Contacts: Jackie Reau, Game Day
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Tulsa Sports Commission honored as Sports Commission of the Year by Sports ETA

KANSAS CITY, MO (May 10, 2023) – Tulsa Sports Commission was honored by Sports ETA as the Sports Commission of the Year, population over 500,000 category. Tulsa Sports Commission was one of 10 awardees honored today among the 600 Sports ETA member organizations.

The award was accepted by Joel Koester from the Tulsa Sports Commission, at the annual Sports ETA Symposium held this week in Kansas City, Missouri.

The selection committee commented on the nomination: “In its last fiscal year, the Tulsa Sports Commission secured more than 180,000 room nights, for an overall economic impact of $218 million, hosted the 2022 PGA Championship, Ironman Tulsa, events for USA Volleyball and Wrestling, and celebrated the opening of the new USA BMX headquarters and racing venue.”

“Our team at the Tulsa Sports Commission–and Tulsa Regional Tourism as a whole–are honored to receive this award,” said Joel Koester, director of sales for the Tulsa Sports Commission. “This recognition by Sports ETA is no doubt a reflection of the world-class community we represent–one that continuously shatters expectations for nearly every visitor we bring to town. We are thankful for our incredible local partners like ASM Global, USA BMX and Expo Square who help us attract business and keep them coming back for more. We are also thankful for the planners who have worked with us to bring their events to Tulsa and create lifelong experiences for thousands of athletes, their families and fans.”

“The last fiscal year for Tulsa Regional Tourism was certainly the most action-filled our city has experienced from not only a sporting event front, but in tourism in general,” said Renee McKenney, senior vice president of tourism for the Tulsa Regional Chamber and president of Tulsa Regional Tourism. “We are grateful for our partners at the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County for their continued collaboration contributing to best-in-class experiences. We look forward to building on this momentum as our city continues to grow across the board–from increasing hotel room capacity with places like Brut Hotel opening this summer to new game- changing venues like the WeStreet Ice Center opening this fall.”

“The work of the Tulsa Sports Commission consistently delivers tremendous economic impact to our community,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, which houses the Tulsa Sports Commission. “But beyond that, the events they attract and host for our region serve to introduce thousands of new visitors to all that Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma have to offer in terms of quality of life. A number of those visitors have subsequently seen fit to bring their businesses to our region. In a very real way, the Tulsa Sports Commission delivers economic impact today and drives future economic growth.”
 

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About Tulsa Sports Commission:
In 1993, the Tulsa Sports Commission (TSC) was created to attract and develop sporting events and conventions for economic impact on the Tulsa community. Since its inception, the TSC has accounted for more than $500 million in economic impact to the Tulsa region by helping attract, market and host championships and sports-related events and conventions to the region. The TSC is a founding member of the National Association of Sports Commissions and lives within the Tulsa Regional Tourism umbrella organization. Learn more at visittulsa.com/sports.

About Tulsa Regional Tourism:
Tulsa Regional Tourism is northeast Oklahoma’s premier accredited destination marketing organization. Housed at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, it includes Visit Tulsa for leisure travel, Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau for meetings & conventions, Tulsa Sports Commission for amateur & pro sports and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (FMAC) for creative industries and accredited film commission. Tulsa Regional Tourism leads the community’s bidding for and hosting of signature events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the Big 12 Wrestling Championship, USA BMX Grand Nationals, the Arabian Horse Association’s

U.S. Nationals and more.  For more information, visit visittulsa.com.

About Sports ETA:

As the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, Sports ETA is the most trusted resource for sports commissions, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and sports event owners. Sports ETA is committed to the success of more than 600 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals. We promise to deliver quality education, ample networking opportunities, and exceptional event management and marketing know-how to our members to protect the integrity of the sports events and tourism industry. For more information, visit SportsETA.org.