BOK CENTER NAMED ARENA OF THE YEAR
(Tulsa, Okla.) October 12, 2016 – BOK Center was named the Arena of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) during the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, October 11 at the CMA Theater inside the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. This was BOK Center’s third year in a row to be nominated for the prestigious industry award that recognizes the top concert arena in the country. The Tulsa venue joined an elite group of nominees that included Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY), The Forum (Los Angeles, CA), Madison Square Garden (New York, NY), T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) and Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia, PA).
IEBA is one of the leading non-profit trade organizations for live entertainment industry professionals. Founded in 1970 and based in Nashville, IEBA provides networking, showcasing and educational opportunities to strengthen relationships, foster growth and increase revenue for the live entertainment industry.
“To be recognized as Arena of the Year by IEBA is a tremendous honor for BOK Center, its staff and the City of Tulsa,” said Doug Thornton, SMG Executive Vice President of Stadiums and Arenas. “Congratulations to Jeff Nickler and his team for all of their hard work to make this possible.”
“We are so thankful for the concert promoters and agents who continue to believe in the Tulsa market,” added SMG Tulsa General Manager Jeff Nickler. “We have worked hard to bring a compelling line-up of shows to Oklahoma and are fortunate to be in a city that has embraced the venue and fans who continue to purchase tickets in record numbers year after year.”
As the venue approaches its eighth birthday, BOK Center continues to maintain its status as one of the world’s busiest concert arenas. In the Pollstar 2016 Mid-Year Top 200 Arena Venues based on ticket sales, BOK Center ranked #13 in the United States and #36 in the world. BOK Center was also the highest ranked arena in the Continental United States managed by SMG, the Philadelphia-based venue operator the manages over 230 facilities, nearly 70 arenas and over 1.75 million seats worldwide. Already this year, the venue has hosted several blockbuster shows including Madonna, Iron Maiden, Tool, Carrie Underwood, Mumford and Sons, Justin Bieber, James Taylor and Coldplay. Next month, Billy Joel visits Tulsa for one of only six arena shows in 2016 outside of Manhattan.
BOK Center has already announced a stellar line-up for 2017 with much more to come. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will rock BOK Center on January 14, along with Eric Church on February 2, Ariana Grande on February 9, Twenty One Pilots on February 21, Panic at the Disco on April 4 and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on May 11.