3 minute read
Edmond Life and Leisure - May 9, 2024
Oklahoma 911 Emergency Training at the Edmond Conference Center on Wednesday, April 24.
Rolling out the Red Carpet for conferences
By Jennifer Thornton Tourism Director — Visit Edmond
The Edmond Conference Center welcomed the Oklahoma 911 Management Authority on April 2425. For the first time in Oklahoma, 911 coordinators gathered from across the state for a training workshop. Ninety-six people from towns like Idabel, Woodward, Tulsa, Weatherford and Elk City got to enjoy Edmond before and after the workshop. This is a prime example of “Edmond Ambassadors” in action. Many residents are members of professional and social organizations that have annual conferences. Recommending Edmond to host these conferences shows our hometown pride and increases sales and lodging tax. Benjamin Curry, Director of Communications and Emergency Management for the City of Edmond, said “I serve on the board and when we decided to put on a workshop, I suggested Edmond for the location.”
For every person that spends the night in a hotel or short-term rental, they spend an additional $65 in dining and shopping. This contributes to sales tax which funds amenities like streets, parks and trails to improve citizens’ quality of life. Attendees of the 911 Coordinators Workshop who drove more than 150 miles spent the night in Edmond. Many attendees drove in early to have some fun in Edmond before the training began. Planners hope this will be an annual opportunity with more supervisors. Workshop organizers said they will come to Edmond again!
Edmond has 45 creative venues ready to welcome meeting planners. Spaces that accommodate more than 200 people inside Edmond city limits are Oak Tree Country Club, Venue 102, University of Central Oklahoma, and Edmond Conference Center. Since opening in 2018, the Edmond Conference Center is the only joint hotel/event space in Edmond and is attached to the Hilton Garden Inn. It is conveniently located at I-35 and Covell (exit 149), has 20,178 total square feet of event space, 11 meeting rooms and 158 guest rooms. In 2023, the Edmond Conference Center was honored as a Silver Winner in the "Best Conference Center" category by Northstar Meetings Group. Edmond Conference Center hosts more than 500 events a year and welcomes more than 36,000 people annually.
The next time you or someone you know is looking for a space for a conference, training or meeting, recommend Edmond! For more information about Edmond’s meeting spaces and event sponsorship applications, visit www.visitedmondok.com/meetings.
