Tulsa Regional Tourism chose a historic venue to celebrate some eye-popping numbers on Tuesday.

Before a Cain’s Ballroom crowd of more than 200 people, the Tulsa Regional Chamber-housed organization celebrated a 2022-23 fiscal year that included 201,820 booked definite room nights (heads in beds) and a $317.2 million total economic impact. Those numbers shattered Tulsa Regional Tourism’s goal of $203.5 million in its contract with the City of Tulsa.

Boosted by these events, the city also surpassed $4 million ($4.2 million) in lodging tax revenue for the first time, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said.

“Right now, we are experiencing the greatest moment of growth and investment in the history of our city,” he said. “A lot of people have asked me why did this all of a sudden start happening in the last five to 10 years? What changed?

“What changed is we started focusing on the right playing field. We are working together as a region to be the best city we can be instead of fighting with each other at city hall, fighting between the city and the county, fighting over shopping centers between the city and suburbs. We’re all working together to be the best city that we can be. When we are doing that, we see that it is incredibly powerful.”

This was tourism’s first (nearly) full fiscal year under Renee McKenney, who was hired in August 2022 as the Chamber’s senior vice president of tourism, and president of Tulsa Regional Tourism.

“I can’t say enough about how grateful I am that Mike and the team at the Chamber recruited Renee McKenney to Tulsa,” Bynum said. “Renee is a great example that leadership makes all the difference. When you have the right person in the right place at the right time, amazing things happen.”

Tulsa Regional Tourism (TRT) is northeast Oklahoma’s premier accredited destination marketing organization. An initiative of the Chamber, it includes Visit Tulsa for leisure travel; the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau for meetings and conventions; the Tulsa Sports Commission for amateur and pro sports; and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture for creative industries and accredited film commission.

Other highlights from TRT’s fiscal year included nearly $21 million in local revenue from film/TV productions, and $9.23 million in local generated sales tax.

"Tourism is Oklahoma's third largest industry, which is why it is crucial to have community support around telling our story to potential visitors,” Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell said in a statement. “From promoting our rich music history and outdoor spaces to our diverse cultural experiences, these efforts have a tangible impact on Oklahoma's economy by supporting jobs and generating sales tax revenue.”

Over the fiscal year, the TRT team earned accolades across its four divisions. Tuesday’s Friends-themed event also featured a panel discussion with Tulsa tourism entrepreneurs Teresa Knox, owner of The Church Studio; Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios; and Danny Boy O’Connor, executive director of The Outsiders House Museum.

Tulsa Regional Tourism gave out the following awards Tuesday:

• Visit Tulsa Partner of the Year: Tyler Layne, Tyler Layne Photography
• Tulsa CVB Partner of the Year: Beth Andrews, Champion Hotels
• Tulsa Sports Partner of the Year: Shane Roller, World of Wrestling
• Tulsa FMAC Partner of the Year: Dr. James Rodgers (posthumously), Cain’s Ballroom
• Tulsa Regional Tourism Partner of the Year: Cherokee Film
• Tulsa Regional Tourism Rising Partner of the Year: Venita Cooper, Silhouette Sneakers & Art