Oklahoma is home to the third largest gaming market in the United States, with more than 80,000 electronic machines on the floors of our more than 130 operations. The OIGA Conference and Trade Show has always been the largest regional show in the country, and we are looking forward to hitting that mark again.
As the world begins to find its new normal, OIGA, like many organizations, is thrilled to be welcoming attendees and vendors to our 2021 Conference and Trade Show, which will be held at Oklahoma City’s beautiful new Omni Hotel and OKC Convention Center on August 16-18.
Our dates are a little bit later this year, a modification our leadership made months ago, to allow plenty of time for as many attendees as possible to receive vaccinations. OIGA has diligently followed and implemented recommendations from the CDC and state authorities throughout the planning process.
Modifications you might notice include keeping all OIGA events within the host hotel and convention center, removing the morning welcome session with its theater-style seating and opting to present OIGA’s Annual Awards from the stage on the Trade Show floor rather than at our usual luncheon.
If we could choose one word to sum up our past two years, it would be FLEXIBILITY. Our highest priority is always the safety of our leadership, volunteers, exhibitors, attendees and staff, and it was with heavy hearts and an abundance of caution that we cancelled our 2020 event. As it turned out, the world entered a period of lockdown around the same time, and we all know the rest of that story.
We are incredibly excited to be back IRL, and look forward to seeing friends and colleagues who are more like family. If you have never attended the OIGA Trade Show, you are in for a treat! It is a lively, fun, informative, high-energy assembly of some of the biggest names in the gaming and hospitality industries, and will draw nearly 2,500 vendors, visitors and guest speakers to downtown Oklahoma City to celebrate and advance our industry.
The 2021 host hotel is the beautiful new Omni Oklahoma City, across from the 30-acre Scissortail Park. Oklahoma City, with its central location, is drivable for many and we’ve kept registration fees affordable.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone. After cancelling last year’s events, it’s going to be extra special to see our friends and colleagues from across the country and around the world. We look forward to a wonderful Conference and a spectacular Trade Show at Oklahoma City’s brand-new Convention Center and world-class Omni Hotel.
We’ll get an early start on Monday, August 16, with OIGA’s John Marley Golf Tournament, the proceeds from which have funded tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships for students since its inception. The tournament’s namesake, Mr. John Marley, was instrumental to the founding of OIGA and is an ardent advocate for education. The welcome reception and Poker and Blackjack Tournaments will be held later that evening, and we can guarantee that a great time will be had by all.
Tuesday morning will be dedicated to conference sessions. The Trade Show floor will open earlier than usual on Tuesday for maximum networking, and instead of the formal luncheon, OIGA’s Annual Awards will be presented on the Trade Show floor stage, with a more casual meal. Wednesday will be filled with more sessions and fun at the Trade Show.
