Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Olympics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City officials describe hosting two LA28 events and potential visitor surge
Summary
City officials said Oklahoma City was selected for two LA28 competitions (whitewater canoe/kayak and softball), will hand out seven medals locally, expects about 180 athletes in those events and anticipates hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city during the Games, with Team OKC coordinating temporary operations.
Sue Hollandbeck, who manages the city's large entertainment and athletic venues, described why Oklahoma City was selected to host two competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games: the whitewater center is the closest man-made course to Los Angeles, and Devon Park offers an appropriate softball venue. "We are the only other city that will hand out medals besides Southern California," she said, noting the city will award seven gold medals on the two venues.
Hollandbeck gave a scope estimate for the events: she said organizers expect about 180 athletes for Oklahoma City competitions and cited LA28 organizers' projection of 15 million visitors across 51 venues; using that math she said the per-venue average implies roughly 294,000 visitors per venue and estimated Oklahoma City could see on the order of 600,000 visitors in the market during the Games. She stressed the distinction between ticketed spectators and people who come to experience the Games in the city: "There will be more people here in Oklahoma City to experience the games than they will have a ticket to the actual event."
She outlined the division of responsibilities between the city and the local organizing committee, Team OKC: the city is responsible for permanent upgrades, transportation and security, while Team OKC handles temporary builds, marketing and ticketing. Hollandbeck said many of the logistical efforts beyond the competitions themselves (transportation, security, ticketing, temporary infrastructure) are the most complex parts of hosting and will require close coordination.
Hollandbeck encouraged staff to attend a world championship on the water this summer to see the sport and noted the city will host related test events; she also pointed to potential sales-tax revenues from the influx of visitors.
Next steps: continued coordination with Team OKC and LA28 organizers, plus planning for transportation, security and facility upgrades.
