A late-night television-themed Tulsa Regional Tourism event led to some major television news for Tulsa on Tuesday morning.

NBC’s historic TODAY Show will produce a live broadcast in Tulsa next month, it was announced during Tulsa Regional Tourism’s Annual Meeting at Arvest Convention Center. The 3rd Hour of TODAY is heading to the Sooner State for a segment that will air at 8 a.m. (CT) Oct. 10.

The show’s co-hosts will explore all Tulsa has to offer, including its many cultural attractions and art and food scene. It also will highlight the city’s history, as well as its up-and-coming businesses.  Fans and viewers can join the audience by registering at TODAY.com/Tulsa.  

“It’s just an exciting time to be in Tulsa,” Renee McKenney, the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s vice president of tourism and president of Tulsa Regional Tourism, said following the event. “There is a ton of momentum, as you learned today. We’re just on this trajectory to be an amazing destination.”

Tulsa Regional Tourism 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.

“We’ve all worked so hard to get to this momentum; you have the centennial coming up for Route 66, and we’re the capital of Route 66,” McKenney said. “We can really expect international visitors from all over and national visitors who are very curious to come and experience a place that many of them have not been before.”

Tuesday’s program, which celebrated Regional Tourism’s 2024-25 fiscal year, was titled “It’s So Late, It’s Early,” and its set included all the trappings of a late-night TV talk show, including a monologue, guest couch, live band and banter between the host Jonathan Huskey (senior director of communications for Tulsa Regional Tourism) and announcer Danielle Ruffin.

“I often think about Tulsa in three ways: what we were, what we are and what we can be,” Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said. “Tulsa is still a bit of a hidden gem across the country, but we are rapidly changing that. The more people learn about who we are and what we have to offer, the more interested they become, the more they want to visit, and the more they come visit, the more this community grows. That is why tourism and the partnership and collaboration from all of you is so important to the city and our future.”

From July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, Tulsa Regional Tourism (TRT) booked 218,130 event room nights, which represented 125% of its goal. It also secured events that led to total estimated economic impact of more than $316 million.

During the same span, TRT also earned won five awards at the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association Redbud Awards and announced that Tulsa was host city for the 2032 PGA Championship and the first and second rounds of the 2028 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament.

For full statistics from Tulsa Regional Tourism’s annual report, please click here.

“We asked everyone in this room to stretch and really dream, and I think we dreamed really big,” McKenney said. “I want all of you to know that not only are we winning awards, winning national awards, but we’re also exceeding our expectations and stretching. It just keeps getting better and better.”

Tulsa Regional Tourism gave out the following awards Tuesday:

Visit Tulsa Partner of the Year: Gathering Place

Tulsa CVB Partner of the Year: Liz Howell

Tulsa Sports Commission Partner of the Year: Laura McWherter

Tulsa FMAC Partner of the Year: Rebellium Films

Hospitality Champion (for-profit organization): Donna Moore, Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills

Hospitality Champion (nonprofit): Alejandro Garcia, Tulsa Global District