downtown arena

[perspicuity85]

If the Expo Center is such an attractive venue for concerts, why hasn't anyone notable performed there?  I haven't been there in a long time, but it's hard for me to visualize a concert in the Expo Ctr.  There is also not much potential entertainment development near the Expo Ctr.  

I realize most outdoor concerts are standing-room only, but most touring concerts are held in indoor facilities.  Outdoor concerts are usually part of some other event that would have occurred regardless of the concert, such as the Super Bowl.  The Harley anniversary would have attracted thousands, even without the Elton John concert.  The closest thing to that in Tulsa is Mayfest or maybe the Centennial events.   The arena also makes events such as NCAA
tournament regional games possible, as well as other in-season basketball tourneys, such as the one held in OKC the last few years.

There is more to event hosting than just large amounts of square footage.  If all that was needed to attract major concerts was a huge building, why wouldn't we just have a concert in the American Airlines maintenence facility?

[AMP]

Grace Slick with Jefferson Starship performed there and Eric Burdon and the Animals.  Seems there was another concert series with muiltple groups that played there in the 1970's.  People sat on portable chairs they carried in, or on blankets on the floor and the stage was in the South West corner of the upper level.  

Hard to book a date there as most major events produced there require a week prior to and a week following for move in and out time. Most weekends are booked years in advance at the majority of quality venues.  Owning the first rights to dates at a major venue is a big asset which may be sold for a profit, or used to trade up for a better date/venue.  

Added to the fact that all staging, seating and traffic barricades and fencing must be brought in and taken out.

[Rico]

Here are a couple of articles regarding an Arena under construction in none other than Ontario, CA.

There are some major differences between their approach to an Arena and that which Tulsa has chosen...

In the first article please note that the Company that will operate the Arena is paying the City... rather than vice versa......

Bank gets into sports

ONTARIO: Citizens Business Bank pays for the naming rights to new 11,000-seat arena.

10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, October 19, 2006

By DEVONA WELLS and JOSH BROWN
The Press-Enterprise

Ontario-based Citizens Business Bank has agreed to pay for the naming rights to an arena expected to bring minor league sports, concerts and family events to Ontario.

Construction has yet to start on the city-owned Citizens Business Bank Arena, but it is expected to have 11,000 seats and attract at least 150 events a year. Details of the 10-year, multi-million dollar naming-rights deal were not included in the Thursday announcement.

An agreement has been finalized to house a minor league hockey team that would be a feeder team to the Los Angeles Kings, city manager Greg Devereaux said. Arena football and a National Basketball Association development team are possibilities too, he said.

AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Co., will operate the arena as part of the 89-acre, mixed-use Piemonte project. Dana Warg, senior vice president of facilities, declined to give a dollar figure for the naming rights.

Chris Myers, president and CEO of Citizens Business Bank, said the sponsorship buys publicity in a highly competitive industry and gives the company expanded options for entertaining clients.

As part of the deal, the arena will bank at Citizens. He declined say how much the naming rights cost.

"This is our commitment to say we're in Ontario and here to stay," he said.

Citizens Business Bank, the largest financial institution with headquarters in the Inland Empire, gets tickets to all events and first choice of arena suites.

The company had previously considered buying the naming rights on a central California arena, Myers said.

"We ended up not doing it and over time felt some regrets," he said.

Sponsoring an arena is effective for companies that don't have a lot of exposure, said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director of San Francisco-based Pickett Advertising.

"They can get you some national attention that you didn't have before," he said. "It also brings a sense of goodwill to the community."

Naming-rights deals likely benefit the arena owner and sponsor, said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.

An arena operator from outside the area likes to find ways to market itself in the community, such as selling naming rights to a local company, he said.

"For a bank partner, they could give away tickets at bank branches and ATMs, and promote the event at the bank," he said.

Several other Inland venues have paid-for names.

In 2003, the Inland Empire 66ers minor league baseball team in San Bernardino renamed their stadium Arrowhead Credit Union Park after the credit union paid $750,000 for a 10-year affiliation.

In 2005, Bank of America paid Rancho Cucamonga $500,000 to name a portion of the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center. Next year, the city hopes to collect more than $1 million for the rights to naming the Epicenter, home of the Quakes minor league baseball team, said Kevin McArdle, community services director.

AEG will pay the city at least $1 million annually to operate the arena, according to a 10-year agreement between the two. Profits will be split, giving 75 percent to the city, Devereaux said.

Certain attractions that would play Staples Center will be too pricey for the arena, such as Barbra Streisand, Warg said. But others that play the bigger stadium, such as the Eagles, could end up in Ontario.

