Oklahoma City Breaks Ground on New Convention Center

June 21, 2018

Oklahoma City is gearing up to welcome a brand new convention center. On June 15, officials from the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau (OKC CVB), local civic leaders and other dignitaries gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the $288 million Oklahoma City Convention Center, which will open debt-free in 2020.

“This is a great day for Oklahoma City,” said Mike Carrier, OKC CVB president. “This totally new convention center marks a significant milestone in OKC’s commitment to the meetings and convention industry.”

Designed by the architecture and design firms of Populous and GSB, the new OCCC will include a 200,000 square foot exhibit hall, a 30,000 sq. ft. ballroom and 45,000 sq. ft. of additional meeting space, and will be adjacent to the upper section of the new 70-acre Scissortail Park, set to open in 2019. 

The convention center’s sleek and modern design will offer sweeping downtown views and use materials designed for energy efficiency and weather resiliency, while the gleaming, angular façade will feature towering glass walls to make maximum use of natural light and take its design cues from Oklahoma City’s sky, landscape and architectural character.

The 200,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall will dominate the ground floor and feature three operable walls, making it divisible into four flexible spaces. 

A total of 45,000 square feet of meeting spaces will be situated on all levels of the building, many with operable walls to make the spaces flexible and able to be configured to provide up to 27 individual meeting spaces. 

A 30,000 sq. ft. ballroom will constitute the main space on the fourth level, complemented by 10,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space and a 4,000 sq. ft. balcony. 

Informal meeting spaces, a kitchen, a potential café space, an expansive loading dock and administrative offices are also planned for the convention center.

Outside the facility, landscaping will use native plants and trees well-suited to the local climate with a focus on sustainability, comfort and beauty, while outdoor spaces will include a spacious central plaza.

Wayfinding stations inside and outside the convention center will be interactive.

A skywalk will connect the building to the future 605-room Omni Hotel & Resorts headquarter hotel, which is being developed to complement and support the convention center. Also expected to be finished in 2020, it will offer approximately 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. 

The park, convention center and headquarter hotel will all be linked to attractions, dining and nightlife in districts around downtown by the new six-mile OKC Streetcar system, which will be operational by December of this year.

“This is the only totally new build convention center underway in the United States,” said Carrier. “Once the new center, the Omni headquarter hotel the new Scissortail Park and the OKC Streetcar are all complete in 2020, Oklahoma City will be a completely new destination in the south-central U.S. for meetings of all sizes.”

The convention center is the largest single construction project in Oklahoma City’s history, as well as the largest of eight MAPS 3 capital improvement projects funded by a 1-cent sales tax.

“Meeting planners are going to be wowed by Oklahoma City’s new offerings,” said Dennis Johnston, OKC CVB vice president of sales. “And the fact that the center will open debt-free really sets Oklahoma City apart.”

In conjunction with the groundbreaking, the OKC CVB has launched MeetInOKC.com, designed to keep meeting planners and others up-to-date on all convention center news leading up to the opening, as well as act as a guide to Oklahoma City for planners and attendees. 

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.