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"The big news is the resurgence of Oklahoma City," said Alan Sims, director of convention sales and services for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). "We’re reaping the benefits of what’s been completed over the last 10 years through the MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) initiative."
MAPS is hailed as one of the most aggressive and successful public-private partnerships ever undertaken in the United States, according to CVB officials. In fact, MAPS has resulted in an excess of $1 billion of development and revitalization since it was enacted in the mid-1990s.
And, the city’s recent offerings have made an impact with meeting planners and their clients, like Jennifer Anderson, CMP, president of Oklahoma-based ASE Productions Inc. Anderson said her client "was pleasantly surprised at the positive response from attendees and booked Oklahoma City for the following year, which increased their attendance by 50 percent. The attendees were wowed by all that is offered in the downtown and surrounding areas."
Not surprisingly, Oklahoma’s capital city is not slowing down its plans for more growth, according to Sims, who said the success of the MAPS project to effectively draw tourism to the area has resulted in a renewed interest in formulating similar initiatives in the future. In the meantime, the city continues to benefit from the revitalization efforts that began more than a decade ago, he said.
The expanded Cox Business Services Convention Center now exceeds 1 million square feet and offers more than 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 15,000-seat arena with 30,000 square feet of additional floor space, 21 breakout rooms, and a 25,000 square-foot ballroom. "Recent renovations include new flooring for the exhibit halls featuring convenient, in-floor utility outlets," said Marketing Manager Kim Jones. "Plus, we will soon offer wireless Internet access." All areas are currently wired with high-speed Internet access and videoconferencing services.
Adjacent to the convention center, the Ford Center is the area’s premier entertainment and sports complex offering a nearly 20,000-seat arena, Sims said. The facility was completed in 2002 and is now host to the NBA’s Oklahoma City/New Orleans Hornets, the Oklahoma City Blazers, and the Arena Football League’s Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, as well as an array of concerts and entertainment activities.
The Civic Center Music Hall, a historic landmark that reopened in 2001 following a $52.4 million renovation, is located in the downtown district and can accommodate groups of up to 2,500 in its Gaylord Performing Arts Theater. Members of the theater’s foundation reported that the next project will be a renovation of the Freede Little Theatre, which displays original fixtures dating back to 1936 and offers a look into the city’s Art Deco past. A funding campaign is set to kick off this summer.
Sims also announced that the city would soon offer an additional 700 hotel rooms downtown. "This is going to change everything. Oklahoma City is going to be a lot more attractive to more meeting planners." Currently, there are more than 900 guest rooms downtown; however, that number will almost double with a new Hilton property and three other hotels, he said.
The new Hilton is a multimillion-dollar renovation project to a historic downtown building that will soon result in the Hilton Skirvin. After restoration and renovations are complete, the hotel will reopen in the first quarter of 2007, according to General Manager John Williams. "Our mission is to bring it back to life as a spectacular hotel for Oklahoma City," he said. Plans are in place for the hotel to house 225 guest rooms and approximately 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Currently undergoing a major renovation, the historic Colcord Building will soon open its doors as the Colcord Hotel later this year. The 105-room boutique property is located across from the Cox Business Services Convention Center and will be housed in what is considered the city’s first skyscraper.
Connected to the convention center via a skywalk is the 311-room Renaissance Oklahoma City. One of the city’s newest hotels, the Renaissance offers 33 meeting rooms within 66,000 square feet of function space as well as a variety of on-site amenities. "We are the only Four-Diamond property in downtown Oklahoma City," said Director of Sales and Marketing Ray Perez, adding that the property is known for its outstanding cuisine.
By Car:Oklahoma City is centrally located in the state of Oklahoma and easily accessible from all directions via interstate highways. U.S. Interstate 44 and I-40 run parallel east and west through downtown, while I-35 runs north and south through the city.By Air:Located six miles from downtown, the Will Rogers World Airport offers service aboard 11 commercial carriers, including Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, United/United Express and US Airways/America West. |
