The OKGo marketing campaign—a collaborative initiative between the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC), Tourism Kelowna, and Accelerate Okanagan (AO)—was recently awarded the Marketing Innovation Award (for communities with a population over 25,000) at the 2025 BC Economic Development Awards, hosted by the British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA).

The BCEDA Awards recognize members for their exceptional contributions to economic development, celebrating individuals and organizations dedicated to strengthening local economies and making a lasting impact in their communities. The Marketing Innovation category specifically recognizes innovative and effective marketing materials used to attract, retain, and foster business, as well as the communication tools employed by economic development organizations to tell their stories.

The OKGo campaign exemplifies this by combining the efforts of regional tourism and economic development partners to present a unified message: the Central Okanagan is the most enterprising region in Canada—it’s a place to build, grow, and innovate. Through high-quality video storytelling, sector profiles, and digital assets, the campaign highlights the region’s key industries, entrepreneurial spirit, and remarkable quality of life.

“By highlighting the Central Okanagan’s strengths in innovation, talent, and lifestyle, this campaign helps foster business attraction and supports the region’s long-term economic growth,” says Krista Mallory, Manager of the COEDC. “It’s a great example of what can be achieved when organizations collaborate, and we’re proud to have this work recognized by BCEDA.”

This most recent win adds to the OKGo campaign's growing list of awards, which include:

“This recent recognition for the OKGo campaign is a reflection of what happens when collaboration meets innovation," says Tourism Kelowna's Director of Business Development, Nicolle Gomez de Sousa. "By shining a spotlight on the remarkable entrepreneurs, researchers, and business leaders who power the Okanagan’s economic engine, we’ve been able to tell a deeper story, which in turn attracts business events to our region."

Through our business development team's work with the OKGo campaign in 2024, they generated 12 business event leads with a potential estimated economic impact of $2.3 million. 

You can learn more about the OKGo campaign and how it relates to Tourism Kelowna's work through our Industry News Centre.

Visit the COEDC website to read the full press release about the BCEDA Award win.