Does Every City Need a New Convention Center?
Some might wonder if that might be the professional judgment of Convention, Sports & Leisure after reading this report by the Pulitzer-prize caliber newspaper The Boston Globe on the consultant’s work with cities throughout the country. Oklahoma City never did a needs-study for a convention center; instead that job was left to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, which hired CS&L. The entire study was never released to the public, though the chamber did release an executive summary of the report (I was allowed to privately view the report and saw nothing that went against the gist of the summary report; chamber officials were concerned about releasing propriety information).
A quote from the story:
Over the past decade Convention Sports & Leisure International has produced similar findings to support expansions in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Washington, New Orleans, and other cities. Despite finding widely different conditions from city to city, in nearly every circumstance the firm’s recommendation was construction of bigger exhibition halls and hotels. A second convention center consultant for Boston, HVS International, has made similar findings around the country. But many of the cities that subsequently expanded are not seeing the predicted economic benefits, and some of the facilities are struggling financially.
To read the entire story, go here.
Thank you for joining our conversation on OKC Central. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.
Comments
This kind of news is one more reason to put construction of the convention center last on the MAPS 3 agenda. Let’s see if the present downturn in the industry turns around or not. Convention attendance is, after all, for many businesses a frill that’s OK in good times, but it’s a line item that is quick to be cut during hard times. The “build it and they will come” is a fine argument, as long as people are going somewhere. But if the pool of people going to conventions is declining, then there will be less people to come here if we do build it.
Most objective research I’ve seen suggests that the convention industry is in a long-term state of decline and has been for quite awhile. Nevertheless, I’ve hoped/assumed that Oklahoma City has a shot at stealing existing business away from other cities as a result of the tremendous improvements that have been made and will continue to be made in the CBD.
An interesting article to consult on the subject was published in Forbes magazine in 2005: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0228/082.html
Oops…. just noted the links Dave had already posted… they reference the study on which the Forbes article was based.
Seems that everyone is just trying to own the biggest new gadget (convention center). Why don’t our city leaders try to be a little more creative instead of just trying to keep up with the Jones’. Because if that is the policy, we will always find ourselves a few steps behind, no matter how much progress we think we have made.
OKC, and Tulsa for that matter, need to find ways to differentiate themselves from other cities, not try to out do them at their own games.
[...] The state Senate voted to approve the Oklahoma Quick Action Closing Fund, which will allow Gov. Fallin to make awards and fund infrastructure improvements for bringing specific companies to Oklahoma. On the OK Policy Blog, we previously wrote about the questionable history of closing funds in Oklahoma and Texas as well as general problems with economic development incentives directed at specific corporations. OKC Central highlights an article showing how the consulting firm that recommended a new convention center for Oklahoma City has made the same recommendation to every city it has studied. [...]
If you are a city competing for events, yes. Just wished a new model would be presented. A stand alone center / building does not stand out. Try adding sky bridges and moving walkways like Las Vegas, or a monorail system like Disney World in Orlando. As a regional chairman for the AICPA’s personal financial planning section, our national annual convention needs new places. But, kids need a place to go and spouses need shopping, golf, etc.
OKC doing great just keep looking forward and be the leader.
It appears from documentation and info that is readily avaible in the public domain that the convention business is in a state of long-term decline and maybe even extinction.
That being the case the convention center needs a real reevaluation and the possibility of never being built. The way the law is curretnly the City is under NO legal obligation to build any of the projects. So maybe the convention center needs to be an undone deal???
Steve, you know that I’m squarely on the progressive side of every debate like this, and I strongly believe that the convention center NEEDS to be the last item built, for about ten different reasons. And I 100% agree with you that these facility planning firms are bullshit.
All of these consultants that have been brought in have no idea what they’re talking about, let alone why they were brought into OKC. They give the verdict that is paid for. And I’ve told you something like this over coffee before, I believe.
BUT in the case of OKC, we do need a new convention center, in the next 15 years. It’s not as imperative as streetcar or other human elements, which OKC desperately needs. But it’s up there. We can all admit that our convention center kinda sucks as it is. Yes, it’s nicely renovated, AND I’ll go even further and mention that I’m already preparing my notes for when I have to argue for saving THIS structure… but even I can recognize that at the end of the day, the Cox sucks in its current function, as our MAIN convention center. That’s not going to do.
Consider a Legalized Gambling District near the Convention Center or near the Rail Trolly.
Do this to an area that is run down and needs to be rebuilt.
Private investment would quickly rebuild the area and Convention Center may bring in more conventions.
You already have Casinos everywhere. Just create the district on paper and let the big money investors rebuild a run down area.
Looks like CS&L always give the client exactly what they want, a report that tells them what they want to hear. Very bad public policy to not have the city hire a non-partisan consultant do the work. Good reporting. Brookings did a real study, our city council should read it. Summary: http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2005/01cities_sanders.aspx
Full report: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2005/01cities_sanders/20050117_conventioncenters.pdf