Is OKC ready for an NBA all star weekend?

[okclee]

But at least we would have police and security on notice.

[Larry OKC]

I thought I remembered hearing that a minimum number of hotel rooms for an All Star game is 30,000. Obviously, those don't all have to be near the venue. But regardless, I think our lack of a roofed NFL stadium might be the deal breaker these days.

Was it an article like this where the 30,000 rooms were needed?

Orlando To Host 2012 NBA All-Star Game (May 4, 2010)

There are 115,000 hotel rooms in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. During All-star Weekend, at least 30,000 of them could be booked, all thanks to having the brand new Amway Center.

“The way we currently go from city to city, without this building, there would not have been an All-Star game here,” Stern said.

Obviously Stern was talking about the arena...not sure why a 20,000 seat arena would need 30,000 hotel rooms... but if NFL capacity domed stadiums are the future of the All Star Weekend (100,000+) for the one just held in Dallas....If Orlando has that much more demand for hotel than seats, what kind of requirement for hotels did Dallas need?

Your valid point being, we don't have a domed stadium or anything that could remotely compete with a Dallas.

[betts]

I remember reading it prior to the All Star game being scheduled in New Orleans. I think a lot of people go to a city for the All Star ambience, and don't even go to the game. The NBA also uses All Star weekend for their business meeting.

[Larry OKC]

Heres the one I was thinking of (no specific numbers given)

Stern "stopped short of assuring" that the NBA would award an All-Star Game to the city, and pointed to a "lack of hotel space as reason Oklahoma City will not host the event in the foreseeable future" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 10/30).

[mugofbeer]

Was it an article like this where the 30,000 rooms were needed?


Obviously Stern was talking about the arena...not sure why a 20,000 seat arena would need 30,000 hotel rooms... but if NFL capacity domed stadiums are the future of the All Star Weekend (100,000+) for the one just held in Dallas....If Orlando has that much more demand for hotel than seats, what kind of requirement for hotels did Dallas need?

Your valid point being, we don't have a domed stadium or anything that could remotely compete with a Dallas.

There is a huge number of people who come to the NBA All Star weekend who don't go to the games. Actual and wannabe entertainers come from all over to hold parties, see and be seen. There's great competition to not only hold but to just get into these parties. Even in Denver, when they held it a few years ago, there were too few suitable party locations, too few caterers, too few limo's to drive the posse's around. Police activity was very high that weekend. It's not necessarily an event OKC could handle.

[Larry OKC]

thanks betts & mug for the reasons for higher room need than seating. Obviously, even with them going back to the "smaller" Orlando arena (comp to Dallas) OKC isn't even remotely ready at this point to host.

Course I don't think the 30,000 need isn't within a short distance of the arena and we do have a lot of hotels but scattered across the Metro...does anyone know the count for the City/Metro (not just downtown)?

[ljbab728]

There is a huge number of people who come to the NBA All Star weekend who don't go to the games. Actual and wannabe entertainers come from all over to hold parties, see and be seen. There's great competition to not only hold but to just get into these parties. Even in Denver, when they held it a few years ago, there were too few suitable party locations, too few caterers, too few limo's to drive the posse's around. Police activity was very high that weekend. It's not necessarily an event OKC could handle.

This is just like an event such as the OU-Texas game or the Super Bowl. The majority of the people coming into town don't even attend the games.