So I was at a meeting the other day and a rep from the Tulsa Convention center was talking about the new ballrooms that are perfect for social events, weddings etc. If I am not correct isn't there many great locally owned hotels/managed properties in Tulsa and other venues that the city is now in competition with? I understand trade shows etc, but anyone see a problem with this? Tax dollars these business's are paying going back to compete against them?
You're definitely correct: there are many great locally owned hotels here in town, and the Convention Center goes up against each one of us when we're looking for business. The CC books space just like the rest of us do, and so, yes, will compete for things like RM's non profit gala. I've competed against the CC on a number of different events: a couple of different faith-based events, a quinceanera, a statewide career counseling convention, and a number of other large (and small!) pieces of business.
But we don't compete on completely equal ground. The CC doesn't any rooms attached, so by necessity must have several hundred guestrooms nearby to support the business it can attract. It has to work closely with those privately owned entities (the Mayo, the new Holiday Inn, the Crowne, the Doubletree DT) that offer the other half of the convention equation.
No other hotel in town, however, offers as much meeting space as they can (as a comparison, their exhibit hall alone offers more than double all the space in my hotel). As we've been discussing in other threads, that's a major component to attract citywide events with thousands of attendants. My property (as another for instance) could probably max itself out with a convention of two thousand people, depending on their program. Again, the CC can do events several times that size. Of course, having the rooms the complement that is another matter. But at least the first part of the equation is there.
If, in exchange for that, all of us hoteliers have to put up with the CC occasionally poaching a banquet here or a benefit there, it's a very minor price to pay for the big events the CC brings in.
BTW, the folks at the CC are really top notch. I was just at a conference with the DOS of the CC, and she's a really smart, experienced woman who's a very solid advocate for Tulsa as a whole and not just the properties near her. She's really impressive, and I hope for Tulsa's sake that she sticks around.
