Joey Best is a pioneering media entrepreneur and publisher based in Sedona, Arizona, with a career spanning over four decades. She has been instrumental in shaping the region’s media and tourism landscape through her innovative storytelling, immersive video platforms, and commitment to community and culture.
In 1988, she launched the Sedona Video Magazine, one of the first in-room hotel video guides in the U.S., offering curated visitor experiences through dynamic multimedia. This groundbreaking concept evolved into the Best of Sedona TV Show and the Sedona Galleries & Artists video magazine—celebrating Sedona’s vibrant creative spirit.
In 1992, she created Sedona’s Best Visitor’s Guide, a premium print guide distributed throughout Arizona’s top resorts and hotels. Notably, it was among the first magazines in the country to be digitally designed on Apple’s platform—alongside Redbook—solidifying her reputation as a publishing innovator.
During this time, she also published the nationally distributed Sedonan Home & Garden magazine, which later evolved into Green Lifestyles on Plant Paradise—an early foray into eco-conscious living and sustainable design that positioned her ahead of national trends.
Joey’s impact extended to national television as well, producing a PBS series on renowned bronze artist Ken Payne and contributing to content for Discovery Channel, ESPN, A&E, and The Learning Channel (TLC). Her iconic video—The Beauty of Sedona continues to showcase the region’s breathtaking landscape and charm.
Along with other friends of Oak Creek Owl jazz pianist Johnny Gilbert—Joey helped spark the first unofficial jazz festival in the Village of Oak Creek in 1981. The following year, Gilbert secured support from local business leaders and the official Sedona Jazz Festival was launched named, The Day Sedona Turned Jazz adding another artistic layer to Sedona’s cultural legacy.
Culturally, Joey played a foundational role in the Sedona International Film Festival, co-producing with Laurie Seymour tributes to Hollywood icons and Sedona residents Donald O’Connor and Ann Miller during the festival’s inaugural year— which became defining moments in the inaugural festival’s identity and legacy.
Today, as CEO of Best of Sedona Productions, Joey continues to lead in digital media. She and her husband Thomas Acosta also acquired Sedona.Biz, a widely read digital newsletter and community forum serving the greater Sedona area.
Her latest creation, The Sedonan, is Sedona’s first interactive, video digital magazine—a pioneering format that combines rich editorial storytelling with engaging, clickable video, revolutionizing how readers connect with the Sedona lifestyle. Joey Best’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and the arts has made her a visionary force in both local and national media, and a true ambassador of Sedona’s evolving story.