City, I was eager for the chance to promote the Black Hills region. I loved the idea of ten famous parks and monuments, the new Summit Arena, and the elevated hotel scene. I imagined what it would be like to steward a place that draws nearly four million visitors each year and work with partners who understand the impact of tourism on our local economy.
Now, I’m living it—and it’s so much better than I could have imagined.
This year, we didn’t just focus on driving leisure tourism… we pushed harder, we thought bigger. We embraced stewardship, stood up a sports commission, increased editorial placements through a strategic PR effort, and invested $250,000 in grant money from Travel South Dakota to bring in a record number of meetings and events.
And we’re just getting started.
On page 7, you’ll see a list of key Winning Moments from 2023. Page 8 gives a snapshot of our financials—how we allocated our resources and the incredible team behind the work. On page 12, you’ll see the impact tourism has had on Rapid City—how many visitors came, how long they stayed, and how much they spent while in market. Plus, we also included some fun stats that show why tourism is not only critical, but necessary to keep our economy thriving.
Our tagline may have changed this year, but our drive to DO BIG THINGS has not. And none of it would be possible without YOU. Your dedication, passion, and belief in this community are the backbone of our success.
Thank you for your energy, your commitment, and your belief in what’s possible. I can’t wait to see what we achieve together next.
With appreciation,
BROOK KAUFMAN, CDME, CTA President & CEO
Visit Rapid City
VISIT RAPID CITY’S
Winning Moments
We believe that every achievement, big or small, is a step forward in our mission and vision. Throughout the year, we collected successes and displayed them in our office on the “Wall of Wins”. Some of these key wins are listed on page 7, celebrating the collective efforts to create a more vibrant Rapid City. There are a few really stellar moments, you’ll find those have been highlighted.
◊ Hosted successful Amazing Rush Season 7
◊ First retail sale $12.72
◊ The tourism industry worked together to bring House Bill 1109 to life during the 2023 Legislative Session. HB 1109 would have given municipalities across the state the ability to raise the cap on the occupation tax from $2.00 per room per night maximum to up to four percent. The bill cleared the House and Senate with majority vote and was ultimately vetoed by the Governor.
◊ Awarded $250,000 from Travel South Dakota for the DMO Marketing Assistance Program
◊ City View Trolley sold out for the first time
◊ First A.I. assisted content added to website
◊ Tyson Steiger awarded 2023 UMCVB Geist Up & Coming Leader
◊ Shelby received the SD Tourism’s 2023 Governor’s Rising Star Award
◊ RCSC hit $125K fundraising goal
◊ Held the first official Rapid City Certified Tourism Ambassador class
◊ New brands developed for Visit Rapid City, Rapid City Area Tourism Ambassador Program, Rapid City Sports Commission, and City View Trolley. While each brand functions independently, they are all a function of helping the organization reach its strategic goals.
◊ RCSC won first National Championships BID with United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association
◊ Dani Benne accepted into Elevate Leadership Institute
◊ Broke a handful of sales records, including: most meeting sales leads in a month, most sales wins in a month, most leads sent in a year, and most account wins in a year.
◊ Brook Kaufman appeared as a guest on DMOU Podcast with Bill Geist
◊ Cody Wiseman spoke about accessible travel at Destinations International Marketing Summit
◊ Launched new websites VisitRapidCity.com and RCSportCommission.com
◊ Cody Wiseman awarded Destinations International 30 under 30
◊ @VisitRapidCity became the most followed city DMO Instagram account in the State of South Dakota
◊ Brook Kaufman was elected as DMA West President for the 2023 - 2024 term
◊ Marketing team won a Silver ADDY Award for Dinosaur Park video
◊ RCSC wins Auggie vs CCU Baseball Series
◊ Marketing team won a Silver ADDY Award for the 2022 Rapid City Visitors Guide
◊ Thirty-two restaurants participated in a record breaking Restaurant Week
◊ City View Trolley sold its 1,000th tour ticket
◊ Completed the first site BID for 2024 USA BMX National
◊ First trolley survey completed received five stars
◊ In 2022, VRC diversified sales and marketing efforts by ramping up public relations efforts. VRC works with Lightning Bug Public Relations to garner editorial coverage for the destination. This is done through influencer marketing, MAT releases, traditional press releases and media pitches. In 2023, Lightning Bug helped secure over $5M in positive PR coverage for the destination.
