As the officially designated capital of Route 66, with 28 miles of the “Mother Road” within the city limits, Tulsa offers an unrivaled view into the most historic road in America, says Jonathan Huskey, director of communications for Visit Tulsa. “When paired with world-class attractions like the Gathering Place, a two-time USA Today Best City Park, the newly renovated Zink Lake, brand-new Tulsa Wave Park, and Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge, Tulsa is truly the best of both worlds—offering top-tier amenities and destinations while maintaining the feel of a hidden gem.”
Attractions like Bob Dylan Center, Woody Guthrie Center, Cain’s Ballroom, and Historic Big 10 Ballroom make Tulsa a premiere music destination, and venues like the BOK Center and Cox Business Convention Center make the city a prime meetings and events destination, according to Visit Tulsa. “Visitors can explore the historic Greenwood District, the vibrant and eclectic Blue Dome District, or the cultured Tulsa Arts District,” Huskey says. “Tulsa is home to three James Beard Award semifinalists and dozens of local breweries, like Dead Armadillo, Cabin Boys, American Solera, and NEFF Brewing, an entirely gluten-free establishment.”
Cox Business Convention Center, located in the Arena District downtown, has 275,000 square feet of event space, including Oklahoma’s largest ballroom, with a banquet capacity of more than 9,000 guests. The convention center has 34 event and meeting rooms and is within walking distance of more than 2,000 hotel rooms, according to VisitTulsa.com. DoubleTree by Hilton Tulsa Downtown, with 411 guest rooms and 23,957 square feet of event space, connects to the convention center via skybridge, and Aloft Tulsa Downtown, with 180 guest rooms and 7,430 square feet of function space, is adjacent. Also downtown, BOK Center features an 18,000-seat arena, a Grand Lobby, Sky Lounge, Loge Bar, and other spaces for receptions and events.
Additional event spaces include the historic Mabee Center, part of Oral Roberts University, with 105,000 square feet of floor space and a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,154 people; and the new Ruffin Event Center, a 60,000-square-foot facility with a main hall, which can accommodate 144 exhibit booths or seat 1,300 people for dinners. Ruffin Event Center partners with the adjacent and newly renovated Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills, with 348 guest rooms and 25 event rooms in 49,705 square feet of function space. Expo Square is a 240-acre exhibition and trade center complex with multiple event facilities, including the 448,000-square-foot SageNet Center, 58,500-square-foot Exchange Center, 4,200-seat Pavilion, and 43,000-square-foot Central Park Hall, which includes a second-floor mezzanine overlooking the main exhibit floor.
The larger convention hotels in Tulsa include Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center, with 300 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of function space; River Spirit Casino Resort, with 483 guest rooms and more than 30,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a 2,500-seat showroom, plus additional outdoor function space; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, with 454 guest rooms and 14 event rooms, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, a 2,600-seat amphitheater, and an 18th floor Sky Room; and the 444-room Hyatt Regency Tulsa, with five event rooms to accommodate 850 guests for receptions.
Other hotels with event space include the historic 102-room Mayo Hotel, with 20,239 square feet of event space, including the 500-person-capacity Crystal Ballroom; 411-room DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown, with 23,957 square feet of event space to accommodate 1,000 guests for receptions; 96-room Tulsa Club Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, with 7,165 square feet of event space and a maximum theater or reception capacity of 400 guests; and 367-room DoubleTree by Hilton Warren Place, with more than 20,000 square feet of event space. Tulsa has more than 13,000 guest rooms.
