2023 ANNUAL REPORT CHAMBER’S STRATEGIC VISION FUELS ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY GROWTH The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s economic
By engaging in partnerships with government entities, educational institutions and the private sector, these efforts contribute to the success of the Greater Oklahoma City community. LIGHTS, CAMERA, INCENTIVES: OKLAHOMA CITY REBATE PROGRAM SPARKS CINEMATIC BOOM The Oklahoma City Film and Creative Industries Office is a pivotal resource for the burgeoning film industry. It markets Oklahoma City as an attractive destination for film and television production and actively supports the Oklahoma City Film Incentive Program, offering up to a 5% cash rebate for qualifying productions. The office is a comprehensive hub, providing crucial services such as location scouting assistance, databases of local talent and crews, and acting as a one-stop concierge and ombudsman for the film industry. It also serves as a centralized clearinghouse for film industry workforce training programs. With a toolbox that includes a detailed guide to the application process for the OKC Film Incentive Rebate, the Oklahoma City Film and Creative Industries Office is an invaluable catalyst for the region’s thriving film community. Three studio projects qualified for the rebate in 2023.
development efforts play a pivotal role in fostering growth and prosperity in the region. By attracting and retaining businesses, our economic development team strategically collaborates with various stakeholders to create an environment conducive for economic expansion. Through targeted initiatives, the team works to attract new investments, support local businesses, develop the workforce and enhance the overall economic landscape of Oklahoma City. This includes implementing programs to stimulate job creation, facilitating infrastructure development and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.
QUALIFIED OKC SPEND
REBATE
IMPACT OF
PROJECT DIRT ROAD
$42,600,000
$1 million
$258,001,894 *
PROJECT URBAN
$518,625
$25,931
$1,223,589
PROJECT DINO
$675,055
$33,753
$1,549,884 *PROJECTED TOTAL
DRIVING SUCCESS THROUGH STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS The Membership team at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber plays a crucial role in fostering and sustaining a vibrant business community. Committed to enhancing economic growth and development, this dynamic team is dedicated to recruiting new members, engaging existing ones and ensuring that businesses of all sizes benefit from the resources and opportunities offered by the Chamber. Through strategic outreach initiatives, personalized communication and tailored membership programs, the team actively cultivates relationships with local businesses, advocating for their interests and contributing to a thriving business ecosystem. By connecting companies, facilitating collaboration and providing valuable resources, the Membership team plays a pivotal role in the Chamber's mission to promote economic prosperity and enhance the overall quality of life in the Greater Oklahoma City area. 2023 HIGHLIGHTS • 2,460 total members • 94% membership renewal rate • 175 new members • 15 years - Average membership tenure • 44 Grand Openings • Eight Meet & Mingle networking events with 1,680 attendees • Six Chamber Connection events for new member orientation
CHAMBER EVENTS DRIVE EXCELLENCE WITH EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber's events play a pivotal role in fostering a thriving business community by offering members impactful information, essential networking opportunities and meaningful dialogue. Through various annual events, such as the State of the Schools, State of Health, State of the Economy, State of the City and the Annual Meeting, the Chamber provides a platform for industry-best keynote speakers and subject matter experts to share insights. These events address critical issues ranging from education and healthcare to the economy and workforce development, giving attendees valuable perspectives on national and local trends. Our monthly Chamber Forum series tackles major initiatives, programs and current issues impacting Oklahoma City. The Elevate professional development conference keeps employees informed, motivated and well-connected in an ever-evolving and competitive professional landscape. Chamber events create opportunities for networking, learning and community involvement, reinforcing our commitment to the growth and success of local businesses.
• 250 members with sponsorships • Eight Board of Advisor Small Group Sessions covering the crucial business topics • Six new member orientation events
SLAM DUNK DECISION: CHAMBER HELPS SECURE NEW DOWNTOWN ARENA
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENT Our Government Relations team engages with legislators, policymakers and government officials to promote legislation that aligns with the business community's needs and priorities. We provide legislators with information and insights about the potential business impact of proposed laws and regulations. They help educate lawmakers about the economic implications of various policies, ensuring that decisions are informed and well-understood. During the 2023 legislative session, our successful advocacy efforts included: • Helping defeat a bill that sought voters' approval for all tax increment finance districts (TIFs) within their entire jurisdiction. Such a law would have hindered municipalities or counties from generating development funds for public improvements within TIF areas. • Helping preserve the use of eminent domain for vital economic development programs, including transformative initiatives like MAPS. • Fighting to protect and expand incentive programs crucial for recruiting, retaining and expanding businesses in the region. • Supporting a bill to raise the annual cap on the Tourism Development Act (TDA) from $15 million to $30 million. • Supporting amendments to "The Filmed in Oklahoma Act," which adjusted the eligibility date for filmmakers to qualify for incentives. The retroactive alteration of the date played a crucial role in influencing a studio's choice to film significant scenes in Oklahoma City for a major motion picture. • Supporting legislation to protect funding for the Heartland Flyer passenger rail service.
The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber spearheaded the effort to build a state-of-the-art downtown arena. The new arena, estimated to cost around $900 million, not only ensures the Thunder's presence until 2050 and beyond but also provides a venue for major concerts, athletic competitions and other world-class events.
Both the arena and OKC's NBA franchise play pivotal roles in bolstering the local economy, contributing to an annual economic impact of nearly half a billion dollars. The proposal garnered widespread support, with an impressive 70% approval from Oklahoma City residents. The new arena will be funded by a 72-month, one- cent sales tax that will start when the MAPS 4 tax ends and will not increase the sales tax rate. The arena will also be paid for with $70 million in MAPS 4 funding and $50 million from the Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group.
VISIT OKC TAKES TOURISM TO NEW HEIGHTS In 2023, Visit Oklahoma City (Visit OKC) celebrated a series of remarkable achievements, showcasing the city's rising status as a vacation destination. The year began with the release of groundbreaking economic impact data, revealing that the city's visitor economy had reached unprecedented heights. A study by Tourism Economics reported a staggering annual economic impact of $4.3 billion, generated by 23.2 million visitors in 2022. This marked a historic milestone for OKC, surpassing the $4 billion mark for the first time and underscoring the pivotal role of tourism in the local economy.
Visit OKC introduced its Mobile Visitor Center in 2023, a converted Ford Transit Van that roams high- traffic events and venues across the city. This dynamic resource provides destination and attraction information and is a catalyst for visitor engagement. Acknowledging the need for continuous learning in the rapidly evolving hospitality industry, Visit OKC unveiled the OKC Insider Destination Training. This complimentary, on-demand training program is designed to equip tourism and hospitality workers with the latest destination information. Visit OKC’s new digital city guide features mobile- friendly content that hotel partners can utilize to promote destination information directly to visitors.
The success continued with notable convention sales victories. Following a site visit and bid submission, Visit OKC's Convention Sales team secured the hosting rights for the prestigious 2028 American Farm Bureau National Convention. With an estimated attendance of 12,000 and 12,000 room nights, this event promises to be one of the largest citywide conventions in OKC's history. The city also scored a major win as Nations Best Sports decided to relocate its show from Ft. Worth to OKC for the 2026-2027 seasons. This move is set to bring in over 7,100 room nights each year, reinforcing OKC's position as a premier destination for sports- related events.
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