|
Upcoming Events
 The call for entries is now open for the 2009 RedBud Awards, an honor given by the Oklahoma
Travel Industry Association and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation
Department recognizing Oklahoma's tourism
attractions, destination marketing organizations and travel writers for
their outstanding efforts to serve and promote Oklahoma's tourism
industry. Entries must have been produced, published, broadcast or
held between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009, and submitted to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department by 5 p.m. on July 31, 2009.
Winners will be announced during the Governor's Conference on Tourism, October 19, 2009.
 Odyssey de Culinaire
will set sail with the first dinner in Oklahoma City on Thursday, July
30th at Gaillardia Country Club. The second dinner will occur in Tulsa
on Thursday, August 13th at the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel and Convention
Center. These benefit dinners have a unique spin that creates
collaboration among five chefs from Oklahoma City and five chefs from
Tulsa. Each group will treat the other city to an incredible
six-course meal. The chefs will be assisted in their meal preparation
by high school students who are currently active in ProStart® schools
in Oklahoma. More information here.
National Tourism Week Educational Conference was held Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Oklahoma City Zoo Education
Center. Over 100 industry professionals attending, making for a highly successful event. Thanks to our Partners! Photos can be seen here.
|
Hot Topics
Out of 7.7 million
employees and hundreds of video submissions, our industry has
found a new "face of travel." Meet Paco Saldaña, Director of Guest Services at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. He places a human face on the value of business and leisure travel
and its impact on the lives of those in the travel community.
New OTIA Member Benefit: Tinker Federal Credit Union Membership
OTRD has started an Oklahoma Travel Industry blog to further communicate and interact within the industry. Check it out!Our comprehensive and aggressive campaign to change attitudes
about meetings, events and incentive travel continues to reap
results. In addition to favorable stories recently on NBC's
Today show, CNBC and the New York Times, an
exchange on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives
between Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and Shelley Berkley
(D-NV) is a clear sign that the tone has changed in Washington
toward the value of business travel. Click here
to play (may take a minute to buffer).
ESTA Requirements Begin for Travelers to U.S.
Meet
the New ADA: In perhaps the most sweeping change to the face of
employment law in over 10 years, the recent passage of the "ADA Amendments Act"
will mean a massive change for most of the country's employers. These
changes, which will go into effect January 1, 2009, will not only have
a tremendous impact on the defense of employment litigation claims,
they will require almost all human resource professionals, managers and
business owners to adopt new policies and procedures in dealing with
accommodation requests.
Use of Updated I-9 Form Now Mandatory: Employers must use this new form immediately.
The National Restaurant Association has released an inspirational 6-minute video
as a tribute to what restaurants do for our country - their impact on
their employees, on careers, on communities, and on the nation's
economy. (approx. 100 MB)
|
|
 |
| |
Major Tourism Partners
Ackerman McQueen
Ardmore Tourism Authority – Convention Center
Bartlesville Convention & Visitors Bureau
Broken Arrow Convention & Visitors Bureau
Catch the Fever Music Festivals & City of Pryor
Cherokee Nation Tourism
The Chickasaw Nation
Edmond Convention & Visitors Bureau
Elk City Convention & Visitors Bureau
Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce
Oklahoma Dept of Tourism & Recreation
Oklahoma AgriTourism
Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau
Oklahoma City National Memorial
Oklahoma Museums Association
OPUBCO/The Oklahoman
Osage Nation Tourism
Norman Convention & Visitors Bureau
Red Carpet Charters
Southern Living Magazine
Stillwater Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau
In Association with
|
|
|
