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Thread: Omni Hotel

  1. #226

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by traxx View Post
    I'm not a naysayer, I'm just kind of playing devil's advocate with this question. Are conventions and trade shows still as big of a deal as they were in the 90s? I know trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show have been downsizing and I'm just wondering if that's the trend now or if it's just a few select conventions.
    Not as big a deal. But people still have them.

    For many (perhaps most) of them, OKC is immediately struck from the list of candidates. That's because we don't have a convention facility that is adequate for a city our size -- and for our ambitions. And while I agree it is likely the "windfall" predicted by convention center advocates is overstated, I see no way this convention center doesn't pay for itself within a few years. The money convention visitors spend is significant and well documented. If you do not work in an industry that caters to convention visitors, I can understand why you may be unaware of the impact these visitors have on our economy, and our SALES TAX, which is the primary way our city collects revenues for police, fire, parks, and myriad other services.

    So, in summary, while I chuckle when the convention center is described as the "crown jewel" of MAPS 3, it will be a significant driver of revenues going forward, will enhance our city's image, and will serve both our citizens and new visitors well.

  2. #227

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    I went to a three day convention in Tulsa several years ago. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express downtown. They gave us a cash allowance of $80 for meals during our stay. I think I ended up spending around $150.

  3. #228

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    I would be willing to be that if OKC does not build a proper Tier 2 convention center that Tulsa will. It will be a grave mistake to not build it in my opinion.

  4. #229

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerguru View Post
    Not as big a deal. But people still have them.

    For many (perhaps most) of them, OKC is immediately struck from the list of candidates. That's because we don't have a convention facility that is adequate for a city our size -- and for our ambitions. And while I agree it is likely the "windfall" predicted by convention center advocates is overstated, I see no way this convention center doesn't pay for itself within a few years. The money convention visitors spend is significant and well documented. If you do not work in an industry that caters to convention visitors, I can understand why you may be unaware of the impact these visitors have on our economy, and our SALES TAX, which is the primary way our city collects revenues for police, fire, parks, and myriad other services.

    So, in summary, while I chuckle when the convention center is described as the "crown jewel" of MAPS 3, it will be a significant driver of revenues going forward, will enhance our city's image, and will serve both our citizens and new visitors well.
    That's my hope, that a sufficient convention center will bring in new conventions which will put more visitors' money in our economy. I was just hoping we weren't playing catch up in a sector that was on its way out.

    Concerning when they refurbed the Myriad, I know the style they chose for the interior was supposed to reflect Oklahoma and its landscape. IIRC, I believe the color palate was called something like Oklahoma Prairie or something goofy like that. I know the airport went with the same earth tones and theme with their recent refurb. I just hope that we can break away from that with new convention center and hotel. Not everything has to evoke our land or ecology. We don't want all the buildings that a visitor would walk in downtown to be a color palate of brown, tan, rust, and red. It's kind of in line with how 'they' feel like they have to call everything Oklahoma's own... News 9 has that slogan. When the Heartland Flyer came into existence there were billboards all over the city advertising it with big letters saying "Oklahoma's Own." Anytime there's a famous Oklahoman they are descibed as Oklahoma's own. Sorry for that tangent. It's a rant for another thread.

  5. #230

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by traxx View Post
    I'm not a naysayer, I'm just kind of playing devil's advocate with this question. Are conventions and trade shows still as big of a deal as they were in the 90s? I know trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show have been downsizing and I'm just wondering if that's the trend now or if it's just a few select conventions.
    Oil and gas conventions have generally been growing a lot over the last decade or so.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #231

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Study looks at need for convention center hotel subsidies

    Ben Felder
    April 2nd, 2014

    More study is underway in an effort to determine if the Oklahoma City Council should approve any type of public assistance for a new convention center hotel.

    The council heard a presentation Tuesday from Tom Morsch, managing director of The PFM Group, an investment advisory firm performing a hotel feasibility study for the city. With a new convention center planned for Oklahoma City in the coming years as part of MAPS 3, the council has discussed what tax incentives might be needed to help build a large hotel.