◊ Organization received the Destination Marketing Accreditation from Destinations International
◊ Cody Wiseman selected as an Accessibility Champion to watch in ‘24 by Travel Ability
◊ Ally Formanek graduated Elevate’s Leadership Program
◊ Tyson is accepted to the Destination International’s Convention Sales and Services Committee
◊ Visit Rapid City second floor offices sees recordbreaking 45 visitor walk-ins in one day
◊ Clean Audit (2023)
◊ VRC certifies the first 100 Tourism Ambassadors
◊ City View Trolley makes its first appearance in the Rapid City Parade of Lights
◊ In 2021, Rapid City and the Black Hills experienced historic visitation. That led to some tension between the number of visitors and how residents want the area to be cared for. Visit Rapid City engaged Clarity of Place to develop a comprehensive plan to be better stewards of the area. The plan was launched to stakeholders in 2Q 2023.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW BOARD & STAFF
2023 BUDGET
VRC BOARD MEMBERS
Patrick Dame**
Rapid City Regional Airport
Scott Landguth
SD Ellsworth
Development Authority
Tim Johnson
Howard Johnson Inn & Suites
Mike Derby
Canyon Lake Resort
Kelly Buntrock*
First Interstate Bank
Wade Lampert
Best Western Ramkota
Chris Johnson
Tinder Box
Robin Zebroski**
Monument Health
Katelyn Cook*
Gunderson Palmer
Michelle Pawelski
Firehouse Wine Cellars
Jesse Scheitler*
Lost Cabin Beer Co.
Stephanie Dowling*
Black Hills Energy
Lynzie Montague*
Liv Hospitality
VISIT RAPID CITY STAFF
Brook Kaufman President & CEO
Ally Formanek Director of Operations
Shelby Solano
Destination
Experience Manager
Domico Rodriguez
Executive Director of
Rapid City Sports Commission
Dave Dolan
Sports Development Specialist
Tyson Steiger Director of Sales
BID BOARD MEMBERS
Wade Lampert*
Best Western Ramkota
Katie Houk*
Chris Bro Hospitality
Davis Dathe
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Lynzie Montague Liv Hospitality
Logan Steffens
Holiday Inn Rapid City Downtown -
Convention Center
Stacie Hull**
The Rushmore
Gavin Fawbush
Birch Lake Hospitality
Dani Benne
Director of Marketing
Kelsy Peterson
Digital Marketing Manager
Cody Wiseman
Creative Marketing Manager
Laurie Sutterer
Destination Specialist
OUR MISSION
Be the driving force behind growing visitation to enhance our local economy and quality of life.
OUR VISION
A more vibrant Rapid City celebrated by residents and visitors.
OUR VALUES
1 2 3 4 5 6
Earn Trust
Do what you say you’ll do. Be respectful. Create a safe, inclusive workspace for all.
Adapt
Embrace change. Be willing to pivot. Stay fluid. Stretch. Adjust for success.
Be Best-In-Class
Execute thoughtfully. Hustle. Prioritize to maximize. Grow. Deliver knock-yoursocks-off service.
Commit To Transparency
Lead with honesty. Answer questions directly. Share information quickly. Display radical integrity.
Embody Passion and Positivity
Share your passion. Have a ridiculously sunny attitude. Take pride in your work.
Communicate The Sh*t Out of Everything
Don’t let things fester. Be quick to clarify. Embrace friction. Stay open. Give others the benefit of the doubt.
IMPACT OF TOURISM 2023
Source: The Rapid City Visitor Economy 2023 & Datafy
3.8M VISITORS TO RAPID CITY
$479M DIRECT SPENDING
3.8 Days AVG. LENGTH OF STAY
7,452 JOBS CREATED BY VISITOR SPENDING $1,640 $51.4M TAX SAVINGS PER HOUSEHOLD STATE & LOCAL TAX REVENUE
$1,617,361
1,030 VISITOR CALLS
1,537 WALK-INS
10,294 VISITOR GUIDE DOWNLOADS
13,578 MAILED VISITOR GUIDES
51,621 MAPS DISTRIBUTED
1,258 TROLLEY TICKETS SOLD
503 PARTNER REFERRALS
MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS
Visit Rapid City received a $250,000 grant from Travel South Dakota to help facilitate growth in the meetings and conventions segment. The funds are being allocated for advertising and content development to position Rapid City as a premier meeting destination.
$3,111,657.96 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MEETINGS BOOKED
5,562 ROOM NIGHTS GENERATED
146 LEADS
114
59
12 MEETING ASSISTS
LEADS TURNED DEFINITE SITE VISITS HOSTED
LARGE GROUPS RAPID CITY WILL HOST IN 2024
◊ National Indian Health Board
◊ Society of Commercial Seed
◊ National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association
◊ Women on Wheels (WOW)
◊ Highpointers Club, World Wilderness Congress
◊ Tau Beta Pi Association
◊ Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR)
◊ Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs
AMAZING RUSH SEASON 7
Each year Visit Rapid City hosts the gold standard of site visits, The Amazing Rush. The goal of this FAM tour is to generate meetings industry awareness, new sales contacts, leads, and wins. The seventh season resulted in:
28 NEW SALES CONTACTS 09 LEADS
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
◊ The Rushmore Hotel
◊ Main Street Square
◊ The Hive
◊ Alternative Fuel Coffee House
◊ Black Hills Works
◊ Rapid City Arts Council
◊ Ugly Graffiti
◊ Reptile Gardens
◊ Rushmore Candy Co.
