3 minute read
Edmond Life and Leisure - July 10, 2025
Edmond wins two RedBuds at tourism awards program
Visit Edmond and a local attraction were honored at the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association’s annual RedBud Awards on June 24, 2025. Best website went to www.visitedmondok.com and best temporary exhibit went to Armstrong Auditorium.
The state-wide RedBud Awards Ceremony recognizes Oklahoma tourism attractions and destination marketing organizations for their outstanding efforts to serve and promote Oklahoma’s tourism industry.
Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and James Leewright, CEO of Oklahoma Travel Industry Association emceed the event at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Norman and gave 37 awards in 17 categories. “Tourism is the front door to economic development in Oklahoma,” said Lieutenant Governor Pinnell, “We are proud to showcase all the creative ways destinations are attracting visitors. It is obvious why hospitality is the 3rd largest industry in our state!”
Visit Edmond won Best Website for the new www.visitedmondok.com that was unveiled in 2024. The new website showcases a new logo and tagline “A Place to be Connected” with new branding colors. The 2024 website was a complete overhaul
with a new site map, SEO, search engine and google maps integration. Features include sponsorship applications for meeting and tournament planners, attractions, lodging and restaurant listings, compliance and accessibility, blog, events calendar and social media sharing. The purpose and objective of Visit Edmond’s new website is to elevate Edmond as a fun place to visit and make it easy to find things to do, local retail & restaurants and places to stay.
Armstrong Auditorium's "Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered" won Outstanding Temporary Exhibit. The exhibit featured the world-famous Tel Dan Stele, on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), as well as over 40 artifacts and textiles from the 10th century BCE united monarchy period. The exhibit was sponsored by the Edmond-based Armstrong International Cultural Foundation, Jerusalem’s Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, IAA, the Israel Museum and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
It was open free to visitors from February 25, 2024 through May 15, 2025 - a period of 63 weeks and had a total of 14,177 visitors - 79% (11,113) came from outside of Edmond.
