In Oklahoma City, planners won’t experience the stress and hassle they might find in other larger cities, says Zac Craig, president of Visit Oklahoma City. “Our airport is large enough to have the direct flights and easy connections you want, but small enough to navigate without stress,” he says. “We have a safe, walkable downtown packed with everything you need for a successful event. We offer the benefits of a bustling modern city while maintaining approachability.”
Noting an ever-changing skyline, Craig says several new developments are set for 2025. “Opening in 2025, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark will redefine the convention and meeting experience in Oklahoma City. This state-of-the-art resort and waterpark will feature versatile event spaces with state-of-the-art amenities and a unique blend of culture, entertainment, and convenience.” OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark will have 404 guest rooms, approximately 27,000 square feet of indoor event space, and an expansive event lawn with a landscaped amphitheater and open-air stage accommodating up to 1,500 guests. Also expected to open in 2025, a new 216,164-square-foot OG&E Coliseum at State Fair Park will feature more than 7,000 seats, suites, a lounge, a full-service restaurant, and other amenities, according to OKCFairgrounds.com.
Adjacent to OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, First Americans Museum has numerous indoor and outdoor event spaces, including Hall of the People, inspired by a Wichita grass lodge, which can host 405 reception or banquet guests, two theaters seating 200 and 75 people, and additional suites, meeting rooms, and other spaces. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has permanent and temporary exhibits, with regularly scheduled programs and special events.
New recreation, education, teambuilding, and excursion opportunities in Oklahoma City include Scissortail Park’s 30-acre Lower Park, which completes the park phases and offers additional natural spaces with a focus on athletic events and pickup sports, with a soccer field, a sports pavilion, a futsal court, two basketball courts, and pickleball courts. RIVERSPORT includes land and water activities geared toward teamwork and collaboration, with whitewater rafting, dragon boats, and rowing shells. Part of RIVERSPORT, Chesapeake Finish Line Tower, University of Central Oklahoma Boathouse, Devon Boathouse, McClendon Whitewater Center, and Lake Overholser Boathouse all offer unique meeting and
event spaces.
Opened in 2021, the 500,000-square-foot Oklahoma City Convention Center includes a 200,730-square-foot exhibit hall, a 29,874-square-foot ballroom with 5,000 square feet of pre-function space and a terrace overlooking Scissortail Park, a smaller ballroom, and nearly 45,000 square feet of meeting space. The venue features glass walls to enhance the use of natural light and provide views of downtown and Scissortail Park.
Downtown hotels near the center include the 605-room Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, with 76,000 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms and space to seat more than 1,400 guests classroom or banquet style; the 396-room Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, with 29,837 square feet of function space in 17 event rooms; and the 133-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Oklahoma City Downtown, with a meeting or reception capacity of 78 guests.
Additional downtown hotels with event space include the 180-room Renaissance Oklahoma City Downtown Bricktown Hotel, with a maximum capacity of 150 event guests; the 134-room Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown-Bricktown, with 7,510 square feet of meeting space; and the 195-room Embassy Suites Oklahoma City Downtown Medical Center, with 10,349 square feet of function space. The historic Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City has 225 guest rooms and 18,500 square feet of event space, including 20 meeting rooms. The National, Autograph Collection has eight event rooms in 17,774 square feet of function space to accommodate 487 people. Dating from 1910, the 108-room Colcord Hotel Oklahoma City, Curio Collection by Hilton has 5,549 square feet of event space and a reception capacity of 200. Fordson Hotel—converted from Ford Motor Co. Assembly Plant, listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places—has 135 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of unique, flexible gallery space with high-end technology.
Additional event venues in Oklahoma City include American Banjo Museum, with 16,000 square feet of galleries and an evening event capacity of 200; Oklahoma City Museum of Art, with a variety of spaces, including a 230-seat theater, a dining room, exhibit halls, and a rooftop terrace; and Camp Trivera, a 19-acre Girl Scouts of America facility with a 350-seat auditorium and indoor and outdoor event spaces for retreats, teambuilding, meetings, and events. Minutes from downtown and near Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), Champion Convention Center has 30,000 square feet of modular open event space and 5,000 square feet of pre-function space with a capacity of 1,500 people theater style and 900 for banquets. Adjacent to the center is the 161-room Hilton Garden Inn, with 1,610 square feet of event space.
