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Viad

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FY2019 Annual Report · Viad
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K

(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 

1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT 

OF 1934

For the transition period from ____________ to ____________

Commission file number: 001-11015

Viad Corp

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization
1850 North Central Avenue, Suite 1900
Phoenix, Arizona
(Address of principal executive offices)

36-1169950
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

85004-4565
(Zip Code)

(602) 207-1000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class
Common Stock, $1.50 Par Value

Trading Symbol(s)
VVI

Name of each exchange on which registered
New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to 
such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 
405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to 
submit such files.)    Yes  ☒    No  ☐
Indicate by check mark whether registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or 
an  emerging  growth  company.  See  the  definitions  of  “large  accelerated  filer,”  “accelerated  filer,”  “smaller  reporting  company,”  and  “emerging 
growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer

  ☒
  ☐

   Accelerated filer
   Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company

  ☐
  ☐
  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with 
any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒
The aggregate market value of the Common Stock (based on its closing price per share on such date) held by non-affiliates on the last business day 
of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 29, 2019) was approximately $1.3 billion.
Registrant had 20,350,597 shares of Common Stock ($1.50 par value) outstanding as of January 31, 2020.

Documents Incorporated by Reference
A portion of the Proxy Statement for the Viad Corp Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for May 19, 2020, is incorporated by reference into 
Part III of this Annual Report.

INDEX

Page

Business...........................................................................................................................................................2
Risk Factors .....................................................................................................................................................15
Unresolved Staff Comments............................................................................................................................18
Properties.........................................................................................................................................................18
Legal Proceedings ...........................................................................................................................................19
Mine Safety Disclosures..................................................................................................................................19
Information about our Executive Officers.......................................................................................................19

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 
Equity Securities..............................................................................................................................................21
Selected Financial Data ...................................................................................................................................23
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations .........................24
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk ........................................................................35
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ...............................................................................................36
Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure ........................84
Controls and Procedures..................................................................................................................................84
Other Information............................................................................................................................................87

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ..............................................................................88
Executive Compensation .................................................................................................................................88
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 
Matters.............................................................................................................................................................88
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence................................................88
Principal Accounting Fees and Services .........................................................................................................88

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule ....................................................................................................88
Form 10-K Summary ..............................................................................................................................
92

Part I

Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Other.

Part II

Item 5.

Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.

Part III

Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.

Item 13.
Item 14.

Part IV

Item 15.
Item 16.

In  this  report,  for  periods  presented,  “we,”  “us,”  “our,”  “the  Company,”  and  “Viad  Corp”  refer  to  Viad  Corp  and  its 
subsidiaries.

 
 
 
Forward-Looking Statements

PART I

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2019 Form 10-K”) contains a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning 
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this 2019 Form 
10-K,  including  the  following  sections:  “Business”  (Part  I,  Item 1),  “Risk  Factors”  (Part  I,  Item 1A),  “Management’s 
Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations”  (Part  II,  Item 7),  and  “Quantitative  and 
Qualitative  Disclosures  About  Market  Risk”  (Part  II,  Item  7A).  Words,  and  variations  of  words,  such  as  “will,”  “may,” 
“expect,”  “would,”  “could,”  “might,”  “intend,”  “plan,”  “believe,”  “estimate,”  “anticipate,”  “deliver,”  “seek,”  “aim,” 
“potential,” “target,” “outlook,” and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements. Similarly, 
statements  that  describe  our  business  strategy,  outlook,  objectives,  plans,  initiatives,  intentions  or  goals  also  are  forward-
looking  statements.  These  forward-looking  statements  are  not  historical  facts  and  are  subject  to  a  host  of  risks  and 
uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the 
forward-looking statements. 

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements 
include, but are not limited to, the following:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•

our ability to successfully integrate and achieve established financial and strategic goals from acquisitions;
fluctuations in general economic conditions;
our dependence on large exhibition event clients;
the importance of key members of our account teams to our business relationships;
the competitive nature of the industries in which we operate;
travel industry disruptions;
unanticipated delays and cost overruns of our capital projects, and our ability to achieve established financial and 
strategic goals for such projects;
seasonality of our businesses;
transportation disruptions and increases in transportation costs;
natural disasters, weather conditions, and other catastrophic events;
our multi-employer pension plan funding obligations;
our exposure to labor cost increases and work stoppages related to unionized employees;
liabilities relating to prior and discontinued operations;
adverse effects of show rotation on our periodic results and operating margins;
our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations;
our exposure to cybersecurity attacks and threats;
compliance with laws governing the storage, collection, handling, and transfer of personal data and our exposure to 
legal claims and fines for data breaches or improper handling of such data; 
the effects of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union; and
changes affecting the LIBOR. 

For a more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties that may affect our business or financial results, refer to “Risk 
Factors” (Part I, Item 1A of this 2019 Form 10-K). We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any 
forward-looking statement in this 2019 Form 10-K except as required by applicable law or regulation.

1

Item 1. BUSINESS

We  are  an  international  experiential  services  company  with  operations  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom, 
continental Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Iceland. We are committed to providing unforgettable experiences to our 
clients and guests. 

We operate through two business groups: 

•

•

GES  is  a  global,  full-service  live  events  company  offering  a  comprehensive  range  of  services  to  the  world’s 
leading brands and event organizers.
Pursuit  is  an  attractions  and  hospitality  company  that  provides  a  collection  of  inspiring  and  unforgettable 
experiences in iconic destinations.

2019 REVENUE
$1.4B

2019 SEGMENT OPERATING 
INCOME(1)  $90.2M

16%

84%

40%

60%

GES

Pursuit

(1) We  define  segment  operating  income  as  net  income  attributable  to  Viad  before  income  (loss)  from  discontinued 
operations,  corporate  activities  and  eliminations,  interest  expense  and  interest  income,  income  taxes,  restructuring 
charges,  impairment  charges  and  recoveries,  the  reduction  for  income  attributable  to  non-redeemable  noncontrolling 
interest,  and  the  addition  of  loss  attributable  to  redeemable  noncontrolling  interest.  Refer  to  Note  23  –  Segment 
Information  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  (Part  II,  Item  8  of  this  2019  Form  10-K)  for  a 
reconciliation of segment operating income to the most directly comparable GAAP measure. 

GES is a global, full-service provider for live events that partners with show organizers, exhibitors, and brand marketers to 
create  high-value,  face-to-face  events.  GES  offers  a  comprehensive  range  of  live  event  services,  from  the  design  and 
production  of  compelling,  immersive  experiences  that  engage  audiences  and  build  brand  awareness,  to  material  handling, 
rigging, electrical, and other on-site event services. In addition, GES offers clients a full suite of audio-visual services from 
creative and technology to content and design, along with registration, data analytics, engagement, and online tools powered 
by  next  generation  technologies  that  help  clients  easily  manage  the  complexities  of  their  event.  For  eleven  years,  GES’ 
National Servicenter® has been certified under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center ProgramSM, and this past 
year also received certification for Chat Channel communication. For ten consecutive years, Ad Age has recognized GES as 
one  of  the  nation’s  largest  experiential/event  marketing  agency  networks.  For  the  sixth  year  in  a  row,  GES  is  included  in 
Event Marketer magazine’s Fab 50 list of the top exhibit builders. 

2

GES’ clients include event organizers and corporate brand marketers. Event organizers schedule and run the event from start 
to  finish.  Corporate  brand  marketers  include  exhibitors  and  domestic  and  international  corporations  that  want  to  promote 
their brands, services and innovations, feature new products, and build business relationships. GES serves corporate brand 
marketers  when  they  exhibit  at  shows  and  when  GES  is  engaged  to  manage  their  global  exhibit  program  or  produce  their 
proprietary corporate events. 

GES has a leading position in the U.S. with full-service operations in every major exhibition market, including Las Vegas, 
Chicago, Orlando, New York, and Los Angeles. Additionally, GES has operating facilities at many of the most active and 
popular  international  event  destinations  and  venues  in  the  United  Kingdom,  Canada,  Germany,  the  United  Arab  Emirates, 
and the Netherlands.

Markets Served

GES  provides  a  full  suite  of  services  for  event  organizers  and  corporate  brand  marketers  across  four  live  event  markets: 
Exhibitions, Conferences, Corporate Events, and Consumer Events (collectively, “Live Events”).

LIVE EVENT

PRIMARY PURPOSE

Exhibitions

  Facilitates business-to-business and business-to-

consumer sales and marketing.

% GES 2019 
REVENUE

56%

27%

15%

2%

Conferences

  Facilitates attendee education. May also include an 
expo or trade show to further facilitate attendee 
education and to facilitate business-to-business and 
business-to-consumer sales and marketing.

Corporate Events

  Facilitates attendee education of sponsoring company’s 

products or product ecosystem.

Consumer Events

  Entertains, educates, or creates an experience, typically 

around a specific genre.

3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Services Offered 

GES offers a comprehensive range of services and innovative technology, including Core Services, Event Technology, and 
Audio-Visual, to event organizers and corporate brand marketers.

2019 GES Revenue 
Mix
Core Services  88%

Event Technology  3%

Audio-Visual  9%

Core Services

GES  provides  official  contracting  services  and  products  to  event  organizers  and  corporate  brand 
marketers,  which  are  provided  primarily  to  Exhibitions  and  Conferences  and  to  a  lesser  extent  to 
Corporate Events and Consumer Events. 

Under various agreements with Live Event organizers, GES has the exclusive right to provide certain 
contracting  services  to  participating  exhibitors.  This  gives  exhibitors  a  single  point  of  contact  to 
facilitate  a  timely,  safe,  and  efficient  move-in/out  of  a  Live  Event  and  to  facilitate  an  organized, 
professional,  during-show  experience.  GES  also  competes  with  other  service  providers  to  sell 
discretionary services to exhibitors. 

Exclusive Services

Discretionary Services

Corporate Brand   
Marketers

Material handling
Electrical 
  distribution
Cleaning
Plumbing
Overhead rigging
Booth rigging

Event Organizers

Event planning and 
  production
Look and feel design
Layout and floor plan 
  designs 
Furnishings and carpet
Show traffic analysis
Marketing and strategy
Electrical distribution
Cleaning
Plumbing
Overhead rigging
Booth rigging

Exclusive Products

Event Organizers

Signage
Common area structures

Corporate Brand Marketers

Creative design and strategy
Data analytics and insights
Integrated marketing and pre/post event 
  communications
Event surveys
Return on investment analysis
Online management tools
Attendee/exhibit booth traffic analysis
Staff training
Logistics/transportation
Exhibit storage/refurbishment
Furnishings and carpet
Installation and dismantling labor
Tradeshow program management

Discretionary Products
Corporate Brand Marketers

Custom exhibit design/construction
Portable/modular exhibits and design
Graphics and signage

4

 
 
 
 
   
   
 
   
 
Event accommodation solutions:

Researching and selection of local hotels

•
• Negotiating and contracting
•
Room block management
• Group reservation management
•
Rate integrity and monitoring
• Marketing services
• On-site services
•

Post-event reporting

Event Technology

Registration and data analytics:

Registration and ticketing
Lead management
Reporting and analytics

•
•
•
• Web-based enterprise-wide application
•

Software-as-a-service model or partial and fully managed options

Event management tools: 

• Online ordering capabilities
•
•
•

Sponsorship management solutions
Content management systems
Live Event tracking

Audio-Visual

• Video production
•
Lighting design
• Digital studio services
•
•
•

Entertainment services and talent coordination
Projection mapping
Computer rental and support

5

Seasonality and Show Rotation

GES’ exhibition and event activity can vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year depending on the frequency 
and  timing  of  shows.  Some  shows  are  not  held  annually  and  some  shift  between  quarters.  During  2019  and  2018,  GES 
reported its highest revenue during second and fourth quarters. The following show rotation revenue metric refers to the net 
change in revenue from 2018 to 2019 due to show movement between quarters and years. Show rotation refers to shows that 
occur less frequently than annually, as well as annual shows that shift quarters from one year to the next.

GES Revenue 
(in millions)

2019 Show Rotation Revenue 
(in millions)

40

20

0

-20

-40

-60

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2019

2018

400.0

300.0

200.0

100.0

-

Competition

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

In the Live Events industry, GES generally competes across all classes of services and all markets on the basis of discernible 
differences, value, quality, price, convenience, and service. GES has a competitive advantage through its worldwide network 
of  resources,  history  of  serving  as  an  extension  of  clients’  teams,  experienced  and  knowledgeable  personnel,  client  focus, 
creativity, reliable execution, proprietary technology platforms, and financial strength. All known U.S. competitors and most 
international  competitors  are  privately  held  companies  that  provide  limited  public  information  regarding  their  operations. 
GES’  primary  competitor  within  its  Core  Services  is  a  privately-held,  U.S.-headquartered  company;  however,  there  is 
substantial competition from a large number of service providers in GES’ other service offerings. 

Growth Strategy

GES is committed to becoming the preferred global, full-service provider for Live Events. GES has combined the art of high-
impact creativity, service, and expertise with the science of easy-to-use technology, strategy, and worldwide logistics to help 
clients gain a greater return from their events and enhance the exhibitor and attendee experience. GES holds leading market 
positions  in  Exhibitions  and  Conferences  and  is  pursuing  a  focused  and  disciplined  growth  strategy  with  the  goal  of 
expanding  its  market  share  in  the  currently  under-penetrated  Corporate  Events  market.  We  expect  to  accomplish  this  by 
acquiring businesses and capitalizing on organic opportunities that further the following goals:

•

•

•

Global Reach. Leverage global capabilities and large customer base to drive continued growth in new services 
and other Live Events.

Full-Service Provider. Growth of adjacent services to create a unique and integrated offering to deepen client 
relationships, expand client base, and increase share of total event spend.

Live  Events.  Penetration  into  other  Live  Events  to  leverage  our  existing  capabilities  and  gain  more  corporate 
clients.

6

 
Pursuit is an attractions and hospitality company that provides a collection of inspiring and unforgettable travel experiences 
in  iconic  destinations.  From  world-class  attractions,  distinctive  lodges,  and  engaging  tours  in  stunning  national  parks  and 
renowned  global  travel  locations,  to  our  growing  collection  of  FlyOver  flight  ride  experiences  in  the  vibrant  cities  of 
Vancouver,  Reykjavik,  Las  Vegas  (anticipated  opening  in  2021),  and  Toronto  (anticipated  opening  in  2022),  Pursuit’s 
elevated  hospitality  experiences  enable  visitors  to  discover  and  connect  with  these  iconic  destinations.  With  a  strategic 
direction to build an expanding portfolio of extraordinary experiences, Pursuit remains focused on refreshing, improving, and 
growing  its  collection  in  outstanding  places  around  the  globe.  Pursuit  draws  its  guests  from  major  markets,  including  the 
United  States,  Canada,  China,  the  United  Kingdom,  Australia/New  Zealand,  Asia  Pacific,  and  Europe.  Pursuit  markets 
directly  to  consumers,  as  well  as  through  distribution  channels  that  include  tour  operators,  tour  wholesalers,  destination 
management companies, and retail travel agencies. Pursuit comprises the following collections:

Banff Jasper Collection

Alaska Collection

Glacier Park Collection

FlyOver Attractions

With over 120 years of history in Canada’s oldest national parks, the 
Banff Jasper Collection provides experiential travel experiences in the 
majestic Canadian Rockies. Featuring sun-swept lake cruises in Banff 
and  Jasper  National  Parks,  top-of-the-mountain  views  at  the  Banff 
Gondola, and glacier exploration at the toe of the Columbia Icefield, 
the  collection  offers  visitors  unique  hotel  experiences,  attractions, 
culinary  destinations  and  retail  offerings.  The  collection  is  also 
complemented  by  a  robust  sightseeing  tour  and  transportation 
portfolio.

From the dramatic and rugged landscapes of Denali National Park to 
the  glaciers,  fjords  and  lush  vegetation  surrounding  Kenai  Fjords 
National  Park,  the  Alaska  Collection  offers  wilderness  tours  and 
glacier  cruises  complemented  by  unique  lodging  experiences  across 
some  of  Alaska’s  most  recognizable  interior  and  southcentral 
landscapes. From the port town of Seward, to the authentic mountain 
town  of  Talkeetna  to  the  end  of  the  road  in  Denali  National  Park, 
Pursuit  offers  a  collection  of  unique  attractions  and  hotels, 
complemented by culinary and retail services.   

Located  in  and  around  two  stunning  national  parks,  the  Glacier  Park 
Collection  features  lodging,  culinary  and  retail  experiences  and 
attractions designed to enable guests to experience both Montana and 
Southern  Alberta’s  stunning  outdoors.  The  collection’s  unique 
portfolio of lodging surrounding Glacier and Waterton Lakes National 
Parks  also  includes  three  historic  lodges  built  by  the  Great  Northern 
Railroad along with RV and rustic cabin stays.  

Pursuit’s  FlyOver  flight  ride  attractions  provide  guests  with  an 
exhilarating  flying  experience  over  iconic  natural  wonders,  hard  to 
reach locations, and picturesque scenery. Utilizing state-of-the-art ride 
and audiovisual technology, each FlyOver experience features moving 
ride vehicles with six degrees of motion, multi-sensory special effects, 
and  a  spherical  screen  that  provides  guests  with  a  flight  across 
stunning landscapes.  Special effects, including wind, mist and scents, 
combine  with  the  ride’s  motion  to  create  an  unforgettable  visceral 
experience. 

7

Pursuit’s collection of experiences focuses on four distinct lines of business. These include attractions, including food and 
beverage services and retail operations; hospitality, including food and beverage services and retail operations; transportation; 
and travel planning. 

Banff Jasper Collection

Banff  Gondola  transports  visitors  to  an  elevation  of 
over  7,000 feet  above  sea  level  to  the  top  of  Sulphur 
in  Banff,  Alberta,  Canada  offering  an 
Mountain 
unobstructed  view  of 
the  Canadian  Rockies  and 
overlooking the town of Banff and the Bow Valley. The 
Banff Gondola has been honored with two Top Project 
Awards  from  Alberta  Construction  Magazine.  The 
Banff  Gondola’s  winning  categories 
the 
People’s  Choice  Award  in  2016  and  the  Commercial 
Award (Under $50 Million) in 2016. The Banff Gondola 
received the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

include 

Lake  Minnewanka  Cruise  provides  guests  a  unique 
sightseeing experience through interpretive boat cruises 
on  Lake  Minnewanka  in  the  Canadian  Rockies.  The 
Lake  Minnewanka  Cruise  operations  are 
located 
adjacent  to  the  town  of  Banff  and  include  boat  tours, 
small  boat  rentals,  and  charter  fishing  expeditions.  The 
Lake  Minnewanka  Cruise  received  the  Trip  Advisor 
Certificate of Excellence.

Attractions

is  a 

tour  of 

Columbia  Icefield  Adventure 
the 
Athabasca  Glacier  on  the  Columbia  Icefield,  and 
provides  guests  a  view  of  one  of 
largest 
accumulations  of  ice  and  snow  south  of  the  Arctic 
Circle.  Guests  ride  in  a  giant  “Ice  Explorer,”  a  unique 
vehicle  specially  designed  for  glacier  travel.  The 
Columbia Icefield Adventure received the Trip Advisor 
Certificate of Excellence.

the 

Columbia  Icefield  Skywalk  is  a  1,312-foot  guided 
interpretive  walkway  with  a  98-foot  glass-floored 
observation  area  overlooking  the  Sunwapta  Valley,  in 
close  proximity  to  our  Columbia  Icefield  Adventure 
attraction  in  Jasper  National  Park,  Alberta,  Canada. 
Since  opening  in  2014,  the  Columbia  Icefield  Skywalk 
continues  to  win  awards  and  receive  international 
and 
innovative 
recognition 
environmentally  sound  architecture, 
the 
prestigious  Governor  General’s  Medals  in  Architecture 
in 2016.

design 
including 

for 

its 

8

Attractions

Maligne  Lake  Cruise  provides  interpretive  boat  tours 
at  Maligne  Lake,  the  largest  lake  in  Jasper  National 
Park,  Alberta,  Canada.  In  addition  to  boat  tours, 
Maligne  Lake  has  a  marina  and  day  lodge  that  offers 
food and beverage and retail services, an historic chalet 
complex and boat house that offers canoes, kayaks, and 
rowboats  for  rental.  Maligne  Lake  Cruise  received  the 
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

Alaska Collection

Kenai  Fjords  Tours  is  a  leading  Alaska  wildlife  and 
glacier  day  cruise,  offering  guests  unforgettable  sights 
of towering glaciers, humpback and grey whales, orcas, 
arctic  birdlife,  sea  lions,  seals,  and  porpoises  of  Kenai 
Fjords  National  Park.  Tours  range  from  a  few  hours  to 
full days, with some tours including a full meal of wild 
Alaskan  salmon,  prime  rib,  and  Alaskan  King  Crab  on 
Fox  Island.  Kenai  Fjords  Tours  received  the  Trip 
Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

lagoon.  Located 

Sky Lagoon
Sky  Lagoon  In  July  2019,  Pursuit  announced  plans  to 
expand  its  collection  of  travel  experiences  in  Iceland 
the  development  of  a  premium  oceanfront 
with 
geothermal 
in  Kársnes  Harbour, 
Kópavogur,  just  minutes  from  Reykjavik’s  vibrant  city 
centre and iconic urban landmarks, the sky lagoon will 
showcase  expansive  ocean  vistas  punctuated  by  awe-
inspiring  sunsets,  Northern  Lights  and  dark  sky  views. 
Development of the new sky lagoon kicked off in 2019, 
with the anticipated opening in 2021.

FlyOver Attractions

FlyOver Canada Since opening in June 2013 along 
Vancouver’s  widely  recognized  waterfront  in  the 
heart  of  downtown,  over  two  million  riders  have 
ride 
experienced  FlyOver  Canada.  The 
attraction  utilizes  state-of-the-art 
to 
reveal  some  of  Canada’s  most  awe-inspiring  sights 
as  guests  hang  suspended,  feet  dangling,  before  a 
65-foot  spherical  screen  while  the  film  whisks 
guests  away  on  an  exhilarating  journey  across  the 
country.  The  flight  ride,  complemented  by  an 
immersive  pre-show  experience,  has  received  the 
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. 

flight 
technology 

9

FlyOver  Iceland  is  an  exhilarating  flying  experience 
over  some  of  the  country’s  most  iconic  natural 
wonders,  hard  to  reach  locations  and  picturesque 
scenery.  The  attraction  opened  in  August  2019  along 
the  historic  harbor  in  Reykjavik’s  popular  Grandi 
Harbour  District,  just  minutes  from  downtown.  The 
attraction  also  features  two  pre-ride  multi-sensory 
experiences  featuring  Icelandic  glaciers,  volcanos,  and 
folklore to complement the overall FlyOver experience. 

In  February  2019,  Pursuit 
FlyOver  Las  Vegas 
announced  the  expansion  of  the  flight  ride  concept  to 
Las  Vegas.  Modeled  after  Pursuit’s  successful  FlyOver 
Canada  attraction,  FlyOver  Las  Vegas  will  provide 
guests  with  an  exhilarating  flight  experience  over  the 
locations, 
Southwest’s  most 
American 
picturesque 
scenery  and  natural  wonders.  With 
construction  scheduled  to  begin  in  2020,  the  new 
attraction  to  be  located  on  Las  Vegas  Boulevard  is 
anticipated to open in 2021. 

iconic 

FlyOver  Canada  Toronto  In  July  2019,  Pursuit 
announced the expansion of a new FlyOver attraction to 
be  located  at  the  base  of  the  famed  CN  Tower  in 
Toronto’s  Entertainment  District.  The  new  experience 
will feature a brand-new ride film showcasing Canada’s 
most  awe-inspiring  sights  and  will  include  the  creation 
of  two  immersive  pre-ride  experiences  housed  in  a 
newly  constructed  iconic  building.  Construction  on  the 
new  building  is  expected  to  begin  in  2020,  with  an 
anticipated opening in 2022.

Banff Jasper Collection

•
Elk + Avenue Hotel (164 rooms)
• Mount Royal Hotel (133 rooms) 
• Glacier View Lodge (32 rooms) 
•

Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre (152 
rooms)
•
Lobstick Lodge (139 rooms)
• Chateau Jasper Hotel (119 rooms)
• Marmot Lodge (107 rooms)
•
•
•

The Crimson Hotel (99 rooms)
Pyramid Lake Resort (62 rooms)
Pocahontas Cabins (56 rooms)

Attractions

Hospitality

10

Alaska Collection

• Denali Backcountry Lodge (42 rooms) 
• Denali Cabins (46 rooms) 
•
• Windsong Lodge (216 rooms) 
• Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge (8 rooms)

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (212 rooms) 

Hospitality

Glacier Park Collection

• Glacier Park Lodge (162 rooms)
• Grouse Mountain Lodge (145 rooms)
•
St. Mary Lodge (116 rooms)
•
Prince of Wales Hotel (86 rooms)
• Apgar Village Lodge (48 rooms) 
• West Glacier Motel & Cabins (32 rooms)
•
• Motel Lake McDonald (27 rooms) 
• West Glacier RV Park & Cabins (20 rooms)

Belton Chalet (27 rooms)

Transportation

The Banff Jasper Collection:
Transportation  operations  include  sightseeing  tours,  airport  shuttle  services,  and  seasonal  charter 
motorcoach services. The sightseeing services include seasonal half- and full-day tours from Calgary, 
Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, Canada and bring guests to the most scenic areas of Banff, Jasper, 
and Yoho National Parks. The charter business operates a fleet of luxury motorcoaches, available for 
groups  of  any  size,  for  travel  throughout  the  Canadian  provinces  of  Alberta  and  British  Columbia 
during the winter months. In 2020, we expect to launch a new historic sightseeing experience in the 
heart of Banff, with Open Top Touring.

Alaska Collection:
Transportation  includes  a  Denali  Backcountry  Adventure,  which  is  a  unique  photo  safari  tour  92 
miles deep into Denali National Park.

The Banff Jasper Collection:
Travel  planning  services  include  a  full  suite  of  corporate  and  event  management  services  for 
meetings,  conferences,  incentive  travel,  sports,  and  special  events.  Event-related  service  offerings 
include staffing, off-site events, tours/activities, team building, accommodations, event management, 
theme  development,  production,  and  audio-visual  services.  The  Banff  Jasper  Collection  also  owns 
and operates eight Pursuit Adventure Centers, which help guests book their leisure activities in Banff 
and Jasper National Parks. 

Travel Planning

Alaska Collection:
Travel planning services provide complete travel planning services throughout Alaska.

11

Seasonality

Pursuit  experiences  peak  activity  during  the  summer  months.  During  2019,  85%  of  Pursuit’s  revenue  was  earned  in  the 
second and third quarters. 

2019 Pursuit Revenue
(in millions)

160.0

140.0

120.0

100.0

80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Competition

Pursuit generally competes on the basis of location, uniqueness of facilities, service, quality, and price. Competition exists 
both locally and regionally across all four lines of business. The hospitality industry has a large number of competitors and 
competes for leisure travelers (both individual and tour groups) across the United States and Canada. Pursuit’s competitive 
advantage is its distinctive attractions, iconic destinations, and strong culture of hospitality and guest services.

Growth Strategy 

Pursuit’s growth strategy is to become a leading attractions hospitality company through its Refresh-Build-Buy initiatives:

•

•

•

Refresh.  Refreshing  our  existing  assets  and  processes  to  optimize  guest  experience,  market  position,  and 
maximize returns

Build. Building new assets that create new guest experiences and additional revenue streams with economies of 
scale and scope

Buy. Buying strategic assets that drive guest experience, economies of scale and scope, and improving financial 
performance

We  continue  to  search  for  opportunities  to  acquire  or  to  build  high  return  tourism  assets  in  iconic  natural  and  cultural 
destinations that enjoy perennial demand, bring meaningful scale and market share, and offer cross-selling advantages with a 
combination of attractions and hotels.

Recent Pursuit Developments

Banff Jasper Collection:

•

•

Acquisition of Mountain Park Lodges – On June 8, 2019, we acquired a 60% equity interest in Mountain Park 
Lodges’ group of seven hotels and an undeveloped land parcel located in Jasper National Park. The seven hotels 
include:  Sawridge  Inn  and  Conference  Centre;  Pyramid  Lake  Resort;  The  Crimson  Hotel;  Chateau  Jasper; 
Pocahontas Cabins; Marmot Lodge; and Lobstick Lodge.

Renovation of Glacier View Lodge – In June 2019, we completed the renovation of our 32-room Glacier View 
Lodge  in  Jasper  National  Park.  The  renovation  includes  an  elevated  lodging  experience  that  matches  its 
incredible views of the majestic Columbia Icefield. The Glacier View Lodge has been included in Fodor’s 100 
most incredible hotels in the world and top five hotels in Canada.

12

Alaska Collection:

•

Expansion of the Windsong Lodge – In June 2019, we completed the expansion of the Windsong Lodge, one of 
our hospitality properties located in Seward, Alaska, near Kenai Fjords National Park. This expansion features 36 
new guestrooms, six of which are suites. 

Glacier Park Collection:

•

•

Acquisition of Belton Chalet – On May 16, 2019, we acquired the historic Belton Chalet, which is located just 
outside the west entrance to Glacier National Park and includes 27 rooms and dining.

RV  and  Cabin  Park  Development  –  On  July  1,  2019,  we  opened  our  new  RV  and  cabin  park  located  at  the 
Glacier National Park entrance. These fully equipped RV sites and cabins include 102 RV slips, 20 guest cabins, 
five employee housing cabins, guest registration, and a laundromat.

Sky Lagoon:

•

Development of Sky Lagoon – On July 25, 2019, we announced plans for a new geothermal lagoon attraction 
that will be located on an oceanfront lot just outside downtown Reykjavik, Iceland. We expect to open our new 
attraction in 2021.

FlyOver Attractions:

•

•

•

•

Expansion  of  FlyOver  Concept  in  Las  Vegas  –  On  February  26,  2019,  we  announced  the  expansion  of  our 
flight ride theater concept into Las Vegas, Nevada, which is scheduled to open in 2021.

Expansion of FlyOver in Toronto, Canada – On July 25, 2019, we announced plans for the expansion of our 
flight ride theater concept into Toronto, Canada. We were awarded the right to construct the new attraction near 
the base of Canada’s CN Tower in the Entertainment District. We expect construction to begin in 2020, and the 
new attraction to open in 2022.

Opening of FlyOver Iceland. We opened our flight ride theater concept in Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik in 
August 2019. 

Improvements to FlyOver Canada Exterior Structure – In September 2019, we completed the construction 
and  development  of  a  new  guest  experience  building  that  includes  an  expanded  retail  store,  new  café,  and  an 
enhanced post-show.

Intellectual Property 

Our  intellectual  property  rights  (including  trademarks,  patents,  copyrights,  registered  designs,  technology,  and  know-how) 
are material to our business. 

We own or have the right to use numerous trademarks and patents in many countries. Depending on the country, trademarks 
remain  valid  for  as  long  as  we  use  them,  or  as  long  as  we  maintain  their  registration  status.  Trademark  registrations  are 
generally for renewable, fixed terms. We also have patents for current and potential products. Our patents cover inventions 
ranging from a modular structure having a load-bearing surface that we use in our event and exhibition services, to a surface-
covering installation tool and method that reduces our labor costs and improves worker safety. Our U.S. issued utility patents 
extend for 20 years from the patent application filing date, and our U.S. issued design patents are currently granted for 14 
years from the grant date. We also have an extensive design library. Many of the designs have copyright protection and we 
have also registered many of the copyrights. In the U.S., copyright protection is for 95 years from the date of publication or 
120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.  While we believe that certain of our patents, trademarks, and copyrights have 
substantial value, the loss of any one of them would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of 
operations.

Our Trademarks

Our  U.S.  registered  trademarks  and  trademarks  pending  registration  include  Global  Experience  Specialists  &  design®, 
GES®, GES Servicenter®, GES National Servicenter®, GES MarketWorks®, GES Measurement & Insight®, GES Project 
Central, The Art and Science of Engagement®, Trade Show Rigging TSR®, TSE Trade Show Electrical & design®, Earth 
Explorers®,  Compass  Direct®,  ethnoMetrics®,  eXPRESSO®,  FIT®,  ON  Services,  a  GES  Company  &  design®,  ON  Site 
Audio  Visual  &  design®,  FLYOVER®  &  design,  eco-sense®,  ONPEAK®,  Mount  Royal,  Above  Banff®,  Alaska  Denali 
Travel®,  Alaska  Denali  Escapes®,  Alaska  Heritage  Tours®,  by  Pursuit,  Kenai  Fjords  Tours  &  design®,  Kenai  Fjords 

13

Wilderness Lodge® & design, Seward Windsong Lodge & design®, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge®, Explore Rockies®, Denali 
Backcountry Adventure®, Denali Backcountry Lodge®, and Denali Cabins & design®. 

We also own or have the right to use many registered trademarks and trademarks pending registration outside of the United 
States, including GES®, ShowTech®, Poken®, Visit®, Visit by GES®, Blitz, a GES Company & design®, Brewster Inc. & 
design®,  Brewster  Attractions  Explore  &  design®,  Brewster  Hospitality  Refresh  &  design®,  Glacier  Skywalk®,  Above 
Banff®, Explore Rockies®, FLYOVER & design®, FLYOVER ICELAND & design, FLYOVER Canada & design, GES Event 
Intelligence  AG®,  Pursuit®,  by  Pursuit®,  Soaring  Over  Canada®,  Elk  +  Avenue  Hotel®,  Brewster  Epic  Summer  Pass®, 
and escape.connect.refresh.explore®. 

