VIAD CORP - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

or

For the transition period from ____________ to ____________

Commission file number: 001-11015

Viad Corp

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(602) 207-1000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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.

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

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

PART I

Forward-Looking Statements

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:

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.

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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 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 Program^SM, 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.

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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”).

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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.

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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.

Competition

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:

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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:

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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.

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Seasonality

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

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:

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:

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Alaska Collection:

Glacier Park Collection:

Sky Lagoon:

FlyOver Attractions:

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

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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:

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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:

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

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

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

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.

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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.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

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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.

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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

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 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.

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.

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:

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

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.

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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

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

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.

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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

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

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

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.