He said several companies that tour family shows, such as the Wiggles and Sesame Street Live, have indicated strong interest in playing Ontario.


This is an article from the local paper regarding a portion of the construction cost being approved..


Contract awarded for Ontario arena
Article Launched: 01/17/2007 12:00:00 AM PST

ONTARIO - The City Council on Tuesday awarded a $9.6 million contract for structural steel work at the Citizens Business Bank Arena to a Phoenix-based firm.

Schuff Steel Co. will fabricate and deliver steel used in the construction of the arena, which will be on the site of the former Ontario Motor Speedway. It is slated for a late 2008 opening.

According to the city, construction of the facility - which will play host to indoor hockey, the NBA's development league, and family events like Disney on Ice - could run upwards of $70 million.

- Mason Stockstill, (909) 483-9354

It is worthy of mention that this same town spent an enormous amount of the Taxpayers money on "The Ontario Motor Speedway" some years ago... the speedway was, at the time, to have been the savior of the local economy...
The speedway went bankrupt within 3 years...

It appears, this time, they are approaching an investment in the City with a more than adequate amount of caution...

just a way of looking at things differently..
 

[perspicuity85]

I don't think the arena was ever meant to be the
"savior of the economy."  It is a necessary component to the overall revitalization of downtown and the culture of Tulsa.

[MichaelC]

More at Tulsa World

quote:Tulsa's BOK Center is gaining its metallic skin.

Installation began Thursday on the 25,000 stainless steel panels with an angel-hair finish that will make up the outer layer of the downtown arena.

"It's going to be quite a striking site and very beautiful," said Bob Eggleston, the project's construction director.

[cannon_fodder]

Where is 2025 with some update pictures from on-site.  Those will be VERY important as the arena gets closed in.  I need information!

[sgrizzle]

The blue is just protective film...

[Neptune]

From KTUL

quote:Tulsa's new BOk Center won't be finished until September. But, the premium seats are almost gone. Club seats went on sale Monday morning and 75-percent of them have already sold. The arena will hold 18-thousand seats. None are yet finished, but hundreds are already sold. Michael Green is the new owner of two, despite knowing little about who he'll actually see.

"You have an idea of who's going to be there," he says. "I'm sure the majority of all the people that go to the Ford Center would be at the Tulsa venue."

"It's the promise of what's coming," adds Hamp Howell, who oversees sales of club seating, the last batch of premium seats at the BOk.

"It's a busy day," he says. "We had people here at seven a.m."

Sales began Monday morning with 682 spots and ended with 516 sold by the evening.

"They understand this is a special building," Howell says. "It'll have special acts and a lot of people came in as Talons/Oilers fans wanting to get the best seats for teams."

From a day of club seat sales to a Cub Scout tour, buzz is building over an arena, still months from completion, where Pack 840 and entertainment fans alike are looking ahead to next September.

"It's in my local community. I don't have to drive down the turnpike for every event."

Private box seats and executive suites are already sold out as well to the tune of more than eight million dollars. Club seats go for at least 12-hundred dollars a year. You get Talons and Oilers tickets and first choice for other events. You must buy them in person at 206 South Cheyenne.

[TheArtist]

Should have put these on here right after I took them. They are about 3 weeks old but still show about what the arena looks like now.

[Neptune]

Club seats sold out in 3 days.

More at Tulsa World

quote:Club-seat patrons will enjoy a variety of perks in the downtown venue, which is set to open next September.


All 682 of the BOK Center's club seats were sold as of Wednesday, only three days after being offered to the public.

"We knew there would be a strong demand for this product," said Hamp Howell, whose Cleveland, Ohio-based Sports Facilities Marketing Group has led the sales effort.

"But the speed of this sellout has exceeded our expectations," he said. "It goes to show there's a great deal of excitement out there about this venue."

[cannon_fodder]

needed to charge more...

[Neptune]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

needed to charge more...

Yeah, they shot a little low didn't they?

Sounds like they were expecting those seats to sell out later.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

needed to charge more...

Seems like a good price to me, since all you're buying is season tickets to the oilers and talons.

[Neptune]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
Seems like a good price to me, since all you're buying is season tickets to the oilers and talons.

And first pick on other events, and prime seating.

I'm sure most of them were snatched up by companies, how long would it have taken at an extra 500 a pop?  Still, bodes well for the Arena.  And I bet the Talons and Oilers get a cut too.

[Conan71]

Yeah, but you raise it $500 then the complaint is greed by the city and operator.  I think it's brilliant, it gets people in the door and gets people excited about coming events and more apt to buy the tix for those events if they already have the seats.