Annual budget: $1.6 million
Mission: The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is responsible for promoting the Rockford area as an attractive travel destination and enhancing the region s public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, RACVB strengthens the economic position of the region, enhances quality of life for residents and provides opportunities for people in our communities.
What the nominator said: RACVB has been a driver in marketing our region and in turn helping it generate increasing amounts of tourism revenue. Today, visitors spend more than $408 million annually in Winnebago County, up from $42 million when RACVB was established in 1984. Prior to the impact of COVID-19 and record losses in the industry, Rockford and Winnebago County achieved an unprecedented 10 years of growth in its tourism sector.