◊ Sugar Park Zipline
◊ Fort Hays Chuckwagon
◊ Black Hills Adventure Tours
◊ Black Hills Helicopters
◊ Sprockets
◊ Rushmore Tramway
◊ Custer State Park/Sylvan Lake Lodge
◊ Crazy Horse Memorial®
◊ Black Hills Institute
◊ Elks Theatre
◊ Best Western Ramkota
◊ Hotel Alex Johnson
◊ Vertex Sky Bar
◊ The Monument
◊ Holiday Inn
◊ Rapid City Regional Airport
CONTESTANTS
Cheryl & Summer Schreiner Helms Briscoe
Marianne Van Wagner & Dawn Stafford International Behavioral Neuroscience Society & American Aging Association
Rod & Rich Rydell Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems
SPORTS COMMISSION
The Rapid City Sports Commission was established to enhance sports tourism in the region while developing a comprehensive community plan to maximize Rapid City’s growth potential. We engaged the entire sports community to gather input and create a forward-looking strategy. With the planning phase complete, we are now focused on executing this plan. Below are the achievements from the first year of operation.
LAUNCH OF SPORTS COMMISSION WEBSITE
CREATION
OF CITYWIDE SPORTS CALENDAR
ADDITIONAL WINS
◊ Secured the United States Tumbling & Trampoline National Championships 2025
◊ Absorption of The Officials and the Rapid City Sports Hall of Fame banquet
◊ Partnered with Sports Facilities Companies for a sports facilities study and Pro Forma for a facility road map
PUBLIC RELATIONS
VRC works with Lightning Bug Public Relations to garner editorial coverage for the destination. This is done through influencer marketing, MAT releases, traditional press releases and media pitches. In 2023, Lightning Bug helped secure over $5M in positive PR coverage for the destination.
TOTAL PR REACH & VALUE
395,918,156 EDITORIAL REACH
$3,361,014.14 AD VALUE
$4,369,318.39 EARNED VALUE
ACCOLADES
Rapid City, South Dakota, Named a Winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2024 Family Travel Awards
Quote from Good Housekeeping:
“Our testers noted that the vibe was geared toward families with young kids. They especially liked how it catered to a wide range of interests, from history and museums to animals to water parks and more. Prioritize visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial®, especially in the morning when it’s less crowded. “The memorial itself is much larger than you’d expect,” said our tester. “The story behind it, as well as the Indian Museum of North America® located on the nearby grounds, is truly remarkable.”
“The 10 Least Visited States That Should Be On Your 2024 Travel List” “How to Be a Respectful and Responsible Traveler When on Indigenous Lands”
“13+ Fun Things to Do in Rapid City SD: Mount
“The Top 9 Festive Christmas Towns In The Midwest”
with a boo: the world’s spookiest hotel stays”
Rushmore and More”
“Rooms
“State Spotlight: South Dakota”
MARKETING
Marketing efforts were strategically focused on developing a new brand identity and website for Visit Rapid City. Our collaboration with Travel South Dakota and the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association in co-op marketing initiatives maximized the value of our investments. Additionally, we engaged in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally marketing and initiated media campaigns for the shoulder season with our new programmatic partner, Datafy.
DIGITAL
EMAIL MARKETING
Leisure, Meetings & Conventions, and Blog Segments
25,201
TO OPEN RATE
799,829
How to Experience Winter in our Parks & Monuments
VISITRAPIDCITY.COM
Just two months following the launch of the new website, we observed a remarkable 93% increase in sessions, accompanied by an overall improvement in engagement rates across the site.
WEBSITE
1,664,292
577,100
◊ Homepage
◊ Events Calendar
◊ Things To Do
◊ Where To Stay
◊ Top 10 Restaurants
171,916
TRAVEL SOUTH DAKOTA CO-OP
TARGET MARKETS TARGET MARKETS
PASSES (BANDWAGO) 2,850
The Rapid City Area Tourism Ambassador Program™ (CTA) was developed to foster a destination-wide network of best-in-class service professionals dedicated to elevating the visitor experience. Our goal is to not just enhance the service visitors experience today but to prepare for the future growth of Rapid City. The Rapid City Area Tourism Ambassador Program™ gives hospitality professionals and volunteers with the necessary tools and resources to provide visitors with “knock-your-socks-off” service in the Rapid City area. Learn more at CTANetwork.com
LOOKING AHEAD
Visit Rapid City has lofty goals for 2024 and beyond. In addition to growing visitation, visitor spend and the economic impact of tourism, there are several projects in the pipeline to continue to grow the visitor economy. Below is a list of current and future projects.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
4M VISITORS $500M VISITOR SPEND 5% GROWTH IN ROOM NIGHTS
CURRENT & FUTURE PROJECTS
◊ City of Presidents Audio Tour
◊ Visitor Center on Main Street
◊ Leave No Trace and sustainability efforts
◊ BID No. 2 for sports funding
◊ Strategic partnership with Downtown Rapid City
4.5+ SENTIMENT SCORES
◊ Policy efforts to pursue STIF, Sales Tax Rebate Financing, State Event Fund and an increase in BID funding
◊ Resident vertical to drive visiting friends and relatives segment
◊ Intentional use of AI to gain efficiencies across the organization
◊ Development and adoption of a short-term rental ordinance
◊ Grow CTA™ program to 500+ certified
◊ Improved wayfinding/welcome signage at city gateways
◊ Destination Masterplan (2025/2026)
