Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Viad Corp (“Viad” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X for interim financial information. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all of the information required by GAAP or Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules and regulations for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with Viad’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on March 6, 2017.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Viad and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany account balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

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, the fair value of Viad’s reporting units used to perform annual impairment testing of recorded goodwill; 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; assumptions used to measure pension and postretirement benefit costs and obligations; assumptions used to determine share-based compensation costs under the fair value method; and the allocation of purchase price of acquired businesses. Actual results could differ from these and other estimates.

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.

On December 29, 2016, the Mount Royal Hotel was damaged by a fire and closed. During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company 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 Viad’s property and business interruption insurance. During July 2017, Viad resolved its property and business interruption insurance claims for a total of $36.3 million, of which $9.0 million was received during the first six months of 2017 with the remainder received during the third quarter. The Company 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, $2.2 million was recorded as a business interruption gain for the recovery of lost profits, $1.1 million was recorded as contra-expense to offset non-capitalizable costs incurred by the Company, and the remaining $1.5 million was recorded as deferred revenue, which will be recognized over the periods when the business interruption losses are actually incurred.

Nature of Business

Viad is an international experiential services company with operations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong. Viad is committed to providing unforgettable experiences to its clients and guests. Viad operates through three reportable business segments: GES U.S., GES International (collectively, “GES”), and Pursuit.

GES

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

GES’ clients include event organizers and corporate brand marketers. 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 iconic natural and cultural destination travel experiences that enjoy perennial demand. Pursuit offers guests distinctive and world renowned experiences through its collection of unique hotels, lodges, recreational attractions, and transportation services. Pursuit is composed of four lines of business: (i) Hospitality; (ii) Attractions; (iii) Transportation, and (iv) Travel Planning. These four lines of business work together, driving economies of scope and meaningful scale in and around the iconic destinations of Banff, Jasper, and Waterton Lakes National Parks and Vancouver in Canada, and Glacier, Denali, and Kenai Fjords National Parks in the United States. Pursuit is composed of Brewster Travel Canada, the Alaska Collection, Glacier Park, Inc., and FlyOver Canada.

Impact of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

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

Standard	Description	Date of adoption	Effect on the financial statements
Standards Not Yet Adopted
ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)	The standard establishes a new recognition model that requires revenue to be recognized in a manner to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services. The Company may adopt either retrospectively to each prior period presented with the option to elect certain practical expedients or with the cumulative effect recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain disclosures. Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2014-09, the FASB issued several amendments in 2016 which do not change the core principle of the guidance stated in ASU 2014-09. Rather, they are intended to clarify and improve understanding of certain topics included within the revenue standard.	January 1, 2018	The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this new guidance on its financial position or results of operations including analyzing its current portfolio of customer contracts. The Company has assigned internal resources in addition to the engagement of a third-party service provider to assist in the evaluation of the impact on its accounting policies, processes, and system requirements. Based on the Company’s preliminary assessment, the adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on Viad’s consolidated financial statements. Although significant additional disclosures will be required, the Company expects the immaterial impact to primarily relate to the deferral of certain commissions which were previously expensed as incurred but will generally be capitalized and amortized over the period of contract performance, and the deferral of certain costs incurred in connection with trade shows which were previously expensed as incurred but will generally be capitalized and expensed upon the completion of the show. The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2018 and will be using the modified retrospective transition method. Additionally, the new guidance requires enhanced disclosures, including revenue recognition policies to identify performance obligations to customers and significant judgments in measurement and recognition. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify other impacts.
ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842)	The amendment requires lessees to recognize on their balance sheet a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for leases with lease terms greater than one year. The amendment requires additional disclosures about leasing arrangements, and requires a modified retrospective approach to adoption. Early adoption is permitted.	January 1, 2019	The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this new guidance on its financial position or results of operations including analyzing its existing operating leases. Based on the Company’s current assessment, the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on Viad’s consolidated balance sheets, but the income statement is not expected to be materially impacted. The Company expects the most significant impact will relate to facility and equipment leases and embedded lease arrangements which are currently recorded as operating leases. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify other impacts. The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2019.
ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments	The amendment provides guidance on eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. Early adoption is permitted.	January 1, 2018	The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s financial position or results of operations.
ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory	The amendment eliminates an exception in ASC 740 which prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income tax effects for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory until the asset has been sold to an outside party. The amendment requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory at the time that the transfer occurs.	January 1, 2018	The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s financial position or results of operations.

Standard	Description	Date of adoption	Effect on the financial statements
Standards Not Yet Adopted (Continued)
ASU 2017-01, Business Combination (Topic 805) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business	The amendment provides guidance on evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses.	January 1, 2018	The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment	The amendment eliminates the requirement to estimate the implied fair value of goodwill if it was determined that the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded its fair value. Goodwill impairment will now be recognized by the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The amendment should be applied prospectively and is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017.	January 1, 2020	The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s consolidated financial statements and the Company expects the adoption to reduce the complexity surrounding the analysis of goodwill impairment.
ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost	The amendment requires an employer to disaggregate the service cost components from the other components of net benefit cost. The service cost components are required to be presented in operating income and the other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented outside of operating income.	January 1, 2018	The Company currently presents all components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs in cost of services in the consolidated statements of operations. The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting	The amendment provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718.	January 1, 2018	The Company grants share-based awards but rarely has modifications to the awards. The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a significant effect on Viad’s consolidated financial statements.


Standards Recently Adopted
ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330) - Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory	The amendment applies to inventory measures using first-in, first-out or average cost and requires entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the normal course of business, minus the cost of completion, disposal and transportation. Replacement cost and net realizable value less a normal profit margin will no longer be considered.	January 1, 2017	The adoption of this new guidance did not have a significant effect on Viad’s consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting	The amendment identifies areas for simplification involving several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, an option to recognize gross stock compensation expense with actual forfeitures recognized as they occur, as well as certain classifications on the statement of cash flows.	January 1, 2017	The adoption of this new guidance resulted in a decrease of 6% to the effective tax rate during the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 2016, and resulted in a decrease of 1% to the effective tax rate during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 as compared to 2016.