    “The task is now to take the study and take a look at the convention center as a whole and determine if a subsidy would be needed,” Morsch told the council. “We will look at the various ways communities do subsidies for convention centers.”

    The council approved another $65,000 for PFM’s services to perform a financial analysis of whether a new hotel would require public assistance. The city has contracted with PFM since 2010.

    Morsch said the results of the continued study could determine that any number of public assistance options are necessary, including city-backed bonds, donation of land or tax incentives.

    “We will be taking a look at all those different forms for you,” Morsch said.

    The council has spent considerable time in recent months discussing public assistance for a new convention center hotel and many councilors said more study was needed.

    “We’ve all talked around the fringes of this,” Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer said. “I don’t feel that I know enough to make that type of decision right now.”

    Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid was critical of previous convention center studies and said it was difficult to determine the need for a new hotel since projected convention center traffic was not broken down by type of guests.

    “[Projected] attendance at the convention center includes city meetings and Barons games,” Shadid said. “It would be helpful to breakdown that data by events?”

    The results of the study are expected this summer, Morsch said, and the next step would be to talk with interested developers.

    Oklahoma Gazette News: Study looks at need for convention center hotel subsidies

  7. #232
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    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    How do Barons games have anything to do with (future) convention center atendance?

  8. #233

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by shawnw View Post
    How do Barons games have anything to do with (future) convention center atendance?
    He is asking if the convention numbers projected include past performance of our current convention center, and if the future projections include numbers which are inflated by Baron attendance, which would not be attended at the future convention center.

    Basically if they are extrapolating the entire number, or only extrapolating attendance from events that would be compatible with the new conventions center.

  9. #234

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    I think Ed isn't thinking outside the box.

  10. #235

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by OKCisOK4me View Post
    I think Ed isn't thinking outside the box.
    I like nothing about the man. But he is asking the right question on this specific item. Baron games will not be attended at the new convention center, so it makes sense to not include them in projections using past data (which may include Barons attendance data)

  11. #236

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Regardless, that'd be like having conventions in the Chesapeake Arena and averaging that attendence in with Thunder game attendences. Just saying Barons games shouldn't be included in any kind of attendence numbers.

    Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk

  12. #237

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by OKCisOK4me View Post
    Regardless, that'd be like having conventions in the Chesapeake Arena and averaging that attendence in with Thunder game attendences. Just saying Barons games shouldn't be included in any kind of attendence numbers.

    Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk
    I don't disagree. And that's exactly what he is saying. He's saying to make sure we don't include Barons attendance, and end up with an artificially inflated number.

  13. Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Having a true convention center with larger space will give us the ability to host the larger groups. We currently are not in the running for bigger groups since we have a very small convention capacity. There is a lot of interest from groups but we just can not accommodate them. Bricktown is a great visitor destination that adds appeal to hosting a convention here.

  14. #239

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    The convention center advocates do themselves a disservice by trumpeting data that is easy to punch holes in. I don't know why they don't just simplify their message that we need a new convention center, explain why, explain how it helps mom and pop businesses and our city's tax coffers, and why if we have a convention center hotel it will enable us to increase the number of convention bookings we get.

    It's not rocket science, but I haven't been hired to do their messaging, so I have no clue why they keep shooting themselves in the foot, rhetorically speaking.

  15. #240

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerguru View Post
    The convention center advocates do themselves a disservice by trumpeting data that is easy to punch holes in. I don't know why they don't just simplify their message that we need a new convention center, explain why, explain how it helps mom and pop businesses and our city's tax coffers, and why if we have a convention center hotel it will enable us to increase the number of convention bookings we get.

    It's not rocket science, but I haven't been hired to do their messaging, so I have no clue why they keep shooting themselves in the foot, rhetorically speaking.
    Better idea, have a huge open house and invite people to see the Cox Convention Center, then show them virtual tours and pictures of other closely comparable convention centers to our new one. Then ask, "Now, do you think we need a new convention center?"