Government Regulation and Compliance 

Compliance with legal requirements and government regulations represents a normal cost of doing business. The principal 
rules and regulations affecting our day-to-day business relate to transportation (such as regulations promulgated by the U.S. 
Department  of  Transportation  and  its  state  counterparts),  our  employees  (such  as  regulations  implemented  by  the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, equal employment opportunity laws, guidelines implemented pursuant to the 
Americans  with  Disabilities  Act,  and  general  federal  and  state  employment  laws),  unionized  labor  (such  as  guidelines 
imposed by the National Labor Relations Act), U.S. and Canadian regulations relating to national parks (such as regulations 
established  by  Parks  Canada,  the  U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior,  and  the  U.S.  National  Park  Service),  and  U.S.  and 
Canadian regulations relating to boating (such as regulations implemented by the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard and state 
boating laws).

Some  of  our  current  and  former  businesses  are  subject  to  U.S.  federal  and  state  environmental  regulations,  including  laws 
enacted  under  the  Comprehensive  Environmental  Response,  Compensation  and  Liability  Act,  or  our  state  law  counterparts. 
Compliance  with  federal,  state,  and  local  environmental,  health  and  safety  provisions,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  those 
regulating the discharge of materials into the environment and other actions relating to the environment, have not had, and we do 
not  expect  them  to  have,  a  material  effect  on  our  capital  expenditures,  competitive  position,  financial  condition,  or  results  of 
operations. 

Employees

We had the following number of employees as of December 31, 2019:

GES.......................................................................................................................................................... 
Pursuit...................................................................................................................................................... 
Viad Corporate ........................................................................................................................................ 
Total...................................................................................................................................................  

(1)

Includes 1,109 employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Number of
Employees (1)

4,223 
1,085 
53 
5,361  

We believe that relations  with  our employees are good and that collective bargaining agreements expiring in 2020 will be 
renegotiated in the ordinary course of business without a material adverse effect on our operations.

We are governed by a Board of Directors comprising seven non-employee directors and one employee director, and we have 
an executive management team with eight executive officers.

Available Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in 1991. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 
“VVI.”

Our website address is www.viad.com. All of our SEC filings, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports 
on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, are available free of charge on our website as 
soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  we  electronically  file  that  material  with,  or  furnish  it  to,  the  SEC.  The  information 
contained on our website is neither a part of, nor incorporated by reference into, this 2019 Form 10-K. The SEC’s website, 
www.sec.gov,  contains  reports,  proxy  and  information  statements,  and  other  information  regarding  issuers  that  file 
electronically with the SEC.

14

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  investor  relations  website  is  www.viad.com/investors/investor-center/default.aspx  and  includes  key  information  about 
our  corporate  governance  initiatives,  including  our  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines,  our  Board  of  Directors  committee 
charters, our Code of Ethics, and information concerning our Board members and how to communicate with them. 

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS 

Our  operations  and  financial  results  are  subject  to  known  and  unknown  risks.  As  a  result,  past  financial  performance  and 
historical trends may not be reliable indicators of our future performance.

Completed  acquisitions  may  not  perform  as  anticipated  or  be  integrated  as  planned.  We  regularly  evaluate  and  pursue 
opportunities to acquire businesses that complement, enhance, or expand our current business, or offer growth opportunities. 
Our  acquired  businesses  might  not  meet  our  financial  and  non-financial  expectations  or  yield  anticipated  benefits.  Our 
success depends, in part, on our ability to conform controls, policies and procedures, and business cultures; consolidate and 
streamline  operations  and  infrastructures;  identify  and  eliminate  redundant  and  underperforming  operations  and  assets; 
manage  inefficiencies  associated  with  the  integration  of  operations;  and  retain  the  acquired  business’s  key  personnel  and 
customers. Moreover, our acquisition activity may subject us to new regulatory requirements, distract our senior management 
and  employees,  and  expose  us  to  unknown  liabilities  or  contingencies  that  we  may  fail  to  identify  prior  to  closing.  If  our 
acquisitions  cause  us  to  make  changes  to  our  business  strategy  or  if  external  conditions  adversely  affect  our  business 
operations, we may also be required to record an impairment charge to goodwill or intangible assets. Additionally, we may 
borrow  funds  to  finance  strategic  acquisitions.  Debt  leverage  resulting  from  future  acquisitions  would  reduce  our  debt 
capacity, increase our interest expense, and limit our ability to capitalize on future business opportunities. Such borrowings 
may  also  be  subject  to  fluctuations  in interest  rates. Any  of  these  risks  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  business, 
product and service sales, financial condition, and results of operations.

We  are  vulnerable  to  deterioration  in  general  economic  conditions.  Our  business  is  sensitive  to  fluctuations  in  general 
economic  conditions  in  the  U.S.  and  other  global  markets  in  which  we  operate.  A  decline  in  global  or  regional  economic 
conditions,  or  consumers’  fears  that  economic  conditions  will  decline,  could  cause  declining  consumer  confidence, 
unemployment,  fluctuations  in  stock  markets  and  interest  rates,  contraction  of  credit  availability,  or  other  dynamic  factors 
affecting  economic  conditions  generally.  The  success  of  our  GES  business  largely  depends  on  the  number  of  exhibitions 
held, the size of exhibitors’ marketing expenditures, and on the strength of particular industries in which exhibitors operate. 
The  number  and  size  of  exhibitions  generally  decrease  when  the  economy  weakens.  We  also  could  suffer  from  reduced 
spending for our services because many exhibitors’ marketing budgets are partly discretionary and are frequently among the 
first expenditures reduced when economic conditions deteriorate. In addition, revenue from our Pursuit operations depends 
largely on the amount of disposable income that consumers have available for travel and vacations, which decreases during 
periods of weak general economic conditions. As a result, any deterioration in general economic conditions could materially 
and adversely affect our business, product sales, financial condition, and results of operations.

We  depend  on  our  large  exhibition  event  clients  to  renew  their  service  contracts  and  on  our  exclusive  right  to  provide 
those  services.  GES  has  a  number  of  large  exhibition  event  organizers  and  large  customer  accounts.  If  any  of  these  large 
clients do not renew their service contracts, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Moreover, when event organizers hire GES as the official services contractor, they usually also grant GES an exclusive right 
to  perform  material  handling,  electrical,  rigging,  and  other  services  at  the  exhibition  facility.  However,  some  exhibition 
facilities  have  taken  certain  steps  to  in-source  certain  event  services  (either  by  performing  the  services  themselves  or  by 
hiring a separate service provider) as a result of conditions generally affecting their industry, such as an increased supply of 
exhibition space. If exhibition facilities choose to in-source certain event services, GES will lose the ability to provide certain 
event services, and our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. 

Our business is relationship driven. Our GES business is heavily focused on client relationships, and, specifically, on having 
close collaboration and interaction with our clients. To be successful, our account teams must be able to understand clients’ 
desires  and  expectations  in  order  to  provide  top-quality  service.  If  we  are  unable  to  maintain  our  client  relationships, 
including due to the loss of key members of our account teams, we could also lose customers and our results of operations 
could be materially and adversely affected. 

We operate in highly competitive and dynamic industries. Competition in the Live Events markets is driven by price and 
service  quality,  among  other  factors.  To  the  extent  competitors  seek  to  gain  or  retain  market  presence  through  aggressive 
underpricing  strategies,  we  may  be  required  to  lower  our  prices  and  rates  to  avoid  the  loss  of  related  business.  Moreover, 
recent customer consolidations and other actions have caused downward pricing pressure for our products and services and 
could  affect  our  ability  to  negotiate  favorable  terms  with  our  customers.  If  we  are  unable  to  anticipate  and  respond  as 
effectively as our competitors to changing business conditions, including new technologies and business models, we could 

15

lose  market  share.  Our  inability  to  meet  the  challenges  presented  by  the  competitive  and  dynamic  environment  of  our 
industry could materially and adversely affect our results of operations. 

Travel  industry  disruptions,  particularly  those  affecting  the  hotel  and  airline  industries,  could  adversely  affect  our 
business.  Our  business  depends  largely  on  the  ability  and  willingness  of  people,  whether  exhibitors,  exhibition  attendees, 
tourists, or others, to travel. Factors adversely affecting the travel industry, and particularly the airline and hotel industries, 
generally also adversely affect our business and results of operations. Factors that could adversely affect the travel industry 
include  high  or  rising  fuel  prices,  increased  security  and  passport  requirements,  weather  conditions,  health  epidemics  and 
pandemics, airline accidents, acts of terrorism, and international political instability and hostilities. For example, the recent 
outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus that surfaced in the Hubei Province of China, resulted in (i) major 
U.S. airlines canceling all flights into and out of China, (ii) the U.S. limiting the airports at which China flights may enter the 
U.S.,  and  (iii)  the  U.S.  imposing  the  first  federally  mandated  quarantine  in  more  than  50  years  for  passengers  who  had 
traveled to the Hubei Province. Any of these factors, or other unexpected events that affect the availability and pricing of air 
travel and accommodations, could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

New capital projects may not be commercially successful. From time to time, we pursue capital projects, such as our current 
construction  of  FlyOver  Las  Vegas,  FlyOver  Canada  Toronto,  the  Sky  Lagoon,  and  other  efforts  to  upgrade  some  of  our 
Pursuit offerings, in order to enhance and expand our business. Capital projects are subject to a number of risks, including 
unanticipated delays, cost overruns, and the failure to achieve established financial and strategic goals, as well as additional 
project-specific  risks.  The  occurrence  of  any  of  these  events  could  prevent  a  new  capital  project  from  performing  in 
accordance  with  our  commercial  expectations  and  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  business  and  results  of 
operations.

The seasonality of our business makes us particularly sensitive to adverse events during peak periods. The peak activity for 
our  Pursuit  business  is  during  the  summer  months,  as  85%  of  Pursuit’s  2019  revenue  was  earned  in  the  second  and  third 
quarters. Our GES exhibition and event activity varies significantly because it is based on the frequency and timing of shows, 
many of which are not held each year, and which may shift between quarters. If adverse events or conditions occur during 
these peak periods, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Transportation  disruptions  and  increases  in  transportation  costs  could  adversely  affect  our  business  and  results  of 
operations.  GES  relies  on  independent  transportation  carriers  to  send  materials  and  exhibits  to  and  from  exhibition, 
warehouse,  and  customer  facilities.  If  our  customers  and  suppliers  are  unable  to  secure  the  services  of  those  independent 
transportation  carriers  at  favorable  rates,  it  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  business  and  results  of  operations.  In 
addition, disruption of transportation services due to weather-related problems, labor strikes, lockouts, or other events could 
adversely  affect  our  ability  to  supply  services  to  customers  and  could  cause  the  cancellation  of  exhibitions,  which  could 
materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. 

Natural disasters, weather conditions, and other catastrophic events could negatively affect our business. The occurrence 
of  catastrophic  events  ranging  from  natural  disasters  (such  as  hurricanes,  fires,  floods,  and  earthquakes),  acts  of  war  or 
terrorism,  accidents  involving  our  travel  offerings  or  experiences,  the  effects  of  climate  change,  including  any  impact  of 
global warming, or the prospect of these events could disrupt our business. Changes in climates may increase the frequency 
and  intensity  of  adverse  weather  patterns  and  make  certain  destinations  less  desirable.  Such  catastrophic  events  have,  and 
could have, an adverse impact on Pursuit, which is heavily dependent on the ability and willingness of its guests to travel 
and/or  visit  our  attractions.  Pursuit  guests  tend  to  delay  or  postpone  vacations  if  natural  conditions  differ  from  those  that 
typically  prevail  at  competing  lodges,  resorts,  and  attractions,  and  catastrophic  events  and  heightened  travel  security 
measures  instituted  in  response  to  such  events  could  impede  the  guests’  ability  to  travel,  and  interrupt  our  business 
operations, including damaging our properties. Such catastrophic events could also have a negative impact on GES, causing a 
cancellation  of  exhibitions  and  other  events  held  in  public  venues  or  disrupt  the  services  we  provide  to  our  customers  at 
convention centers, exhibition halls, hotels, and other public venues. Such events could also have a negative impact on GES’ 
production facilities, preventing us from timely completing exhibit fabrication and other projects for customers. In addition, 
unfavorable media attention, or negative publicity, in the wake of a catastrophic event could damage our reputation or reduce 
the demand for our services. If the conditions arising from such events persist or worsen, they could materially and adversely 
affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our participation in multi-employer pension plans could substantially increase our pension costs. We sponsor a number of 
defined benefit plans for our U.S. and Canada-based employees. In addition, we are obligated to contribute to multi-employer 
pension  plans  under  collective  bargaining  agreements  covering  our  union-represented  employees.  We  contributed  $27.3 
million in 2019, $26.4 million in 2018, and $26.6 million in 2017 to those multi-employer pension plans. Third-party boards 
of trustees manage these multi-employer plans. Based upon the information we receive from plan administrators, we believe 
that  several  of  those  multi-employer  plans  are  underfunded.  The  Pension  Protection  Act  of  2006  requires  us  to  reduce  the 

16

underfunded  status  over  defined  time  periods.  Moreover,  we  would  be  required  to  make  additional  payments  of  our 
proportionate share of a plan’s unfunded vested liabilities if a plan terminates, or other contributing employers withdraw, due 
to insolvency or other reasons, or if we voluntarily withdraw from a plan. In 2019, we finalized the terms of a new collective 
bargaining agreement with the Teamsters Local 727 union. The terms included a withdrawal from the underfunded Central 
States  Pension  Plan.  Accordingly,  we  recorded  a  charge  of  $15.5  million,  which  represents  the  estimated  present  value  of 
future contributions we will be required to make as a result of the union’s withdrawal and $0.2 million of other withdrawal 
costs. At this time, we do not anticipate triggering any withdrawal from any other multi-employer pension plan to which we 
currently contribute. However, significant plan contribution increases could materially and adversely affect our consolidated 
financial  condition,  results  of  operations,  and  cash  flows.  Refer  to  Note  18  –  Pension  and  Postretirement  Benefits  of  the 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information.

Union-represented  labor  increases  our  risk  of  higher  labor  costs  and  work  stoppages.  Significant  portions  of  our 
employees are unionized. We have approximately 100 collective bargaining agreements, and we are required to renegotiate 
approximately  one-third  of  those  each  year.  If  we  increase  wages  or  benefits  as  a  result  of  labor  negotiations,  either  our 
operating  margins  will  suffer,  or  we  could  increase  the  cost  of  our  services  to  our  customers,  which  could  lead  those 
customers  to  turn  to  other  vendors  with  lower  prices.  Either  event  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  business  and 
results of operations.

Additionally, if we are unable to reach an agreement with a union during the collective bargaining process, the union may 
strike  or  carry  out  other  types  of  work  stoppages.  If  that  happens,  we  might  be  unable  to  find  substitute  workers  with  the 
necessary skills to perform many of the services, or we may incur additional costs to do so, both of which could materially 
and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Liabilities  relating  to  prior  and  discontinued  operations  may  adversely  affect  our  results  of  operations.  We  and  our 
predecessors have a corporate history spanning decades and involving diverse businesses. Some of those businesses owned 
properties and used raw materials that have been, and may continue to be, subject to litigation. Moreover, some of the raw 
materials  used  and  the  waste  produced  by  those  businesses  have  been  and  are  the  subject  of  U.S.  federal  and  state 
environmental  regulations,  including  laws  enacted  under  the  Comprehensive  Environmental  Response,  Compensation  and 
Liability Act, or its state law counterparts. In addition, we may incur other liabilities resulting from indemnification claims 
involving previously sold properties and subsidiaries, or obligations under defined benefit plans or other employee plans, as 
well as claims from past operations of predecessors or their subsidiaries. Although we believe we have adequate reserves and 
sufficient  insurance  coverage  to  cover  those  future  liabilities,  future  events  or  proceedings  could  render  our  reserves  or 
insurance protections inadequate, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Show rotation affects our profitability and makes comparisons between periods difficult. GES results are largely dependent 
upon the frequency, timing, and location of exhibitions and events. Some large exhibitions are not held annually (they may be 
held once every two, three, or four years) or may be held at different times of the year from when they were previously held. 
In addition, the same exhibition may change locations from year to year resulting in lower margins if the exhibition shifts to a 
higher-cost  location.  Any  of  these  factors  could  cause  our  results  of  operations  to  fluctuate  significantly  from  quarter  to 
quarter or from year to year, making periodic comparisons difficult.

We  are  subject  to  currency  exchange  rate  fluctuations.  We  have  operations  outside  of  the  U.S.  primarily  in  Canada,  the 
United  Kingdom,  Iceland,  the  Netherlands,  and  Germany.  During  2019,  GES  EMEA,  GES  Canada,  and  Pursuit’s 
international  operations  accounted  for  approximately  33%  of  our  consolidated  revenue  and  66%  of  our  segment  operating 
income.  Consequently,  a  significant  portion  of  our  business  is  exposed  to  currency  exchange  rate  fluctuations.  We  do  not 
currently hedge equity risk arising from the translation of non-U.S. denominated assets and liabilities. Our financial results 
and  capital  ratios  are  sensitive  to  movements  in  currency  exchange  rates  because  a  large  portion  of  our  assets,  liabilities, 
revenue, and expenses must be translated into U.S. dollars for reporting purposes. The unrealized gains or losses resulting 
from  the  currency  translation  are  included  as  a  component  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  in  our 
consolidated balance sheets. As a result, significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates could result in material changes 
to the net equity position we report in our consolidated balance sheets. 

We are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and threats. We regularly collect and process credit, financial, and other personal 
and  confidential  information  from  individuals  and  entities  who  attend  or  participate  in  events  and  exhibitions  that  we 
produce, or who visit our attractions and other offerings. In addition, our devices, servers, computer systems, and business 
systems are vulnerable to cybersecurity risk, including cyberattacks, or we may be the target of email scams that attempt to 
acquire personal information and company assets. Despite our efforts to protect ourselves with insurance, and create security 
barriers  to  such  threats,  including  regularly  reviewing  our  systems  for  vulnerabilities  and  continually  updating  our 
protections, we might not be able to entirely mitigate these risks. Our failure to effectively prevent, detect, and recover from 
the increasing number and sophistication of information security threats could lead to business interruptions, delays or loss of 

17

critical  data,  misuse,  modification,  or  destruction  of  information,  including  trade  secrets  and  confidential  business 
information, reputational damage, and third-party claims, any of which could materially and adversely affect our results of 
operations.

Laws  and  regulations  relating  to  the  handling  of  personal  data  are  evolving  and  could  result  in  increased  costs,  legal 
claims, or fines. We store and process the personally identifiable information of our customers, employees, and third parties 
with whom we have business relationships. The legal requirements restricting the way we store, collect, handle, and transfer 
personal data continue  to  evolve,  and  there  are  an  increasing  number  of  authorities  issuing  privacy  laws  and  regulations. 
These data privacy laws and regulations are subject to differing interpretations, creating uncertainty and inconsistency across 
jurisdictions.  Our  compliance  with  these  myriad  requirements  could  involve  making  changes  in  our  services,  business 
practices,  or  internal  systems,  any  of  which  could  increase  our  costs,  lower  revenue,  or  reduce  efficiency.  Our  failure  to 
comply  with  existing  or  new  rules  could  result  in  significant  penalties  or  orders  to  stop  the  alleged  noncompliant  activity, 
litigation, adverse publicity, or could cause our customers to lose trust in our services. In addition, if the third parties we work 
with violate applicable laws, contractual obligations, or suffer a security breach, those violations could also put us in breach 
of  our  obligations  under privacy laws  and  regulations.  In  addition,  the  costs  of  maintaining  adequate  protection,  including 
insurance  protection  against  such  threats,  as  they  develop  in  the  future  (or  as  legal  requirements  related  to  data  security 
increase) are expected to increase and could be material. Any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business 
and results of operations. 

The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union could adversely affect our business. We operate substantial parts of 
our EU businesses from U.K.-based entities. On January 31, 2020, the U.K. officially withdrew from the EU. The final terms 
of the withdrawal are being negotiated with the transition period ending on December 31, 2020. The withdrawal could disrupt 
the  free  movement  of  goods,  services,  and  people  between  the  U.K.  and  the  EU.  Moreover,  the  regulatory  and  legal 
environment that will govern our U.K. operations is uncertain. Any new arrangements may require us to make changes to our 
operations in Europe, which could result in a higher cost and less efficient operating model across our European business. 
These new arrangements could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Changes affecting the availability of the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or increases in interest rates may 
have  consequences  for  us  that  cannot  yet  be  reasonably  predicted.  Viad  has  outstanding  debt  with  variable  interest  rates 
based  on  LIBOR.  Borrowings  under  the  2018  Credit  Facility  are  indexed  to  the  prime  rate  or  LIBOR,  plus  appropriate 
spreads tied to our leverage ratio. The LIBOR benchmark has been the subject of national, international, and other regulatory 
guidance  and  proposals  to  reform.  In  July  2017,  the  United  Kingdom  Financial  Conduct  Authority  (the  authority  that 
regulates LIBOR) announced that it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. 
These reforms may cause LIBOR to perform differently than in the past and LIBOR may ultimately cease to exist after 2021. 
Our  2018  Credit  Facility  includes  a  method  for  determining  an  alternative  or  successor  rate  of  interest  that  gives 
consideration  to  the  new  prevailing  market  convention.  The  alternative  rate  could  affect  the  Company's  debt  and  debt 
payments.  At  this  time,  it  is  not  possible  to  predict  the  effect  of  any  changes  to  LIBOR,  any  phase  out  of  LIBOR  or  any 
establishment of alternative benchmark rates. Any new benchmark rate will likely not replicate LIBOR exactly, which could 
impact our contracts which terminate after 2021. There is uncertainty about how applicable law, the courts or the Company 
will address the replacement of LIBOR with alternative rates. If LIBOR ceases to exist after 2021, the interest rates under our 
revolving  credit  facility  and  the  discount  rates  we  apply  to  finance  lease  obligations  will  be  based  on  the  alternative  rate, 
which may result in higher interest rates and debt obligations. In addition, any increases to our benchmark interest rates could 
have  an  uncertain  impact  on  our  cost  of  funds  and  our  access  to  the  capital  markets,  which  could  impact  our  results  of 
operations and cash flows. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential changes may also adversely affect the trading market 
for our securities.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

Item 2. PROPERTIES 

We lease  our corporate  headquarters in  Phoenix,  Arizona.  Our other principal  properties  are  owned or leased by GES  and 
Pursuit.

GES  primarily  leases  its  properties,  both  domestically  and  internationally.  GES  properties  consist  of  offices  and  multi-use 
facilities. Multi-use facilities include manufacturing, sales and design, office, storage and/or warehouse, and truck marshaling 
yards. Multi-use facilities vary in size up to approximately 677,800 square feet in the U.S. and approximately 136,000 square 
feet in the United Kingdom. 

18

Pursuit primarily owns its properties, both domestically and internationally. Pursuit’s properties mainly include attractions, 
hotels and lodges, retail stores, and offices. Properties located in Canada and Iceland are subject to multiple long-term ground 
leases with their respective governments. For further information on Pursuit’s attractions and hospitality assets, refer to the 
Business Section (Part I, Item 1 of this 2019 Form 10-K). 

We  believe  our  owned  and  leased  properties  are  adequate  and  suitable  for  our  business  operations  and  that  capacity  is 
sufficient for current needs. For additional information related to our lease obligations, refer to Note 12 – Debt and Finance 
Lease Obligations and Note 20 – Leases and Other of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 
2019 Form 10-K).

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Refer to Note 21 – Litigation, Claims, Contingencies, and Other of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, 
Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

Other. INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

Our executive officers as of the date of this 2019 Form 10-K were as follows:

Name
Steven W. Moster

Age   Business Experience During the Past Five Years and Other Information
50

President and Chief Executive Officer of Viad since 2014; President of GES from November 
2010  to  February  2019;  prior  thereto,  held  various  executive  management  roles  within  the 
GES  organization,  including  Executive  Vice  President-Chief  Sales  &  Marketing  Officer 
from 2008 to February 2010; Executive Vice President-Products and Services from 2006 to 
2008;  and  Vice  President-Products  &  Services  Business  from  2005  to  2006;  and  prior 
thereto, Engagement Manager, Management Strategy Consulting for McKinsey & Company, 
a global management consulting firm, from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Moster is a director of Cavco 
Industries,  Inc  (NASDAQ:  CVCO),  which  designs  and  produces  factory-built  housing 
products, and serves as the Chair of the Compensation Committee.

Ellen M. Ingersoll

55

Chief Financial Officer since July 2002; prior thereto, Vice President-Controller or similar 
position  since  2002;  prior  thereto,  Controller  of  CashX,  Inc.,  a  service  provider  of  stored 
value  internet  cards,  from  June  2001  through  October  2001;  prior  thereto,  Operations 
Finance  Director  of  LeapSource,  Inc.,  a  provider  of  business  process  outsourcing,  since 
January  2000;  and  prior  thereto,  Vice  President  and  Controller  of  Franchise  Finance 
Corporation of America, a real estate investment trust, from 1992 to 2000.

David W. Barry

Derek P. Linde

Trisha L. Fox

57 President of Pursuit since June 2015; prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and President of 
Trust  Company  of  America,  an  independent  registered  investment  adviser  custodian,  from 
2011  to  June  2015;  prior  thereto,  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Alpine/CMH,  a  helicopter 
skiing company, from 2007 to 2011; and prior thereto, Chief Operating Officer for all U.S. 
resort  operations  of  Intrawest  Corporation  (formerly  NYSE:  IDR)  (now  Alterra  Mountain 
Company) a North American mountain resort and adventure company, from 2004 to 2007.

44 General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since 2018; prior thereto, Deputy General Counsel 
and Assistant Secretary at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW), a diversified manufacturer 
of specialized industrial equipment, from 2014 to 2018, and Associate General Counsel and 
Assistant Secretary from 2011 to 2014; prior thereto, a partner at the law firm of Winston & 
Strawn LLP, from 2008 to 2011, and an Associate from 2000 to 2008.

50 Chief Human Resources Officer since 2018; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Human 
Resources,  from  2016  to  2018;  prior  thereto,  Senior  Vice  President  at  Fifth  Third  Bank 
Chicago, (NASDAQ: FITB), a diversified financial services company, from 2011 to 2016; 
prior  thereto,  Director,  then  Senior  Director,  Human  Resources  at  Dean  Foods  Company 
(NYSE:DF), a food and beverage company, from 2009 to 2011; prior thereto, various roles 
of increasing responsibility in Human Resources at PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), a global 
food and beverage company from 1999 to 2009.

19

 
 
Jay A. Altizer

Richard A. Britton

49 President  of  GES  since  October  2019;  prior  thereto,  President,  GES  North  America;  prior 
thereto, Managing Director of Falling Branch Advisors LLC, a management advisory firm, 
from  May  2015  to  May  2018;  prior  thereto,  Sr.  Vice  President  and  General  Manager  of 
Saputo Inc. (TSX: SAP), a global dairy producer, from September 2007 to April 2015; prior 
thereto,  General  Manager  at  Morningstar  Foods,  a  Dean  Foods  Company  (NYSE:DF),  a 
food and beverage company, from September 2010 to January 2013, and Vice President of 
Strategy  from  September  2007  to  September  2010;  prior  thereto,  Sr.  Manager  of  Strategy 
and Business Development of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), a global food and beverage 
company  from  July  2005 
thereto,  General  Manager  at 
Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, a former Viad marketing and events division, from May 2004 to June 
2005; and prior thereto, Manager at Bain & Company from August 2000 to May 2004. Mr. 
Altizer  has  been  a  Director  of  the  following  two  non-profits:  On  the  Road  Lending,  since 
May  2013,  and  Chairman  since  2017;  and  Champion  Impact  Capital,  where  he  is  also 
Treasurer, since May 2013. 

to  August  2007;  prior 

59 Chief Information Officer since 2018; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Information 
Technology,  from  2015  to  2018;  prior  thereto,  16  years  in  various  roles  of  increasing 
responsibility  in  the  Healthcare  and  Reinsurance  divisions  of  General  Electric  Company 
(NYSE:GE),  a  global  digital  industrial  company,  including  Executive  IT  Leader  at  GE 
Healthcare from 2007 to October 2015.

Leslie S. Striedel

57

Chief Accounting Officer since 2014; prior thereto, Vice President of Finance from March 
2014 to April 2014; prior thereto, Vice President of Finance and Administration or similar 
positions with Colt Defense LLC, a firearms manufacturer, from 2010 to 2013; prior thereto, 
Vice President of Finance, Director of Financial Reporting and Compliance, and Corporate 
Controller  of  White  Electronics  Designs  Corp.  (formerly  NASDAQ:  WEDC)  (now  a 
subsidiary of Microsemi Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology 
Inc.),  a  circuits  and  semiconductors  manufacturer,  from  2004  to  2010;  and  prior  thereto, 
Corporate  Controller  of  MD  Helicopters,  an  international  helicopter  manufacturer,  from 
2002  to  2004;  prior  thereto,  Corporate  Controller  of  Fluke  Networks  (formerly  Microtest, 
Inc. NASDAQ: MTST), a manufacturing and technology company, from 1999 to 2002; and 
prior thereto, Senior Tax Manager for KPMG LLP, a global firm providing audit, tax, and 
advisory services, from 1998 to 1999.

Our executive officers’ term of office is until our next Board of Directors annual organization meeting to be held on May 19, 
2020.

20

 
Item 5.  MARKET  FOR  REGISTRANT’S  COMMON  EQUITY,  RELATED  STOCKHOLDER  MATTERS  AND 
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

PART II

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VVI. 

Holders

As of January 31, 2020, there were 4,969 shareholders of record of our common stock, including 223 shareholders that had 
not converted their shares following a reverse stock split effective on July 1, 2004.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Total Number of 
Shares Purchased   

Average Price Paid
Per Share

Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or 
Programs

Period
October 1, 2019 - October 31, 2019   
November 1, 2019 - November 30, 
2019..................................................  
December 1, 2019 - December 31, 
2019..................................................  
Total .................................................  

409  $

67.41   

—  $

—  $
409  $

—   

—   
67.41   

Maximum Number of Shares
That May Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or Programs 
600,067 

—   

—   

—   
—   

600,067 

600,067 
600,067  

Pursuant  to  previously  announced  authorizations,  our  Board  of  Directors  has  authorized  us  to  repurchase  shares  of  our 
common stock from time to time at prevailing market prices. Effective February 7, 2019, our Board of Directors approved an 
additional  500,000  shares  to  repurchase.  No  shares  were  repurchased  on  the  open  market  during  the  three  months  ended 
December 31, 2019. The Board’s authorization has no expiration date. During the fourth quarter of 2019, certain previously 
owned  shares  of  common  stock  were  surrendered  by  employees,  former  employees,  and  non-employee  directors  for  tax 
withholding requirements on vested share-based awards. We returned $2.0 million to shareholders during the fourth quarter 
of 2019 in the form of dividends. We expect to pay comparable dividends in the future. 

21

 
  
  
Performance Graph

The  following  graph  compares  the  change  in  the  cumulative  total  shareholder  return,  from  December  31,  2014  to 
December 31,  2019,  on  our  common  stock,  the  Standard &  Poor’s  SmallCap  600  Media  Index,  the  Standard &  Poor’s 
SmallCap 600 Commercial Services & Supplies Index, the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index, the Russell 2000 Index, 
and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (assuming reinvestment of dividends, as applicable). The graph assumes $100 was invested 
on December 31, 2014.

