Can competitor cities use the Chamber's convention center lamentations against us?

[Spartan]

I was just thinking about something. It's so interesting to have all these news clippings around where Roy Williams and Mike Carrier have called the convention center a "substandard facility."

So for these next ten years, Carrier is still going to be expected to sell our convention center to meeting planners. It won't take much research to come across Carrier's quotes in newspaper articles. A competing city like Birmingham or Omaha could include those quotes in their presentation in a final round for a big convention... we've been in final rounds of presentations for a convention before and Birmingham in particular has "campaigned" against OKC, or brought up negative facts.

I just think these guys might be shooting themselves in the foot big-time. Surely they are smarter than that...or I guess not. It's so funny because it's really not a substandard facility AT ALL. Or you could just take Mike Carrier's word for it, apparently. You simply can't recover from something like that if it gets out.

[Snowman]

They should know better than to be making statements like that in public, even if their project gets a more favorable position it just moves the time table for them up one to three years. However it seems a little doubtful that it will change many event locations in the end.

[Larry OKC]

Spartan, Good point

[soonerguru]

Spartan, Good point

You know, this karma may bite them on the ass for their involvement in the Momentum slush fund activities. They're moving in the wrong direction. Are they unaware of Google at the Chamber?

[metro]

I've personally brought this question up to ol' Roy a couple years ago when they unveiled the idea at the development roundtable. Needless to say, Roy wouldn't answer me and brushed me off like he enjoys doing when questioned by the public.

At that same time, he also made a statement that prior to recent efforts, OKC had no ownership options downtown. I quickly pointed out that was not true because of Classen Glen and Sycamore Square were built early 80's. He didn't care to acknowledge that fact either.

[Spartan]

Yeah you showed Roy alright... wink

[MikeOKC]

Very good point, Spartan.

I was at a convention in Des Moines a few months back and was very impressed with the activity in and around the convention center - not to mention the urban feel of downtown Des Moines. I've made several trips there and it's a city to watch.

[Spartan]

Des Moines is a very progressive little town.