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Employee Stock Ownership Plan | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Employee Stock Ownership Plan/Pension and Postretirement Benefits [Abstract] |
Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Note 13. Employee Stock Ownership Plan Viad funds its matching contributions to employees’ 401(k) accounts through the Company’s ESOP portion of the Viad Corp Capital Accumulation Plan (the “401(k) Plan”). All eligible employees of Viad and its participating affiliates, other than certain employees covered by collective-bargaining agreements that do not expressly provide for participation of such employees in an employee stock ownership plan, may participate in the employee stock ownership feature within the 401(k) Plan. In 1989, the ESOP borrowed $40.0 million (guaranteed by Viad) to purchase treasury shares from the Company. In July 2004, Viad borrowed $12.4 million under its revolving credit agreement to pay in full the outstanding ESOP loan and obtain release of Viad from its guarantee of the loan. In connection with the loan payoff, the ESOP entered into a $12.4 million loan with Viad maturing in June 2009 calling for minimum quarterly principal payments of $250,000 plus interest. The same amount, representing unearned employee benefits, was recorded as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. In 2007, the loan agreement between the ESOP and Viad was extended to December 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2011, the balance of the ESOP loan was $3.0 million and is included in the consolidated balance sheets under the caption “Unearned employee benefits and other.” The liability is reduced as the ESOP makes principal payments on the borrowing, and the amount offsetting stockholders’ equity is reduced as stock is allocated to employees and benefits are charged to expense. The 401(k) Plan will repay the loan using Viad contributions and dividends received on the unallocated Viad shares held by the 401(k) Plan. Information regarding ESOP transactions is as follows:
|  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
|  |  |  |  | (in thousands) |  |  |  |
Amounts paid by ESOP for: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt repayment |  | $ | 1,490 |  |  | $ | 1,518 |  |  | $ | 1,964 |
Interest |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | 22 |
Amounts received from Viad as: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contributions |  |  | 1,435 |  |  |  | 1,444 |  |  |  | 1,872 |
Dividends |  |  | 63 |  |  |  | 86 |  |  |  | 114 |
Shares were released for allocation to participants based upon the ratio of the current year’s principal and interest payments to the sum of the total principal and interest payments expected over the remaining life of the plan. Viad recorded expense of $1.6 million, $1.5 million and $1.4 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Unallocated shares held by the 401(k) Plan totaled 293,280 and 440,369 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Shares allocated during 2011 and 2010 totaled 147,089 and 149,490, respectively.

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