OKC not horsing around when it comes to attracting equine, other events to city

Although official attendance figures for 2021 Oklahoma State Fair have yet to be released, suffice it to say the State Fair’s return after a one-year hiatus because of the pandemic can be deemed a success for the OKC Fairgrounds and, in turn, Oklahoma City’s economy.

This comes after the OKC Fairgrounds experienced one of its best Augusts ever with 17 events that brought in more than 87,000 visitors – mostly from out of town. But, and more importantly, those 17 events generated about $17 million in direct spending into the Oklahoma City economy, including the largest event, the American Quarter Horse Youth World Championship that was held July 28 to Aug. 7. The AQHYW drew more than 53,000 visitors, resulting in $12.3 million in direct spending into the economy.

Officials at the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, a division of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber that promotes OKC as a first-class visitor destination, said they were not surprised by those recent statistics.

“As supporters of the hospitality industry here in Oklahoma City, the OKC Fairgrounds is instrumental to the CVB’s success. And I think over the last year and half during the pandemic, it’s really been underscored how vital they are to the hospitality community,” said CVB President Zac Craig, who noted that $200 million in direct spending in 2020 can be attributed to events held at the fairgrounds. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, visitors to the fairgrounds spent more than $325 million.

Although there are numerous events held at the fairgrounds throughout the year, including car shows, home and garden shows, gun shows, various conventions and expos, the State Fair and other popular events, the biggest emphasis has been equine-related events.

“Maybe some of our readers may not be aware that several of our shows, such as the National Reining Horse Association Show, draw a sizeable international audience. And so those folks certainly travel, and they stay for a long length of stay right here in Oklahoma City. And they are very fascinated by our rich Native American and Western heritage,” Craig said. “We are the absolute easiest place, from East Coast to West Coast, to come to a show if you have to drive there. And that is something we certainly tout when we go out and court new shows to Oklahoma City.”

Tim O’Toole has personally seen what would amount to many large herds of horses rolling through the fairgrounds during his nearly 18 years as president and CEO of Oklahoma State Fair Inc., the entity charged with operating the OKC Fairgrounds. He credits the relationships they and other organizations have forged over time as well as the quality of facilities available at the fairgrounds that has led to Oklahoma City being referred to as the unofficial “Horse Show Capital of the World.”

The OKC Fairgrounds boasts 430 acres and includes multiple buildings of various sizes, enough to hold other events simultaneously with the large equine events held in the Norick Arena and barn facilities.

“We are one of many pieces of what I call the ‘economic-development-through-tourism puzzle,’” O’Toole said. “Oklahoma City has done an outstanding job of recruiting equine-related events over the year, and it starts with the cooperative leadership that has existed for many years between government, the citizens of Oklahoma City and the private business sector.”

O’Toole noted that since 2005, more than $160 million worth of improvements have been made to the equine-livestock facilities and the overall infrastructure at the fairgrounds, thanks in large part to dedicated funds coming though the city’s hotel-motel tax.

“The economic impact in the early 2000s was in the neighborhood of $210 million to $225 million a year; it is now pushing $350 million a year. In addition, the events at the fairgrounds generate somewhere in the area of 150,000 to 175,000 hotel room nights a year,” he said.

Shannon Palacios has seen just how much the equine shows and other events at the fairgrounds mean to Oklahoma City’s economy, in particular the hotel industry. For the past 22 years, she has served as general manager at two Oklahoma City hotels, including 21 years at the Hilton Garden Inn at I-40 and Meridian and this past year at the Embassy Suites on Northwest Expressway. She said the duration of the shows is what really can make a difference.

“The one- or two-day events are always nice to see, but when you have an event that lasts for 10 days, as the American Quarter Horse Youth World Championship did last August, it’s great. It helps with housekeeping and with payroll. It helps with everything when we have a guest that comes and checks in and stays for 10 days. The length-of-stay events are what is really a life saver for us,” Palacios said.

Construction of a new coliseum at the OKC Fairgrounds as part of MAPS 4 is expected to begin during the first half of 2022. The new coliseum will replace the aging Norick Arena, which has been hosting basketball tournaments, concerts and equestrian events for 54 years. Both Craig and O’Toole said the new arena will help continue Oklahoma City’s reputation for hosting world-class equine events.

“If you look at some of the competitive cities that we are up against when we court these shows to Oklahoma City, they continuously improve their products. And we are grateful to the citizens of Oklahoma City for allowing us to do the same thing here with the new coliseum from MAPS 4,” Craig said.

“I always think the best form of flattery is from your competition,” O’Toole said, “and I know one of our competing cities, some of the leaders of that city have remarked that the initial improvements, the super barn we built on the property years ago, was a game changer in the equine world. It caused everyone to up their game. And most people believe this new coliseum will be the same thing. It will be a significant upgrade and improvement for the horse show world.”

This story originally appeared in the October 2021 edition of the VeloCity newsletter.