The Rapid City Convention and Visitors Bureau, often called the Rapid City CVB, is a non-profit destination marketing organization promoting leisure travel, special/sporting events and group travel/tours to Rapid City and the Black Hills Area.
 

Mission Statement

“To market the Rapid City area as a convention and leisure destination and to promote economic growth that will enhance the area for visitors and residents"
 

CVB History

The Rapid City CVB was organized in July 1971 and is a separately supported bureau of the Chamber of Commerce. John Kolb was the first Executive Director of CVB and John Derby was the first elected chairman of the CVB. After the flood of 1972, the CVB was a great supporter of the new civic center and the first convention signed for Rapid City Civic Center was the National Association of County Agricultural Agents.

The CVB has been an integral part of Black Hills tourism, promoting events such as the first Farmer’s Market in 1982, “Good Morning America” broadcasting live from Mt. Rushmore in 1986, the new “Great Faces, Great Places” Tourism Theme revealed in Pierre in 1990, the premiere of Dances with Wolves in Rapid City in 1990, President Bush dedicating Mt. Rushmore’s 50^th Anniversary in 1991 and hosting the first annual Travel Writers Convention in 1993. The CVB has also grown with technology over the years by opening the Tourist Information Center in 1980, and launching the CVB website in 1997 which went mobile in 2011.

The CVB celebrates its 40^th anniversary in 2011 which coincides with the new Main Street Square opening in downtown Rapid City.