October 19, 2023 Vol. 24, No. 22
In This Issue FOUR SEASONS
Elite recognition for Conference Center
Four Seasons, by Kevin Box, in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the UCO campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper. Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing. For more information, see page 4.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Edmond Conference Center ballroom can seat up to 1,000 guests. PHOTOS PROVIDED
Healthier Edmond See Pages 15 - 18
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Sunny High 81° Low 53°
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 Sunny High 83° Low 58°
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 Mostly Sunny High 83° Low 63°
Visit Edmond surprised Edmond Conference Center with silver balloons for their Silver Stella Award. Pictured left to right: Miranda Petre, Visit Edmond communications coordinator, Terry Lanham, Visit Edmond group sales manager, Sherri Banister, Conference Center Director of Sales, Lexi Banister, Conference Center sales manager, Jodi Fetrow Visit Edmond destination services coordinator.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Edmond Conference Center pre-function area features registrations, vendor fairs and receptions.
Touted for service professionalism One of Edmond’s prime attractions, the Conference Center, is gaining some well-earned recognition. Northstar Meetings Group and its leading brands, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings, honored the Edmond Conference Center as a 2023 recipient of the 7th Annual Stella Awards. A total of 242 organizations from around the globe are recognized for consistently delivering quality service and innovation to meeting and event professionals. Edmond Conference Center is featured as a Silver Winner for the Best Conference Center. Voted on and judged by meeting planners, Northstar’s Stella Awards recognizes the world’s best hotels, airlines, convention and conference centers, cruise lines, destination marketing organizations and destination management companies. This year, nearly 10,000 votes were cast from around the world for the 770 desti-
nations, hotels and service providers nominated in 16 categories across six regions in the United States and worldwide. Winners were selected for achieving overall excellence, superb food and beverage, professionalism of staff, sustainability initiatives, and other critical aspects of the meetings and events experience. Gabby Trad leads the Edmond Conference Center management and sales team. “Since opening in December 2018, we are proud to be the only joint hotel/event space in Edmond. Our central location at I-35 and Covell attracts travelers and groups from across the region.” The conference center has 20,178 total square feet of event space and 11 meeting rooms. Sherri Banister, director of sales, works with a variety of event planners. “Every day is different and fun as we welcome lo-
cal meetings, national associations, professional conferences, sport banquets and teams.” Janet Yowell, executive director of Edmond Economic Development Authority, said, “We value the economic benefit provided by the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center. The city of Edmond made a significant investment to assist with the development of the facility and it has outperformed our expectations. We appreciate the efforts by everyone at the Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center and are so glad to have them in Edmond.” Edmond Conference Center’s success benefits Edmond with increased sales and lodging taxes as visitors shop, dine and play during their stay. Read the winning category and profile here: Visit Edmond (visitedmondok.com).