Visit Tulsa’s SavvyTulsa has been selected as a finalist for the 2027 Association for Talent Development (ATD) Excellence in Practice Award, recognizing organizations whose learning initiatives create meaningful and measurable impact.
The nomination highlights Visit Tulsa's innovative hospitality learning initiative, developed in partnership with Learn Tourism, a nonprofit organization focused exclusively on tourism education and workforce development.
The program prepares hospitality professionals, visitor-facing employees and community partners to serve as knowledgeable tourism ambassadors by strengthening their understanding of Tulsa's attractions, culture, history and visitor experience. Through flexible online learning, participants gain practical knowledge that helps them confidently welcome guests while supporting the city's growing visitor economy.
The initiative has become an important component of Visit Tulsa's broader workforce development strategy, helping organizations provide consistent training while encouraging greater community pride and collaboration throughout the hospitality industry.
“SavvyTulsa is a first-of-its-kind program in Tulsa, and the response has been overwhelming,” said Sarah Inboden, Tulsa Regional Tourism's vice president of experience and events. “To have more than 1,000 enrolled in the course and more than 500 completions already speaks to the passion Tulsans have for their community and their commitment to telling its story with warmth, confidence and authenticity. We’re honored to see this project and its investment in the city of Tulsa honored on an international stage.”
As of Aug. 11, a total of 1,020 users had enrolled in the free online learning module, 560 of whom have completed the course.
The Association for Talent Development's Excellence in Practice Awards honor organizations that demonstrate outstanding innovation, execution, and measurable business results through learning.
Working with Learn Tourism, Visit Tulsa designed a learning experience rooted in adult education, instructional design and behavioral science to help ensure lasting engagement and real-world application.
"Visit Tulsa understood that a destination's greatest asset isn't its attractions — it's its people,” said Stephen Ekstrom, CEO & co-founder of Learn Tourism. “By investing in education and empowering hospitality professionals to become confident tourism ambassadors, they've strengthened both the visitor experience and community pride. This nomination recognizes a forward-thinking team that understands learning is one of the most powerful investments a destination can make."
Award winners will be announced during the ATD International Conference & EXPO in May of 2027.
For more information about Visit Tulsa's workforce development initiatives, visit savvytulsa.com.