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$-

2 0 1 4

2 0 1 5

2 0 1 6

2 0 1 7

2 0 1 8

2 0 1 9

Viad Corp

Russell 2000

S&P 500

S&P SmallCap 600

S&P 600 Comm. Services & Supplies

S&P 600 Media Index

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Year Ended December 31,

Viad Corp ..............................................................   $ 100.00    $ 107.42    $ 169.75    $ 214.96    $ 195.81    $ 265.57 
S&P 500 ................................................................   $ 100.00    $ 101.37    $ 113.49    $ 138.26    $ 132.19    $ 173.80 
95.59    $ 115.93    $ 132.88    $ 118.23    $ 148.36 
Russell 2000 ..........................................................   $ 100.00    $
97.99    $ 123.92    $ 140.22    $ 128.27    $ 157.44 
S&P SmallCap 600 ...............................................   $ 100.00    $
97.59    $ 124.58    $ 133.40    $ 119.47    $ 147.53 
S&P SmallCap 600 Comm. Services & Supplies   $ 100.00    $
94.53    $ 108.97    $ 127.33    $ 136.73  
S&P SmallCap 600 Media ....................................   $ 100.00    $ 105.36    $

22

 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

(in thousands, except per share data)
Summary Statement of Operations Data
Revenue (1) ..............................................................................................   $
Income from continuing operations (2)....................................................   $
Income from continuing operations attributable to Viad common
   stockholders.........................................................................................   $
Basic and diluted income from continuing operations attributable to
   Viad common stockholders per share .................................................   $
Dividends declared per common share ..................................................   $

(in thousands)
Summary Balance Sheet Data

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2017

2016

2018

2015

1,371,695    $
23,604    $

1,296,184    $
 $
47,914 

1,306,965    $
 $
58,452 

1,204,970    $
 $
43,479 

1,089,048 
27,442 

22,116    $

47,689 

1.02    $
0.40    $

2.33 
0.40 

 $

 $
 $

57,975 

2.84 
0.40 

2019

2018

December 31,
2017

 $

 $
 $

 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $

42,953 

2.12 
0.40 

2016

20,900 
869,816 
249,211 
— 
370,638 
13,283 

 $

 $
 $

 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $

27,000 

1.34 
0.40 

2015

56,531 
690,723 
127,403 
— 
335,338 
12,757  

Cash and cash equivalents ...............................................................   $
Total assets ......................................................................................   $
Total debt and finance lease obligations..........................................   $
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (3) ............................................   $
Total stockholders’ equity ...............................................................   $
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interest .........................................   $

61,999    $
1,318,691    $
340,492    $
6,172    $
547,229    $
79,731    $

44,893 
922,541 
230,121 
5,909 
450,555 
14,348 

 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $

53,723 
919,899 
209,192 
6,648 
442,937 
13,806 

(1)

(2)

The 2019 amounts include an aggregate of $19.9 million in revenue from the Mountain Park Lodges and the Belton 
Chalet acquisitions. The 2017 amounts include $1.4 million in revenue from our Poken acquisition. The 2016 amounts 
include  an  aggregate  $55.7  million  in  revenue  from  our  acquisitions  of  ON  Event  Services,  LLC,  CATC  Alaska 
Tourism  Corporation,  Maligne  Lake  Tours  Ltd.  (“Maligne  Lake  Tours”),  and  FlyOver  Canada.  Refer  to  Note  4  – 
Acquisitions of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K).
Income from continuing operations includes the following items:

•

•

•

•

•

Multi-employer  pension  plan  withdrawal,  pre-tax,  of  $15.7  million  in  2019.  Refer  to  Note  18  –  Pension  and 
Postretirement Benefits of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-
K).

Restructuring charges, pre-tax, of $8.4 million in 2019, $1.6 million in 2018, $1.0 million in 2017, $5.2 million 
in  2016,  and  $3.0  million  in  2015.  Refer  to  Note  19  –  Restructuring  Charges  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K).

Legal  settlement,  pre-tax,  of  $8.5  million  in  2019.  Refer  to  Note  21  –  Litigation,  Claims,  Contingencies,  and 
Other of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K).

Impairment charges (recoveries), pre-tax, net, of $5.3 million in 2019, $(35) thousand in 2018, $(29.1) million in 
2017, $0.2 million in 2016, and $0.1 million in 2015. Refer to Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 
and Note 7 – Property and Equipment of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 
2019 Form 10-K).

Income  tax  expense  in  2019  included  a  $4.5  million  benefit  resulting  from  the  re-measurement  of  our  Alberta 
deferred  tax  liabilities  due  to  a  statutory  rate  reduction.  Income  tax  expense  in  2018  included  a  $3.1  million 
benefit  related  to  the  Tax  Cuts  and  Jobs  Act  (the  “Tax  Act”)  and  a  $0.9  million  charge  for  an  increase  in  our 
valuation allowance for certain foreign net operating losses. Income tax expense in 2017 included a $16.1 million 
charge related to the Tax Act. Income tax expense in 2015 included a $1.6 million non-cash tax benefit related to 
deferred  taxes  associated  with  certain  foreign  intangibles.  Refer  to  Note  17  –  Income  Taxes  of  the  Notes  to 
Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K).

(3)

On November 3, 2017, we acquired the controlling interest (54.5% of the common stock) in Esja, a private corporation 
in Reykjavik, Iceland. The minority Esja shareholders have the right to sell (or “put”) their Esja shares to us based on a 
calculated formula within a predefined term. Refer to Note 22 – Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest of the Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K).

23

 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
     
     
      
      
      
  
 
     
       
       
       
       
 
 
     
       
       
       
       
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 
OPERATIONS

The  following  Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  (“MD&A”)  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  consolidated 
financial statements and related notes. The MD&A is intended to assist in understanding our financial condition and results 
of  operations.  This  discussion  contains  forward-looking  statements  that  involve  risks  and  uncertainties.  Our  actual  results 
could  differ  materially  from  those  anticipated  due  to  various  factors  discussed  under  “Risk  Factors,”  “Forward-Looking 
Statements,” and elsewhere in this 2019 Form 10-K.

Overview

We  are  an  international  experiential  services  company  with  operations  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom, 
continental Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Iceland. We are committed to providing unforgettable experiences to our 
clients and guests. We operate through three reportable business segments: GES North America, GES EMEA, (collectively, 
“GES”), and Pursuit.

GES is a global, full-service Live Events company that produces exhibitions, conferences, corporate events, and consumer 
events. GES offers a comprehensive range of live event services including a full suite of audio-visual services from creative 
and technology to content and design, along with registration, data analytics, engagement, and online tools powered by next 
generation technologies that help clients easily manage the complexities of their events.

Pursuit is an attraction and hospitality company that provides a collection of inspiring and unforgettable travel experiences in 
iconic  destinations.  From  world-class  attractions,  distinctive  lodges  and  engaging  tours  in  stunning  national  parks  and 
renowned global travel locations, to our growing collection of FlyOver flight ride experiences, Pursuit’s elevated hospitality 
experiences enable visitors to discover and connect with these iconic destinations.

24

Results of Operations

A discussion related to our results of operations for 2019 compared to 2018 is presented below. A discussion related to our 
results of operations for 2018 compared to 2017 can be found under Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2019, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Financial Highlights

(in thousands, except per share data)
Total revenue .......................................................................  $
Net income attributable to Viad ..........................................  $
Segment operating income(1) ...............................................  $
Diluted income per common share from continuing 
operations attributable to Viad common stockholders ........  $

Year Ended December 31,

2019
1,371,695    $
22,035    $
90,243    $

2018
1,296,184   
49,170   
88,517   

1.02    $

2.33   

Change vs. 2018

5.8%
(55.2)%
1.9%

(56.2)%

•

•

•

Total revenue increased $75.5 million, mainly due to continued growth from GES’ corporate clients and other 
new  client  wins,  underlying  growth  at  Pursuit,  incremental  revenue  from  Pursuit’s  Mountain  Park  Lodges  and 
Belton Chalet acquisitions, and the opening of several new build and refresh projects at Pursuit, offset in part by 
negative  show  rotation  of  approximately  $15  million  at  GES  and  an  unfavorable  foreign  exchange  impact  of 
$13.3 million.

Net  income  attributable  to  Viad  decreased  $27.1  million,  primarily  due  to  charges  related  to  our  partial 
withdrawal  from  the  Central  States  Pension  Plan  of  $15.7  million  ($11.7  million  after  tax),  a  legal  settlement 
charge of $8.5 million ($6.4 million after tax), higher restructuring charges, and an asset impairment charge of 
$5.3  million  ($4.3  million  after  tax),  primarily  related  to  our  audio-visual  production  business  in  the  United 
Kingdom, offset in part by a decrease in income tax expense and higher segment operating results at Pursuit.

Total  segment  operating  income(1)  increased  $1.7  million,  primarily  due  to  the  increase  in  revenue,  offset  in 
part  by  higher  accruals  for  performance-based  incentives,  the  revenue  mix  at  GES,  and  additional  costs  to 
support the growth initiatives of Pursuit.

(1)

Refer to Note 23 – Segment Information of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 
Form 10-K) for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure, segment operating income, to the most directly 
comparable GAAP measure. 

Foreign Exchange Rate Variances

We  conduct  our  foreign  operations  primarily  in  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Netherlands,  Germany,  and  to  a  lesser 
extent, in certain other countries. 

The  following  table  summarizes  the  foreign  exchange  rate  variance  effects  (or  “FX  Impact”)  on  revenue  and  segment 
operating income from our significant international operations:

Revenue

Segment Operating Income

Weighted-Average
Exchange Rates

2019

2018

    FX Impact    
    (in thousands)   

Weighted-Average
Exchange Rates

2019

2018

    FX Impact  
    (in thousands) 

GES North America:

Canada (CAD) ..................................................  $

0.75    $

0.77    $

(1,611)  $

0.75    $

0.77    $

(191)

GES EMEA:
United Kingdom (GBP) ....................................  $
Europe (EUR) ...................................................  $

1.27    $
1.12    $

1.34     
1.18     

(7,381)  $
(2,171)  $
(9,552)   

1.27    $
1.11    $

1.31     
1.17     

Pursuit:

Canada (CAD) ..................................................  $

0.75    $

0.77     
    $

(2,125)  $
(13,288)   

0.76    $

0.77     
     $

(50)
(204)
(254)

(208)
(653)

Revenue and segment operating income were primarily impacted by variances of the British pound, the Canadian dollar, and 
the Euro relative to the U.S. dollar. Future changes in exchange rates may impact overall expected profitability and historical 
period-to-period comparisons when revenue and segment operating income are translated into U.S. dollars.

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Analysis of Revenue and Operating Results by Reportable Segment

GES

During  the  first  quarter  of  2019,  we  realigned  GES’  organizational  structure.  As  a  result,  we  changed  GES’  reportable 
segments to reflect how our chief operating decision maker regularly reviews and makes decisions regarding the allocation of 
resources. Accordingly, GES’ new reportable segments are GES North America and GES EMEA.

The following table presents a comparison of GES’ reported revenue and segment operating income to organic revenue(1) and 
organic segment operating income(1) for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Year Ended December 31, 2019

Year Ended December 31, 2018

    Change vs. 2018

 As Reported    Acquisitions  

FX
Impact

    Organic(1)

   As Reported    Acquisitions   Organic(1)

As 
Reported 

 Organic(1) 

(in thousands)
Revenue:
GES:

North America  $ 936,032   $
EMEA .............   
233,591    
Intersegment 
eliminations .....   

(20,741)  
Total GES...........  $1,148,882   $
Segment 
operating 
income(2):
GES:

North America  $
EMEA .............   
Total GES...........  $

27,659   $
8,274    
35,933   $

—  $ (1,611) $ 937,643   $ 909,790   $
218,247    
—   

243,143    

(9,552)  

—   
(17,140)  
—  $(11,163) $1,160,045   $1,110,897   $

(20,741)  

—    

—  $ 909,790    
218,247    
—   

2.9%   
7.0%   

3.1%
11.4%

—   
(17,140)  
—  $1,110,897    

(21.0)%  
3.4%   

(21.0)%
4.4%

—  $
—   
—  $

(191) $
(254)  
(445) $

27,850   $
8,528    
36,378   $

29,981   $
9,621    
39,602   $

—  $
—   
—  $

29,981    
9,621    
39,602    

(7.7)%  
(14.0)%  
(9.3)%  

(7.1)%
(11.4)%
(8.1)%

(1)

(2)

Organic revenue and organic segment operating income are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the impacts of 
exchange rate variances and acquisitions, if any, until such acquisitions are included in the entirety of both comparable 
periods presented. For more information about organic revenue and organic segment operating income, see the “Non-
GAAP Measures” section of this MD&A. 
Refer to Note 23 – Segment Information of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 
Form 10-K) for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure, segment operating income, to the most directly 
comparable GAAP measure.

GES North America 

GES  North  America  revenue  increased  $26.2  million  or  2.9%,  primarily  due  to  continued  growth  from  corporate  clients 
and  other  new  client  wins  and  U.S.  base  same-show  revenue  growth  of  1.3%,  offset  in  part  by  negative  show  rotation  of 
approximately  $27  million  and  an  unfavorable  FX  Impact  of  $1.6  million.  Base  same-show  revenue  represented  29.7%  of 
2019 GES North America’s organic revenue. Organic revenue* increased $27.9 million or 3.1%.

GES  North  America  segment  operating  income  decreased  $2.3  million  or  7.7%,  primarily  due  to  accruals  for 
performance-based  incentives  earned  in  2019  and  the  revenue  mix.  Organic  segment  operating  income*  decreased  $2.1 
million or 7.1%.

GES EMEA 

GES EMEA revenue increased $15.3 million or 7.0%, primarily due to positive show rotation of approximately $12 million, 
new  client  wins,  and  growth  from  the  underlying  business,  offset  in  part  by  an  unfavorable  FX  Impact  of  $9.6  million. 
Organic revenue* increased $24.9 million or 11.4%.

GES EMEA segment operating income decreased $1.3 million or 14.0%, primarily due to the revenue mix, the timing of 
certain  expenses,  and  accruals  for  performance-based  incentives  earned  in  2019.  Organic  segment  operating  income* 
decreased $1.1 million or 11.4%.

* Refer to footnote (1) in the above table for more information about the non-GAAP financial measures of organic revenue 
and organic segment operating income.

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Pursuit

The following table presents a comparison of Pursuit’s reported revenue and segment operating income to organic revenue(3) 
and organic segment operating income(3) for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Year Ended December 31, 2019

    Year Ended December 31, 2018

    Change vs. 2018

(in thousands)
Revenue(1):
Pursuit:

As 

Reported    Acquisitions(2)  

FX 

Impact     Organic(3)    

As 

Reported    Acquisitions   Organic(3)    

As 
Reported 

 Organic(3) 

Attractions .................. $110,369   $
Hospitality ..................   94,149    
Transportation ............   14,861    
Travel Planning ..........  
4,504    
Intra-Segment 
Eliminations & Other   

(1,070)  
Total Pursuit..................... $222,813   $

Segment operating 
income(4):
Total Pursuit..................... $ 54,310   $

—  $(1,470) $111,839   $103,830   $
(361)   74,636     64,620    
(271)   15,132     14,070    
4,375    
4,547    

19,874   
—   
—   

(43)  

—   

(1,608)  
19,874  $(2,125) $205,064   $185,287   $

(1,090)  

20    

—  $103,830    
—    64,620    
—    14,070    
4,375    
—   

6.3%  
45.7%  
5.6%  
2.9%  

7.7%
15.5%
7.5%
3.9%

(1,608)  
—   
—  $185,287    

33.5%  
20.3%  

32.2%
10.7%

5,693  $ (208) $ 48,825   $ 48,915   $

—  $ 48,915    

11.0%  

(0.2)%

 (1)

Revenue by line of business does not agree to Note 2 – Revenue and Related Contract Costs and Contract Liabilities of 
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) as the amounts in the above 
table include product revenue from food and beverage and retail operations within each line of business.  

(2)  Acquisitions include Mountain Park Lodges (acquired June 2019) and Belton Chalet (acquired May 2019).
(3)

Organic revenue and organic segment operating income are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the impacts 
of  exchange  rate  variances  and  acquisitions,  if  any,  until  such  acquisitions  are  included  in  the  entirety  of  both 
comparable periods presented. For more information about organic revenue and organic segment operating income, see 
the “Non-GAAP Measures” section of this MD&A.
Refer to Note 23 – Segment Information of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 
Form 10-K) for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure, segment operating income, to the most directly 
comparable GAAP measure.

(4) 

Pursuit revenue  increased $37.5  million or  20.3%, primarily  due  to incremental revenue from the  Mountain  Park Lodges 
and  the  Belton  Chalet  acquisitions  of  $19.9  million,  the  opening  of  several  new  build  and  refresh  projects,  and  stronger 
performance from our existing assets, offset in part by an unfavorable FX Impact of $2.1 million. Organic revenue* increased 
$19.8 million or 10.7%. 

Pursuit segment operating income increased $5.4 million or 11.0%, primarily due to incremental segment operating income 
of $5.7 million from the Mountain Park Lodges and Belton Chalet acquisitions and an increase in revenue from our existing 
assets,  offset  in  part  by  additional  costs  to  support  the  continued  expansion  of  the  business,  including  an  increase  of  $4.5 
million in depreciation and amortization expense and an unfavorable FX impact of $0.2 million. Organic operating income* 
decreased $0.1 million or 0.2%. 

* Refer to footnote (3) in the above table for more information about the non-GAAP financial measures of organic revenue 
and organic segment operating income.

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Performance Measures

We use the following key business metrics to evaluate the performance of Pursuit’s attractions business:

•

•

•

Number  of  visitors.  The  number  of  visitors  allows  us  to  assess  the  volume  of  tickets  sold  at  each  attraction 
during the period. 
Revenue per attraction visitor. Revenue per attraction visitor is calculated as total attractions revenue divided 
by the total number of visitors at all Pursuit attractions during the period. Total attractions revenue includes ticket 
sales  and  ancillary  revenue  generated  by  attractions,  such  as  food  and  beverage  and  retail  revenue.  Total 
attractions revenue per visitor measures the total spend per visitor that attraction properties are able to capture, 
which is important to the profitability of the attractions business. 
Effective ticket price. Effective ticket price is calculated as revenue from the sale of attraction tickets divided by 
the total number of visitors at all comparable Pursuit attractions during the period. 

We use the following key business metrics, common in the hospitality industry, to evaluate Pursuit’s hospitality business:

•

•

•

Revenue  per  Available  Room.  RevPAR  is  calculated  as  total  rooms  revenue  divided  by  the  total  number  of 
room  nights  available  for  all  comparable  Pursuit  hospitality  properties  during  the  period.  Total  rooms  revenue 
does  not  include  non-rooms  revenue,  which  consists  of  ancillary  revenue  generated  by  hospitality  properties, 
such  as  food  and  beverage  and  retail  revenue.  RevPAR  measures  the  period-over-period  change  in  rooms 
revenue per available room for comparable hospitality properties. RevPAR is affected by average daily rate and 
occupancy, which have different implications on profitability.
Average Daily Rate. ADR is calculated as total rooms revenue divided by the total number of room nights sold 
for all comparable Pursuit hospitality properties during the period. ADR is used to assess the pricing levels that 
the  hospitality  properties  are  able  to  realize.  Increases  in  ADR  lead  to  increases  in  rooms  revenue  with  no 
substantial effect on variable costs, therefore having a greater impact on margins than increases in occupancy.
Occupancy.  Occupancy  is  calculated  as  the  total  number  of  room  nights  sold  divided  by  the  total  number  of 
room  nights  available  for  all  comparable  Pursuit  hospitality  properties  during  the  period.  Occupancy  measures 
the utilization of the available capacity at the hospitality properties. Increases in occupancy result in increases in 
rooms  revenue  and  additional  variable  operating  costs  (including  housekeeping  services,  utilities,  and  room 
amenity  costs),  as  well  as  increases  in  ancillary  non-rooms  revenue  (including  food  and  beverage  and  retail 
revenue).

The  following  table  provides  Pursuit’s  same-store  key  performance  indicators.  The  same-store  metrics  indicate  the 
performance  of  all  Pursuit’s  properties  and  attractions  that  we  owned  and  operated  at  full  capacity,  considering  seasonal 
closures,  for  the  entirety  of  both  periods  presented.  For  Pursuit  properties  and  attractions  located  outside  of  the  U.S., 
comparisons to the prior year are on a constant U.S. dollar basis, using the current year quarterly average exchange rates for 
previous  periods,  to  eliminate  the  FX  Impact.  We  believe  this  same-store  constant  currency  basis  provides  better 
comparability between reporting periods.

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

Change vs. 
2018

Same-Store Key Performance Indicators (1)
Attractions:

Number of visitors...............................................................................    
Revenue per attraction visitor .............................................................   $
Effective ticket price ...........................................................................   $

2,348,069 
46 
35 

  $
  $

2,443,624 
42 
33 

Hospitality:

Room nights available.........................................................................    
RevPAR...............................................................................................   $
ADR ....................................................................................................   $
Occupancy...........................................................................................    

234,938 
  $
150 
  $
215 
69.8%   

230,710 
142 
200 
70.7%   

(3.9)%
9.5%
6.1%

1.8%
5.6%
7.5%
(0.9)%

(1)

Same-Store  Key  Performance  Indicators  for  attractions  exclude  FlyOver  Iceland  (opened  August  2019).  Same-Store 
Key  Performance  Indicators  for  hospitality  exclude  the  West  Glacier  RV  Park  &  Cabins  (opened  July  2019),  the 
Mountain  Park  Lodges  (acquired  in  June  2019),  the  Belton  Chalet  (acquired  in  May  2019),  and  the  Mount  Royal 
Hotel, which was closed from December 2016 through June 2018 for reconstruction due to fire damage.

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Attractions. The decrease in same-store visitors was driven by the impact of softer visitation from select long-haul markets 
at  certain  attractions.  Revenue  per  attraction  visitor  increased  primarily  due  to  higher  effective  ticket  prices  and  ancillary 
revenue driven at our recently refreshed experiences and dynamic pricing.

Hospitality. The  increase  in  RevPAR  was  primarily  due  to  higher  ADR  driven  by  our  refreshed  properties,  including  the 
recently  renovated  Glacier  View  Lodge  and  the  Mount  Royal  Hotel,  and  revenue  management  efforts  across  all  our 
properties.

During 2019, Pursuit derived approximately 66% of its revenue and 88% of its segment operating income from its Canadian 
operations, which are largely dependent on foreign customer visitation. Accordingly, the strengthening or weakening of the 
Canadian dollar, relative to other currencies, could affect customer volumes and the results of operations.

Other Expenses

(in thousands)
 Corporate activities ...............................................   $
 Interest expense .....................................................   $
 Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal .............   $
 Other expense ........................................................   $
 Restructuring charges ............................................   $
 Legal settlement ....................................................   $
 Impairment charges (recoveries) ...........................   $
 Income tax expense ...............................................   $
 Income (loss) from discontinued operations .........   $

 ** Change is greater than +/- 100%.

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

Change vs. 2018

10,865    $
14,199    $
15,693    $
1,586    $
8,380    $
8,500    $
5,346    $
2,506    $
(81)  $

10,993   
9,640   
—   
1,744   
1,587   
—   
(35) 
17,095   
1,481   

(1.2)%
47.3%
** 
(9.1)%
** 
** 
** 
(85.3)%
**  

Corporate Activities – The decrease in corporate activities expense during 2019 relative to 2018 was primarily due to a gain 
on sale of corporate fixed assets and foreign currency exchange, offset in part by higher acquisition transaction-related costs 
in 2019.

Interest Expense – The increase in interest expense relative to 2018 was primarily due to higher debt balances in 2019. 

Multi-Employer Pension Plan Withdrawal – During 2019, we finalized the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement 
with  the  Teamsters  727  union.  The  terms  included  a  withdrawal  from  the  underfunded  Central  States  Pension  Plan. 
Accordingly, we recorded a charge of $15.5 million, which represents the estimated present value of future contributions we 
will be required to make to the plan as a result of this withdrawal and $0.2 million of other withdrawal costs.

Other Expense – Other expense primarily represents the nonservice cost component of net periodic benefit cost.

Restructuring Charges – Restructuring charges during 2019 were primarily related to the elimination of certain positions at 
GES,  our  corporate  headquarters,  and  Pursuit,  in  addition  to  facility  consolidations  at  GES.  Restructuring  charges  during 
2018 were primarily related to the elimination of certain positions at GES and Pursuit. 

Legal  Settlement  – During  2019,  we  recorded  a  charge  to  resolve  a  legal  dispute  at  GES  involving  a  former  industry 
contractor.

Impairment  Charges  (Recoveries)  –  We  recorded  asset  impairment  charges  of  $5.3  million  during  the  fourth  quarter  of 
2019 primarily related to our audio-visual production business in the United Kingdom.

Income Tax Expense – Our effective income tax rate for 2019 was 9.6% as compared to 26.3% for 2018.  The decrease in 
the effective rate was primarily related to a $4.5 million benefit resulting from the re-measurement of our Alberta deferred 
tax liabilities due to a statutory rate reduction, higher foreign tax credits generated, and lower state taxes, partially offset by 
the mix of domestic versus foreign income, which is taxed at higher rates.

Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations – Loss from discontinued operations during 2019 was primarily related to 
legal expenses related to previously sold operations. Income from discontinued operations during 2018 was primarily related 
to a favorable legal settlement related to previously sold operations, offset in part by legal expenses related to previously sold 
operations.

29

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash and cash equivalents were $62.0 million as of December 31, 2019, as compared to $44.9 million as of December 31, 
2018.  During  the  year  ended  December 31,  2019,  we  generated  net  cash  from  operating  activities  of  $108.1  million.  We 
believe that our existing sources of liquidity will be sufficient to fund operations and capital commitments for at least the next 
12 months.

As of December 31, 2019, we held approximately $59.0 million of our cash and cash equivalents outside of the United States, 
consisting of $22.8 million in Canada, $11.9 million in the Netherlands, $11.1 million in the United Kingdom, $9.2 million in 
the United Arab Emirates, and $4.0 million in other countries. 

Cash Flows

Operating Activities

(in thousands)
Net income....................................................................................................................  $
Depreciation and amortization...................................................................................... 
Deferred income taxes .................................................................................................. 
(Income) loss from discontinued operations................................................................. 
Restructuring charges ................................................................................................... 
Legal settlement............................................................................................................ 
Impairment charges (recoveries) .................................................................................. 
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal..................................................................... 
Other non-cash items .................................................................................................... 
Changes in assets and liabilities ................................................................................... 

Net cash provided by operating activities ...........................................................  $

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

23,523    $
58,964   
(10,398)  
81   
8,380   
8,500   
5,346   
15,693   
9,506   
(11,455)  
108,140    $

49,395 
56,842 
5,350 
(1,481)
1,587 
— 
(35)
— 
9,649 
(30,712)
90,595  

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $17.5 million, primarily due to a decrease in cash paid for taxes and lower 
performance-based compensation payments.

Investing Activities

(in thousands)
Capital expenditures .....................................................................................................  $
Cash paid for acquisitions, net...................................................................................... 
Proceeds from dispositions of property and other assets.............................................. 

Net cash used in investing activities.....................................................................  $

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

(76,147)
(90,992)
1,583 
(165,556)

 $

 $

(83,345)
(4,628)
925 
(87,048)

Net cash used in investing activities increased $78.5 million, primarily due to the Mountain Park Lodges, the Belton Chalet, 
and the Sky Lagoon attraction acquisitions in 2019.

Financing Activities

(in thousands)
Proceeds from borrowings............................................................................................  $
Payments on debt and finance lease obligations........................................................... 
Dividends paid on common stock................................................................................. 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest ........................................................................ 
Debt issuance costs ....................................................................................................... 
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares withheld or 
repurchased ................................................................................................................... 
Common stock purchased for treasury ......................................................................... 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options ...................................................................... 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities............................................  $

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

200,473 
(115,708)
(8,094)
(407)
(39)

(3,046)
— 
293 
73,472 

 $

 $

146,580 
(128,211)
(8,154)
— 
(1,823)

(1,209)
(17,174)
84 
(9,907)

30

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
The change in net cash provided by (used in) financing activities of $83.4 million was primarily due to net debt proceeds of 
$84.8 million during 2019 compared to $18.4 million during 2018, as well as the repurchase of treasury shares on the open 
market in 2018.

Debt and Finance Lease Obligations

Refer to Note 12 – Debt and Finance Lease Obligations of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of 
this 2019 Form 10-K) for further discussion.

Guarantees

Refer to Note 21 – Litigation, Claims, Contingencies, and Other of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, 
Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further discussion.

Share Repurchases

Our Board of Directors has authorized us to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time at prevailing market 
prices.  Effective  February  7,  2019,  our  Board  of  Directors  authorized  the  repurchase  of  an  additional  500,000  shares.    No 
shares were repurchased on the open market during 2019. During 2018, we repurchased 340,473 shares on the open market 
for  $17.2  million.  As  of  December 31,  2019,  600,067  shares  remained  available  for  repurchase.  The  Board  of  Directors’ 
authorization does not have an expiration date. 

Additionally, we repurchased shares related to tax withholding requirements on vested restricted share-based awards.

Contractual Obligations

The following table presents our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2019.

(in thousands)
Revolver borrowings........................................................  $ 317,071    $ 313,407    $
22,180     
Operating leases ...............................................................    105,031     
Pension and postretirement benefits (1).............................   
4,387     
58,050     
Purchase obligations (2) ....................................................   
73,633     
77,075     
3,386     
25,257     
Finance lease obligations .................................................   
Total contractual obligations (3)...............................  $ 582,484    $ 416,993    $

Total

2020

Payments due by period

2021-2022    

3,664    $
29,304     
9,066     
3,324     
5,674     
51,032    $

2023-2024     Thereafter  
— 
35,592 
35,561 
— 
12,430 
83,583  

—    $
17,955     
9,036     
118     
3,767     
30,876    $

(2)

(1) We  have  included  the  estimated  payments  due  as  a  result  of  our  withdrawal  from  the  Central  States  pension  plan. 
Estimated contributions related to multi-employer benefit plans are excluded from the table above. Refer to Note 18 – 
Pension  and  Postretirement  Benefits  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  (Part  II,  Item  8  of  this  2019 
Form 10-K) for further information.
Purchase obligations primarily represent payments due under various licensing agreements and commitments related to 
consulting and other contracted services that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms, 
including open purchase orders.
Aggregate  self-insurance  liabilities  are  excluded  from  the  table  above  as  the  timing  and  amounts  of  future  cash 
outflows  are  uncertain.  Redeemable  noncontrolling  interest  is  also  excluded  from  the  above  table  as  the  redemption 
value  of  the  put  option  and  the  timing  and  amounts  of  future  cash  outflows  is  uncertain.  Refer  to  Note  10  –  Other 
Current Liabilities, Note 11 – Other Deferred Items and Liabilities, and Note 22 – Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest 
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information.

(3)

We are plaintiffs or defendants to various actions, proceedings, and pending claims, some of which involve, or may involve, 
compensatory,  punitive,  or  other  damages.  Additionally,  our  business  contributes  to  various  multi-employer  pension  plans 
based  on  obligations  arising  under  collective  bargaining  agreements  covering  our  union-represented  employees.  Refer  to 
Note 21 – Litigation, Claims, Contingencies, and Other of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of 
this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements with unconsolidated special-purpose or other entities that would 
materially affect our financial position, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources. Furthermore, we do not have any 
relationships with special-purpose or other entities that provide off-balance sheet financing; liquidity, market risk, or credit 

31

 
     
   
 
 
   
   
risk support; or engage in leasing or other services that may expose us to liability or risks of loss that are not reflected in the 
consolidated  financial  statements  and  related  notes.  Refer  to  Note  12  –  Debt  and  Finance  Lease  Obligations,  Note  20  – 
Leases  and  Other,  and  Note  21  –  Litigation,  Claims,  Contingencies,  and  Other  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We are required to make estimates and 
assumptions  that  affect  our  reported  amounts  of  assets,  liabilities,  revenue,  and  expenses.  Critical  accounting  policies  are 
those policies that are most important to the portrayal of our financial position and results of operations, and that require us to 
make  the  most  difficult  and  subjective  judgments,  often  as  a  result  of  the  need  to  make  estimates  of  matters  that  are 
inherently  uncertain.  We  identified  and  discussed  with  our  audit  committee  the  following  critical  accounting  policies  and 
estimates and the methodology and disclosures related to those estimates:

Revenue recognition — Revenue is measured based on a specified amount of consideration in a contract with a customer, net 
of  commissions  paid  to  customers  and  amounts  collected  on  behalf  of  third  parties.  We  recognize  revenue  when  a 
performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a product or service to a customer. 

GES’  service  revenue  is  primarily  derived  through  its  comprehensive  range  of  services  to  event  organizers  and  corporate 
brand marketers including Core Services, Audio-Visual, and Event Technology. GES’ service revenue is earned over time 
over the duration of the exhibition, conference or corporate event, which generally lasts one to three days; however, we use 
the  practical  expedient  of  recognizing  service  revenue  at  the  close  of  the  event  when  we  have  the  right  to  invoice.  GES’ 
product revenue is derived from the build of exhibits and environments and graphics. GES’ product revenue is recognized at 
a point in time upon delivery of the product. 

Pursuit’s  service  revenue  is  derived  through  its  accommodations,  admissions,  transportation,  and  travel  planning  services. 
Pursuit’s product revenue is derived through food and beverage and retail sales. Pursuit’s revenue is recognized at the time 
services  are  performed  or  upon  delivery  of  the  product.  Pursuit’s  service  revenue  is  recognized  over  time  as  the  customer 
simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits. Pursuit’s product revenue is recognized at a point in time. 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets — Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, 
but instead are tested for impairment at least annually. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their respective 
estimated useful lives and are reviewed for impairment if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate the 
intangible asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable.

Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis as of October 31, and between annual tests if 
an event occurs or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its 
carrying  value.  Our  reporting  units  are  defined,  and  goodwill  is  tested,  at  either  an  operating  segment  level  or  at  the 
component  level  of  an  operating  segment,  depending  on  various  factors  including  the  internal  reporting  structure  of  the 
operating segment, the level of integration among components, the sharing of assets and other resources among components, 
and the benefits and likely recoverability of goodwill by the component’s operations.

GES  North  America’s  goodwill  is  assigned  to,  and  tested  at,  the  operating  segment  level  (GES  U.S.  and  GES  Canada 
(collectively  “GES  North  America”).  GES  EMEA’s  goodwill  is  assigned  to  and  tested  at  the  operating  segment  level. 
Pursuit’s goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level (Banff Jasper Collection, the Alaska Collection, 
the Glacier Park Collection, and FlyOver).

