Oklahoma City's revitalization through hospitality industry development and tourism initiatives

¶ … Oklahoma City, Oklahoma as a Hospitality Industry Venue

Following the oil boom collapse in the 1990s, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma found itself mired in a downward economic spiral that threatened its viability. In response, the citizens of Oklahoma City came together to implement a series of ambitious initiatives that were designed to revitalize the community and make it a regional destination of choice, including, among others, a world-class zoological park, a new civic center, a professional NBA basketball facility for the OKC Thunder in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Alfred E. Murrah Building National Memorial, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum, and the Bricktown Entertainment District comprised of refurbished brick buildings from the early part of the 20th century and a canal that features boat rides. As a result of these and other initiatives, Oklahoma City today is a vibrant metropolitan center that is well poised for continued growth and development. To determine the facts, this paper reviews the literature concerning Oklahoma City to determine how technology is utilized in this venue, what career opportunities are available and what types of marketing strategies have been used to promote this destination. A discussion concerning how positive and poor customer service can affect consumer behavior in this venue is followed by an assessment of the important of competent communication and decision making, as well as how the concept of control is used in this venue. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the conclusion.

How technology is utilized in the venue

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce both maintain Web sites that aggressively promote the city as a tourism destination. According to the Chamber, a number of technological innovations have been implemented to facilitate the ability of prospective visitors to learn more about this destination, including tourist facilities and attractions, as well as ongoing events of nationwide interest including major sporting events and technology-related conferences (About OKC, 2015). The Web site emphasizes the low cost of living in Oklahoma City compared to the national average, the favorable climate as well as the friendliness of its citizenry (About OKC, 2015). Not surprisingly, the partnerships between the private and public sectors in Oklahoma City that have revitalized the community have also introduced a number of new career opportunities as discussed further below.

Career opportunities within the venue

Although Oklahoma City is not immune to economic downturns, it does have a number of resources that keep the employment rate high, including a major U.S. Air Force Base, healthcare complexes and burgeoning bioscience, energy and aerospace industries (About OKC, 2015). In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the current unemployment rate in Oklahoma City is just 3.2% compared to the national unemployment rate of 5.5% (Unemployment rate, 2015). The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce also offers a "Greater Grads" program that connects recent college graduates with top employers in the Oklahoma City area (About OKC, 2015). In sum, there are numerous career opportunities available in this city that make it a particular desirable venue for those in search of a meaningful professional career.

Marketing strategies within the venue

With so much going for it, Oklahoma City's civic leaders have used various communications platforms, including television, radio, newspapers and the Internet to market this venue as a tourism destination. For instance, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce reports that, "Oklahoma City offers everything you look for in a modern metropolitan community - an abundance of the arts, quality health care, excellence in education and more. And it does so without high costs, energy shortages, smog or traffic congestion" (About OKC, 2015). Likewise, a recent article in city's major newspaper, The Oklahoman, proudly boasts that:

Oklahoma City defies definition. We're not part of the South or the Southwest. We don't depend on a single industry to define us. Yes, we grow wheat, pump oil and natural gas, raise livestock and race horses, but we also run Fortune 500 companies and have superstars of stage, screen, art and music. We also love our sports -- from Little League to the NBA's Thunder. (10 things to do in Oklahoma City, 2013, p. 49)

How positive and poor customer service can affect consumer behavior within the venue

In virtually any venue, the quality of customer service can make or break a tourism destination (Walker, 2013). In this regard, Walker advises that, "With thousands of guest encounters each day, it is critical to give our guests exceptional service at each encounter" (p. 12). In reality, in the not-too-distant past, Oklahoma City suffered from a perception as being little more than a dusty cow town that tourists would try to avoid, but this perception has changed in fundamental ways in recent years as a result of increased efforts to modernize the community's infrastructure and provide visitors with top quality customer service.

The importance of competent communication and decision making in the venue, and how the concept of control is used in the venue