Tulsa OK Homes Area Attractions Wins Again - BOK Center

The Tulsa Convention Center and BOK Center are the proud recipients of the 2010 Prime Site award. Tulsa OK homes area facility, the Tulsa Convention Center received the award from Facilities Magazine, the ultimate source for professional planning of special events, entertainment, meetings and conventions. This is the second consecutive year the Tulsa Convention Center and BOK Center have won the award. Chosen from thousands of contenders in Canada and the U.S., those who oversee these facilities are proud to be recognized for the service and amenities they provide to clients.

The Tulsa OK homes area facility, the Tulsa Convention Center received the number of votes necessary to qualify as a Prime Site winner. The awards are voted on by the readers of the magazine which is over 51,000 Association and Corporate Meeting Planners. The criterion that is considered when voting consists of:

  •   Location
  •   Quality of Staff
  •   Technical Capabilities
  •   Food and Beverage
  •   Access/Egress
  •   Lighting, Sound and Staging
  •   Other Amenities


The BOK Center (Bank of Oklahoma Center) is located in Tulsa OK and is the multi-purpose arena for the area. The facility has 19, 199 seating capacity and was designed for concerts, basketball, hockey, arena football and events similar in nature. The cost was $178 million from public funds and $18 million from private funds.

On August 30, 2008, the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening was performed by Hanson and Garth Brooks. The first event, a community choir was held on August 31. The center is part of the Tulsa County Vision 2025 initiative for long term development. The Bank of Oklahoma is the namesake of the center, having paid $11 million for the naming rights.

There are several permanent residents including the Tulsa Oilers, Tulsa Talons, Tulsa Shock and plans to attract the national and regional sporting tournaments are ongoing. The BOK Center has the amenities to handle additional events. The center has 37 public restrooms, dressing rooms with lockers, a player’s lounge, game officials locker rooms, hydrotherapy and workout rooms and offices for coaches as well as trainers and equipment managers.

Fourteen concession stands are located within the facility and seven of these are partial branches of Tulsa-area restaurants. The general concessions serve traditional arena food - hotdogs, corndogs, chili fries, chicken tenders, Mexican food and desserts.

The hanging scoreboard is a highly advanced version weighing 50,000 lbs. and uses four HD screens that are 8 feet by 14 feet, four that are eight feet by eight feet and an HD screen that is a wrap around that is nine feet plus a wrap around that is three feet. The system cost $3.6 million which was funded by private donations.

Former tax packages for arenas had always been rejected by the voters until Tulsa mayor Bill LaFortune took office in 2002. He held a municipal planning conference during which several projects throughout the county were proposed. This was where Vision 2025 came into the picture. Raising sales taxes only by six-tenths of one cent over a period of 13 years was approved and construction began on the center in August 2005.

Three years later the first concert was held on September 6, 2008. The Eagles were the featured entertainers. Since that time there have been several famous performers at the center including Brad Paisley, Celine Dion, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, AC/DC, Elton John and many more.

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Houston Rockets on October 13, 2008 which was the first major event in sports to be played here. The BOK Center is also the host for the Tulsa Oilers ice hockey team and the Tulsa Talons. Upcoming events for the center are:

Justin Bieber - July 6, 2010
WWE Monday Night Raw - July 19, 2010
Rascal Flatts - July 23, 2010
The Jonas Brothers - August 2, 2010
Celtic Woman - August 6, 2010
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010 - August 8, 2010
Sean Hannity Freedom Concert - August 20, 2010
Women of Faith - August 27-28, 2010
John Mayer - September 3, 2010