For purposes of goodwill impairment testing, we use a discounted expected future cash flow methodology (income approach) 
to  estimate  the  fair  value  of  our  reporting  units.  The  estimates  and  assumptions  regarding  expected  future  cash  flows, 
discount  rates,  and  terminal  values  require  considerable  judgment  and  are  based  on  market  conditions,  financial  forecasts, 
industry trends, and historical experience.

The  most  critical  assumptions  and  estimates  in  determining  the  estimated  fair  value  of  our  reporting  units  relate  to  the 
amounts and timing of expected future cash flows for each reporting unit and the reporting unit cost of capital (discount rate) 
applied  to  those  cash  flows.  We  estimate  the  assumed  reporting  unit  cost  of  capital  rates  (discount  rates)  using  a  build-up 
method based on the perceived risk associated with the cash flows pertaining to the specific reporting unit. In order to assess 
the reasonableness of our fair value estimates, we perform a reconciliation of the aggregate fair values of our reporting units 
to our market capitalization.

As  noted  above,  the  estimates  and  assumptions  regarding  expected  future  cash  flows,  discount  rates,  and  terminal  values 
require  considerable  judgment  and  are  based  on  market  conditions,  financial  forecasts,  industry  trends,  and  historical 

32

experience. These estimates have inherent uncertainties, and different assumptions could lead to materially different results. 
As of December 31, 2019, our aggregate goodwill was $288.0 million. As a result of our most recent impairment analysis 
performed as of October 31, 2019, the excess of the estimated fair value over the carrying value for each of our reporting 
units  (expressed  as  a  percentage  of  the  carrying  amounts)  under  step  one  of  the  impairment  test  for  GES  U.S.  was  238%, 
GES EMEA was 226%, GES Canada was 591%, the Banff Jasper Collection was 237%, the Alaska Collection was 110%, 
the Glacier Park Collection was 25%, and FlyOver was 60%. Significant reductions in our expected future revenue, operating 
income, or cash flow forecasts and projections, or an increase in a reporting unit’s cost of capital, could trigger additional 
goodwill impairment testing, which may result in impairment charges.

If  an  impairment  indicator  related  to  intangible  assets  is  identified,  or  if  other  circumstances  indicate  an  impairment  may 
exist,  we  perform  an  assessment  to  determine  if  an  impairment  loss  should  be  recognized.  This  assessment  includes  a 
recoverability test to identify if the expected future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value of the related 
assets. If the results of the recoverability test indicate that expected future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying 
value of the related assets, we perform a measurement of impairment and we recognize any carrying amount in excess of fair 
value  as  an  impairment.  We  periodically  evaluate  the  continued  recoverability  of  intangible  assets  which  were  previously 
evaluated due to an impairment indicator to determine if remeasurement is necessary.  

During the fourth quarter of 2019, there were indicators of impairment of our intangible and other long-lived assets at our 
audio-visual  production  business  in  the  United  Kingdom,  Blitz.  As  a  result,  we  recorded  an  asset  impairment  charge  to 
equipment of $3.5 million and to our intangible asset of $1.5 million.

Income taxes — We are required to estimate and record provisions for income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we 
operate. Accordingly, we must estimate our actual current income tax liability, and assess temporary differences arising from 
the  treatment  of  items  for  tax  purposes,  as  compared  to  the  treatment  for  accounting  purposes.  These  differences  result  in 
deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  which  are  included  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  We  use  significant  judgment  in 
forming conclusions regarding the recoverability of our deferred tax assets and evaluate all available positive and negative 
evidence to determine if it is more-likely-than-not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. To the extent recovery does not 
appear likely, a valuation allowance must be recorded. We had gross deferred tax assets of $40.5 million as of December 31, 
2019 and $36.5 million as of December 31, 2018. 

While we believe that the deferred tax assets, net of existing valuation allowances, will be utilized in future periods, there are 
inherent uncertainties regarding the ultimate realization of these assets. It is possible that the relative weight of positive and 
negative evidence regarding the realization of deferred tax assets may change, which could result in a material increase or 
decrease in our valuation allowance. Such a change could result in a material increase or decrease to income tax expense in 
the period the assessment was made.

We record uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process: first we determine whether it is more-likely-than-not 
that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position; and, if so, we recognize the largest 
amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.

Pension and postretirement benefits — Our pension plans use traditional defined benefit formulas based on years of service 
and  final  average  compensation.  Funding  policies  provide  that  payments  to  defined  benefit  pension  trusts  shall  be  at  least 
equal to the minimum funding required by applicable regulations. We presently anticipate contributing $1.4 million to our 
funded pension plans and $0.9 million to our unfunded pension plans in 2020.

We have defined benefit postretirement plans that provide medical and life insurance for certain eligible employees, retirees, and 
dependents.  The  related  postretirement  benefit  liabilities  are  recognized  over  the  employees’  service  period.  In  addition,  we 
retain the obligations for these benefits for retirees of certain sold businesses. While the plans have no funding requirements, we 
expect to contribute $1.0 million to the plans in 2020.

The discount rates used in determining future pension and postretirement benefit obligations are based on rates determined by 
actuarial  analysis  and  management  review  and  reflect  the  estimated  rates  of  return  on  a  high-quality,  hypothetical  bond 
portfolio  whose  cash  flows  match  the  timing  and  amounts  of  expected  benefit  payments.  Refer  to  Note  18  –  Pension  and 
Postretirement Benefits of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further 
information.

Share-based  compensation  —  We  grant  share-based  compensation  awards  to  our  officers,  directors,  and  certain  key 
employees under our 2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, which has a 10-year term and provides for the following types 
of awards: (a) incentive and non-qualified stock options; (b) restricted stock and restricted stock units; (c) performance units 
or performance shares; (d) stock appreciation rights; (e) cash-based awards; and (f) certain other stock-based awards.

33

Share-based  compensation  expense  recognized  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  was  $7.2  million  in  2019,  $4.9 
million in 2018, and $11.0 million in 2017, and the total tax benefits related to such costs were $2.2 million in 2019, $1.2 
million in 2018, and $4.1 million in 2017. No share-based compensation costs were capitalized during 2019, 2018, or 2017.

The fair value of restricted stock awards is based on our stock price on the grant date. Liability-based awards are recorded at 
estimated fair value, based on the number of units expected to vest and the level of achievement of predefined performance 
goals,  where  applicable,  and  are  remeasured  on  each  balance  sheet  date  based  on  our  stock  price,  and  the  Monte  Carlo 
simulation  model,  until  the  time  of  settlement.  The  Monte  Carlo  simulation  requires  the  use  of  a  number  of  assumptions, 
including historical volatility and correlation between our stock price and the price of the common shares of a comparator 
group,  a  risk-free  rate  of  return,  and  an  expected  term.  Equity-based  awards  (including  performance  units)  are  recorded  at 
estimated fair value, based on the number of units expected to vest and the level of achievement of predefined performance 
goals,  until  the  time  of  settlement.  Refer  to  Note  3  –  Share-Based  Compensation  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information.

Self-Insurance Liabilities — We are self-insured up to certain limits for workers’ compensation and general liabilities, which 
includes automobile, product general liability, and client property loss claims. We have also retained and provided for certain 
workers’  compensation  insurance  liabilities  in  conjunction  with  previously  sold  businesses.  We  are  also  self-insured  for 
certain  employee  health  benefits.  Provisions  for  losses  for  claims  incurred,  including  actuarially  derived  estimated  claims 
incurred  but  not  yet  reported,  are  made  based  on  historical  experience,  claims  frequency,  and  other  factors.  We  have 
purchased insurance for amounts in excess of the self-insured levels. 

Impact of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Refer  to  Note  1  –  Overview  and  Summary  of  Significant  Accounting  Policies  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for further information.

Non-GAAP Measures

In  addition  to  disclosing  financial  results  that  are  determined  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting 
principles  (“GAAP”),  we  also  disclose  the  following  non-GAAP  financial  measures:  Segment  operating  income,  organic 
revenue, and organic segment operating income (collectively, the “Non-GAAP Measures”). Our use of Non-GAAP Measures 
is supplemental to, but not as a substitute for, other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. 
As not all companies use identical calculations, our Non-GAAP Measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures 
used by other companies. We believe that our use of Non-GAAP Measures provides useful information to investors regarding 
our results of operations for trending, analyzing, and benchmarking our performance and the value of our business.

•

•

“Segment  operating  income”  is  net  income  attributable  to  Viad  before  income  (loss)  from  discontinued 
operations,  corporate  activities,  interest  expense  and  interest  income,  income  taxes,  restructuring  charges, 
impairment charges and recoveries, and the reduction for income attributable to noncontrolling interest. Segment 
operating income is used to measure the profit and performance of our operating segments to facilitate period-to-
period comparisons. Refer to Note 23 – Segment Information of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 
(Part  II,  Item  8  of  this  2019  Form  10-K)  for  a  reconciliation  of  segment  operating  income  to  income  from 
continuing operations before income taxes.

“Organic revenue” and “organic segment operating income” are revenue and segment operating income (as 
defined above), respectively, without the impact of exchange rate variances and acquisitions, if any, until such 
acquisitions  are  included  in  the  entirety  of  both  comparable  periods.  The  impact  of  exchange  rate  variances  is 
calculated as the difference between current period activity translated at the current period’s exchange rates and 
the comparable prior period’s exchange rates. We believe the presentation of “organic” results permits investors 
to  better  understand  our  performance  without  the  effects  of  exchange  rate  variances  or  acquisitions  and  to 
facilitate  period-to-period  comparisons  and  analysis  of  our  operating  performance.  Refer  to  the  “Results  of 
Operations” section of this MD&A for reconciliations of organic revenue and organic segment operating income 
to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

We believe non-GAAP Measures are useful operating metrics as they eliminate potential variations arising from taxes, debt 
service costs, impairment charges and recoveries, and the effects of discontinued operations, resulting in additional measures 
considered to be indicative of our ongoing operations and segment performance. Although we use Non-GAAP Measures to 
assess the performance of our business, the use of these measures is limited because these measures do not consider material 
costs, expenses, and other items necessary to operate our business. These items include debt service costs, expenses related to 
U.S.  federal,  state,  local  and  foreign  income  taxes,  impairment  charges  and  recoveries,  and  the  effects  of  discontinued 

34

operations. As the Non-GAAP Measures do not consider these items, you should consider net income attributable to Viad as 
an important measure of financial performance because it provides a more complete measure of our performance.

Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Our market risk exposure relates to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates. Foreign exchange risk is the risk 
that fluctuating exchange rates will adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. Interest rate risk is the 
risk that changing interest rates will adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.

Our foreign operations are primarily in Canada, the United Kingdom, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Germany. The functional 
currency of our foreign subsidiaries is their local currency. Accordingly, for purposes of consolidation, we translate the assets 
and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries into U.S. dollars at the foreign exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. The 
unrealized gains or losses resulting from the translation of these foreign denominated assets and liabilities are included as a 
component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As a result, significant 
fluctuations  in  foreign  exchange  rates  relative  to  the  U.S.  dollar  may  result  in  material  changes  to  our  net  equity  position 
reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We do not currently hedge our equity risk arising from the translation of foreign 
denominated  assets  and  liabilities.  We  recorded  cumulative  unrealized  foreign  currency  translation  losses  in  stockholders’ 
equity of $23.8 million as of December 31, 2019 and $36.3 million as of December 31, 2018. We recorded unrealized foreign 
currency  translation  gains  in  other  comprehensive  income  of  $12.5  million  during  the  year  ended  December 31,  2019  and 
foreign currency translation losses of $24.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2018, in each case, net of tax.

For purposes of consolidation, revenue, expenses, gains, and losses related to our foreign operations are translated into U.S. 
dollars at the average foreign exchange rates for the period. As a result, our consolidated results of operations are exposed to 
fluctuations in foreign exchange rates as revenue and segment operating income of our foreign operations, when translated, 
may  vary  from  period  to  period,  even  when  the  functional  currency  amounts  have  not  changed.  Such  fluctuations  may 
adversely impact overall expected profitability and historical period-to-period comparisons. We do not currently hedge our 
net  earnings  exposure  arising  from  the  translation  of  our  foreign  revenue  and  segment  operating  income.  Refer  to 
“Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations  –  Foreign  Exchange  Rate 
Variances” (Part II, Item 7 of this 2019 Form 10-K) for a further discussion.

A hypothetical change of 10% in the Canadian dollar exchange rate would result in a change to 2019 operating income of 
approximately $5.3 million. A hypothetical change of 10% in the British pound exchange rate would result in a change to 
2019 operating income of approximately $0.1 million. A hypothetical change of 10% in the Euro exchange rate would result 
in a change to 2019 operating income of approximately $0.4 million.

We  are  exposed  to  foreign  exchange  transaction  risk,  as  our  foreign  subsidiaries  have  certain  revenue  transactions 
denominated  in  currencies  other  than  the  functional  currency  of  the  respective  subsidiary.  From  time  to  time,  we  utilize 
forward  contracts  to  mitigate  the  impact  on  earnings  related  to  these  transactions  due  to  fluctuations  in  foreign  exchange 
rates. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we did not have any outstanding foreign currency forward contracts.

We  are  exposed  to  short-term  and  long-term  interest  rate  risk  on  certain  of  our  debt  obligations.  We  do  not  currently  use 
derivative financial instruments to hedge cash flows for such obligations.

35

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Consolidated Balance Sheets  ......................................................................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Operations .......................................................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income...................................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity.......................................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows ......................................................................................................................
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements................................................................................................................
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm ........................................................................................
Schedule II – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts ......................................................................................................

Page

37
38
39
40
41
42
82
93

36

 
VIAD CORP

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share data)

Current assets

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents..............................................................................................  $
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $1,200 and $1,288,
   respectively ................................................................................................................. 
Inventories...................................................................................................................... 
Current contract costs..................................................................................................... 
Other current assets........................................................................................................ 
Total current assets............................................................................................................ 
Property and equipment, net ................................................................................................ 
Other investments and assets ............................................................................................... 
Operating lease right-of-use assets ...................................................................................... 
Deferred income taxes ......................................................................................................... 
Goodwill .............................................................................................................................. 
Other intangible assets, net .................................................................................................. 
Total Assets.........................................................................................................................  $

Current liabilities

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Accounts payable ...........................................................................................................  $
Contract liabilities .......................................................................................................... 
Accrued compensation................................................................................................... 
Operating lease obligations............................................................................................ 
Other current liabilities .................................................................................................. 
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations ................................................... 
Total current liabilities...................................................................................................... 
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations ..................................................................... 
Pension and postretirement benefits .................................................................................... 
Long-term operating lease obligations ................................................................................ 
Other deferred items and liabilities...................................................................................... 
Total liabilities.................................................................................................................... 
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest .................................................................................... 
Stockholders’ equity
Viad Corp stockholders’ equity:

Common stock, $1.50 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 24,934,981 shares
   issued and outstanding ................................................................................................ 
Additional capital........................................................................................................... 
Retained earnings........................................................................................................... 
Unearned employee benefits and other.......................................................................... 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss......................................................................... 
Common stock in treasury, at cost, 4,588,084 and 4,741,638 shares, respectively....... 
Total Viad stockholders’ equity........................................................................................ 
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interest ......................................................................... 
Total stockholders’ equity................................................................................................. 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity......................................................................  $

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

December 31,

2019

2018

61,999    $

44,893 

126,246   
17,269   
24,535   
30,854   
260,903   
500,901   
45,119   
103,314   
26,163   
287,983   
94,308   
1,318,691    $

86,660    $
50,671   
32,658   
22,180   
39,824   
316,794   
548,787   
23,698   
26,247   
82,851   
83,707   
765,290   

108,936 
16,629 
18,017 
25,486 
213,961 
333,847 
42,910 
— 
19,199 
261,330 
51,294 
922,541 

71,927 
33,476 
22,668 
— 
32,258 
229,416 
389,745 
705 
26,636 
— 
48,991 
466,077 

6,172   

5,909 

37,402   
574,473   
122,971   
—   
(35,699)  
(231,649)  
467,498   
79,731   
547,229   
1,318,691    $

37,402 
575,339 
109,032 
199 
(47,975)
(237,790)
436,207 
14,348 
450,555 
922,541  

37

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
VIAD CORP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

(in thousands, except per share data)
Revenue:

Services................................................................................................   $
Products ...............................................................................................    
Total revenue ...........................................................................................    
Costs and expenses:

Costs of services ..................................................................................    
Costs of products .................................................................................    
Business interruption gain ...................................................................    
Corporate activities..............................................................................    
Interest income ....................................................................................    
Interest expense ...................................................................................    
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal............................................    
Other expense ......................................................................................    
Restructuring charges ..........................................................................    
Legal settlement...................................................................................    
Impairment charges (recoveries) .........................................................    
Total costs and expenses .........................................................................    
Income from continuing operations before income taxes....................    
Income tax expense ...................................................................................    
Income from continuing operations ......................................................    
Income (loss) from discontinued operations .............................................    
Net income ...............................................................................................    
Net income attributable to non-redeemable noncontrolling interest.........    
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest......................    
Net income attributable to Viad ............................................................   $
Diluted income (loss) per common share:
Continuing operations attributable to Viad common stockholders...........   $
Discontinued operations attributable to Viad common stockholders .......    
Net income attributable to Viad common stockholders ......................   $
Weighted-average outstanding and potentially dilutive common
   shares......................................................................................................    
Basic income (loss) per common share:
Continuing operations attributable to Viad common stockholders...........   $
Discontinued operations attributable to Viad common stockholders .......    
Net income attributable to Viad common stockholders ......................   $
Weighted-average outstanding common shares........................................    
Dividends declared per common share .....................................................   $
Amounts attributable to Viad common stockholders
Income from continuing operations ..........................................................   $
Income (loss) from discontinued operations .............................................    
Net income ...............................................................................................   $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

1,170,493    $
201,202     
1,371,695     

 $

1,110,249 
185,935 
1,296,184 

1,132,424 
174,541 
1,306,965 

1,100,146     
181,380     
(141)    
10,865     
(369)    
14,199     
15,693     
1,586     
8,380     
8,500     
5,346     
1,345,585     
26,110     
2,506     
23,604     
(81)    
23,523     
(2,309)    
821     
22,035    $

1,039,403 
168,799 
(602)
10,993 
(354)
9,640 
— 
1,744 
1,587 
— 
(35)
1,231,175 
65,009 
17,095 
47,914 
1,481 
49,395 
(542)
317 
49,170 

1.02    $
—     
1.02    $

2.33 
0.07 
2.40 

20,284     

20,404 

1.02    $
—     
1.02    $
20,146     
0.40    $

22,116    $
(81)    
22,035    $

2.33 
0.07 
2.40 
20,168 
0.40 

47,689 
1,481 
49,170 

 $

 $

 $

 $

 $

 $

 $

 $

1,052,911 
158,081 
(2,692)
12,396 
(319)
8,304 
— 
2,028 
1,004 
— 
(29,098)
1,202,615 
104,350 
45,898 
58,452 
(268)
58,184 
(523)
46 
57,707 

2.84 
(0.01)
2.83 

20,405 

2.84 
(0.01)
2.83 
20,146 
0.40 

57,975 
(268)
57,707  

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

38

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

VIAD CORP

(in thousands)
Net income ...............................................................................................   $
Other comprehensive income (loss):

Unrealized gains on investments, net of tax effects of $0, $0, and 
$121 .....................................................................................................    
Unrealized foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax .........    
Change in net actuarial loss, net of tax effects of $(44), $305, and 
$163 .....................................................................................................    
Change in prior service cost, net of tax effects of $(48), $(52), and 
$(473)...................................................................................................    
Comprehensive income...........................................................................    
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interest:

Comprehensive income attributable to non-redeemable 
noncontrolling interest.........................................................................    
Unrealized foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax .........    

Redeemable noncontrolling interest:

Comprehensive loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling 
interest .................................................................................................    
Comprehensive income attributable to Viad........................................   $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

23,523    $

49,395 

 $

58,184 

—     
12,533     

— 
(24,306)

195 
17,058 

(116)    

1,236 

344 

(141)    
35,799     

(153)
26,172 

(774)
75,007 

(2,309)    
1,080     

(542)
— 

(523)
— 

821     
35,391    $

317 
25,947 

 $

46 
74,530  

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

39

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
  
   
      
  
  
  
  
VIAD CORP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Unearned
Accumulated 
Employee 
Other 
Benefits
Comprehensive 
and Other    
Income (Loss)    
 $

Total
Common
Viad
Stock in
Treasury    
Equity    
(39,391 )  $ (230,960 )  $ 357,355   $
57,707    

—    

— 

172  
—  

Non-
Redeemable 
Non-
Controlling
Interest

Total
Stockholders’
Equity

 $

13,283 
523 

370,638  
58,230  

—    

—    

—    

—     

—     

—     

—      

—      

—      

—      

—      

—      

3,623     

(8,160 )   

Common

Stock    

—    
—    

—      
—      

—     
(2,687 )   

Additional
Capital

Retained
Earnings 
(Deficit)    
37,402     $ 573,841    $ 16,291   $
—      57,707    

 (in thousands)
Balance, December 31, 2016................  $
Net income .............................................   
Dividends on common stock ($0.40 per 
share)......................................................   
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-
based compensation through shares 
withheld..................................................   
Employee benefit plans..........................   
Share-based compensation - equity 
awards ....................................................   
Unrealized foreign currency translation 
adjustment, net of tax.............................   
Unrealized gain on investments, net of 
tax...........................................................   
Amortization of net actuarial gain, net 
of tax ......................................................   
Amortization of prior service cost, net 
—    
of tax ......................................................   
Other, net................................................   
(2 )   
Balance, December 31, 2017................  $ 37,402    $ 574,458   $ 65,836   $
Net income .............................................   
—      49,170    
Dividends on common stock ($0.40 per 
share)......................................................   
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-
based compensation through shares 
withheld..................................................   
Common stock purchased for treasury ..   
Employee benefit plans..........................   
Share-based compensation - equity 
awards ....................................................   
Unrealized foreign currency translation 
adjustment, net of tax.............................   
Amortization of net actuarial loss, net 
of tax ......................................................   
Amortization of prior service cost, net 
of tax ......................................................   
Adoption of ASU 2016-01.....................   
Adoption of ASU 2018-02.....................   
Other, net................................................   
Balance, December 31, 2018................  $

—    
616    
1,568    
(4 )   
37,402     $ 575,339    $ 109,032   $

—     
—     
(1,905 )   

—     
—     
—     
(63 )   

—      
—      
—      
—      

—      
—      
—      

—    
—    
—    

—     
(319 )   

—      
—      

(8,154 )   

2,849     

—      

—      

—      

—      

—      

—     

—     

—     

—     

—    

—    

—    

—    

Net income .............................................   
Dividends on common stock ($0.40 per 
share)......................................................   
Distributions to noncontrolling interest .   
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-
based compensation through shares 
withheld..................................................   
Employee benefit plans..........................   
Share-based compensation - equity 
awards ....................................................   
Unrealized foreign currency translation 
adjustment, net of tax.............................   
Amortization of net actuarial loss, net 
of tax ......................................................   
Amortization of prior service cost, net 
of tax ......................................................   
Acquisitions .......................................   
Other, net................................................   
Balance, December 31, 2019................  $

—      

—      
—      

—      22,035    

—     
—     

(8,094 )   
—    

—      
—      

—     
(3,659 )   

—    
—    

—      

2,755     

—    

—      

—      

—     

—    

—     

—    

—      
—      
—      

—    
—    
(2 )   
37,402     $ 574,473    $ 122,971   $

—     
—     
38     

—  

—  
—  

—  

—  

—  

—  

—  
46      
218   $
—  

—  

—  
—  
—  

—  

—  

—  

—  
—  
—  
(19 )    
 $
199  

—  

—  
—  

—  
—  

—  

—  

—  

—  
—  
(199 )    
 $
—  

— 

— 
— 

— 

—    

(8,160 )   

(2,119 )   
6,864    

(2,119 )   
4,177    

—    

3,623    

17,058 

—    

17,058    

195 

344 

—    

195    

—    

344    

—    
—    

(774 )   
—     

(774 )   
(275 )   
(22,568)  $ (226,215)  $429,131   $
49,170    

—    

— 

— 

— 
— 
— 

— 

—    

(8,154 )   

(1,209 )   
(17,174 )   
6,807    

(1,209 )   
(17,174 )   
4,902    

—    

2,849    

(24,306 )   

—    

(24,306 )   

1,236 

—    

1,236    

(153 )   
(616 )   
(1,568 )   
—     

(153 )   
—    
—    
(85 )   
(47,975 )  $ (237,790 )  $ 436,207   $

—    
—    
—    
1    

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
—     
13,806   $
542 

— 

— 
— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 
— 
—     
 $

14,348 

— 

— 
— 

— 
— 

— 

—    

22,035    

2,309 

—    
—    

(8,094 )   
—    

— 
(407 )   

(3,046 )   
9,189    

(3,046 )   
5,530    

—    

2,755    

— 
— 

— 

(8,160 )

(2,119 )
4,177  

3,623  

17,058  

195  

344  

(774 )
(275 )
442,937 
49,712  

(8,154 )

(1,209 )
(17,174 )
4,902  

2,849  

(24,306 )

1,236  

(153 )
—  
—  
(85 )
450,555  

24,344  

(8,094 )
(407 )

(3,046 )
5,530  

2,755  

12,533 

—    

12,533    

1,080    

13,613 

(116 )   

—    

(116 )   

— 

(116 )

(141 )   
— 
—     

(141 )   
—    
(165 )   
(35,699 )  $ (231,649 )  $ 467,498   $

—    
—    
(2 )   

— 
62,401    
—     
79,731   $

(141 )
62,401 
(165 )
547,229  

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

40

 
 
   
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
VIAD CORP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 

(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income .....................................................................................................................  $
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization ................................................................................ 
Deferred income taxes............................................................................................. 
(Income) loss from discontinued operations ........................................................... 
Restructuring charges .............................................................................................. 
Legal settlement....................................................................................................... 
Impairment charges (recoveries) ............................................................................. 
(Gains) losses on dispositions of property and other assets .................................... 
Share-based compensation expense ........................................................................ 
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal ............................................................... 
Other non-cash items, net ........................................................................................ 
Change in operating assets and liabilities (excluding the impact of acquisitions):  
Receivables ....................................................................................................... 
Inventories......................................................................................................... 
Current contract costs........................................................................................ 
Accounts payable .............................................................................................. 
Restructuring liabilities ..................................................................................... 
Accrued compensation...................................................................................... 
Contract liabilities ............................................................................................. 
Payments on operating lease obligations .......................................................... 
Income taxes payable ........................................................................................ 
Other assets and liabilities, net.......................................................................... 
Net cash provided by operating activities.................................................................. 
Cash flows from investing activities

Capital expenditures ................................................................................................ 
Proceeds from insurance.......................................................................................... 
Cash paid for acquisitions, net................................................................................. 
Proceeds from dispositions of property and other assets......................................... 
Net cash used in investing activities ........................................................................... 
Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from borrowings....................................................................................... 
Payments on debt and finance lease obligations ..................................................... 
Dividends paid on common stock ........................................................................... 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest................................................................... 
Debt issuance costs.................................................................................................. 
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares withheld 
or repurchased ......................................................................................................... 
Common stock purchased for treasury .................................................................... 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options ................................................................. 
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities .................................................. 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents ..................................... 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents ................................................................... 
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year........................................................... 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year .....................................................................  $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

23,523    $

49,395 

 $

58,184 

58,964   
(10,398)  
81   
8,380   
8,500   
5,346   
(1,475)  
7,190   
15,693   
3,791   

(16,959)  
(328)  
(6,333)  
9,726   
(6,047)  
6,853   
16,796   
(28,146)  
195   
12,788   
108,140   

(76,147)  
—   
(90,992)  
1,583   
(165,556)  

200,473   
(115,708)  
(8,094)  
(407)  
(39)  

(3,046)  
—   
293   
73,472   
1,050   
17,106   
44,893   
61,999    $

56,842 
5,350 
(1,481)
1,587 
— 
(35)
473 
4,870 
— 
4,306 

(6,200)
(1,573)
(4,976)
(1,645)
(1,716)
(12,818)
3,677 
— 
(7,696)
2,235 
90,595 

(83,345)
— 
(4,628)
925 
(87,048)

146,580 
(128,211)
(8,154)
— 
(1,823)

(1,209)
(17,174)
84 
(9,907)
(2,470)
(8,830)
53,723 
44,893 

 $

55,114 
26,049 
268 
1,004 
— 
(29,098)
1,420 
10,969 
— 
5,029 

(2,338)
121 
2,544 
7,546 
(1,954)
(5,152)
(11,314)
— 
5,820 
(11,989)
112,223 

(56,621)
31,570 
(1,501)
947 
(25,605)

90,004 
(135,801)
(8,160)
— 
(5)

(2,119)
— 
— 
(56,081)
2,286 
32,823 
20,900 
53,723  

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

41

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
VIAD CORP

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1. Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  were  prepared  in  accordance  with  accounting  principles  generally 
accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America  (“GAAP”)  and  include  the  accounts  of  Viad  and  its  subsidiaries.  All  significant 
intercompany account balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Nature of Business

We are an international experiential services company with operations principally in the United States, Canada, the United 
Kingdom, continental Europe, and the United Arab Emirates. We are committed to providing unforgettable experiences to 
our  clients  and  guests.  We  operate  through  three  reportable  business  segments:  GES  North  America,  GES  EMEA 
(collectively, “GES”), and Pursuit.

GES

GES  is  a  global,  full-service  live  events  company  offering  a  comprehensive  range  of  services  to  event  organizers  and 
corporate brand marketers. Event organizers schedule and run events from start to finish. Corporate brand marketers include 
exhibitors and domestic and international corporations that want to promote their brands, services and innovations, feature 
new products, and build business relationships. GES serves corporate brand marketers when they exhibit at shows and when 
GES is engaged to manage their global exhibit program or produce their proprietary corporate events.

Pursuit

Pursuit  is  a  collection  of  inspiring  and  unforgettable  travel  experiences  that  includes  recreational  attractions,  unique  hotels 
and  lodges,  food  and  beverage,  retail,  sightseeing,  and  ground  transportation  services.  Pursuit  comprises  the  Banff  Jasper 
Collection, the Alaska Collection, the Glacier Park Collection, and FlyOver.

Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions 
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of 
revenue and expenses during the reported period. Estimates and assumptions are used in accounting for, among other things: 
impairment testing of recorded goodwill and intangible assets; allowances for uncollectible accounts receivable; provisions 
for income taxes, including uncertain tax positions; valuation allowances related to deferred tax assets; liabilities for losses 
related to self-insured liability claims; liabilities for losses related to environmental remediation obligations; sublease income 
associated with restructuring liabilities; pension and postretirement benefit costs and obligations; share-based compensation 
costs; the discount rates used to value lease obligations; the redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests; and the 
allocation of purchase price of acquired businesses. Actual results could differ from these and other estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are highly-liquid investments with remaining maturities when purchased of three months or less. Cash and 
cash equivalents consist of cash and bank demand deposits and money market funds. Investments in money market funds are 
classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value.

Allowances for Doubtful Accounts 

Allowances for doubtful accounts reflect the best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. The 
allowances for doubtful accounts, including a sales allowance for discounts at the time of sale, are based upon an evaluation 
of the aging of receivables, historical trends, and the current economic environment. 

42

Inventories

Inventories, which consist primarily of exhibit design and construction materials and supplies, as well as retail inventory, are 
stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out and specific identification methods) or net realizable value. 

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Property and equipment are depreciated using the 
straight-line  method  over  the  estimated  useful  lives  of  the  assets:  buildings,  15  to  40  years;  equipment,  3  to  12  years;  and 
leasehold  improvements,  over  the  shorter  of  the  lease  term  or  useful  life.  Property  and  equipment  are  tested  for  potential 
impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the long-lived asset may not be 
recoverable through undiscounted cash flows.

Leases

We  adopted  FASB  Accounting  Standards  Update  (“ASU”)  2016-02,  Leases  (“Topic  842”)  on  January  1,  2019  using  the 
optional  transition  method.  Under  this  method,  a  cumulative  adjustment  to  retained  earnings  is  recorded,  if  any,  and  prior 
periods are not restated. Topic 842 requires that we recognize a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability on the balance 
sheet and requires lessees to classify leases as either finance or operating leases. The classification of the lease determines 
whether  the  lease  expense  is  recognized  on  an  effective  interest  method  basis  (finance  lease)  or  on  a  straight-line  basis 
(operating lease) over the lease term. In determining whether an agreement contains a lease, we consider if we have a right to 
control the use of the underlying asset during the lease term in exchange for an obligation to make lease payments arising 
from the lease. We recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities at commencement date, which is when the underlying asset is 
available for use to a lessee, based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. 

Our  operating  and  finance  leases  are  primarily  facility,  equipment,  and  land  leases.  Our  facility  leases  comprise  mainly 
manufacturing  facilities,  sales  and  design  facilities,  offices,  storage  and/or  warehouses,  and  truck  marshaling  yards.  These 
facility leases generally have lease terms ranging up to 25 years. Our equipment leases comprise mainly vehicles, hardware, 
and office equipment, each with various lease terms. Our land leases comprise mainly leases in Canada and Iceland on which 
our hotels or attractions are located and have lease terms ranging up to 42 years.

