Oklahoma City, OK –The Oklahoma Travel Industry Association (OTIA) hosted its annual RedBud Awards at the Oklahoma History Center on June 14, 2022. Open to all Oklahoma tourism entities, the RedBud Awards represent the highest honor bestowed in the Oklahoma tourism industry. Oklahoma.
Hosted by Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and Jenifer Reynolds, 37 awards were presented in 17 categories. The awards recognize Oklahoma’s top tourist attractions, events, programs and organizations for their outstanding efforts to serve and promote Oklahoma’s tourism industry.
Visit Shawnee received the RedBud Award and was named Small Organization of the Year. Visit Shawnee also won an award of merit for its Shawnee Twin Lakes brochure.
“The entries for this year’s RedBud Award were very competitive,” said Debra Bailey, President and CEO of OTIA. “With travel resuming, every submission is an example of why Oklahoma is a perfect travel destination and we are thrilled to honor these entries.”
Entries for the competition must have been produced, published, broadcast or held between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. All entries were evaluated by a roster of tourism professionals on specific criteria including service and experience customer, marketing effectiveness, media relations, variety of audiences reached, value and overall creativity.
Winners include:
EXCEPTIONAL AGRITOURISM ATTRACTION
RedBud: Simply Country Ranch
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Merit: Visit Norman – Visit Norman Digital Social Media Campaign 2021
RedBud: Visit Ponca Town – What Happens In Ponca Town
RedBud: Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism – Visit the Cherokee National Virtual Video Series
BEST BROCHURE OR PUBLICATION – (budget of $10,000 or less)
Merit: Visit Shawnee – Shawnee Twin Lakes Brochure
Redbud: Oh18 – Oh18 Magazine from May to June 2021
BEST BROCHURE OR PUBLICATION – (budget of $10,000 or more)
Merit: Visit Stillwater – Stillwater Local Scene Guide
Redbud: Chickasaw Country – Chickasaw Country Travel Guide 2021
BEST OVERALL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – (low budget organization)
Merit: Visit Claremore – Visit Claremore FY 21 – 22 Strategic Marketing Plan
Redbud: Tahlequah Tower – Tahlequah Tower Marketing Campaign
BEST OVERALL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – (Big budget organization)
Merit: Visit Norman – Visit Norman Marketing Campaign 2021
Redbud: Visit Stillwater – Visit Stillwater Marketing Campaign
BEST WEBSITE
Merit: Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum
Redbud: Visit Shawnee
BEST PARTNERSHIP
Merit: Visit Claremore and the Board of County Commissioners of Rogers County
RedBud: Edmond Fine Arts Institute & Visit Edmond
EXCEPTIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Merit: Visit OKC
Merit: Chickasaw Country
Redbud: Museum of the First Americans
EXCEPTIONAL ATTRACTION
Merit: Visit Claremore – Claremore Mountain Bike Trails
Redbud: Shangri-La Resort – The anchor of Shangri-La Resort
NEW EXCEPTIONAL ATTRACTION
Merit: Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism – Cherokee Nation History Museum
RedBud: Museum of the First Americans
EXCEPTIONAL TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
Merit: General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum – 9/11 Never Forget: 20th Year Memorial
RedBud: Cultural Tourism of the Cherokee Nation – Sequoyah: An American Icon
EXCEPTIONAL EVENT Merit: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma – Annual Choctaw Nation Pow Wow
RedBud: Citizen Potawatomi Nation – FireLake Firelight Balloon Festival
EXCEPTIONAL NEW EVENT
Merit: Dancing Rabbit Music Association – Dancing Rabbit Music Festival
RedBud: Cultural Tourism of the Cherokee Nation – Bicentennial of the Cherokee Syllabary
BEST PANDEMIC-RELATED CAMPAIGN
Merit: Visit Muskogee – Depot Green District: Summer Fun 2021
RedBud: Visit Claremore – Visit Claremore “Wish You Were Here” Campaign
Tourism Organization of the Year – Low Budget Organization Redbud: Visit Shawnee
Tourism Organization of the Year – Big Budget Organization Redbud: Visit Norman