Visit Broken Arrow
Meeting of: 08/11/2026
Title:
title
Consideration, Discussion, and possible Approval of out-of-state travel and attendance of board member to US Travel’s ESTO Award Ceremony in Philadelphia
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Background:
Visit Broken Arrow has been named one of three finalists for U.S. Travel’s 2026 ESTO Innovation Award for our submission, “Small City, Big Screen: How Broken Arrow Rewrote the Rules of Tourism Growth.” The other finalists are Visit Norfolk and Visit Savannah.
Visit Broken Arrow staff will attend the Annual ESTO Conference in Philadelphia, August 24-27, with the Innovation Award winner being announced during the awards ceremony on the evening of August 25.
Fellow Visit Broken Arrow Board Member and City Councilor Lisa Ford has expressed interest in attending the award ceremony to show her support. Councilor Ford has been a strong advocate for Visit Broken Arrow’s film tourism initiatives since their inception, and staff is requesting the Board’s support for her attendance at the conference.
Final approval for Councilor Ford’s attendance will be considered by the City Council at its August 18, 2026 meeting.
Cost: TBD
Funding Source: General Government
Requested By: Makala Barton, Tourism Manager
Approved By: City Manager’s Office
Attachments: None
Recommendation:
recommend
As directed by board
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