We made the accounting policy election not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve 
months  or  less.  We  elected  to  apply  the  package  of  practical  expedients  permitted  under  Topic  842  transition  guidance, 
which,  among  other  things,  allows  us  to  carry  forward  our  historical  lease  classifications.  We  also  elected  the  practical 
expedient to not separate non-lease components from lease components for all asset classes, and payments associated with 
fixed non-lease components are included in measuring the ROU asset and lease liability. 

If a lease contains a renewal option that is reasonably certain to be exercised, then the lease term includes the optional periods 
in measuring a ROU asset and lease liability. The reasonably certain threshold is evaluated at lease commencement and is 
typically met if substantial economic incentives or termination penalties are identified. Variable leases and variable lease and 
non-lease  components  are  not  included  in  the  calculation  of  the  ROU  asset  and  corresponding  lease  liability.  For  facility 
leases, variable lease costs include the costs of common area maintenance, taxes, and insurance for which we pay our lessors 
an  estimate  that  is  adjusted  to  actual  expense  on  a  quarterly  or  annual  basis  depending  on  the  underlying  contract  terms. 
These variable lease payments are expensed as incurred. Upon the adoption of Topic 842, our accounting for finance leases, 
previously referred to as capital leases, remains substantially unchanged from prior guidance. Our lease agreements do not 
contain any significant residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants.

Substantially all of our lease agreements do not specify an implicit borrowing rate, and as such, we utilize an incremental 
borrowing  rate  based  on  lease  term  and  country,  in  order  to  calculate  the  present  value  of  our  future  lease  payments. The 
discount rate represents a risk-adjusted rate on a collateralized basis and is the expected rate at which we would borrow funds 
to  satisfy  the  scheduled  lease  liability  payment  streams  commensurate  with  the  lease  term  and  the  country. On  January  1, 
2019, the discount rate used to value existing leases was based on the remaining lease term and the country interest rates.  For 
new  or  renewed  leases  starting  in  2019,  the  discount  rate  is  determined  using  available  data  at  lease  commencement  and 
based on the lease term and country including any reasonably certain renewal periods. The determination of the discount rate 
required significant judgement. 

We  are  also  a  lessor  to  third  party  tenants  who  either  lease  certain  portions  of  facilities  that  we  own  or  sublease  certain 
portions  of  facilities  that  we  lease.  Lease  income  from  owned  facilities  is  recorded  as  rental  income  and  sublease  income 
from leased facilities is recorded against lease expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. All of our leases for 
which we are the lessor are classified as operating leases under Topic 842.

43

Goodwill

Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis as of October 31, and between annual tests if 
an event occurs or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its 
carrying value. We use a discounted expected future cash flow methodology (income approach) in order to estimate the fair 
value of our reporting units for purposes of goodwill impairment testing. The estimates and assumptions regarding expected 
future  cash  flows,  discount  rates,  and  terminal  values  require  considerable  judgment  and  are  based  on  market  conditions, 
financial  forecasts,  industry  trends,  and  historical  experience.  These  estimates,  however,  have  inherent  uncertainties  and 
different assumptions could lead to materially different results.

Cash Surrender Value of Life Insurance

We have Company-owned life insurance contracts that are intended to fund the cost of certain employee compensation and 
benefit  programs.  These  contracts  are  carried  at  cash  surrender  value,  net  of  outstanding  policy  loans.  The  cash  surrender 
value represents the amount of cash we could receive if the policies were discontinued before maturity. The changes in the 
cash surrender value of the policies, net of insurance premiums, are included as a component of “Costs of services” in the 
Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Self-Insurance Liabilities 

We are self-insured up to certain limits for workers’ compensation and general liabilities, which includes automobile, product 
general  liability,  and  client  property  loss  claims.  We  have  also  retained  and  provided  for  certain  workers’  compensation 
insurance  liabilities  in  conjunction  with  previously  sold  operations.  We  are  also  self-insured  for  certain  employee  health 
benefits.  Provisions  for  losses  for  claims  incurred,  including  actuarially  derived  estimated  claims  incurred  but  not  yet 
reported,  are  made  based  on  historical  experience,  claims  frequency,  and  other  factors.  We  have  purchased  insurance  for 
amounts in excess of the self-insured levels.

Environmental Remediation Liabilities

Environmental  remediation  liabilities  represent  the  estimated  cost  of  environmental  remediation  obligations  primarily 
associated with previously sold operations. The amounts accrued primarily consist of the estimated direct incremental costs, 
on an undiscounted basis, for contractor and other services related to remedial actions and post-remediation site monitoring. 
Environmental  remediation  liabilities  are  recorded  when  the  specific  obligation  is  considered  probable  and  the  costs  are 
reasonably  estimable.  Subsequent  recoveries  from  third  parties,  if  any,  are  recorded  through  discontinued  operations  when 
realized. Environmental insurance is maintained that provides coverage for new and undiscovered pre-existing conditions at 
both our continuing and discontinued operations.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-
term maturities of these instruments. Refer to Note 12 – Debt and Finance Lease Obligations for the estimated fair value of 
debt obligations.

Noncontrolling Interests – Non-redeemable and Redeemable 

Non-redeemable  noncontrolling  interest  represents  the  portion  of  equity  in  a  subsidiary  that  is  not  attributable,  directly  or 
indirectly, to us. Our non-redeemable noncontrolling interest relates to the 20% equity ownership interest that we do not own 
in Glacier Park, Inc., the 40% equity interest that we do not own in the recently acquired Mountain Park Lodges, and the 49% 
equity interest that we do not own in the new entity that will operate the Sky Lagoon attraction. We report non-redeemable 
noncontrolling  interest  within  stockholders’  equity  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  The  amount  of  consolidated  net 
income attributable to Viad and the non-redeemable noncontrolling interest is presented in the Consolidated Statements of 
Operations.  

Noncontrolling  interests  with  redemption  features  that  are  not  solely  within  our  control  are  considered  redeemable 
noncontrolling  interests.  Our  redeemable  noncontrolling  interest  relates  to  our  54.5%  equity  ownership  interest  in  Esja 
Attractions ehf. (“Esja”). The Esja shareholders agreement contains a put option that gives the minority Esja shareholders the 
right  to  sell  (or  “put”)  their  Esja  shares  to  us  based  on  a  calculated  formula  within  a  predefined  term.  This  redeemable 
noncontrolling  interest  is  considered  temporary  equity  and  we  report  it  between  liabilities  and  stockholders’  equity  in  the 
Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  The  amount  of  the  net  income  or  loss  attributable  to  redeemable  noncontrolling  interests  is 
recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the accretion of the redemption value is recorded as an adjustment 

44

to  retained  earnings  and  is  included  in  our  income  per  share.  Refer  to  Note  22  –  Redeemable  Noncontrolling  Interest  for 
additional information.

Foreign Currency Translation 

Our  foreign  operations  are  primarily  in  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom,  Iceland,  the  Netherlands,  Germany,  and  to  a  lesser 
extent, in certain other countries. The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries is their local currency. Accordingly, for 
purposes  of  consolidation,  we  translate  the  assets  and  liabilities  of  our  foreign  subsidiaries  into  U.S.  dollars  at  the  foreign 
exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. The unrealized gains or losses resulting from the translation of these foreign 
denominated  assets  and  liabilities  are  included  as  a  component  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  in  the 
Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  For  purposes  of  consolidation,  revenue,  expenses,  gains,  and  losses  related  to  our  foreign 
operations are translated into U.S. dollars at the average foreign exchange rates for the period.

Revenue Recognition

We  adopted  Accounting  Standard  Update  2014-09,  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (“Topic  606”)  on  January  1, 
2018. Upon the adoption of Topic 606, revenue is measured based on a specified amount of consideration in a contract with a 
customer,  net  of  commissions  paid  to  customers  and  amounts  collected  on  behalf  of  third  parties.  We  recognize  revenue 
when a performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a product or service to a customer. 

GES’  service  revenue  is  primarily  derived  through  its  comprehensive  range  of  services  to  event  organizers  and  corporate 
brand marketers including Core Services, Event Technology, and Audio-Visual. GES’ service revenue is earned over time 
over  the  duration  of  the  exhibition,  conference  or  corporate  event,  which  generally  lasts  one  to  three  days.  GES’  product 
revenue is derived from the build of exhibits and environments and graphics. GES’ product revenue is recognized at a point 
in time upon delivery of the product.

Pursuit’s  service  revenue  is  derived  through  its  admissions,  accommodations,  transportation,  and  travel  planning  services. 
Pursuit’s product revenue is derived through food and beverage and retail sales. Pursuit’s revenue is recognized at the time 
services  are  performed  or  upon  delivery  of  the  product.  Pursuit’s  service  revenue  is  recognized  over  time  as  the  customer 
simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits. Pursuit’s product revenue is recognized at a point in time.

Insurance Recoveries 

Receipts from insurance up to the amount of the recognized losses are considered recoveries and are accounted for when they 
are  probable  of  receipt.  Anticipated  proceeds  in  excess  of  the  recognized  loss  are  considered  a  gain  contingency.  A 
contingency  gain  for  anticipated  insurance  proceeds  in  excess  of  losses  already  recognized  is  not  recognized  until  all 
contingencies relating to the insurance claim have been resolved. 

Insurance proceeds allocated to business interruption gains are reported as cash flows from operating activities, and proceeds 
allocated  to  impairment  recoveries  are  reported  as  cash  flows  from  investing  activities.  Insurance  proceeds  used  for 
capitalizable  costs  are  classified  as  cash  flows  from  investing  activities,  and  proceeds  used  for  non-capitalizable  costs  are 
classified as operating activities.

On December 29, 2016, the Mount Royal Hotel was damaged by a fire and closed. During the fourth quarter of 2016, we 
recorded an asset impairment loss of $2.2 million and an offsetting impairment recovery (and related insurance receivable) as 
the losses related to the fire were covered by our property and business interruption insurance. During July 2017, we resolved 
our property and business interruption insurance claims for a total of $36.3 million. We allocated $2.2 million to an insurance 
receivable, $29.3 million was recorded as an impairment recovery (partially offset by impairment charges of $0.2 million) 
related to construction costs to re-open the hotel, $2.5 million was recorded as a business interruption gain for the recovery of 
lost profits, $1.3 million was recorded as contra-expense to offset non-capitalizable costs incurred, and the remaining $1.0 
million  was  deferred  and  recognized  during  the  first  half  of  2018  when  the  business  interruption  losses  were  actually 
incurred.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-based compensation costs related to all share-based payment awards are recognized and measured using the fair value 
method of accounting. These awards generally include restricted stock, liability-based awards (including performance units 
and restricted stock units), and stock options, and contain forfeiture and non-compete provisions.

The fair value of restricted stock awards is based on our closing stock price on the date of grant. We issue restricted stock 
awards from shares held in treasury. Future vesting of restricted stock is generally subject to continued employment. Holders 

45

of  restricted  stock  have  the  right  to  receive  dividends  and  vote  the  shares,  but  may  not  sell,  assign,  transfer,  pledge,  or 
otherwise encumber the stock, except to the extent restrictions have lapsed and in accordance with our stock trading policy.

Restricted stock awards vest three years from the date of grant. Share-based compensation expense is recognized using the 
straight-line method over the requisite service period.

Liability-based awards (including performance units and restricted stock units) are recorded at estimated fair value, based on 
the number of units expected to vest and, where applicable, the level of achievement of predefined performance goals. These 
awards are remeasured on each balance sheet date based on our stock price, and the Monte Carlo simulation model, until the 
time  of  settlement.  A  Monte  Carlo  simulation  requires  the  use  of  several  assumptions,  including  historical  volatility  and 
correlation between our stock price and the price of the common shares of a comparator group, a risk-free rate of return, and 
an  expected  term.  To  the  extent  earned,  liability-based  awards  are  settled  in  cash  based  on  our  stock  price.  Compensation 
expense related to liability-based awards is recognized ratably over the requisite service period of approximately three years.

Equity-based  awards  (including  performance  units)  are  recorded  at  estimated  fair  value,  based  on  the  number  of  units 
expected to vest and the level of achievement of predefined performance goals, until the time of settlement. To the extent 
earned,  equity-based  awards  are  settled  in  our  common  stock.  Compensation  expense  related  to  equity-based  awards  is 
recognized ratably over the requisite service period of approximately three years.

The fair value of stock option grants is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Share-
based  compensation  expense  related  to  stock  option  awards  is  recognized  using  the  straight-line  method  over  the  requisite 
service period of approximately five years. The exercise price of stock options is based on the market value of our common 
stock at the date of grant. We have not granted stock options since 2010.

Common Stock in Treasury

Common  stock  purchased  for  treasury  is  recorded  at  historical  cost.  Subsequent  share  reissuances  are  primarily  related  to 
share-based compensation programs and recorded at weighted-average cost.

Income Per Common Share

We  apply  the  two-class  method  in  calculating  income  per  common  share  as  unvested  share-based  payment  awards  that 
contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends are considered participating securities. Accordingly, such securities are included in 
the  earnings  allocation  in  calculating  income  per  share.  The  adjustment  to  the  carrying  value  of  the  redeemable 
noncontrolling interest is reflected in income per common share.

46

Impact of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The following table provides a brief description of recent accounting pronouncements:

Standard

Description

Standards Not Yet Adopted
ASU 2016-13, 
Financial 
Instruments – 
Credit Losses 
(Topic 326) - 
Measurement of 
Credit Losses on 
Financial 
Instruments

  The amendment eliminates the incurred 
credit loss impairment methodology in 
current GAAP and replaces it with an 
expected credit loss concept based on 
historical experience, current conditions, and 
reasonable and supportable forecasts.

Date of 
adoption  

Effect on the financial statements

  January 1, 

  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of the 

2020

adoption of this new guidance on our consolidated 
financial statements. We will be required to use a forward-
looking expected credit loss model for trade receivables. 
Adoption of this new standard will be applied using the 
modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-
effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective 
date in an amount necessary to adjust our current credit 
loss methodology to equal the current estimate of expected 
losses on financial assets held at that date. We do not 
expect this new guidance to have a material impact on our 
consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2019-12, 
Income Taxes 
(Topic 740) 
Simplifying the 
Accounting for 
Income Taxes

  The amendment enhances and simplifies 

  January 1, 

  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of the 

2021

various aspects of the income tax accounting 
guidance, including requirements such as tax 
basis step-up in goodwill obtained in a 
transaction that is not a business 
combination, ownership changes in 
investments, and interim-period accounting 
for enacted changes in tax law.

adoption of this new guidance on our consolidated 
financial statements. We do not expect this new guidance 
to have a material impact on our consolidated financial 
statements.

47

 
 
Standard

Description

Standards Recently Adopted
ASU 2018-15, 
Intangibles – 
Goodwill and Other 
– Internal-Use 
Software (Subtopic 
350-40) Customer’s 
Accounting for 
Implementation 
Costs Incurred in a 
Cloud Computing 
Arrangement That 
Is a Service 
Contract
ASU 2016-02, 
Leases (Topic 842)

The amendment aligns the requirements for 
capitalizing implementation costs incurred in 
a hosting arrangement that is a service 
contract with the requirements for 
capitalizing implementation costs incurred to 
develop or obtain internal-use software. The 
amendment also requires an entity to 
expense the capitalized implementation costs 
of a hosting arrangement that is a service 
contract over the term of the hosting 
arrangement. Early adoption is permitted and 
may be applied on either a retrospective or 
prospective basis.
The amendment increases transparency and 
comparability by requiring the recognition of 
a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on 
the balance sheet. The standard also requires 
more detailed disclosures to enable users of 
financial statements to understand the nature, 
amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash 
flows arising from leases.

Date of 
adoption  

Effect on the financial statements

September 
30, 2019

We early adopted this new guidance on a retrospective 
basis and determined it did not have a material impact on 
our consolidated financial statements.

January 1, 
2019

We elected the optional transition method and adopted 
ASU 2016-02 and its related amendments (collectively, 
“Topic 842”) on January 1, 2019, on a modified 
retrospective basis. Under the optional transition method, 
a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings is recorded, 
if any, and prior periods are not restated. We determined 
there was no cumulative effect adjustment to retained 
earnings on January 1, 2019.

The adoption of Topic 842 did not have a material impact 
on our Consolidated Statement of Operations. The most 
significant impact related to facility and equipment leases, 
which were previously recorded as operating leases. Upon 
adoption as of January 1, 2019, we recognized an 
additional right-of-use asset and lease liability of $68 
million on the balance sheet. The existing deferred rent 
liabilities balance, resulting from historical straight-lining 
of operating leases, was reclassified upon adoption to 
reduce the measurement of leased assets. Refer to our 
Leases Significant Accounting Policy preceding this table 
and Note 20 - Leases and Other for additional information.

Note 2. Revenue and Related Contract Costs and Contract Liabilities

GES’ performance obligations consist of services or product(s) outlined in a contract. While multi-year contracts are often 
signed for recurring events, the obligations for each occurrence are well defined and conclude upon the occurrence of each 
event.  The  obligations  are  typically  the  provision  of  services  and/or  sale  of  a  product  in  connection  with  an  exhibition, 
conference, or other event. Revenue for services is recognized when we have a right to invoice at the close of the exhibition, 
conference, or corporate event, which typically lasts one to three days. Revenue for consumer events is recognized over the 
duration of the event. Revenue for products is recognized either upon delivery to the customer’s location, upon delivery to an 
event  that  we  are  serving,  or  when  we  have  the  right  to  invoice,  generally  at  the  close  of  the  exhibition,  conference,  or 
corporate event. Payment terms are generally within 30-60 days and contain no significant financing components.

Pursuit’s  performance  obligations  are  short-term  in  nature.  They  include  the  provision  of  a  hotel  room,  an  attraction 
admission,  a  chartered  or  ticketed  bus  or  van  ride,  the  fulfillment  of  travel  planning  itineraries,  and/or  the  sale  of  food, 
beverage, or retail products. Revenue is recognized when the service has been provided or the product has been delivered. 
When credit is extended, payment terms are generally within 30 days and contain no significant financing components.

Contract Liabilities

GES and Pursuit typically receive customer deposits prior to transferring the related product or service to the customer. These 
deposits  are  recorded  as  a  contract  liability  and  are  recognized  as  revenue  upon  satisfaction  of  the  related  contract 
performance  obligation(s).  GES  also  provides  customer  rebates  and  volume  discounts  to  certain  event  organizers  that  are 

48

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
recognized  as  a  reduction  of  revenue.  These  amounts  are  included  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  under  the  captions 
“Contract liabilities” and “Other deferred items and liabilities.”

Changes to contract liabilities are as follows:

 (in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2018 ...................................................................................................................   $
Cash additions .........................................................................................................................................  
Revenue recognized.................................................................................................................................  
Foreign exchange translation adjustment ................................................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2018..............................................................................................................  
Cash additions .........................................................................................................................................  
Revenue recognized.................................................................................................................................  
Foreign exchange translation adjustment ................................................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2019..............................................................................................................   $

31,981 
179,238 
(174,620)
(999)
35,600 
210,871 
(196,158)
483 
50,796  

Contract Costs

GES capitalizes certain incremental costs incurred in obtaining and fulfilling contracts. Capitalized costs principally relate to 
direct costs of materials and services incurred in fulfilling services of future exhibitions, conferences, and events, and also 
include  up-front  incentives  and  commissions  incurred  upon  contract  signing.  Costs  associated  with  preliminary  contract 
activities (i.e. proposal activities) are expensed as incurred. Capitalized contract costs are expensed upon the transfer of the 
related  goods  or  services  and  are  included  in  cost  of  services  or  cost  of  products,  as  applicable.  The  deferred  incremental 
costs  of  obtaining  and  fulfilling  contracts  are  included  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  under  the  captions  “Current 
contract costs” and “Other investments and assets.” 

Changes to contract costs are as follows:

 (in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2018 ...................................................................................................................   $
Additions..................................................................................................................................................  
Expenses ..................................................................................................................................................  
Cancelled..................................................................................................................................................  
Foreign exchange translation adjustment.................................................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2018 ..............................................................................................................  
Additions..................................................................................................................................................  
Expenses ..................................................................................................................................................  
Cancelled..................................................................................................................................................  
Foreign exchange translation adjustment.................................................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2019 ..............................................................................................................   $

16,878 
65,147 
(59,601)
(136)
(810)
21,478 
74,274 
(67,425)
(68)
237 
28,496  

As of December 31, 2019, capitalized contract costs consisted of $1.9 million to obtain contracts and $26.6 million to fulfill 
contracts. We  did  not  recognize  an  impairment  loss  with  respect  to  capitalized  contract  costs  during  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2019 or 2018.

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disaggregation of Revenue

The  following  tables  disaggregate  GES  and  Pursuit  revenue  by  major  product  line,  timing  of  revenue  recognition,  and 
markets served:

GES

(in thousands)
Services:

GES North 
America(1)

Year Ended December 31, 2019
Intersegment 
Eliminations    

    GES EMEA(1)    

Total

Core services ............................................................................  $
Audio-visual .............................................................................   
Event technology......................................................................   
Intersegment eliminations ........................................................   
Total services ..............................................................................   
Products:

753,648    $
78,178     
29,600     
—     
861,426     

130,932    $
24,197     
9,749     
—     
164,878     

884,580 
—    $
102,375 
—     
39,349 
—     
(20,741)    
(20,741)
(20,741)     1,005,563 

Core products ...........................................................................   
Total revenue .............................................................................  $

74,606     
936,032    $

68,713     
233,591    $

—     

143,319 
(20,741)   $ 1,148,882 

Timing of revenue recognition:

Services transferred over time..................................................  $
Products transferred over time(2) ..............................................   
Products transferred at a point in time......................................   
Total revenue .............................................................................  $

861,426    $
45,597     
29,009     
936,032    $

164,878    $
16,071     
52,642     
233,591    $

(20,741)   $ 1,005,563 
61,668 
81,651 
(20,741)   $ 1,148,882 

—     
—     

Markets:

Exhibitions................................................................................  $
Conferences ..............................................................................   
Corporate events.......................................................................   
Consumer events ......................................................................   
Intersegment eliminations ........................................................   
Total revenue .............................................................................  $

478,397    $
289,394     
141,030     
27,211     
—     
936,032    $

172,400    $
27,917     
32,212     
1,062     
—     
233,591    $

650,797 
—    $
317,311 
—     
173,242 
—     
28,273 
—     
(20,741)
(20,741)    
(20,741)   $ 1,148,882  

(1) During the first quarter of 2019, we realigned GES’ organizational structure. As a result, we changed GES’ reportable 
segments  to  reflect  how  our  chief  operating  decision  maker  regularly  reviews  and  makes  decisions  regarding  the 
allocation of resources. Accordingly, GES’ new reportable segments are GES North America and GES EMEA.

(2) GES’ graphics product revenue is recognized over time as it is considered a part of the single performance obligation 

satisfied over time.

50

 
 
 
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
(in thousands)
Services:

GES North 
America(1)

Year Ended December 31, 2018
Intersegment 
Eliminations    

    GES EMEA(1)  

Total

Core services ............................................................................   $
Audio-visual.............................................................................    
Event technology .....................................................................    
Intersegment eliminations ........................................................    
Total services ..............................................................................    
Products:

733,407    $
73,331     
30,208     
—     
836,946     

120,371    $
22,011     
10,658     
—     
153,040     

—    $
—     
—     
(17,140)    
(17,140)    

853,778 
95,342 
40,866 
(17,140)
972,846 

Core products ...........................................................................    
Total revenue.............................................................................   $

72,844     
909,790    $

65,207     
218,247    $

—     

138,051 
(17,140)   $ 1,110,897 

Timing of revenue recognition:

Services transferred over time .................................................   $
Products transferred over time(2)  .............................................    
Products transferred at a point in time .....................................    
Total revenue.............................................................................   $

836,946    $
44,109     
28,735     
909,790    $

153,040    $
16,084     
49,123     
218,247    $

(17,140)   $
—     
—     

972,846 
60,193 
77,858 
(17,140)   $ 1,110,897 

Markets:

Exhibitions ...............................................................................   $
Conferences..............................................................................    
Corporate events ......................................................................    
Consumer events......................................................................    
Intersegment eliminations ........................................................    
Total revenue.............................................................................   $

500,411    $
251,978     
126,781     
30,620     
—     
909,790    $

160,876    $
27,129     
28,130     
2,112     
—     
218,247    $

661,287 
—    $
279,107 
—     
154,911 
—     
32,732 
—     
(17,140)    
(17,140)
(17,140)   $ 1,110,897  

(1) During the first quarter of 2019, we realigned GES’ organizational structure. As a result, we changed GES’ reportable 
segments  to  reflect  how  our  chief  operating  decision  maker  regularly  reviews  and  makes  decisions  regarding  the 
allocation of resources. Accordingly, GES’ new reportable segments are GES North America and GES EMEA.

(2) GES’ graphics product revenue is recognized over time as it is considered a part of the single performance obligation 

satisfied over time.

51

 
 
 
 
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
 
     
       
       
       
 
     
       
       
       
 
Pursuit 

(in thousands)
Services:

Year Ended December 31,

2019

2018

Admissions .................................................................................................................  $
Accommodations........................................................................................................ 
Transportation ............................................................................................................ 
Travel planning........................................................................................................... 
Intersegment eliminations .......................................................................................... 
Total services revenue................................................................................................... 
Products:

Food and beverage...................................................................................................... 
Retail operations......................................................................................................... 
Total products revenue.................................................................................................. 
Total revenue ...............................................................................................................  $

85,371    $
60,672   
14,594   
5,979   
(1,686)  
164,930   

31,838   
26,045   
57,883   
222,813    $

Timing of revenue recognition:

Services transferred over time....................................................................................  $
Products transferred at a point in time........................................................................ 
Total revenue ...............................................................................................................  $

164,930    $
57,883   
222,813    $

Markets:

Banff Jasper Collection ..............................................................................................  $
Alaska Collection ....................................................................................................... 
Glacier Park Collection .............................................................................................. 
FlyOver....................................................................................................................... 
Total revenue ...............................................................................................................  $

133,229    $
39,406   
37,121   
13,057   
222,813    $

83,000 
37,470 
13,956 
4,529 
(1,551)
137,404 

25,962 
21,921 
47,883 
185,287 

137,404 
47,883 
185,287 

106,106 
36,451 
31,465 
11,265 
185,287  

Note 3. Share-Based Compensation 

The following table summarizes share-based compensation expense: 

(in thousands)
Performance unit incentive plan (“PUP”) .................................................   $
Restricted stock .........................................................................................    
Restricted stock units ................................................................................    
Share-based compensation before income tax benefit.........................    
Income tax benefit.....................................................................................    
Share-based compensation, net of income tax benefit .........................   $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

3,990 
2,684 
516 
7,190 
(2,241)
4,949 

 $

 $

2,260    $
2,453     
157     
4,870     
(1,227)    
3,643    $

8,088 
2,594 
287 
10,969 
(4,079)
6,890  

We  recorded  share-based  compensation  expense  through  restructuring  charges  of  $0.1  million  in  2019,  none  in  2018,  and 
$0.1 million in 2017. No share-based compensation costs were capitalized during 2019, 2018, or 2017.

52

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
  
  
  
  
The following table summarizes the activity of the outstanding share-based compensation awards:

PUP Awards

Restricted Stock

Restricted Stock Units

Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value    

Shares

Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value    

Shares

Shares

Balance at December 31, 2018 .....................    239,809    $
73,619    $
Granted............................................................   
(95,309)   $
Vested..............................................................   
Forfeited ..........................................................   
(3,215)   $
Balance at December 31, 2019 .....................    214,904    $

40.65      176,769    $
56,390    $
58.29     
(85,436)   $
26.98     
55.72     
(11,600)   $
52.53      136,123    $

40.87     
57.99     
32.27     
49.05     
52.66     

12,090    $
8,898    $
(9,250)   $
(115)   $
11,623    $

Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value  
39.04 
61.16 
43.65 
52.15 
52.17  

Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan

We grant share-based compensation awards to our officers, directors, and certain key employees pursuant to the 2017 Viad 
Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”). The 2017 Plan has a 10-year term and provides for the following types of 
awards: (a) incentive and non-qualified stock options; (b) restricted stock and restricted stock units; (c) performance units or 
performance  shares;  (d) stock  appreciation  rights;  (e) cash-based  awards;  and  (f) certain  other  stock-based  awards.  In  June 
2017, we registered 1,750,000 shares of common stock issuable under the 2017 Plan. As of December 31, 2019, there were 
1,584,154 shares available for future grant under the 2017 Plan.

PUP Awards

The vesting of PUP award shares is based upon achievement of certain performance-based criteria over a three-year period. 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we granted PUP awards with a grant date fair value of $4.3 million of which $1.7 
million are payable in shares. Liabilities related to PUP awards were $5.3 million as of December 31, 2019 and $7.0 million 
as of December 31, 2018. In 2019, PUP awards granted in 2016 vested and we paid $5.6 million in cash and $3.4 million in 
shares. In 2019, we withheld 25,771 shares for $1.5 million related to tax withholding requirements on vested PUP awards 
paid in shares. In 2018, PUP awards granted in 2015 vested and we paid $5.9 million in cash. In 2017, PUP awards granted in 
2014 vested and we paid $3.7 million in cash.

Restricted Stock

The grant date fair value of vested restricted stock was $2.8 million in 2019, $2.1 million in 2018, and $2.7 million in 2017. 
As of December 31, 2019, the unamortized cost of outstanding restricted stock awards was $2.5 million, which we expect to 
recognize  over  a  weighted-average  period  of  approximately  1.1  years.  We  repurchased  24,995  shares  for  $1.5  million  in 
2019,  22,358  shares  for  $1.2  million  in  2018,  and  41,532  shares  for  $2.1  million  in  2017  related  to  tax  withholding 
requirements on vested share-based awards.

Restricted Stock Units

Aggregate  liabilities  related  to  restricted  stock  units  were  $0.4  million  as  of  December 31,  2019  and  $0.4  million  as  of 
December 31,  2018.  In  2019,  restricted  stock  units  vested  and  we  paid  $0.6  million  in  cash  and  $0.2  million  in  shares.  In 
2018,  the  2015  restricted  stock  units  vested  and  we  paid  $0.2  million  in  cash.  In  2017,  portions  of  the  2012  and  2014 
restricted stock units vested and we paid $0.3 million in cash. 

Stock Options

The following table summarizes stock option activity:

Options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2018...................................  
Exercised.......................................................................................................................  
Options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2019...................................  

Shares

Weighted-Average
Exercise Price

58,689    $
(17,546)   $
41,143    $

16.62 
16.62 
16.62  

The weighted-average remaining contractual life of stock options outstanding is less than one year. The total intrinsic value 
of stock options outstanding was $2.1 million in 2019, $2.0 million in 2018, and $2.5 million in 2017. The intrinsic value of 
stock  options  outstanding  represents  the  difference  between  our  closing  stock  price  on  December  31  of  each  year  and  the 
exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money stock options.

53

 
 
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 4. Acquisitions 

2019 Acquisitions

Belton Chalet

On  May  16,  2019,  we  acquired  the  Belton  Chalet  in  Glacier  National  Park  for  total  cash  consideration  of  $3.2  million. 
Transaction  costs  associated  with  the  acquisition  were  $0.3  million,  which  are  included  in  “Cost  of  services”  in  the 
Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations.  These  assets  have  been  included  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  from  the 
date of acquisition.

Mountain Park Lodges

On June 8, 2019, we acquired a 60% equity interest in Mountain Park Lodges’ group of seven hotels and an undeveloped 
land  parcel  located  in  Jasper  National  Park  for  total  consideration  of  $100.6  million  Canadian  dollars  (approximately  $76 
million U.S. dollars).

The seven Mountain Park Lodges properties include: Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre (152 guest rooms); Pyramid Lake 
Resort (62  guest  rooms); The  Crimson  Hotel (99  guest  rooms); Chateau Jasper  (119  guest  rooms);  Pocahontas  Cabins  (57 
guest rooms); Marmot Lodge (107 guest rooms); and Lobstick Lodge (139 guest rooms).

As  the  majority  owner  of  these  properties,  we  consolidate  100%  of  the  results  of  operations  in  our  consolidated  financial 
statements and record the 40% owners’ share of the income or loss attributable to non-redeemable noncontrolling interest.

The  following  table  summarizes  the  preliminary  recording  of  the  fair  value  allocation  of  the  assets  acquired  and  liabilities 
assumed  as  of  the  date  of  acquisition.  During  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019,  we  made  certain  purchase  accounting 
measurement period adjustments based on refinements to assumptions used in the preliminary valuation. The purchase price 
allocation was final as of December 31, 2019.

 (in thousands)
Purchase price paid as:

Cash ........................................................................................................................
Net working capital adjustment..............................................................................
Consideration transferred.....................................................................................
Right to manage......................................................................................................
Purchase price, net..........................................................................................

  $

75,837 
18 
75,855 
(1,276)
74,579 

Fair value of net assets acquired:

$

Accounts receivable ...............................................................................................
Inventories ..............................................................................................................
Prepaid expenses ....................................................................................................
Property and equipment..........................................................................................
Intangible assets .....................................................................................................
Total assets acquired.......................................................................................
Accounts payable ...................................................................................................
Advanced deposits payable ....................................................................................
Deferred tax liability ..............................................................................................
Other liabilities .......................................................................................................
Total liabilities assumed .................................................................................

