Visit OKC’s Destination Sales and Services team recently attended the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Convening Leaders conference, this year hosted in Houston. At the conference, Visit OKC had a booth featuring a roaming robot branded with its logo, allowing attendees to take selfies with a Visit OKC logo frame. Vice President of Convention Sales and Services Shaun Yates shared, “These shows are important because it’s a way for us to get our brand out there.” Tourism is a major contributor to Oklahoma City’s economy, ranking as the third-largest industry in the state. The Visit OKC Destination Sales and Services team is instrumental in driving the tourism community and convention market in Oklahoma City. The team is crucial to expanding the Visit OKC brand and attracting new clients through participation in trade shows. After each show, the team evaluates key metrics such as ROI, leads and contacts to gauge the overall success for the city. “Luckily, I don’t have a team who relies on the rinse and repeat of ideas,” Yates noted, highlighting their innovative approach. VISIT OKC DRIVES GROWTH AND VISIBILITY FOR OKC’S TOURISM AND CONVENTION MARKET
“It’s crucial for us to find new business and ensure we’re setting our city up for long-term success,” Yates said. “We’ve seen a lot of positive changes over the past few years, but it’s also our responsibility to inject life into the city, attract new businesses and ensure our stakeholders see consistent business throughout the year.” It is vital for the team to support community partners to retain businesses and foster continued growth. Yates is optimistic the team will continue to build on these efforts by participating in new and diverse shows, while creatively increasing the brand’s visibility. While most of the shows are domestic, with a strong market focus on the Midwest, Texas and D.C., Yates’s leisure sales team also manages some international travel. Together, the team attends roughly 45 shows each year. The Destination Sales and Services team works hard to keep Oklahoma City buzzing with convention business. Despite being the 20th largest city in the U.S., Yates shared many people still don’t fully realize the amenities Oklahoma City has to offer, stating, “That’s why it’s so important for us to get people on-site, so they can touch, taste and feel the city for themselves.” The roaming robot for Visit OKC's booth was wrapped in the Visit OKC logo and its branding.
Visit OKC's Destination Sales and Services team represented Oklahoma City at the 2025 Professional Convention Management Association's (PCMA) Convening Leaders conference.
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