Visit Broken Arrow
Meeting of: 04-14-2026
Title:
title
Consideration, discussion, and possible approval of staff request to research and identify advanced data solutions to enhance tracking of visitation and economic impact in Broken Arrow
End
Background:
As Visit Broken Arrow continues to evolve alongside the rapid growth of Broken Arrow, it is increasingly important that we strengthen our ability to measure, analyze, and communicate the impact of tourism within our community.
With significant developments on the horizon, including the new Sunset Amphitheater, anticipated enhancements to our sports facilities, and continued growth in events and visitation, our organization must be equipped with the tools necessary to accurately track and report economic impact. These insights will be critical not only for internal strategy, but also for external accountability.
While we currently utilize Placer.ai for high-level visitation data, we have identified a need for more detailed, tourism-specific analytics. Additional tools would allow us to go beyond general foot traffic and better understand visitor behavior, event-specific impact, overnight stays, and direct economic contributions. This deeper level of insight is becoming essential as our destination grows in both size and complexity.
As stewards of hotel tax funding, we are entering a phase where we must more proactively defend and justify how these dollars are allocated. Having reliable, data-driven reporting on visitor activity, event performance, and venue utilization will allow us to:
* Better evaluate the return on investment of our programs and partnerships
* Inform strategic decisions on how and when hotel tax dollars are spent
* Strengthen transparency and credibility with stakeholders, leadership, and the public
* Position Visit Broken Arrow as a data-informed, forward-thinking destination organization
Staff is requesting approval to research and evaluate software platforms and vendors that speciali...
Click here for full text