Noncontrolling interest equity................................................................................
Total fair value of net assets acquired...........................................................
Excess purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired (“goodwill”) .......... 

333   
152   
276   
103,642   
20,180   
124,583   
329   
400   
19,734   
16   
20,479   

49,719   

  $

54,385 
20,194  

Under the acquisition method of accounting, the purchase price as shown in the table above is allocated to the tangible and 
identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair value. The excess purchase price 
over the fair value of net assets acquired was recorded as “Goodwill.” Goodwill is included in the Pursuit business group. 
The  primary  factor  that  contributed  to  the  purchase  price  resulting  in  the  recognition  of  goodwill  related  to  future  growth 

54

 
   
   
  
 
   
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
  
 
   
 
 
   
   
  
 
   
   
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
    
  
 
 
  
  
 
   
   
opportunities when combined with our other businesses. Goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes. The estimated values of 
current assets and liabilities were based upon their historical costs on the acquisition date due to their short-term nature. 

Transaction costs associated with the Mountain Park Lodges were $0.9 million in 2019 and $0.1 million in 2018, which are 
included  in  “Corporate  activities”  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations.  We  included  these  assets  and  results  of 
operations in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2019, 
revenue related to the Mountain Park Lodges was $18.8 million and operating income was $5.5 million. 

Identifiable intangible assets acquired in the Mountain Park Lodges acquisition were $20.2 million and consist primarily of 
in-place leases, customer relationships, and trade names. The weighted average amortization period related to the intangible 
assets is approximately 30.8 years. 

Supplementary pro forma financial information 

The following table summarizes the unaudited pro forma results of operations attributable to Viad, assuming the Mountain 
Park Lodges acquisition had been completed on January 1, 2018:

(in thousands, except per share data)
Revenue ........................................................................................................................   $
Depreciation and amortization .....................................................................................   $
Income from continuing operations .............................................................................   $
Net income attributable to Viad ...................................................................................   $
Diluted income per share..............................................................................................   $
Basic income per share.................................................................................................   $

Year Ended December 31,

2019
1,379,956    $
61,597    $
22,195    $
21,337    $
0.99    $
0.99    $

2018
1,323,524 
62,261 
48,312 
49,070 
2.39 
2.40  

Pursuit – Sky Lagoon Attraction

On July 25, 2019, we announced plans for a new geothermal lagoon attraction that will be located on an oceanfront lot just 
outside downtown Reykjavik, Iceland. We acquired a 51% controlling interest for $13.2 million in the new entity that will 
manage the sky lagoon attraction, which we will operate in partnership with Geothermal Lagoon ehf., the Icelandic entity that 
owns the lagoon assets. The noncontrolling interest’s carrying value was determined by the fair value of the noncontrolling 
interest  as  of  the  acquisition  date  and  the  noncontrolling  interest’s  share  of  the  subsequent  net  income  or  loss.  The 
amortization  of  the  resulting  operating  contract  intangible  is  not  deductible  for  tax  purposes.  We  expect  to  open  our  new 
attraction in 2021. Refer to Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for additional information.

2018 Acquisition

Maligne Canyon Restaurant 

In  March  2018,  we  acquired  the  Maligne  Canyon  Restaurant  and  Gift  Shop  for  total  cash  consideration  of  $6.0  million 
Canadian  dollars  (approximately  $4.6  million  U.S.  dollars).   Transaction  costs  associated  with  the  acquisition  were  $24 
thousand in 2018, which are included in “Cost of services” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. These assets have 
been included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. The Maligne Canyon Restaurant has been 
renovated and rebranded as the Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen.

2017 Acquisitions

Poken

In  March  2017, we  acquired  Poken event engagement  technology  for total cash consideration of  $1.7 million.  Transaction 
costs  associated  with  the  acquisition  of  Poken  were  $0.3  million  in  2017,  which  are  included  in  “Cost  of  services”  in  the 
Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations.  These  assets  have  been  included  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  from  the 
date of acquisition. 

Esja

On November 3, 2017, we acquired the controlling interest (54.5% of the common stock) in Esja, a private corporation in 
Reykjavik, Iceland. Through Esja and its wholly-owned subsidiary, we are operating a new FlyOver Iceland attraction, which 
opened  in  August  2019.  The  purchase  price  was  €8.2  million  (approximately  $9.5  million  U.S.  dollars)  in  cash,  and  the 
shareholders agreement includes a put option that gives the minority Esja shareholders the right to sell (or “put”) their Esja 
shares to us based on a calculated formula within a predefined term. Refer to Note 22 – Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest 
for additional information.

55

 
 
 
 
   
 
Under  the  acquisition  method  of  accounting,  the  purchase  price  is  allocated  to  the  assets  acquired  and  liabilities  assumed 
based  on  their  estimated  fair  values.  The  excess  purchase  price  over  the  fair  value  of  net  assets  acquired  is  recorded  as 
goodwill.  Goodwill  is  included  in  the  Pursuit  business  group  and  the  primary  factor  that  contributed  to  the  purchase  price 
resulting  in  the  recognition  of  goodwill  relates  to  future  expected  income  from  operations.  Goodwill  is  deductible  for  tax 
purposes. Refer to Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for additional information.

Transaction  costs  associated  with  the  Esja  acquisition  were  $0.1  million  in  each  2018  and  2017,  which  are  included  in 
“Corporate activities” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Esja results of operations have been included in the 
consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

Note 5. Inventories

The components of inventories consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Raw materials ...............................................................................................................  $
Finished goods .............................................................................................................. 

Inventories .............................................................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

11,788    $
5,481   
17,269    $

12,368 
4,261 
16,629  

Note 6. Other Current Assets

Other current assets consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Income tax receivable ...................................................................................................  $
Prepaid insurance.......................................................................................................... 
Prepaid vendor payments.............................................................................................. 
Prepaid software maintenance ...................................................................................... 
Prepaid taxes................................................................................................................. 
Prepaid other................................................................................................................. 
Other ............................................................................................................................. 

Other current assets ..............................................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

13,250    $
5,573   
4,698   
3,875   
917   
1,904   
637   
30,854    $

10,886 
2,754 
4,492 
4,010 
591 
1,755 
998 
25,486  

Note 7. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Land and land interests(1) ..............................................................................................  $
Buildings and leasehold improvements ........................................................................ 
Equipment and other..................................................................................................... 
Gross property and equipment ............................................................................ 
Accumulated depreciation ............................................................................................ 
Property and equipment, net (excluding finance leases) ................................... 
Finance lease right-of-use assets, net............................................................................ 

Property and equipment, net ...............................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

34,532    $

377,754   
417,239   
829,525   
(353,974)  
475,551   
25,350   
500,901    $

32,887 
238,995 
383,284 
655,166 
(321,319)
333,847 
— 
333,847  

(1)

Land and land interests include certain leasehold interests in land within Pursuit for which we are considered to have 
perpetual use rights. The carrying amount of these leasehold interests was $8.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and 
$7.8 million as of December 31, 2018. The increase was due to additional purchased land in 2019. These land interests 
are not subject to amortization.

Depreciation expense was $45.6 million during 2019, $45.8 million during 2018, and $42.7 million during 2017.

Property  and  equipment  purchased  through  accounts  payable  and  accrued  liabilities  increased  $4.2  million  during  2019, 
decreased $1.9 million during 2018, and increased $2.3 million during 2017.

56

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We recorded asset impairment charges to equipment of $3.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 primarily related to our 
audio-visual production business in the United Kingdom.

On December 29, 2016, the Mount Royal Hotel in Banff, Canada was damaged by a fire and closed from December 2016 
through  June  2018  for  reconstruction.  During  2017,  we  resolved  our  property  and  business  interruption  insurance  claims 
related to the fire for a total of $36.3 million of which $29.3 million was recorded as an impairment recovery (partially offset 
by impairment charges of $0.2 million) related to construction costs to re-open the hotel. 

Note 8. Other Investments and Assets

Other investments and assets consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Cash surrender value of life insurance..........................................................................  $
Self-insured liability receivable.................................................................................... 
Contract costs................................................................................................................ 
Other mutual funds ....................................................................................................... 
Other ............................................................................................................................. 

Other investments and assets ...............................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

24,873    $
9,982   
3,961   
3,107   
3,196   
45,119    $

23,815 
9,176 
3,461 
2,517 
3,941 
42,910  

Note 9. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill are as follows:

 (in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2017 .................................................   $
Foreign currency translation adjustments...................................    
Purchase price allocation adjustments ........................................    
Balance at December 31, 2018 .................................................    
Business acquisitions ..................................................................    
Foreign currency translation adjustments...................................    
Balance at December 31, 2019 .................................................   $

GES North 
America

    GES EMEA    

Pursuit

155,505    $
(561)    
—     
154,944     
—     
332     
155,276    $

31,612    $
(1,658)    
—     
29,954     
—     
875     
30,829    $

83,434    $
(6,929)    
(73)    
76,432     
20,684     
4,762     
101,878    $

Total
270,551 
(9,148)
(73)
261,330 
20,684 
5,969 
287,983  

The following table summarizes goodwill by reporting unit and segment:

(in thousands)
GES:

GES North America:

December 31,

2019

2018

U.S. ....................................................................................................................  $
Canada ............................................................................................................... 
GES EMEA ............................................................................................................. 
Total GES .................................................................................................................... 
Pursuit:

Banff Jasper Collection ........................................................................................... 
Alaska Collection .................................................................................................... 
Glacier Park Collection ........................................................................................... 
FlyOver ................................................................................................................... 
Total Pursuit................................................................................................................ 
Total Goodwill.............................................................................................................  $

148,277    $
6,999   
30,829   
186,105   

55,524   
3,184   
1,758   
41,412   
101,878   
287,983    $

148,277 
6,667 
29,954 
184,898 

32,009 
3,184 
1,268 
39,971 
76,432 
261,330  

Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis as of October 31, and between annual tests if 
an event occurs or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its 
carrying value.

57

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GES  North  America’s  goodwill  is  assigned  to,  and  tested  at,  the  operating  segment  level  (GES  U.S.  and  GES  Canada, 
collectively  “GES  North  America”).  GES  EMEA’s  goodwill  is  assigned  to  and  tested  at  the  operating  segment  level. 
Pursuit’s goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level (Banff Jasper Collection, the Alaska Collection, 
the Glacier Park Collection, and FlyOver).

Our accumulated goodwill impairment as of both December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $229.7 million.

Other intangible assets consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Intangible assets subject to amortization:

Customer contracts and relationships........
Operating contracts and licenses ...............
In-place lease.............................................
Tradenames ...............................................
Non-compete agreements..........................
Other..........................................................
Total amortized intangible assets ................ 
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:

Business licenses .......................................
Other intangible assets ................................. 

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018

Useful Life
(Years)

Gross 
Carrying
Value

Accumulated
Amortization   

Net 
Carrying 
Value

Gross 
Carrying
Value

Accumulated
Amortization   

Net 
Carrying 
Value

7.8 $ 72,219  $ (40,866)  $ 31,353   $ 67,729  $ (31,201)  $ 36,528 
(1,376)    7,804 
(1,881)    41,448     9,180   
37.7   43,329   
— 
—   
13.1   15,044   
(3,109)    4,596 
(4,338)    5,085     7,705   
9,423   
6.6  
(4,080)    1,094 
302     5,174   
(1,775)   
2,077   
2.0  
812 
736     1,365   
(66)   
802   
8.2  
(40,319)    50,834 
(49,157)    93,737     91,153    
   142,894   

(231)    14,813    

(553)   

—    

571   

460 
571    
 $143,465  $ (49,157)  $ 94,308   $ 91,613   $ (40,319)  $ 51,294  

460    

—    

—    

Intangible asset amortization expense was $10.6 million during 2019, $11.0 million during 2018, and $12.4 million during 
2017. We recorded an impairment charge to intangible assets of $1.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 related to our 
audio-visual production business in the United Kingdom.

At  December 31,  2019,  the  estimated  future  amortization  expense  related  to  intangible  assets  subject  to  amortization  is  as 
follows: 

 (in thousands)
Year ending December 31,

2020 .............................................................................................................................................................   $
2021 .............................................................................................................................................................  
2022 .............................................................................................................................................................  
2023 .............................................................................................................................................................  
2024 .............................................................................................................................................................  
Thereafter.....................................................................................................................................................  
Total..................................................................................................................................................................   $

9,151 
8,151 
7,491 
6,564 
5,340 
57,040 
93,737  

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Note 10. Other Current Liabilities 

Other current liabilities consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Continuing operations:

Commissions payable..............................................................................................  $
Self-insured liability................................................................................................ 
Accrued sales and use taxes .................................................................................... 
Accrued employee benefit costs.............................................................................. 
Accrued legal settlement ......................................................................................... 
Accrued restructuring.............................................................................................. 
Accrued dividends................................................................................................... 
Current portion of pension and postretirement liabilities........................................ 
Accrued professional fees ....................................................................................... 
Accommodation services deposits .......................................................................... 
Deferred rent(1)  ....................................................................................................... 
Other taxes .............................................................................................................. 
Other........................................................................................................................ 
Total continuing operations ....................................................................................... 
Discontinued operations:

Environmental remediation liabilities ..................................................................... 
Self-insured liability................................................................................................ 
Other........................................................................................................................ 
Total discontinued operations ................................................................................... 
Total other current liabilities.....................................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

8,274    $
5,668   
5,451   
3,564   
2,500   
2,130   
2,019   
1,899   
1,248   
959   
—   
278   
5,187   
39,177   

311   
260   
76   
647   
39,824    $

2,703 
5,688 
5,397 
3,224 
— 
716 
2,012 
2,310 
886 
1,541 
1,659 
695 
4,501 
31,332 

555 
295 
76 
926 
32,258  

(1)

Upon the adoption of Topic 842, we reclassified deferred rent to operating lease obligations. We did not recast prior 
year financial statements under the new standard. Refer to Note 20 – Leases and Other for additional information.

Note 11. Other Deferred Items and Liabilities

Other deferred items and liabilities consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Continuing operations:

Foreign deferred tax liability...................................................................................  $
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal liability.................................................. 
Self-insured excess liability .................................................................................... 
Self-insured liability................................................................................................ 
Accrued compensation ............................................................................................ 
Accrued restructuring.............................................................................................. 
Deferred rent(1)......................................................................................................... 
Contract liabilities ................................................................................................... 
Other........................................................................................................................ 
Total continuing operations ....................................................................................... 
Discontinued operations:

Self-insured liability................................................................................................ 
Environmental remediation liabilities ..................................................................... 
Other........................................................................................................................ 
Total discontinued operations ................................................................................... 
Total other deferred items and liabilities .................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

32,570    $
15,693   
9,982   
8,682   
7,485   
2,383   
—   
125   
2,423   
79,343   

2,018   
1,964   
382   
4,364   
83,707    $

9,768 
— 
9,176 
10,681 
6,664 
1,535 
2,719 
2,124 
1,868 
44,535 

2,437 
1,775 
244 
4,456 
48,991  

(1)

Upon the adoption of Topic 842, we reclassified deferred rent to operating lease obligations. We did not recast prior 
year financial statements under the new standard. Refer to Note 20 – Leases and Other for additional information. 

59

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 12. Debt and Finance Lease Obligations

The components of long-term debt and finance lease obligations consisted of the following:

(in thousands, except interest rates)
2018 Credit Facility, 3.9% weighted-average interest rate at December 31, 2019 
and 4.3% at December 31, 2018, due through 2023(1)..................................................  $
FlyOver Iceland Credit Facility, 4.9% weighted-average interest rate at December 
31, 2019, due through 2022(1) ....................................................................................... 
Less unamortized debt issuance costs........................................................................... 
Total debt(2).................................................................................................................. 
Finance lease obligations, 7.7% weighted-average interest rate at December 31,
2019 and 4.5% at December 31, 2018, due through 2021............................................ 
Total debt and finance lease obligations(3)................................................................ 
Current portion(4) ..................................................................................................... 
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations..........................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

311,464    $

227,792 

5,607   
(1,836)  
315,235   

25,257   
340,492   
(316,794)  

23,698    $

— 
(2,310)
225,482 

4,639 
230,121 
(229,416)
705  

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Represents the weighted-average interest rate in effect at the respective periods, including any applicable margin. The 
interest rates do not include amortization of debt issuance costs or commitment fees.
The weighted-average interest rate on total debt (including unamortized debt issuance costs and commitment fees) was 
4.2%  for  2019,  4.3%  for  2018  and  3.7%  for  2017.  The  estimated  fair  value  of  total  debt  was  $339.4  million  as  of 
December 31, 2019 and $228.6 million as of December 31, 2018. The fair value of debt was estimated by discounting 
the  future  cash  flows  using  rates  currently  available  for  debt  of  similar  terms  and  maturity,  which  is  a  Level  2 
measurement. Refer to Note 13 – Fair Value Measurements.
Cash paid for interest on debt was $11.9 million during 2019, $8.5 million during 2018, and $7.7 million during 2017.
Borrowings under the 2018 Credit Facility are classified as current because all borrowed amounts are due within one 
year.

2018 Credit Agreement

Effective  October  24,  2018,  we  entered  into  a  Second  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement  (the  “2018  Credit 
Agreement”). The 2018 Credit Agreement has a maturity date of October 24, 2023 and provides for a $450 million revolving 
credit  facility  (“2018  Credit  Facility”).  Proceeds  from  the  2018  Credit  Facility  were  used  to  refinance  certain  of  our 
outstanding debt and provide us with additional funds for our operations, growth initiatives, acquisitions, and other general 
corporate purposes in the ordinary course of business. The 2018 Credit Facility may be increased up to an additional $250 
million under certain circumstances and has a $20 million sublimit for letters of credit. Borrowings and letters of credit can 
be denominated in U.S. dollars, Euros, Canadian dollars, or British pounds. Our lenders under the 2018 Credit Facility have a 
first perfected security interest in all of our personal property including GES, GES Event Intelligence Services, Inc., CATC 
Alaska Tourism Corporation (“CATC”), ON Event Services, LLC (“ON Services”), and 65% of the capital stock of our top-
tier foreign subsidiaries (other than Esja). Financial covenants include an interest coverage ratio of not less than 3.00 to 1.00 
and  a  leverage  ratio  of  not  greater  than  3.50  to  1.00,  with  a  step-up  to  4.00  to  1.00  for  four  quarters  following  a  material 
acquisition  of  $50  million  or  more.  Dividends  are  permitted  up  to  $15  million  in  any  calendar  year.  In  addition,  we  can 
declare and pay dividends or repurchase our common stock up to $20 million per calendar year. Dividends and repurchases 
above those thresholds are permitted as long as our pro forma leverage ratio is less than or equal to 2.75 to 1.00. Unsecured 
debt is allowed provided we are in compliance with the leverage ratio. In addition, the unsecured debt must mature after the 
expiration of the 2018 Credit Facility, cannot have scheduled principal payments while the 2018 Credit Facility is in place, 
and any covenants for unsecured debt cannot be more restrictive than the 2018 Credit Facility. Significant other covenants 
include  limitations  on  investments,  additional  indebtedness,  sales  and  dispositions  of  assets,  and  liens  on  property.  As  of 
December 31,  2019,  the  interest  coverage  ratio  was  9.23  to  1.00,  the  leverage  ratio  was  2.48  to  1.00,  and  we  were  in 
compliance with all covenants under the 2018 Credit Agreement. 

Effective  July  23,  2019,  we  entered  into  an  amendment  (“Amendment  No.1”)  to  the  2018  Credit  Agreement.  Amendment 
No.1 modified the terms related to the withdrawal liabilities of single and multi-employer ERISA plans.

Borrowings under the 2018 Credit Facility (of which GES, GES Event Intelligence Services, Inc., CATC, and ON Services 
are guarantors) are indexed to the prime rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), plus appropriate spreads tied 
to our leverage ratio. As LIBOR will be phased out in 2021, our 2018 Credit Facility includes a method for determining an 
alternative or successor rate of interest that gives consideration to the new prevailing market convention. The vast majority of 
our borrowings under the 2018 Credit Facility are indexed to LIBOR. Commitment fees and letters of credit fees are also tied 

60

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to our leverage ratio. The fees on the unused portion of the 2018 Credit Facility were 0.35% annually as of December 31, 
2019.  Only  our  borrowings  under  the  2018  Credit  Facility  and  the discount  rates we  use  to  account  for  some  leases  are 
indexed to LIBOR. We do not expect the alternative or successor rate to LIBOR to have a material impact on either our 2018 
Credit Facility or the accounting for our leases.

As of December 31, 2019, capacity remaining under the 2018 Credit Facility was $134.9 million, reflecting borrowings of 
$311.5 million and $3.6 million in outstanding letters of credit.

FlyOver Iceland Credit Facility

Effective February 15, 2019, FlyOver Iceland ehf., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Esja, entered into a credit agreement with a 
€5.0 million (approximately $5.6 million U.S. dollars) credit facility (the “FlyOver Iceland Credit Facility”) with a maturity 
date  of March  1,  2022.  The  loan  proceeds  were  used  to  complete  the  development  of  the  FlyOver  Iceland  attraction. 
Quarterly payments will be made until the loan is repaid.

Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:

 (in thousands)
Year ending December 31,
2020 .........................................................................................................................................................  $
2021 ......................................................................................................................................................... 
2022 ......................................................................................................................................................... 
2023 ......................................................................................................................................................... 
2024 ......................................................................................................................................................... 
Thereafter ................................................................................................................................................ 

Total...................................................................................................................................................  $

Credit Facilities

313,407 
1,583 
2,081 
— 
— 
— 
317,071  

The  aggregate  annual  maturities  and  the  related  amounts  representing  interest  on  finance  lease  obligations  are  included  in 
Note 20 – Leases and Other.

Note 13. Fair Value Measurements 

The fair value of an asset or liability is defined as the price that would be received by selling an asset or paying to transfer a 
liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value guidance requires an 
entity to maximize the use of quoted prices and other observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when 
measuring fair value, and also establishes a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to 
measure fair value as follows:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level  2  -  Observable  inputs  other  than  quoted  prices  included  within  Level  1  that  are  observable  for  the  asset  or 
liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of fair value.

Money market mutual funds and certain other mutual fund investments are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using 
Level 1 inputs. The fair value information related to these assets is summarized in the following tables:

(in thousands)
Assets:

     Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using  

Quoted Prices in
Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

December 31, 
2019

Money market funds(1)..........................................................  $
Other mutual funds(2)............................................................   
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis.......................  $

123    $
3,107     
3,230    $

123    $
3,107     
3,230    $

—    $
—     
—    $

— 
— 
—  

61

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
   
   
 
   
      
      
      
  
(in thousands)
Assets:

December 31, 
2018

     Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using  
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

Money market funds(1) ..........................................................  $
Other mutual funds(2) ............................................................   
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis .......................  $

121    $
2,517     
2,638    $

121    $
2,517     
2,638    $

—    $
—     
—    $

— 
— 
—  

(1) Money  market  funds  are  included  in  “Cash  and  cash  equivalents”  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  These 
investments  are  classified  as  available-for-sale  and  are  recorded  at  fair  value.  There  have  been  no  realized  gains  or 
losses related to these investments and we have not experienced any redemption restrictions with respect to any of the 
money market mutual funds.
Other mutual funds are included in “Other investments and assets” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)

The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-
term nature of these instruments. Refer to Note 12 – Debt and Finance Lease Obligations for the estimated fair value of debt 
obligations.

Note 14. Income Per Share 

The components of basic and diluted income per share are as follows:

(in thousands, except per share data)
Net income attributable to Viad (diluted) .............................................   $
Less: Allocation to non-vested shares..................................................    
Adjustment to the redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling 
interest..................................................................................................    
Net income allocated to Viad common stockholders (basic) ...............   $
Basic weighted-average outstanding common shares ..........................    
Additional dilutive shares related to share-based compensation .........    
Diluted weighted-average outstanding shares ......................................    
Income per share:
Basic income attributable to Viad common stockholders .........................   $
Diluted income attributable to Viad common stockholders ......................   $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

 $

 $

22,035 
(147)

(1,318)
20,570 
20,146 
138 
20,284 

49,170    $
(458)    

(251)    
48,461    $
20,168     
236     
20,404     

1.02 
1.02 

 $
 $

2.40    $
2.40    $

57,707 
(700)

— 
57,007 
20,146 
259 
20,405 

2.83 
2.83  

Options to purchase 8,000 shares of common stock during 2019, 500 shares during 2018, and 8,000 shares during 2017 were 
outstanding but were not included in the computation of dilutive shares outstanding because the effect would be anti-dilutive.

Note 15. Preferred Stock Purchase Rights

We authorized five million shares of Preferred Stock and two million shares of Junior Participating Preferred Stock, none of 
which was outstanding on December 31, 2019.

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Note 16. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) by component are as follows:

 (in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2017..........................................  $

Unrealized Gains
on Investments    

Cumulative
Foreign Currency 
Translation 
Adjustments

Unrecognized Net 
Actuarial Loss 
and Prior Service 
Credit, Net

616   $

(12,026) $

(11,158) $

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)  
(22,568)

Other comprehensive income (loss) before 
reclassification ...............................................................   
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax .................   
Net other comprehensive income (loss) ...........................   
Adoption of ASU 2016-01(1)..........................................   
Adoption of ASU 2018-02(2)..........................................   
Balance at December 31, 2018..........................................  $

Other comprehensive income (loss) before 
reclassifications..............................................................   
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax .................   
Net other comprehensive income (loss) ...........................   
Balance at December 31, 2019..........................................  $

—    
—    
—    
(616)  
—    
—   $

—    
—    
—    
—   $

(24,306)  
—    
(24,306)  
—    
—    
(36,332) $

12,533    
—    
12,533    
(23,799) $

359    
724    
1,083    
—    
(1,568)  
(11,643) $

(10)  
(247)  
(257)  
(11,900) $

(23,947)
724 
(23,223)
(616)
(1,568)
(47,975)

12,523 
(247)
12,276 
(35,699)

(1)

(2)

Upon  the  adoption  of  ASU  2016-01,  Financial  Instruments  –  Overall:  Recognition  and  Measurement  of  Financial 
Assets and Financial Liabilities, we recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment from unrealized gains on investments to 
beginning retained earnings.
Upon  the  adoption  of  ASU  2018-02,  Income  Statement  –  Reporting  Comprehensive  Income:  Reclassification  of 
Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, we recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment from 
AOCI to beginning retained earnings.

Amounts  reclassified  that  relate  to  our  defined  benefit  pension  and  postretirement  plans  include  the  amortization  of  prior 
service costs and actuarial net losses recognized during each period presented. These costs are recorded as components of net 
periodic cost for each period presented. Refer to Note 18 – Pension and Postretirement Benefits for additional information.

Note 17. Income Taxes 

We  record  current  income  tax  expense  for  the  amounts  that  we  expect  to  report  and  pay  on  our  income  tax  returns  and 
deferred income tax expense for the change in the deferred tax assets and liabilities. On December 22, 2017, the United States 
enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) that significantly changed U.S. tax law. One part of this Tax Act required 
the Company to pay a deemed repatriation tax of $5.2 million on its cumulative foreign E&P.  After application of tax year 
2017 estimated tax payments, $1.1 million of the liability remains outstanding and is due in 2024. 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes consisted of the following: 

(in thousands)
Foreign.......................................................................................................   $
United States..............................................................................................    
Income from continuing operations before income taxes ....................   $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

49,171    $
(23,061)    
26,110    $

54,753    $
10,256     
65,009    $

2017

82,919 
21,431 
104,350  

63

 
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
Significant components of the income tax provision from continuing operations are as follows:

(in thousands)
Current:

United States:

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

Federal ............................................................................................   $
State ................................................................................................    
Foreign .................................................................................................    
Total current ..............................................................................................    
Deferred:

(2,260)   $
1,400     
13,764     
12,904     

United States:

Federal ............................................................................................    
State ................................................................................................    
Foreign .................................................................................................    
Total deferred ............................................................................................    
Income tax expense..................................................................................   $

(3,355)    
(1,619)    
(5,424)    
(10,398)    
2,506    $

41    $
(335)    
12,039     
11,745     

1,860     
860     
2,630     
5,350     
17,095    $

1,693 
2,573 
15,583 
19,849 

19,893 
1,761 
4,395 
26,049 
45,898  

We are subject to income tax in jurisdictions in which we operate. A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to 
the effective tax rate is as follows:

(in thousands)
Computed income tax expense at statutory federal 
income tax rate........................................................  $
State income taxes, net of federal benefit...............   
Deemed mandatory repatriation state tax ...............   
Deemed mandatory repatriation federal tax, net of 
foreign tax credit.....................................................   
Remeasurement of deferred taxes due to change 
in tax rates *............................................................   
Foreign tax rate differential ....................................   
U.S. tax on current year foreign earnings, net of 
foreign tax credits ...................................................   
Change in valuation allowance...............................   
Other adjustments, net ............................................   
Income tax expense .........................................  $

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

5,483    
(173)  
—    

21.0%   $ 13,665    
3,489    
(0.2)%   
(909)  
0.0%    

21.0%   $ 36,522    
1,160    
5.4%    
1,206    
(1.4)%   

35.0%
1.1%
1.2%

—    

0.0%    

(1,690)  

(2.6)%   

6,936    

6.6%

(4,517)  
3,122    

(17.3)%   
12.0%    

(510)  
4,138    

(0.8)%   
6.4%    

8,000    
(5,031)  

7.7%
(4.8)%

(1,792)  
920    
(537)  
2,506    

(223)  
(6.9)%   
(653)  
1.8%    
(0.8)%   
(212)  
9.6%   $ 17,095    

(2,726)  
(0.3)%   
(796)  
(1.0)%   
(0.3)%   
627    
26.4%   $ 45,898    

(2.6)%
(0.8)%
0.6%
44.0%

* Included $0.6 million increase to the valuation allowance in 2017.

64

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows:

(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:

Tax credit carryforwards .........................................................................................  $
Pension, compensation, and other employee benefits............................................. 
Provisions for losses................................................................................................ 
Net operating loss carryforward.............................................................................. 
State income taxes................................................................................................... 
Other deferred income tax assets ............................................................................ 
Total deferred tax assets ................................................................................. 
Valuation allowance................................................................................................ 
Foreign deferred tax assets included above............................................................. 
Net deferred tax assets..................................................................................... 

Deferred tax liabilities:

Property and equipment .......................................................................................... 
Deferred tax related to life insurance ...................................................................... 
Goodwill and other intangible assets ...................................................................... 
Other deferred income tax liabilities....................................................................... 
Total deferred tax liabilities............................................................................ 
Foreign deferred tax liabilities included above........................................................ 
United States net deferred tax assets ........................................................................  $

December 31,

2019

2018

7,879    $
17,231   
4,778   
5,371   
3,089   
2,177   
40,525   
(4,276)  
(2,351)  
33,898   

(20,681)  
(3,945)  
(16,172)  
(1,858)  
(42,656)  
31,192   
22,434    $

9,156 
13,022 
5,133 
4,707 
1,546 
2,920 
36,484 
(3,356)
(2,468)
30,660 

(14,501)
(3,498)
(4,759)
(939)
(23,697)
9,808 
16,771  

We use significant judgment in forming conclusions regarding the recoverability of our deferred tax assets and evaluate all 
available positive and negative evidence to determine if it is more-likely-than-not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. 
To the extent recovery does not appear likely, a valuation allowance must be recorded. We had gross deferred tax assets of 
$40.5  million  as  of  December  31,  2019  and  $36.5  million  as  of  December 31,  2018.  These  deferred  tax  assets  reflect  the 
expected  future  tax  benefits  to  be  realized  upon  reversal  of  deductible  temporary  differences  and  the  utilization  of  tax 
attributes, including tax credit carryforwards.

As of December 31, 2019, foreign tax credit carryforwards were $5.4 million, of which $4.7 million are foreign tax credits 
against U.S. income tax which will begin to expire in 2021 and $0.7 million are creditable against United Kingdom taxes, 
which can be carried forward indefinitely. As of December 31, 2019, we had alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards of 
$1.9 million, and $0.6 million of U.S. research and development credit carryforwards.

We had gross state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $55.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and $49.1 million 
as of December 31, 2018, for which we had deferred tax assets of $5.4 million as of December 31, 2019 and $4.7 million as 
of  December 31,  2018.  The  state  net  operating  loss  carryforwards  of  $1.9  million  expire  from  2020  through  2038  and  are 
subject to a full valuation allowance since it is unlikely that we will utilize these tax benefits prior to expiration. The foreign 
net operating loss carryforwards of $3.2 million do not expire. 

The valuation allowance was $4.3 million at December 31, 2019 and $3.4 million at December 31, 2018. The increase was 
primarily due to an increase for certain foreign net operating loss and credit carryforwards that do not meet the more likely-
than-not threshold for recognition.

While we believe that the deferred tax assets, net of existing valuation allowances, will be utilized in future periods, there are 
inherent uncertainties regarding the ultimate realization of these tax assets. It is possible that the relative weight of positive 
and negative evidence regarding the realization of deferred tax assets may change, which could result in a material increase 
or decrease in our valuation allowance. Such a change could result in a material increase or decrease to income tax expense in 
the period the assessment was made.

