"Get Motivated” seminar parking could be tricky in downtown Oklahoma City
Free park-and-ride shuttles will be available at State Fair Park and near the ballpark for one-day event

STEVE LACKMEYER Comments 20
Published: June 30, 2009

The 17,000 people registered to attend today’s "Get Motivated” seminar at the Cox Convention Center might want to park somewhere other than downtown.

More Info

Online

For further information, go to:

coxconventioncenter.com, getmotivated.com or blog.newsok.com/okccentral.

Rob Agnew, spokesman for the Cox Convention Center, compared the event with a sold-out Thunder game during a work day, with overflow attendees being seated in the convention center’s exhibit halls.

Joe Montana, Zig Ziglar, Tamara Lowe, Gen. Colin Powell, the Rev. Robert Schuller, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, former first lady Laura Bush and Bob Stoops are among those scheduled to speak during the one-day seminar that begins at 8 a.m. Doors will open at 6:45 a.m., and participants are being urged to arrive early.

Agnew said attendees hoping to park downtown will find themselves not just competing with employees driving to work but also finding parking spaces.

Those wishing to use the free park-and-ride shuttles are asked to enter the lot near State Fair Park’s Gate No. 5 west of May Avenue and Gordon Cooper Boulevard. The shuttles will run from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Shuttles also will be provided at the parking lot immediately east of the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

Jim Cowan, director of the Bricktown Association, said the district’s lots will be open early and he estimated about 10,000 spaces will be available, including several hundred north of Main Street.

The district, which just hosted thousands of Harley enthusiasts Saturday, once again will be staffing up at restaurants to handle the additional business, Cowan said.

"I’m told lunch break will be from noon to 2 p.m.,” Cowan said. "We’re trying to call all the merchants in addition to e-mailing them to let them know what’s going on. I’d advise those working downtown to take an early lunch — maybe at 11 or 11:30.”