Center and adjacent Omni Hotel. In 2019, the CVB celebrated the second year of its Washington, D.C. presence and joined with more than 20 other CVBs in a Chicago office. The presence in the markets helps the CVB staff develop relationships with potential meeting planners and association executives. NEW CONFERENCES , EVENTS COMING IN 2020 AND BEYOND Through the work of the CVB, Oklahoma City is known as the premier destination for two different types of competitions; softball and horse shows. Sports and horse-related travel certainly didn’t slow down in 2019. When the fiscal year ended in July 2019, the convention and sports sales team had booked more than 185,000 room nights. Sports-related visitors are expected to increase with the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium reopening after undergoing a 4,000- seat expansion project. The city is also renovating a softball complex off Interstate 240, which will give the CVB’s sports marketing team another place to host tournaments and events. There are also 15 future horse shows on the books, representing an estimated 180,273 room nights, generating an estimated direct spending of more than $173 million.
Whether people came to OKC to compete in a horse show, play in the Women’s College World Series or attend an association’s convention, the city had a 3.5 percent increase in hotel taxes. In total, visitors generated a $2.25 billion direct-spending impact in Oklahoma County. And all that hotel tax generation and direct spending is even before the new MAPS 3-backed Convention Center opens in Fall 2020. When the Chamber worked to pass MAPS 3 in 2009, the convention center was expected to be a game-changer for the city, and without even being open, it’s already showing signs of just that. Eight associations have announced their plans to come to Oklahoma City, between 2021 and 2024, with organizations ranging from meat processors to the sheriffs association. “When we informed our Norick Arena tenants that we will be getting a new coliseum they were ecstatic with the news. “ -Tim J. O’Toole, President and CEO Oklahoma State Fair, Inc.
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G R E A T E R O K L A H O M A C I T Y C H A M B E R / 2 0 1 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T
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