We  have  not  recorded  deferred  taxes  for  withholding  taxes  on  current  unremitted  earnings  of  our  subsidiaries  located  in 
Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands as we expect to reinvest those earnings in operations outside of the United 
States. 

We  exercise  judgment  in  determining  the  income  tax  provision  for  positions  taken  on  prior  returns  when  the  ultimate  tax 
determination  is  uncertain.  We  classify  liabilities  associated  with  uncertain  tax  positions  as  “Other  deferred  items  and 

65

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
liabilities”  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  unless  expected  to  be  paid  or  released  within  one  year.  We  had  liabilities 
associated with uncertain tax positions, including interest and penalties, of $0.4 million as of December 31, 2019 and $0.4 
million as of December 31, 2018. Uncertain tax positions, including interest and penalties, are classified as a component of 
income tax expense.

During 2019, we decreased the liability for continuing operations uncertain tax positions, including interest and penalties, by 
$0.4  million  due  to  the  lapse  of  statute.  We  expect  $0.1  million  of  the  continuing  operations  uncertain  tax  positions  to  be 
resolved or settled within the next twelve months and have classified this amount as a current liability. 

A reconciliation of the liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions (excluding interest and penalties) is as follows:

 (in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2016................................................................   $
Additions for tax positions taken in prior years ........................................    
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes ...............................................    
Balance at December 31, 2017................................................................    
Additions for tax positions taken in prior years ........................................    
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes ...............................................    
Balance at December 31, 2018................................................................    
Additions for tax positions taken in prior years ........................................    
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes ...............................................    
Balance at December 31, 2019................................................................   $

Continuing
Operations

Discontinued
Operations

Total

1,559    $
43     
(177)    
1,425     
31     
(1,086)    
370     
151     
(296)    
225    $

636    $
—     
(636)    
—     
—     
—     
—     
—     
—     
—    $

2,195 
43 
(813)
1,425 
31 
(1,086)
370 
151 
(296)
225  

We are subject to taxation in various jurisdictions and file federal, state and local income tax returns in the United States, 
Canada, the United Kingdom and other foreign countries. During the year, we concluded the IRS audit of the 2016 tax year 
and various other state tax audits, which resulted in a $0.1 million reduction of U.S. foreign tax credits and $0.3 million of 
additional tax expense. We are also currently in the process of resolving the audit by the Canada Revenue Agency for the 
2016 and 2017 tax years, which we estimate will result in a $0.6 million reduction in existing depreciable assets and a $0.1 
million of additional liability.

Our 2017 through 2018 U.S. federal tax years and various state tax years from 2014 through 2018 remain subject to income 
tax  examinations  by  tax  authorities.  The  tax  years  2015  through  2018  remain  subject  to  examination  by  various  foreign 
taxing jurisdictions.

Cash paid for income taxes was $17.2 million during 2019, $27.3 million during 2018, and $14.6 million during 2017.

Note 18. Pension and Postretirement Benefits 

Domestic Plans

We have frozen defined benefit pension plans held in trust for certain employees which we funded. We also maintain certain 
unfunded defined benefit pension plans, which provide supplemental benefits to select management employees. These plans 
use traditional defined benefit formulas based on years of service and final average compensation. Funding policies provide 
that  payments  to  defined  benefit  pension  trusts  shall  be  at  least  equal  to  the  minimum  funding  required  by  applicable 
regulations.

We  also  have  certain  defined  benefit  postretirement  plans  that  provide  medical  and  life  insurance  for  certain  eligible 
employees, retirees, and dependents. The related postretirement benefit liabilities are recognized over the period that services 
are provided by employees. In addition, we retained the obligations for these benefits for retirees of certain sold businesses. 
While the plans have no funding requirements, we may fund the plans.

66

 
   
   
 
The  components  of  net  periodic  benefit  cost  and  other  amounts  recognized  in  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  of  our 
pension plans consist of the following:

(in thousands)
Net periodic benefit cost:

Service cost ..........................................................................................   $
Interest cost ..........................................................................................    
Expected return on plan assets .............................................................    
Recognized net actuarial loss...............................................................    
Net periodic benefit cost..........................................................................    
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other
   comprehensive income (loss):

2019

December 31,
2018

2017

61    $
861     
(99)    
403     
1,226     

64    $
780     
(193)    
494     
1,145     

Net actuarial gain (loss) .......................................................................    

1,305     

(76)    

Reversal of amortization item:

Net actuarial loss..................................................................................    
Total recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) ......................    
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
   comprehensive income (loss) ...............................................................   $

(403)    
902     

(494)    
(570)    

2,128    $

575    $

64 
803 
(176)
433 
1,124 

114 

(433)
(319)

805  

The  components  of  net  periodic  benefit  cost  and  other  amounts  recognized  in  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  of  our 
postretirement benefit plans consist of the following:

(in thousands)
Net periodic benefit cost:

Service cost ..........................................................................................   $
Interest cost ..........................................................................................    
Amortization of prior service credit.....................................................    
Recognized net actuarial loss...............................................................    
Net periodic benefit cost..........................................................................    
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other
   comprehensive income (loss):

Net actuarial gain (loss) .......................................................................    
Prior service credit ...............................................................................    

Reversal of amortization item:

Net actuarial loss..................................................................................    
Prior service credit ...............................................................................    
Total recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) ......................    
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
   comprehensive income (loss) ...............................................................   $

2019

December 31,
2018

2017

64    $
458     
(189)    
112     
445     

(1,117)    
—     

(112)    
189     
(1,040)    

80    $
449     
(205)    
405     
729     

170     
—     

(405)    
205     
(30)    

92 
413 
(431)
164 
238 

237 
816 

(164)
431 
1,320 

(595)   $

699    $

1,558  

67

 
 
 
 
   
   
 
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
   
      
      
  
The following table indicates the funded status of the plans as of December 31:

(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:

Funded Plans

Unfunded Plans

Postretirement
Benefit Plans

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

Benefit obligation at beginning of year.............  $ 14,235    $ 15,440    $
—     
Service cost .......................................................   
481     
Interest cost .......................................................   
(887)    
Actuarial adjustments........................................   
(799)    
Benefits paid......................................................   
14,235     

—     
527     
1,611     
(801)    
Benefit obligation at end of year..........................    15,572     
Change in plan assets:

9,271    $
61     
333     
753     
(956)    
9,462     

9,857    $ 13,454    $ 13,807 
80 
449 
170 
(1,052)
13,454 

64     
64     
458     
299     
(1,117)    
(425)    
(524)    
(873)    
9,271      11,986     

— 
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year ...    10,299     
— 
1,157     
Actual return on plan assets ..............................   
1,052 
636     
Company contributions .....................................   
(1,052)
(801)    
Benefits paid......................................................   
Fair value of plan assets at end of year...............    11,291     
— 
Funded status at end of year................................  $ (4,281)   $ (3,936)   $ (9,462)   $ (9,271)   $ (11,986)   $ (13,454)

11,590     
(1,043)    
551     
(799)    
10,299     

—     
—     
873     
(873)    
—     

—     
—     
524     
(524)    
—     

—     
—     
956     
(956)    
—     

The net amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption “Pension and postretirement benefits” as 
of December 31 are as follows:

(in thousands)
Other current liabilities ...........................................  $
Non-current liabilities .............................................   
Net amount recognized ...........................................  $

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

—    $
4,281     
4,281    $

—    $
3,936     
3,936    $

703    $
8,759     
9,462    $

974    $

1,160 
1,019    $
8,297      10,967     
12,294 
9,271    $ 11,986    $ 13,454  

Funded Plans

Unfunded Plans

Postretirement
Benefit Plans

Amounts recognized in AOCI as of December 31 are as follows:

Funded Plans

    Unfunded Plans
2018

Postretirement
Benefit Plans

    Total
2019

    Total
2018

2019

(in thousands)
Net actuarial loss .......................................  $ 8,856    $ 8,643    $ 2,744    $ 2,055    $ 1,320    $ 2,549    $12,920    $13,247 
(146)
Prior service credit.....................................    —      —      —      —     
Subtotal ...............................................    8,856      8,643      2,744      2,055      1,363      2,403      12,963      13,101 
(607)     (3,273)     (3,308)
Total.....................................................  $ 6,620    $ 6,461    $ 2,051    $ 1,536    $ 1,019    $ 1,796    $ 9,690    $ 9,793  

Less tax effect............................................    (2,236)     (2,182)    

(146)    

(344)    

(519)    

(693)    

43     

43     

2019

2019

2018

2018

The fair value of the domestic plans’ assets by asset class are as follows:

(in thousands)
Domestic pension plans:

Total

  Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2019  
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

Fixed income securities .........................................................  $
Equity securities ....................................................................   
Cash .......................................................................................   
Other ......................................................................................   
Total............................................................................................  $

5,267 
5,518 
316 
190 
11,291 

 $

 $

5,267 
5,518 
316 
— 
11,101 

 $

 $

— 
— 
— 
190 
190 

 $

 $

— 
— 
— 
— 
—  

68

 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
      
      
      
      
      
  
   
      
      
      
      
      
  
 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
   
       
       
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(in thousands)
Domestic pension plans:

Total

  Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2018  
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

Fixed income securities .........................................................  $
Equity securities ....................................................................   
Cash .......................................................................................   
Other ......................................................................................   
Total............................................................................................  $

5,355 
4,611 
140 
193 
10,299 

 $

 $

5,355 
4,611 
140 
— 
10,106 

 $

 $

— 
— 
— 
193 
193 

 $

 $

— 
— 
— 
— 
—  

We employ a total return investment approach whereby a mix of equities and fixed income securities is used to maximize the 
long-term return of plan assets for a prudent level of risk. Risk tolerance is established through careful consideration of plan 
liabilities,  plan  funded  status,  and  corporate  financial  condition.  The  investment  portfolio  contains  a  diversified  blend  of 
equity and fixed income securities. Furthermore, equity securities are diversified across U.S. and non-U.S. stocks, as well as 
growth  and  value.  Investment  risk  is  measured  and  monitored  on  an  ongoing  basis  through  quarterly  investment  portfolio 
reviews and annual liability measurements.

We utilize a building-block approach in determining the long-term expected rate of return on plan assets. Historical markets 
are  studied  and  long-term  historical  relationships  between  equity  securities  and  fixed  income  securities  are  preserved 
consistent with the widely accepted capital market principle that assets with higher volatility generate a greater return over 
the  long  run.  Current  market  factors  such  as  inflation  and  interest  rates  are  evaluated  before  long-term  capital  market 
assumptions  are  determined.  The  long-term  portfolio  return  also  considers  diversification  and  rebalancing.  Peer  data  and 
historical returns are reviewed relative to our assumed rates for reasonableness and appropriateness.

The  following  pension  and  postretirement  benefit  payments,  which  reflect  expected  future  service,  as  appropriate,  are 
expected to be paid:

 (in thousands)
 $
2020 ...........................................................................................................
2021 ...........................................................................................................   $
2022 ...........................................................................................................   $
2023 ...........................................................................................................   $
2024 ...........................................................................................................   $
2025-2029..................................................................................................   $

Funded
Plans

Unfunded
Plans

Postretirement
Benefit
Plans

1,441 

 $
928    $
1,002    $
996    $
962    $
4,759    $

714    $
 $
702 
 $
687 
 $
672 
 $
656 
 $
2,985 

1,035 
985 
956 
928 
893 
3,768  

69

 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign Pension Plans

Certain of our foreign operations also maintain defined benefit pension plans held in trust for certain employees which are 
funded by the companies, and unfunded defined benefit pension plans providing supplemental benefits to select management 
employees. These plans use traditional defined benefit formulas based on years of service and final average compensation. 
Funding  policies  provide  that  payments  to  defined  benefit  pension  trusts  shall  be  at  least  equal  to  the  minimum  funding 
required  by  applicable  regulations.  The  components  of  net  periodic  benefit  cost  and  other  amounts  recognized  in  other 
comprehensive income (loss) included the following:

(in thousands)
Net periodic benefit cost:

Service cost ..........................................................................................   $
Interest cost ..........................................................................................    
Expected return on plan assets .............................................................    
Recognized net actuarial loss...............................................................    
Settlement.............................................................................................    
Net periodic benefit cost..........................................................................    
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other
   comprehensive income (loss):

Net actuarial loss..................................................................................    
Reversal of amortization of net actuarial loss......................................    
Total recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) ......................    
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
   comprehensive income .........................................................................   $

2019

December 31,
2018

2017

405    $
397     
(487)    
127     
—     
442     

605     
(127)    
478     

552    $
381     
(505)    
139     
—     
567     

(238)    
(139)    
(377)    

530 
492 
(602)
155 
777 
1,352 

(106)
(155)
(261)

920    $

190    $

1,091  

The following table represents the funded status of the plans as of December 31: 

(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:

Funded Plans

2019

2018

Unfunded Plans

2019

2018

Benefit obligation at beginning of year .................................  $
Service cost............................................................................   
Interest cost............................................................................   
Actuarial adjustments ............................................................   
Benefits paid ..........................................................................   
Translation adjustment ..........................................................   
Benefit obligation at end of year ..............................................   
Change in plan assets:

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year .......................   
Actual return on plan assets...................................................   
Company contributions..........................................................   
Benefits paid ..........................................................................   
Translation adjustment ..........................................................   
Fair value of plan assets at end of year ...................................   
Funded status at end of year ....................................................  $

8,134    $
405     
320     
1,037     
(336)    
430     
9,990     

8,243     
1,156     
515     
(336)    
435     
10,013     
23    $

9,521    $
552     
308     
(809)    
(732)    
(706)    
8,134     

9,493     
(322)    
514     
(732)    
(710)    
8,243     
109    $

2,290    $
—     
77     
106     
(178)    
36     
2,331     

—     
—     
178     
(178)    
—     
—     
(2,331)   $

2,582 
— 
73 
(25)
(184)
(156)
2,290 

— 
— 
184 
(184)
— 
— 
(2,290)

The net amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption “Pension and postretirement benefits” as 
of December 31 were as follows:

(in thousands)
Non-current assets ................................................................................  $
Other current liabilities .........................................................................   
Non-current liabilities...........................................................................   
Net amount recognized .........................................................................  $

Funded Plans

Unfunded Plans

2019

2018

2019

2018

(43)   $
—     
20     
(23)   $

(109)   $
—     
—     
(109)   $

—    $
177     
2,154     
2,331    $

— 
176 
2,114 
2,290  

70

 
 
 
 
   
   
 
     
     
      
  
   
      
      
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
      
      
      
  
   
      
      
      
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
Net  actuarial  losses  for  the  foreign  funded  plans  recognized  in  AOCI  were  $2.6  million  ($1.9  million  after-tax)  as  of 
December 31, 2019 and $2.2 million ($1.6 million after-tax) as of December 31, 2018. Net actuarial losses for the foreign 
unfunded  plans  recognized  in  AOCI  were  $0.7  million  ($0.5  million  after-tax)  as  of  December 31,  2019  and  $0.6  million 
($0.4 million after-tax) as of December 31, 2018.

The fair value information related to the foreign pension plans’ assets is summarized in the following tables:

(in thousands)
Assets:

December 31, 
2019

  Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using  
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Unobserved
Inputs
(Level 3)

Fixed income securities .........................................................  $
Equity securities ....................................................................   
Other ......................................................................................   
Total............................................................................................  $

5,194 
4,669 
150 
10,013 

 $

 $

5,194    $
4,669     
150     
10,013    $

—    $
—     
—     
—    $

— 
— 
— 
—  

(in thousands)
Assets:

December 31, 
2018

  Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using  
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets
(Level 1)

Significant
Unobserved
Inputs
(Level 3)

Fixed income securities .........................................................  $
Equity securities ....................................................................   
Other ......................................................................................   
Total............................................................................................  $

3,967 
4,087 
189 
8,243 

 $

 $

3,967    $
4,087     
189     
8,243    $

—    $
—     
—     
—    $

The following payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:

 (in thousands)
2020 ..............................................................................................................................
 $
2021 ..............................................................................................................................  $
2022 ..............................................................................................................................  $
2023 ..............................................................................................................................  $
2024 ..............................................................................................................................  $
2025-2029 .....................................................................................................................  $

Funded
Plans

Unfunded
Plans

345 
 $
355    $
398    $
438    $
440    $
2,268    $

— 
— 
— 
—  

177 
177 
176 
176 
175 
860  

Information for Pension Plans with an Accumulated Benefit Obligation in Excess of Plan Assets

The accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets as of December 31 were as follows:

(in thousands)
Projected benefit obligation ........................................................
 $
Accumulated benefit obligation ..................................................  $
Fair value of plan assets ..............................................................  $

(in thousands)
 $
Projected benefit obligation ........................................................
Accumulated benefit obligation ..................................................  $
Fair value of plan assets ..............................................................  $

Domestic Plans

Funded Plans

2019

2018

Unfunded Plans

2019

2018

15,572 
 $
15,572    $
11,291    $

14,235    $
 $
14,235 
 $
10,299 

9,462    $
9,454    $
—    $

9,271 
9,224 
—  

Foreign Plans

Funded Plans

2019

2018

Unfunded Plans

2019

2018

 $
9,990 
9,347    $
10,013    $

8,134    $
 $
7,581 
 $
8,243 

2,331    $
2,331    $
—    $

2,290 
2,290 
—  

71

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
      
      
  
  
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
      
      
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contributions 

In  aggregate  for  both  the  domestic  and  foreign  plans,  we  anticipate  contributing  $1.4  million  to  the  funded  pension  plans, 
$0.9 million to the unfunded pension plans, and $1.0 million to the postretirement benefit plans in 2020.

Weighted-Average Assumptions

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations as of December 31 were as follows:

Domestic Plans

Funded Plans

  2019  

  2018  

  Unfunded Plans
  2019  

  2018  

Postretirement
Benefit Plans

Foreign Plans

  2019  

  2018  

  2019  

  2018  

Discount rate .............................................   3.15%   4.30%   3.13%   4.21%   3.17%   4.29%   2.92%   3.58%
   2.34%   2.24%
Rate of compensation increase..................  N/A 

   3.00%  N/A 

  N/A 

  N/A 

  N/A 

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs as of December 31 were as follows:

Domestic Plans

Funded Plans

  2019  

  2018  

  Unfunded Plans
  2019  

  2018  

Postretirement
Benefit Plans

Foreign Plans

  2019  

  2018  

  2019  

  2018  

Discount rate .............................................   4.28%   3.60%   4.22%   3.55%   4.29%   3.59%   3.68%   3.27%
   0.00%   0.00%   4.55%   4.62%
Expected return on plan assets ..................   5.50%   5.50%  N/A 
   2.34%   2.24%
Rate of compensation increase..................  N/A 

  N/A 
   3.00%   3.00%  N/A 

  N/A 

  N/A 

Multi-employer Plans

We contribute to various defined benefit pension plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover our 
union-represented employees. The financial risks of participating in these multi-employer pension plans generally include the 
fact  that  the  unfunded  obligations  of  the  plan  may  be  borne  by  solvent  participating  employers.  In  addition,  if  we  were  to 
discontinue  participating  in  some  of  our  multi-employer  pension  plans,  we  could  be  required  to  pay  a  withdrawal  liability 
amount based on the underfunded status of the plan. We finalized the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement with 
the Teamsters 727 union. The terms included a withdrawal from the underfunded Central States pension plan. Accordingly, 
we  recorded  a  charge  of  $15.5  million,  which  represents  the  estimated  present  value  of  future  contributions  we  will  be 
required to make to the plan as a result of this withdrawal and $0.2 million of other withdrawal costs. Currently, we do not 
anticipate triggering any withdrawal from any other multi-employer pension plan to which we currently contribute. We also 
contribute to defined contribution plans pursuant to collective bargaining agreements, which are generally not subject to the 
funding risks inherent in defined benefit pension plans. The overall level of contributions to our multi-employer plans may 
significantly vary from year to year based on the demand for union-represented labor to support our operations. We do not 
have  any  minimum  contribution  requirements  for  future  periods  pursuant  to  our  collective  bargaining  agreements  for 
individually significant multi-employer plans.

72

 
 
 
  
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  participation  in  multi-employer  pension  plans  for  2019  is  outlined  in  the  following  table.  Unless  otherwise  noted,  the 
most recent Pension Protection Act zone status available in 2019 and 2018 relates to the plan’s year end as of December 31, 
2018 and 2017, respectively, and is based on information received from the plan. Among other factors, plans in the red zone 
are generally less than 65% funded, plans in the yellow zone are less than 80% funded, and plans in the green zone are at 
least 80% funded. The “FIP/RP Status Pending/Implemented” column indicates plans for which a financial improvement plan 
or a rehabilitation plan is either pending or has been implemented. 

Pension
Protection Act
Zone Status

  Plan    

EIN   No.

2019

2018

FIP/RP
Status
Pending/ 
Implemented 

Viad Contributions
2018

2019

2017

Expiration
Date of
Collective
Bargaining 
Agreement(s)

Surcharge 
Paid

91-

6145047   

1    Green   Green  

No

  $ 6,754    $ 6,471    $ 7,809   

No

3/31/2020

95-

6376874   

1    Green   Green  

No

    3,427      3,087      3,087   

No

8/31/2021

36-

6130207   

1    Green   Green  

Yes

    2,877      2,876      2,390   

No

5/31/2023

51-

6030753   

2    Green   Green  

88-

6023284   

1    Green   Green  

No

No

    1,651     

927      1,099   

No

6/6/2021

    1,074      1,025      1,682   

No

6/16/2021

36-

6044243   

1    Red   Red  

Yes

872      1,177      1,060   

No

3/31/2023

95-

6392774   

1    Yellow   Yellow  

Yes

799     

881     

905    Yes

8/31/2021

36-

1416355   

11    Yellow   Yellow  

Yes

797      1,328     

719    Yes

6/30/2024

94-

6278490   

1    Green   Green  

95-

6042875   

1    Green   Green  

No

No

04-

6372430   

1    Red   Red  

Yes

768     

778     

654   

No

3/31/2021

717     

789     

883   

No

7/31/2023

506     

772   
     3,625      3,734      2,900   

423     

No

3/31/2022

     23,867      23,496      23,960   

     3,416      2,900      2,613   

   $27,283    $26,396    $26,573   

(in thousands)
Pension Fund:
Western Conference of  
Teamsters Pension Plan  
Southern California 
Local 831—Employer 
Pension Fund(1).............. 
Chicago Regional 
Council of Carpenters 
Pension Fund................. 
Electrical Contractors 
Assoc. Chicago Local 
Union 134, IBEW Joint 
Pension Trust of 
Chicago Plan #2 ............ 
IBEW Local Union  No 
357 Pension Plan A ....... 
Central States, 
Southeast and 
Southwest Areas 
Pension Plan.................. 
Southern California 
IBEW-NECA Pension 
Fund .............................. 
Machinery Movers 
Riggers & Mach Erect 
Local 136 
Supplemental 
Retirement Plan(1).......... 
Sign Pictorial & 
Display Industry 
Pension Plan(1) ............... 
Southwest Carpenters 
Pension Trust................. 
New England 
Teamsters & Trucking 
Industry Pension............ 
All other funds(2) ........... 
Total contributions to 
defined benefit plans ..... 
Total contributions to 
other plans ..................... 
Total contributions to 
multi-employer plans .... 

(1) We  contributed  more  than  5%  of  total  plan  contributions  for  the  plan  year  detailed  in  the  plans’  most  recent  Form 

(2)

5500s.
Represents participation in 35 pension funds during 2019.

73

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
    
  
  
    
      
      
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
    
    
  
  
    
    
    
  
  
    
    
    
  
  
    
    
    
  
  
    
Other Employee Benefits

We match U.S. employee contributions to the 401(k) plan with shares of our common stock held in treasury up to 100% of 
the first 3% of a participant’s salary plus 50% of the next 2%. The expense associated with our match was $5.0 million for 
2019, $4.8 million for 2018, and $4.2 million for 2017.  

Note 19. Restructuring Charges

GES 

As part of our efforts to drive efficiencies and simplify our business operations, we have taken certain restructuring actions 
designed to reduce our cost structure primarily within GES. These actions include consolidating facilities and operations in 
the  U.S.,  Canada,  and  the  United  Kingdom.  During  2019,  we  completed  some  strategic  simplification  actions,  including  a 
facility consolidation in Las Vegas and other restructuring actions. As a result, we recorded restructuring charges primarily 
consisting of severance and related benefits as a result of workforce reductions and charges related to the consolidation and 
downsizing of facilities representing the remaining operating lease obligations (net of estimated sublease income) and related 
costs.

Other Restructurings

We  recorded  restructuring  charges  in  connection  with  the  consolidation  of  certain  support  functions  at  our  corporate 
headquarters  and  certain  reorganization  activities  within  Pursuit.  These  charges  primarily  consist  of  severance  and  related 
benefits due to headcount reductions and charges related to the downsizing of facilities.

Changes to the restructuring liability by major restructuring activity are as follows:

GES

Facilities

Other 
Restructurings  
Severance &
Employee
Benefits

Severance &
Employee
Benefits

(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2016 .................................................  $
Restructuring charges..................................................................   
Cash payments ............................................................................   
Adjustment to liability ................................................................   
Balance at December 31, 2017 .................................................   
Restructuring charges..................................................................   
Cash payments ............................................................................   
Adjustment to liability ................................................................   
Balance at December 31, 2018 .................................................   
Restructuring charges..................................................................   
Cash payments ............................................................................   
Adjustment to liability ................................................................   
Balance at December 31, 2019 .................................................  $

2,274   $
442    
(1,165)   
—    
1,551    
1,457    
(1,379)   
410    
2,039    
6,071    
(5,169)   
(6)   
2,935   $

1,092   $
265    
(550)   
—    
807    
—    
(156)   
(451)   
200    
1,817    
(752)   
74    
1,339   $

416   $
297    
(538)   
16    
191    
130    
(181)   
(128)   
12    
492    
(272)   
7    
239   $

Total

3,782 
1,004 
(2,253)
16 
2,549 
1,587 
(1,716)
(169)
2,251 
8,380 
(6,193)
75 
4,513  

As of December 31, 2019, we expect to pay the liabilities related to severance and employee benefits by the end of 2020. The 
liability  related  to  future  lease  payments  will  be  paid  over  the  remaining  lease  terms.  Refer  to  Note  23  –  Segment 
Information, for information regarding restructuring charges by segment.

74

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 20. Leases and Other

The balance sheet presentation of our operating and finance leases is as follows: 

(in thousands)
Assets:

Classification on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

Operating lease assets .................................................
Finance lease assets.....................................................
Total lease assets .....................................................

 Operating lease right-of-use assets
 Property and equipment, net

  December 31,  
2019

  $ 103,314 
25,350 
  $ 128,664 

Liabilities:
Current:

Operating lease obligations .........................................
Finance lease obligations ............................................

 Operating lease obligations
 Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations

  $

22,180 
3,386 

Noncurrent:

Operating lease obligations .........................................
Finance lease obligations ............................................
Total lease liabilities ...............................................

 Long-term operating lease obligations
 Long-term debt and finance lease obligations

82,851 
21,871 
  $ 130,288  

The components of lease expense consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
Finance lease cost:

Year Ended
December 31, 2019

Amortization of right-of-use assets ......................................................................................................  $
Interest on lease liabilities .................................................................................................................... 
Operating lease cost................................................................................................................................. 
Short-term lease cost ............................................................................................................................... 
Variable lease cost................................................................................................................................... 

Total lease cost, net ..........................................................................................................................  $

2,780 
924 
26,511 
1,932 
6,271 
38,418  

Other information related to operating and finance leases are as follows:

(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

Year Ended
December 31, 2019

Operating cash flows from operating leases ........................................................................................
Operating cash flows from finance leases ...........................................................................................
Financing cash flows from finance leases ...........................................................................................

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations:

Operating leases ...................................................................................................................................
Finance leases ......................................................................................................................................

 $
 $
 $

 $
 $

28,146 
502 
2,698 

125,755 
18,822 

Weighted-average remaining lease term (years):

Operating leases ...................................................................................................................................
Finance leases ......................................................................................................................................

Weighted-average discount rate:

Operating leases ...................................................................................................................................
Finance leases ......................................................................................................................................

  December 31, 2019

8.17 
14.01 

5.77%
7.73%

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As  of  December 31,  2019,  the  estimated  future  minimum  lease  payments  under  non-cancellable  leases,  excluding  variable 
leases and variable non-lease components, are as follows:

 (in thousands)

2020 ........................................................................................................   $
2021 ........................................................................................................    
2022 ........................................................................................................    
2023 ........................................................................................................    
2024 ........................................................................................................    
Thereafter ...............................................................................................    
Total future lease payments ...................................................................    
Less: Amount representing interest........................................................    
Present value of minimum lease payments ...........................................    
Current portion .......................................................................................    
Long-term portion...................................................................................   $

Operating 
Leases

25,449 
18,600 
16,310 
13,257 
9,978 
54,388 
137,982 
(32,951)
105,031 
22,180 
82,851 

 $

  Finance Leases    
 $

4,868    $
4,113     
3,620     
3,185     
2,524     
24,222     
42,532     
(17,275)    
25,257     
3,386     
21,871    $

Total

30,317 
22,713 
19,930 
16,442 
12,502 
78,610 
180,514 
(50,226)
130,288 
25,566 
104,722  

As of December 31, 2019, the estimated future minimum rentals under non-cancellable leases, which includes rental income 
from facilities that we own and sublease income from facilities that we lease, are as follows:

 (in thousands)

2020 ......................................................................................................................................................  $
2021 ...................................................................................................................................................... 
2022 ...................................................................................................................................................... 
2023 ...................................................................................................................................................... 
2024 ...................................................................................................................................................... 
Thereafter.............................................................................................................................................. 
Total minimum sublease rents .............................................................................................................  $

2,141 
1,837 
1,491 
1,289 
1,038 
4,402 
12,198  

Leases Not Yet Commenced

As of December 31, 2019, we had certain facility and land leases that were executed but for which we did not have control of 
the underlying assets. Accordingly, we did not record the lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on our Consolidated Balance 
Sheets. These leases include future planned attractions for Pursuit that are currently in the planning or development phase and 
that we expect the lease commencement dates to begin between fiscal years 2020 and 2022 with lease terms of 15 to 47 years.

Leases Under Previous Lease Accounting Standard

As previously disclosed in our 2018 Form 10-K and under the previous lease accounting standard, our future minimum rental 
payments and related sublease rentals receivable with respect to non-cancelable operating leases with terms in excess of one 
year would have been as follows as of December 31, 2018:

 (in thousands)
2019 ..............................................................................................................................  $
2020 .............................................................................................................................. 
2021 .............................................................................................................................. 
2022 .............................................................................................................................. 
2023 .............................................................................................................................. 
Thereafter...................................................................................................................... 

Total........................................................................................................................  $

Rental
Payments

Receivable
Under Subleases

28,671    $
22,919   
13,217   
8,280   
6,201   
8,305   
87,593    $

2,382 
1,582 
1,711 
1,370 
1,270 
2,798 
11,113  

Note 21. Litigation, Claims, Contingencies, and Other

We are plaintiffs or defendants to various actions, proceedings, and pending claims, some of which involve, or may involve, 
compensatory, punitive, or other damages. Litigation is subject to many uncertainties and it is possible that some of the legal 
actions, proceedings, or claims could be decided against us. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recorded an $8.5 
million charge to resolve a legal dispute at GES involving a former industry contractor. Although the amount of liability as of 

76

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 31, 2019 with respect to unresolved legal matters is not ascertainable, we believe that any resulting liability, after 
taking  into  consideration  amounts  already  provided  for  and  insurance  coverage,  will  not  have  a  material  effect  on  our 
business, financial position, or results of operations.

We are subject to various U.S. federal, state, and foreign laws and regulations governing the prevention of pollution and the 
protection  of  the  environment  in  the  jurisdictions  in  which  we  have  or  had  operations.  If  we  fail  to  comply  with  these 
environmental  laws  and  regulations,  civil  and  criminal  penalties  could  be  imposed,  and  we  could  become  subject  to 
regulatory enforcement actions in the form of injunctions and cease and desist orders. As is the case with many companies, 
we  also  face  exposure  to  actual  or  potential  claims  and  lawsuits  involving  environmental  matters  relating  to  our  past 
operations.  As  of  December 31,  2019,  we  had  recorded  environmental  remediation  liabilities  of  $2.3  million  related  to 
previously  sold  operations.  Although  we  are  a  party  to  certain  environmental  disputes,  we  believe  that  any  resulting 
liabilities, after taking into consideration amounts already provided for and insurance coverage, will not have a material effect 
on our financial position or results of operations. 

As of December 31, 2019, on behalf of our subsidiaries, we had certain obligations under guarantees to third parties. These 
guarantees are not subject to liability recognition in the consolidated financial statements and relate to leased facilities and 
equipment  leases  entered  into  by  our  subsidiary  operations.  We  would  generally  be  required  to  make  payments  to  the 
respective  third  parties  under  these  guarantees  in  the  event  that  the  related  subsidiary  could  not  meet  its  own  payment 
obligations.  The  maximum  potential  amount  of  future  payments  that  we  would  be  required  to  make  under  all  guarantees 
existing  as  of  December 31,  2019  would  be  $79.3  million.  These  guarantees  relate  to  our  leased  equipment  and  facilities 
through  January  2040.  There  are  no  recourse  provisions  that  would  enable  us  to  recover  from  third  parties  any  payments 
made under the guarantees. Furthermore, there are no collateral or similar arrangements pursuant to which we could recover 
payments.

