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Leadership Notes
USCM Gives City, Chamber Chance to Shine
There are a number of big things that happen in Oklahoma City. But none of these things just happen. No matter the scale or the event, there is always someone or some organization behind the scenes orchestrating it. That certainly was the case with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
When Oklahoma City was awarded the 78th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Chamber was handed a rather monumental task - make a lasting impression on some of our nation's key decision makers. Last month, the Chamber did just that. With help from local volunteers and the City of Oklahoma City, the Chamber showcased the best of Oklahoma City through eight events, more than 10 publications and one of the biggest welcomes Oklahoma City visitors have ever seen.
As you can imagine, that work didn't happen overnight. In fact, our staff has been working on this project since 2007, and intensively for more than a year. We worked closely with Mayor Cornett to secure Oklahoma City as the destination for this conference. It was his confidence and pride in our city, combined with the Convention & Visitors Bureau's expertise in recruiting major events, that ultimately gave us the opportunity to entertain this group.
Projects such as this one do not fund themselves, and it took six months of diligent fundraising to raise the $1.25 million needed to complete our plans. Support from local companies covered 70 percent of our fundraising, with the other 30 percent coming from companies and organizations outside of Oklahoma.
If you've had a chance to read any of the many news stories on the conference, you know that the mayors had nothing but wonderful things to say about our city and the hospitality they experienced. These individuals have attended conferences in cities such as Washington, D.C., Miami and Las Vegas, but I'd say we likely made the most lasting impression.
The event could not have been a success without the help of incredible volunteers. These individuals took the opportunity to show our visitors how hospitable Oklahoma City can be. They went above and beyond in every way, and there was not a day when I did not hear a USCM attendee speaking highly of our volunteers. Not every city is privileged to have citizens who have such pride in their city. Our team of volunteers proved that we are an incredibly lucky city.
Sincerely,
Roy H. Williams
Chamber CEO & President | 
