Oklahoma City is an emerging, collaborative, and welcoming destination that enjoys the benefits of a bustling modern city while maintaining approachability, according to Shaun Yates, vice president of convention sales and services for Visit OKC. “As seen in the ever-changing skyline, there’s an excitement in Oklahoma City, and we are not done yet,” Yates says. “OKC is a young city blossoming before your eyes. If you choose OKC as your next meeting destination, you will be choosing a city on the rise.”
Opened in 2021, the Oklahoma City Convention Center features 500,000 square feet of function space, including 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, and nearly 45,000 square feet of meeting space. The venue is served by the OKC Streetcar, which connects almost five miles of hotels, restaurants, and attractions downtown.
OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark opened last year with 404 guest rooms, a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and 200,000-square-foot seasonal outdoor waterpark, and a 26,676-square-foot conference center, which includes two ballrooms, four breakout rooms, and 7,483 square feet of pre-function space. It also includes an event lawn and a 1,500-seat amphitheater. The resort is adjacent to First Americans Museum, which tells the collective history of the 39 distinct First Americans nations in Oklahoma today. The museum offers a variety of indoor and outdoor event spaces, including Hall of the People, which can accommodate 405 reception or banquet guests; two theaters seating 200 and 75 people; and additional suites, meeting rooms, and other spaces.
Other new venues include Innovation Hall, with three event spaces and a reception capacity of 350 guests; OG&E Coliseum, with a multipurpose event space and an arena seating up to 8,000 people; and Lively Hotel on Oak Oklahoma City, Tapestry by Hilton, with 132 guest rooms and indoor/outdoor meeting space for 300 guests.
Major event properties include Omni Oklahoma City, with 605 guest rooms and 76,000 square feet of event space, including a 20,500-square-foot ballroom seating 1,530 banquet style; the 396-room Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, with 29,837 square feet of function space in 17 event rooms; and the 134-room Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown-Bricktown, with 7,510 square feet of meeting space. Three historic downtown properties offer meeting and event space: The Skirvin, a Hilton Hotel, with 225 guest rooms and more than 18,500 square feet of event space to host up to 677 guests; The National, Autograph Collection, with 17,774 square feet of function space to accommodate 487 people; and the 108-room Colcord Hotel Oklahoma City, Curio Collection by Hilton, with 4,955 square feet of event space. There are approximately 21,000 guest rooms in Oklahoma City, according to Visit OKC.
Located near Will Rogers International Airport, the 30,000-square-foot Champion Convention Center includes a ballroom seating 1,500 theater style, two smaller ballrooms, and a 4,500-square-foot great hall—all divisible into smaller rooms—plus 5,000 square feet of pre-function space. The adjacent 161-room Hilton Garden Inn Oklahoma City Airport features three meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 100 guests.
Additional 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, exhibit halls, a dining room, 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, meetings, and events. Teambuilding options at the camp include an indoor rock-climbing wall, canoeing, nature trails, and a zipline.