  16. Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by warreng88 View Post
    Better idea, have a huge open house and invite people to see the Cox Convention Center, then show them virtual tours and pictures of other closely comparable convention centers to our new one. Then ask, "Now, do you think we need a new convention center?"
    Better idea, have a huge open house at Cox and then shuttle them to Reed Center in Midwest City, which is a vastly better facility. IN MIDWEST CITY.

  17. #242

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by warreng88 View Post
    Better idea, have a huge open house and invite people to see the Cox Convention Center, then show them virtual tours and pictures of other closely comparable convention centers to our new one. Then ask, "Now, do you think we need a new convention center?"
    I don't even think you'd have to show them other centers. As a whole the Cox Center is awful. I'm surprised Cox actually wants their name on it. The "updated" areas are so-so, but the spaces are nothing more than what you might find at your average extended stay hotel that has meeting space. That area is probably fine for seminars, but the larger exhibit space is really a piece of junk and the common areas around it show a lot of decay. If MAPS touched the interior of the south side of the convention center, there are no visible signs of it.

    Honestly, the argument for a new convention center really doesn't have to be centered around exponential growth. I really don't see how we can keep the events we already have with the current state of the cox center. I'd probably be on board with a new center if for nothing else to stave off retraction. I've actually been to a handful of events there in the last year and, while I get a nostalgic kick out of going into the arena, there really is just an overall depressed feeling about the space. I hate to think that the Cox center is partly responsible for a lot of visitors' first impression of the city. I'd probably be in favor of leveling the Cox Center even if there were no plans to replace it. It's that bad.

  18. #243

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanized View Post
    Better idea, have a huge open house at Cox and then shuttle them to Reed Center in Midwest City, which is a vastly better facility. IN MIDWEST CITY.
    Soooooooooooooo freaking true, and just a tad embarrassing OKC.

  19. #244

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanized View Post
    Better idea, have a huge open house at Cox and then shuttle them to Reed Center in Midwest City, which is a vastly better facility. IN MIDWEST CITY.
    Problem solved. Let Midwest City have the business. It's part of the metro.

  20. #245

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by mkjeeves View Post
    Problem solved. Let Midwest City have the business. It's part of the metro.
    Yep and the largest meeting room is 20,000 square feet. I bet we will get a TON of conferences with that size of space...

  21. #246

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by mkjeeves View Post
    Problem solved. Let Midwest City have the business. It's part of the metro.
    Yes. Our merchants and hotels don't want any of that business. We don't want the sales tax proceeds! Let it go to Midwest City!!!! Great solution!!!!! Brilliant!!!! Great strategy!!!!!

  22. #247

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by mkjeeves View Post
    Problem solved. Let Midwest City have the business. It's part of the metro.
    Are you always bitter or just when you sit down at a keyboard? You'd find a way to make the double-rainbow guy hate life.

  23. #248

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    We benefit from Tinker. Let them build a convention center and subsidize a hotel. Or at least maximize the one they've got if it's so much better than ours. Heck, we probably should raze downtown and build everything over there by the base, so we wouldn't be so sprawled and all.

  24. Default Re: Convention Hotel

    In all fairness.. MWC zip code autos to Oklahoma City, so most sales tax of MWC residents who buy online goods and are taxed is actually sent to OKC and not MWC.. so you benefit from MWC.

  25. #250

    Default Re: Convention Hotel

    Quote Originally Posted by mmonroe View Post
    In all fairness.. MWC zip code autos to Oklahoma City, so most sales tax of MWC residents who buy online goods and are taxed is actually sent to OKC and not MWC.. so you benefit from MWC.
    In all fairness, we raise revenue in OKC through sales taxes, so we don't benefit when people stay in Midwest City hotels, eat in Midwest City restaurants, and patronlze Midwest City retailers. This is clearly too complicated for mkjeeves to understand.

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