Shaun Yates has been named senior vice president of tourism development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, taking the lead role for Visit Oklahoma City at a moment of sharp growth for the city’s visitor economy. The move matters now because major sporting events, new venues and a rising pipeline of conventions could quickly translate into jobs and tax revenue for the region.
Chamber leadership described Yates’ promotion as a continuity hire intended to keep accelerating Oklahoma City’s gains in meetings, conventions and leisure travel. Leaders say his steady hand and industry experience position the city to better convert large events into long-term economic benefits.
Yates arrives in the SVP role after three years overseeing convention sales and services for Visit Oklahoma City. He brings roughly 25 years in hospitality — from hotel sales and catering to large-scale convention operations — and a track record of selling major meetings to downtown and resort properties across the U.S.
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Visit Oklahoma City will be central to his brief: nurturing convention business, coordinating with local venues and promoting the city to event planners and leisure travelers. The Chamber emphasizes the broader stakes — more than 35,000 hospitality jobs tied to the local visitor economy and tens of millions of visitors who help fund municipal services.
Yates’ background includes sales leadership at nationally known properties and extended stints in key convention markets. Those roles, Chamber officials say, gave him experience handling complex group contracts, large-buyer relationships and the logistical demands of multi-day events.
- Name: Shaun Yates
- Title: Senior Vice President, Tourism Development
- Previous role: VP, Convention Sales & Services, Visit Oklahoma City
- Experience: ~25 years in hospitality and convention sales
- Economic context: ~24 million annual visitors and 35,000+ hospitality jobs
- Near-term opportunities: NBA playoff games, LA28 Olympics-related travel, new venues under construction
Responding to his appointment, Yates framed the work as building momentum: expanding awareness of Oklahoma City as a destination for sports, conventions and leisure travel and leveraging partnerships across the industry. He highlighted the need to turn single large events into repeat visitation and broader economic gains for neighborhoods and local businesses.
The timing is notable. Oklahoma City is preparing for high-profile draws — playoff basketball, equine and elite sports events, and potential spillover from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — while several downtown and regional projects aim to expand meeting and entertainment capacity. That mix raises the potential for short-term spikes in hotel occupancy and longer-term gains if the market converts new visitors into returning guests.
For civic leaders, the immediate priorities are clear: secure headline events, coordinate city services and hospitality partners, and ensure new venues open on schedule and plug into the convention pipeline. For local businesses and workers, the reward would be higher foot traffic, increased sales and stronger tax receipts that support public programs.
What to watch next
In the coming months, stakeholders will be watching how Visit Oklahoma City markets upcoming events, how bid activity for conventions evolves, and whether infrastructure projects meet timelines. Success will depend on aligning sales strategy with city planning and the hospitality workforce’s capacity to absorb surges in demand.
About the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
The Chamber serves as the region’s principal business organization, coordinating economic development, government relations and workforce initiatives. Its portfolio includes Visit Oklahoma City and several industry-focused divisions that promote the area as a destination for business, sport and creative production.
