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Visit Stillwater reports midyear gains in visitation and outlines marketing, grant activity
Summary
At the Feb. 10 Stoner Economic Development Authority meeting, Visit Stillwater presented its semiannual report highlighting marketing reach, grants and visitor-spend estimates; trustees praised the data. Trustees also approved the consent docket as amended and later adjourned the meeting.
On Feb. 10, 2025, trustees of the Stoner Economic Development Authority heard a semiannual report from Visit Stillwater outlining marketing activity, grants and preliminary visitor-spending figures for the first half of fiscal 2025.
The report, delivered by the chair of the Visit Stillwater board, summarized communications and marketing metrics, printed and digital publications, event support and grant awards. "Thank you all for allowing me some time to spotlight some of the accomplishments the first half of the fiscal year for the Visit Stillwater team," the chair said.
The presentation said Visit Stillwater’s website and microsites have received more than half a million page views, the organization distributes a weekly radio spot and a monthly podcast, and its Facebook presence generated nearly 4,000,000 impressions with more than 40,000 followers. The group produces a 48-page Stillwater Guide (100,000 copies this year featuring Eskimo Joe’s 50th anniversary on the cover), distributes 10,000 rack cards each quarter at hotels and the airport, and maintains visitor stands at Stillwater Regional Airport.
On outreach and events, the report listed Visit Stillwater involvement in community events including Boomer Blast, the Payne County Fair draft-horse event, the Holiday Parade of Lights, Lake McMurtry’s Lights on the Lake and a Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. The group said it has sponsored or assisted planning for numerous community events and has partnered with Oklahoma State University Athletics on an "Orange Glow" initiative.
In sales and service metrics, the presenter said the organization has approved more than $71,000 in grants and sponsorships so far this fiscal year, which Visit Stillwater estimated could yield more than 25,000 day visitors, more than 10,000 overnight visitors and roughly $2,700,000 in visitor spending. The presenter also reported providing assistance to 554 events, which the packet estimated equated to a little over $424,000 in services provided.
The report noted visitor-tax collections and lodging-tracking data provided by Zartico. The presenter said Zartico transaction-based data show about 41% of devices in Stillwater were from visitors, 40% of spend came from visitors and the average daily spend by visitors was $280. The presenter also characterized visitor-tax trends and year-to-date collections as supporting continued investment in visitor development and quality-of-life amenities: "That concludes our report, but I’m happy to answer any questions that you have," the presenter said.
Trustees responded with questions and praise for the data and calendar work. One trustee said, "That data was really cool to see," and another urged residents and visitors to consult Visit Stillwater’s calendar. Trustees and the presenter discussed short-term rental data and interest in refining metrics for future reports.
Votes at a glance: trustees approved the consent docket with a requested correction (the city manager "Bridal Moore" title in connection with the trust authority corrected to "general manager") by a 5–0 vote. Later the authority’s meeting was adjourned by a 5–0 vote.
The Visit Stillwater report will return as part of routine updates; trustees said they look forward to additional data as events planned later in the year occur.