A  significant  number  of  our  employees  are  unionized  and  we  are  a  party  to  approximately  100  collective  bargaining 
agreements, with approximately one-third requiring renegotiation each year. If we are unable to reach an agreement with a 
union during the collective bargaining process, the union may call for a strike or work stoppage, which may, under certain 
circumstances,  adversely  impact  our  business  and  results  of  operations.  We  believe  that  relations  with  our  employees  are 
satisfactory  and  that  collective  bargaining  agreements  expiring  in  2020  will  be  renegotiated  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business. Although our labor relations are currently stable, disruptions could occur, with the possibility of an adverse impact 
on  the  operating  results  of  GES.  During  2019,  we  finalized  the  terms  of  a  new  collective  bargaining  agreement  with  the 
Teamsters  Local  727  union.  The  terms  included  a  withdrawal  from  the  underfunded  Central  States  Pension  Plan. 
Accordingly, we recorded a charge of $15.5 million, which represents the estimated present value of future contributions we 
will be required to make to the plan as a result of this withdrawal and $0.2 million of other withdrawal costs. Refer to Note 
18 – Pension and Postretirement Benefits for additional information on specific union-related pension issues. 

We are self-insured up to certain limits for workers’ compensation and general liabilities, which includes automobile, product 
general  liability,  and  client  property  loss  claims.  The  aggregate  amount  of  insurance  liabilities  (up  to  our  retention  limit) 
related  to  our  continuing  operations  was  $14.3  million  as  of  December 31,  2019,  which  includes  $9.9  million  related  to 
workers’ compensation liabilities, and $4.4 million related to general liability claims. We have also retained and provided for 
certain  workers’  compensation  insurance  liabilities  in  conjunction  with  previously  sold  businesses  of  $2.3  million  as  of 
December 31, 2019. We are also self-insured for certain employee health benefits and the estimated employee health benefit 
claims  incurred  but  not  yet  reported  was  $1.6  million  as  of  December 31,  2019.  Provisions  for  losses  for  claims  incurred, 
including  actuarially  derived  estimated  claims  incurred  but  not  yet  reported,  are  made  based  on  our  historical  experience, 
claims frequency, and other factors. A change in the assumptions used could result in an adjustment to recorded liabilities. 
We have purchased insurance for amounts in excess of the self-insured levels, which generally range from $0.2 million to 
$0.5 million on a per claim basis. We do not maintain a self-insured retention pool fund as claims are paid from current cash 
resources at the time of settlement. Our net cash payments in connection with these insurance liabilities were $6.9 million for 
2019, $5.4 million for 2018, and $5.5 million for 2017.

In  addition,  as  of  December 31,  2019,  we  have  recorded  insurance  liabilities  of  $10.0  million  related  to  continuing 
operations, which represents the amount for which we remain the primary obligor after self-insured insurance limits, without 
taking  into  consideration  the  above-referenced  insurance  coverage.  Of  this  total,  $6.5  million  related  to  workers’ 
compensation liabilities and $3.5 million related to general/auto liability claims, which are recorded in other deferred items 
and liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets with a corresponding receivable in other investments.

77

Note 22. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest

On November 3, 2017, we acquired the controlling interest (54.5% of the common stock) in Esja, a private corporation in 
Reykjavik, Iceland. Through Esja and its wholly-owned subsidiary, we are operating a new FlyOver Iceland attraction.

The minority Esja shareholders have the right to sell (or “put”) their Esja shares to us based on a multiple of 5.0x EBITDA as 
calculated on the trailing 12 months from the most recently completed quarter before the put option exercise. The put option 
is only  exercisable after 36 months  of business  operation (the  “Reference Date”) and if the  FlyOver Iceland  attraction has 
earned  a  minimum  of  €3.25  million  in  unadjusted  EBITDA  during  the  most  recent  fiscal  year  and  during  the  trailing  12-
month  period  prior  to  exercise  (the  “Put  Option  Condition”).  The  put  option  is  exercisable  during  a  period  of  12  months 
following the Reference Date (the “Option Period”) if the Put Option Condition has been met. If the Put Option Condition 
has not been met during the first Option Period, the Reference Date will be extended for an additional 12 months up to three 
times. If after 72 months, the FlyOver Iceland attraction has not achieved the Put Option Condition, the put option expires. If 
the Put Option Condition is met during any of the Option Periods, yet the shares are not exercised prior to the end of the 12-
month Option Period, the put option will expire.  

The noncontrolling interest’s carrying value is determined by the fair value of the noncontrolling interest as of the acquisition 
date  and  the  noncontrolling  interest’s  share  of  the  subsequent  net  income  or  loss.  This  value  is  benchmarked  against  the 
redemption value of the sellers’ put option. The carrying value is adjusted to the redemption value, provided that it does not 
fall below the initial carrying value, as determined by the purchase price allocation. We have made a policy election to reflect 
any changes caused by such an adjustment to retained earnings, rather than to current earnings. 

Changes in the redeemable noncontrolling interest are as follows: 

 (in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2017................................................................................................................  $
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest ................................................................. 
Adjustment to the redemption value..................................................................................................... 
Foreign currency translation adjustment .............................................................................................. 
Balance at December 31, 2018................................................................................................................  $
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest ................................................................. 
Adjustment to the redemption value..................................................................................................... 
Foreign currency translation adjustment .............................................................................................. 
Balance at December 31, 2019................................................................................................................  $

6,648 
(317)
251 
(673)
5,909 
(821)
1,318 
(234)
6,172  

78

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 23. Segment Information

We  measure  the  profit  and  performance  of  our  operations  on  the  basis  of  segment  operating  income  which  excludes 
restructuring  charges  and  recoveries  and  impairment  charges  and  recoveries.  Intersegment  sales  are  eliminated  in 
consolidation and intersegment transfers are not significant. Corporate activities include expenses not allocated to operations. 
Depreciation  and  amortization  and  share-based  compensation  expense  are  the  only  significant  non-cash  items  for  the 
reportable segments. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  2019,  we  realigned  GES’  organizational  structure.  As  a  result,  we  changed  GES’  reportable 
segments to reflect how our chief operating decision maker regularly reviews and makes decisions regarding the allocation of 
resources. Accordingly, GES’ new reportable segments are GES North America and GES EMEA. We made no changes to 
the Pursuit reportable segment.

Our reportable segments, with reconciliations to consolidated totals, are as follows:

(in thousands)
Revenue:
GES:

GES North America.............................................................................   $
GES EMEA .........................................................................................    
Intersegment eliminations....................................................................    
Total GES..................................................................................................    
Pursuit .......................................................................................................    
Total revenue ...........................................................................................   $
Segment operating income:
GES:

GES North America.............................................................................   $
GES EMEA .........................................................................................    
Total GES..................................................................................................    
Pursuit .......................................................................................................    
Segment operating income .....................................................................    
Corporate eliminations (1) ....................................................................    
Corporate activities..............................................................................    
Operating income ....................................................................................    
Interest income ....................................................................................    
Interest expense ...................................................................................    
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal............................................    
Other expense (2) ..................................................................................    

Restructuring recoveries (charges):

GES North America.............................................................................    
GES EMEA .........................................................................................    
Pursuit..................................................................................................    
Corporate .............................................................................................    

Impairment (charges) recoveries:

GES......................................................................................................    
Pursuit..................................................................................................    

Legal settlement:

2019

Year Ended December 31,
2018

2017

936,032    $
233,591     
(20,741)    
1,148,882     
222,813     
1,371,695    $

909,790    $
218,247     
(17,140)    
1,110,897     
185,287     
1,296,184    $

943,952 
209,825 
(20,680)
1,133,097 
173,868 
1,306,965 

27,659    $
8,274     
35,933     
54,310     
90,243     
67     
(10,865)    
79,445     
369     
(14,199)    
(15,693)    
(1,586)    

(6,157)    
(1,731)    
(52)    
(440)    

(5,346)    
—     

29,981    $
9,621     
39,602     
48,915     
88,517     
67     
(10,993)    
77,591     
354     
(9,640)    
—     
(1,744)    

(408)    
(1,049)    
(140)    
10     

—     
35     

41,156 
9,575 
50,731 
47,867 
98,598 
67 
(12,396)
86,269 
319 
(8,304)
— 
(2,028)

354 
(1,061)
(86)
(211)

— 
29,098 

GES......................................................................................................    
Income from continuing operations before income taxes....................   $

(8,500)    
26,110    $

—     
65,009    $

— 
104,350  

(1)

(2)

Corporate  eliminations  represent  the  elimination  of  depreciation  expense  recorded  by  Pursuit  associated  with 
previously eliminated intercompany profit realized by GES for renovations to Pursuit’s Banff Gondola.

We adopted ASU 2017-07 on January 1, 2018, which requires retrospective adoption. As a result, we recorded the 
nonservice cost component of net periodic benefit cost within other expense for the years ended December 31, 2019 
and  2018,  and  we  reclassified  $2.0  million  from  operating  expenses  to  other  expense  for  2017  to  conform  with 
current period presentation.

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(in thousands)
Assets:
GES:

2019

December 31,
2018

2017

GES North America .............................................................................   $
GES EMEA..........................................................................................    
Pursuit........................................................................................................    
Corporate and other ...................................................................................    
  $

475,279    $
132,975     
589,205     
121,232     
1,318,691    $

406,484    $
111,798     
357,630     
46,629     
922,541    $

406,038 
110,788 
350,256 
52,817 
919,899 

Depreciation and amortization:
GES:

GES North America .............................................................................   $
GES EMEA..........................................................................................    
Pursuit........................................................................................................    
Corporate and other ...................................................................................    
  $

Capital expenditures:
GES:

GES North America .............................................................................   $
GES EMEA..........................................................................................    
Pursuit........................................................................................................    
Corporate and other ...................................................................................    
  $

29,321    $
6,260     
23,154     
229     
58,964    $

19,099    $
7,098     
49,934     
16     
76,147    $

30,855    $
7,071     
18,690     
226     
56,842    $

19,263    $
7,065     
56,865     
152     
83,345    $

30,260 
7,004 
17,653 
197 
55,114 

18,900 
6,521 
30,786 
414 
56,621  

Geographic Areas

Our  foreign  operations  are  primarily  in  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom,  Iceland,  the  Netherlands,  Germany,  and  to  a  lesser 
extent, in certain other countries. GES revenue is designated as domestic or foreign based on the originating location of the 
product or service. Long-lived assets are attributed to domestic or foreign based principally on the physical location of the 
assets.  Long-lived  assets  consist  of  “Property  and  equipment,  net”  and  “Other  investments  and  assets.”  The  table  below 
presents the financial information by major geographic area:

(in thousands)
Revenue:

United States ........................................................................................   $
EMEA ..................................................................................................    
Canada..................................................................................................    
Total revenue ...........................................................................................   $
Long-lived assets:

United States ........................................................................................   $
EMEA ..................................................................................................    
Canada..................................................................................................    
Total long-lived assets .............................................................................   $

2019

December 31,
2018

2017

925,140    $
235,436     
211,119     
1,371,695    $

894,442    $
218,247     
183,495     
1,296,184    $

913,210 
209,824 
183,931 
1,306,965 

205,399    $
63,582     
277,039     
546,020    $

182,140    $
48,553     
146,064     
376,757    $

180,345 
43,630 
129,108 
353,083  

Note 24. Common Stock Repurchases

We previously announced our Board of Directors’ authorization to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time 
at  prevailing  market  prices.  Effective  February  7,  2019,  our  Board  of  Directors  authorized  the  repurchase  of  an  additional 
500,000 shares.

No  shares  were  repurchased  on  the  open  market  during  2019.  During  2018,  we  repurchased  340,473  shares  on  the  open 
market for $17.2 million. No shares were repurchased on the open market during 2017. As of December 31, 2019, 600,067 

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shares remain available for repurchase. Additionally, we repurchase shares related to tax withholding requirements on vested 
restricted stock awards. Refer to Note 3 – Share-Based Compensation.

Note 25. Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

The following table sets forth selected unaudited consolidated quarterly financial information:

2019

2018

Fourth
(in thousands, except per share data)
Quarter  
Revenue:............................................. $285,594   $402,279   $362,488   $321,334   $277,428   $363,677   $358,163   $296,916 
Operating income (loss):

Second
Quarter    

Fourth
Quarter    

Second
Quarter    

Third
Quarter    

Third
Quarter    

Quarter    

Quarter    

First

First

141    
(3,282)  
83    
(2,957)  

—    
(1,833)  
98    
(2,915)  

141   $ (10,989) $ 38,402   $ 56,551   $
35    
—    
(3,777)  
(3,070)  
101    
109    
(2,608)  
(4,587)  

Ongoing operations (1)................... $ (11,236) $ 46,442   $ 54,822   $
—    
Business interruption gain ............  
(2,680)  
Corporate activities .......................  
79    
Interest income..............................  
Interest expense.............................  
(3,740)  
Multi-employer pension plan 
withdrawal ....................................  
Other expense ...............................  
Restructuring charges ...................  
Legal settlement............................  
Impairment recoveries (charges) ..  
Income from continuing 
operations before income taxes..... $ (25,529) $ 20,008   $ 46,498   $ (14,867) $ (15,401) $ 32,773   $ 49,600   $ (1,963)

—     (15,508)  
(456)  
(4,455)  
—    
—    

(185)  
(394)  
(1,535)  
—    
(5,346)  

—    
(281)  
(1,702)  
—    
—    

4,018 
— 
(2,464)
116 
(2,609)

(455)  
(688)  
(8,500)  
—    

377    
(2,535)  
53    
(2,354)  

190    
(2,217)  
84    
(2,069)  

—    
(527)  
(175)  
—    
—    

—    
(543)  
(662)  
—    
35    

—    
(238)  
(162)  
—    
—    

— 
(436)
(588)
— 
— 

Income (loss) from continuing 
operations attributable to Viad ........... $ (17,490) $ 13,364   $ 31,557   $ (5,315) $ (10,315) $ 23,769   $ 37,635   $ (3,400)
Net income (loss) attributable to 
Viad .................................................... $ (17,777) $ 13,824   $ 31,416   $ (5,428) $ (9,387) $ 23,490   $ 37,389   $ (2,322)
Diluted income (loss) per common 
share: (2)

Continuing operations 
attributable to Viad ....................... $
Net income (loss) attributable to 
Viad common stockholders .......... $

(0.88) $

0.65   $

1.54   $

(0.30) $

(0.51) $

1.16   $

1.84   $

(0.17)

(0.89) $

0.67   $

1.53   $

(0.31) $

(0.47) $

1.15   $

1.83   $

(0.12)

(1)

(2)

Represents revenue less costs of services and cost of products sold.
The sum of quarterly income per share amounts may not equal annual income per share due to rounding.

81

 
 
   
 
 
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Viad Corp

Opinion on the Financial Statements 

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Viad  Corp  and  subsidiaries  (the  “Company”)  as  of 
December  31,  2019  and  2018,  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  operations,  comprehensive  income,  stockholders’ 
equity,  and  cash  flows,  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2019,  and  the  related  notes  and  the 
schedule listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial 
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, 
and  the  results  of  its  operations  and  its  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2019,  in 
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in 
Internal  Control  —  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission  and  our  report  dated  February  26,  2020  expressed  an  unqualified  opinion  on  the  Company’s  internal  control 
over financial reporting. 

Change in Accounting Principle

As  discussed  in  Note  1  to  the  financial  statements,  effective  January  1,  2019,  the  Company  adopted  FASB  Accounting 
Standards Update 2016-02, Leases, using the modified retrospective approach.

Basis for Opinion 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and 
are  required  to  be  independent  with  respect  to  the  Company  in  accordance  with  the  U.S.  federal  securities  laws  and  the 
applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform 
the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due 
to  error  or  fraud.  Our  audits  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  of  the  financial 
statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included 
examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also 
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the 
overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that 
was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that 
are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The 
communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, 
and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or 
on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Litigation,  Claims,  Contingencies,  and  Other—Self  Insurance  Reserves  —Refer  to  Notes  1  and  21  to  the  financial 
statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company is self-insured up to certain limits for workers’ compensation, automobile, product and general liability claims. 
Reserves for losses for claims incurred, including actuarially derived estimated claims incurred but not reported, are made by 
the Company based on historical experience, claims frequency, insurance coverage, and other factors. The Company 
purchases insurance for amounts in excess of self-insured levels.  The aggregate amount of these insurance liabilities related 
to continuing operations was $24.3 million as of December 31, 2019.

Given the subjectivity of estimating the projected settlement value of reported and unreported claims, auditing the self-

82

insurance reserves involved especially subjective auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to 
involve our actuarial specialist when auditing the self-insurance reserve, and therefore we have identified this as a critical 
audit matter. 

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the self-insurance reserves included the following, among others: 
• We tested the effectiveness of controls related to self-insurance reserves, including those over the projection of 

settlement value of reported and unreported claims.

• We evaluated the methods and assumptions used by management to estimate the self-insurance reserves by:

• Agreeing the underlying claims data to source documents that served as the basis for the Company’s actuarial 

analysis, to evaluate whether the inputs to the actuarial estimate were reasonable.

•

Comparing management’s prior-year assumptions of expected development and ultimate loss to actuals incurred 
during the current year to identify potential bias in the determination of the self-insurance reserves.

• With the assistance of our actuarial specialists, we developed independent estimates of the self-insurance reserves, using 

standard traditional actuarial methodologies, and compared our estimates to management’s estimates.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Phoenix, Arizona
February 26, 2020

We have served as the Company’s auditor since at least 1929; however, an earlier year could not be reliably determined.

83

Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE

None.

Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

We have established disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed 
in our reports filed or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, 
processed,  summarized,  and  reported  within  the  time  periods  specified  in  SEC  rules  and  forms,  and  such  information  is 
accumulated  and  communicated  to  our  management,  including  our  Chief  Executive  Officer  (“CEO”)  and  Chief  Financial 
Officer (“CFO”), as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management, together with our CEO 
and  CFO,  evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  our  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  as  of  December 31,  2019.  Based  on  this 
evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2019.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of 2019 that have materially 
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

84

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  Internal 
control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or 
under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by our board of directors, our 
management  and  other  personnel,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the 
preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  U.S.  GAAP  and  includes  those  policies  and 
procedures that:

•

•

•

Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 
dispositions of our assets;

Provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial 
statements  in  accordance  with  U.S.  GAAP,  and  that  our  receipts  and  expenditures  are  being  made  only  in 
accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and

Provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use  or 
disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.

Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections 
of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of 
changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. All internal control 
systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective 
can  provide  only  reasonable  assurance  with  respect  to  financial  statement  preparation  and  presentation.  Because  of  the 
inherent  limitations  of  internal  control,  there  is  a  risk  that  material  misstatements  may  not  be  prevented  or  detected  on  a 
timely  basis  by  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  However,  these  inherent  limitations  are  known  features  of  the 
financial reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design into the process safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, this 
risk.

Management performed an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting using the criteria 
described in the “Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013),” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of 
the  Treadway  Commission.  The  objective  of  this  assessment  was  to  determine  whether  our  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting was effective as of December 31, 2019.

In  accordance  with  the  SEC’s  published  guidance,  our  management  has  excluded  from  its  assessment  the  internal  control 
over  financial  reporting  for  Mountain  Park  Lodges,  which  we  acquired  on  June  8,  2019  and  whose  financial  statements 
constitute 9.8% of total assets and 1.4% of revenue of our consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year 
ended December 31, 2019. 

Based  on  our  assessment,  we  concluded  that,  as  of  December 31,  2019,  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is 
effective based on those criteria.

Our independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, has issued a report relating to our audit of the 
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, which appears on the following page of this 2019 Form 10-K.

85

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Viad Corp 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Viad Corp and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 
31,  2019,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control  —  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material 
respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal 
Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, of the Company and our 
report  dated  February  26,  2020  expressed  an  unqualified  opinion  on  those  consolidated  financial  statements  and  financial 
statement schedule and included an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s adoption of a new accounting standard.

As  described  in  Management’s  Report  on  Internal  Control  over  Financial  Reporting,  management  excluded  from  its 
assessment the internal control over financial reporting at Mountain Park Lodges, Inc., which was acquired on June 8, 2019, 
and whose financial statements constitute 9.8% of total assets and 1.4% of revenues of the consolidated financial statement 
amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019. Accordingly, our audit did not include the internal control over 
financial reporting at Mountain Park Lodges, Inc.

Basis for Opinion  

The  Company’s  management  is  responsible  for  maintaining  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and  for  its 
assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  included  in  the  accompanying  Management’s 
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal 
control  over  financial  reporting  based  on  our  audit.  We  are  a  public  accounting  firm  registered  with  the  PCAOB  and  are 
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable 
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform 
the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in 
all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the 
risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on 
the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our 
audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures 
that  (1)  pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and 
dispositions  of  the  assets  of  the  company;  (2)  provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to 
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and 
expenditures  of  the  company  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with  authorizations  of  management  and  directors  of  the 
company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or 
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Phoenix, Arizona
February 26, 2020

86

Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

Not applicable.

87

PART III

Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information regarding our directors, director nomination procedures, and the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors is 
included  in  our  Proxy  Statement  for  the  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders  to  be  held  on  May 19,  2020  (the  “Proxy 
Statement”),  under  the  captions  “Election  of  Directors,”  “Board  of  Directors  and  Corporate  Governance,”  and  “Stock 
Ownership Information,” and are incorporated herein by reference. Information regarding our executive officers is located in 
Part I, “Other – Information about our Executive Officers” of this 2019 Form 10-K.

We adopted a Code of Ethics for all of our directors, officers and employees. A copy of our Code of Ethics is available at our 
website at www.viad.com/about-us/corporate-governance/documents-and-charters/default.aspx and is also available without 
charge  to  any  shareholder  upon  written  request  to:  Viad  Corp,  1850  North  Central  Avenue,  Suite  1900,  Phoenix,  Arizona 
85004-4565, Attention: Corporate Secretary. 

Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information  in  the  Proxy  Statement  under  the  captions  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis,”  “Board  of  Directors  and 
Corporate Governance,” and “Executive Compensation” is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Information  in  the  Proxy  Statement  under  the  captions  “Executive  Compensation”  and  “Stock  Ownership  Information”  is 
incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Information in the Proxy Statement under the caption “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance” is incorporated herein 
by reference.

Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

Information regarding principal accounting fees and services and the pre-approval policies and procedures for such fees and 
services, as adopted by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, is contained in the Proxy Statement under the caption 
“Ratification of the Selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2020” 
and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE

(a)

Financial Statements and Schedule

PART IV

See Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule at Item 8 of this 2019 Form 10-K.

(b) Exhibit Index

88

Exhibit
Number

 Exhibit Description

Incorporated by Reference

Form

Period
Ending

  Exhibit   Filing Date

Share Purchase Agreement, dated May 27, 2019, by and among 
Brewster Travel Canada Inc., Jas-Day Investments Ltd., and 
2192449 Alberta Ltd.

8-K

Share and Unit Purchase Agreement, dated May 27, 2019, by 
and among Brewster Travel Canada Inc., Jas-Day Investments 
Ltd., 2187582 Alberta Ltd., and The Sawridge Hotels Limited 
Partnership.

8-K

2.1

5/30/2019

2.2

5/30/2019

Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Viad Corp, as amended 
through July 1, 2004 (SEC File No. 001-11015; SEC Film No. 
04961107).

 10-Q

  6/30/2004 3.A

8/9/2004

 Bylaws of Viad Corp, as amended through December 5, 2013.

 8-K

 3

12/9/2013

$450,000,000 Second Amended and Restated Credit 
Agreement by and among Viad Corp, JP Morgan Chase Bank, 
N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto, 
dated as of October 24, 2018.

8-K

4.1

10/25/2018

Amendment No. 1, dated July 23, 2019, to the Second 
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, Dated October 24, 
2018, between Viad Corp and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as 
Lender, as LC Issuer, as Swing Line Lender, and as 
administrative agent, and other lenders party thereto.

8-K

4.A2

7/25/2019

2.A

2.B

3.A

3.B

4. A1

4.A2

4.B

*

Description of Viad Corp’s Securities

2007 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, filed as Appendix A 
to Viad Corp’s Proxy Statement for the 2012 Annual Meeting 
of Shareholders.

10.A1

 +

 DEF 14A   

4/13/2012

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement - Executives, (three-year 
cliff vesting), effective as of March 26, 2014, pursuant to the 
2007 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan.

 8-K

10.A2

 +

Form of Restricted Stock Units Agreement, effective as of 
March 26, 2014, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus 
Incentive Plan.

10.A3

 +

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Outside Directors, 
effective as of February 25, 2008, pursuant to the 2007 Viad 
Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan.

10.A4

 +

 8-K

 8-K

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, effective as 
of February 25, 2010, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus 
Incentive Plan.

 8-K

10.A5

 +

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement, effective as of 
February 25, 2010, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus 
Incentive Plan.

 8-K

10.A6

 +

89

 10.A  

3/28/2014

 10.B  

3/28/2014

 10.F

2/28/2008

 10.B  

2/26/2010

 10.A  

2/26/2010

  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
Exhibit
Number

10.A7

 +

 Exhibit Description
Viad Corp Performance Unit Incentive Plan, effective as of 
February 27, 2013, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus 
Incentive Plan.

Incorporated by Reference

Form

Period
Ending

Exhibit

Filing Date

 8-K

 10.D  

3/5/2013

Amendment to the Viad Corp Performance Unit Incentive Plan, 
as amended February 27, 2013 pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp 
Omnibus Incentive Plan, effective as of February 24, 2016.

 8-K

10.A8

 +

Form of Performance Unit Agreement, effective as of March 
26, 2014, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive 
Plan.

 8-K

10.A9

 +

Form of Performance Unit Agreement, effective as of February 
24, 2016, pursuant to the 2007 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive 
Plan.

 8-K

10.A10  +

10.B1

+

2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, effective as of May 
18, 2017.

8-K

Form of Restricted Stock Units Agreement, effective as of May 
18, 2017, pursuant to the 2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive 
Plan.

8-K

10.B3

+

 10.B  

3/1/2016

 10.C  

3/28/2014

 10.A  

3/1/2016

10.1

5/23/2017

10.4

5/23/2017

Form of Management Incentive Plan (MIP) Administrative 
Guidelines, effective February 27, 2018, pursuant to the 2017 
Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, effective as of May 18, 
2017.

10.B4

+

10-K

12/31/2017 10.B4

2/28/2018

Form of Management Incentive Plan, effective as of February 
27, 2018, pursuant to the 2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive 
Plan, effective as of May 18, 2017.

10.B5

+

10-K

12/31/2017 10.B5

2/28/2018

Form of Performance Unit Incentive Plan (“PUP”) 
Administrative Guidelines, effective February 27, 2018, 
pursuant to the 2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, 
effective as of May 18, 2017.

Form of 2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan Performance 
Unit Agreement, effective February 27, 2018, pursuant to the 
2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan, effective as of May 
18, 2017.

10.B6

+

10.B7

+

10-K

12/31/2017 10.B6

2/28/2018

10-K

12/31/2017 10.B7

2/28/2018

Form of Viad Corp Performance Unit Incentive Plan, effective 
as of February 27, 2018, pursuant to the 2017 Viad Corp 
Omnibus Incentive Plan, effective as of May 18, 2017.

10.B8

+

10-K

12/31/2017 10.B8

2/28/2018

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement – Non-Employee 
Directors, effective as of May 18, 2017, pursuant to the 2017 
Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan.

8-K

10.B9

+

10.2

5/23/2017

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement – Non-Employee 
Directors, effective as of February 27, 2018, pursuant to the 
2017 Viad Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan.

10.B10 +

  10-K

12/31/2017 10.B10

2/28/2018

90

  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
Exhibit
Number

10.C1

 +

 Exhibit Description
Forms of Viad Corp Executive Severance Plans (Tier I and II), 
amended and restated for Code Section 409A as of January 1, 
2005.

10.C2

 +

Form of Viad Corp Executive Severance Plan (Tier I-2013) 
effective as February 27, 2013.

10.C3

 +

Amendment No. 1 to Viad Corp Executive Severance Plan 
(Tier I), effective as of February 26, 2014.

 8-K

 8-K

 8-K

10.C4

 +

Severance Agreement (No Change in Control) between Viad 
Corp and Steven W. Moster, effective as of December 3, 2014.  8-K

Incorporated by Reference

Form

Period
Ending

Exhibit

Filing Date

 10.B  

8/29/2007

 10.B  

3/5/2013

 10

3/4/2014

 10.B  

12/5/2014

10.C5

 +

Severance Agreement (No Change in Control) between Viad 
Corp and David W. Barry, effective as of April 22, 2015.

 10-K

  12/31/2015 10.H4  

3/11/2016

10.C6

+

Severance Agreement and General Release between Viad Corp 
and Deborah J. DePaoli, effective as of November 29, 2017.

8-K/A

10.E1

 +

Viad Corp Supplemental Pension Plan, amended and restated 
as of January 1, 2005 for Code Section 409A.

 8-K

10.F1

 +

Viad Corp Defined Contribution Supplemental Executive 
Retirement Plan, effective as of January 1, 2013.

 8-K

10.G1

 +

Executive Officer Pay Continuation Policy adopted February 7, 
2007.

 8-K

10.1

12/1/2017

 10.A  

8/29/2007

 10.E  

3/5/2013

 10.A  

2/13/2007

10.H1

 + 

Viad Corp Directors’ Matching Gift Program, effective as of 
February 18, 1999.

10-K

12/31/2018 10.H1

2/27/2019

Form of Indemnification Agreement between Viad Corp and 
Directors of Viad Corp, as approved by Viad Corp stockholders 
on October 16, 1987.

 10-K

10.I1

 +

  12/31/2008 10.1

2/27/2009

10.J1

21

23

24

31.1

31.2

Summary of Compensation Program of Non-Employee 
Directors of Viad Corp, effective as of February 27, 2018.

 10-Q

  3/31/2018 10.J1  

5/9/2018

 List of Viad Corp Subsidiaries.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm to 
the incorporation by reference into specified registration 
statements on Form S-8 of its report contained in this Annual 
Report.

 Power of Attorney signed by Viad Corp Directors.

 +

 *

 *

 *

Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Viad Corp pursuant 
to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 # *  

Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Viad Corp pursuant 
to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

  #*  

91

  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Incorporated by Reference

Form

Period
Ending

Exhibit

Filing Date

Exhibit
Number

32.1

 Exhibit Description
Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial 
Officer of Viad Corp pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002.

  #**  

101.INS  ***  XBRL Instance Document.

101.SCH  **** XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL **** XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

101.LAB **** XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.

101.PRE  **** XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

101.DEF  **** XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

104

*** Cover Page Interactive Data File

*

**

Filed herewith.

Furnished herewith.

*** The XBRL Instance Document and Cover Page Interactive Data File do not appear in the Interactive Data File because 

their XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

**** Submitted electronically herewith

+

#

Management contract or compensation plan or arrangement.

A  signed  original  of  this  written  statement  has  been  provided  to  Viad  Corp  and  will  be  retained  by  Viad  Corp  and 
furnished to the SEC upon request.

Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

92

  
 
VIAD CORP
SCHEDULE II – VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in thousands)
Allowances for doubtful accounts:

Balance at 
Beginning 
of Year

Additions

    Deductions  

Charged to

Charged to
Other 

Expense    

Accounts     Write-Offs  

  Other(1)

Balance at 
End of Year 

December 31, 2017............................................   
December 31, 2018............................................   
December 31, 2019............................................   

1,342     
2,023     
1,288     

2,470     
414     
1,050     

Deferred tax valuation allowance:

December 31, 2017............................................   
December 31, 2018............................................   
December 31, 2019............................................   

3,998     
4,010     
3,356     

1,385     
1,230     
884     

49     
39     
45     

—     
—     
—     

(1,529)   
(1,170)   
(1,182)   

(1,595)   
(1,851)   
— 

(309)    
(18)    
(1)    

222     
(33)    
36     

2,023 
1,288 
1,200 

4,010 
3,356 
4,276  

(1)

“Other” primarily includes foreign exchange translation adjustments.

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Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused 
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on February 26, 2020.

SIGNATURES

VIAD CORP

By:

/s/ Steven W. Moster
Steven W. Moster
President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  this  report  has  been  signed  below  by  the  following 
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

Date: February 26, 2020

Date: February 26, 2020

Date: February 26, 2020

Date: February 26, 2020

Principal Executive Officer

By:

/s/ Steven W. Moster
Steven W. Moster
President and Chief Executive Officer, 
Director

Principal Financial Officer

By:

/s/ Ellen M. Ingersoll
Ellen M. Ingersoll
Chief Financial Officer

Principal Accounting Officer

By:

/s/ Leslie S. Striedel
Leslie S. Striedel
Chief Accounting Officer

Directors

Andrew B. Benett*
Denise M. Coll*
Richard H. Dozer*
Virginia L. Henkels*
Edward E. Mace*
Robert E. Munzenrider*
Joshua E. Schechter*

By:

/s/ Ellen M. Ingersoll
Ellen M. Ingersoll
Attorney-in-Fact

*

Pursuant to power of attorney filed as Exhibit 24 to this 2019 Form 10-K

94