Cox Convention Center

The Cox Business Services Convention Center (originally Myriad Convention Center and commonly Cox Convention Center, Cox Center, The Cox and The Myriad) is a multi-purpose complex, located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

History
Its name comes from a naming rights deal with local telecommunications giant Cox Communications. The complex was formerly known as the Myriad Convention Center.

It was the centerpiece of Oklahoma City's first major urban renewal project, the Pei Plan. In addition to the Convention Center, the project included the removal of blighted sections of the southern downtown area. The project also began the process for the design and construction of the Myriad Botanical Gardens, located directly west of the Myriad.

It is located adjacent to the Renaissance and Sheraton Hotels and borders Robinson Avenue, Sheridan Avenue, Reno Avenue, and EK Gaylord Blvd in Downtown. Immediately across the street to the south is the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the city's largest multipurpose arena, as well as the Courtyard Hotel.

Arena information
Its primary use is that of large scale convention and meeting facility. It also hosts major concerts, conferences, and other large scale events. The complex houses multiple meeting rooms, conference and convention space, dining halls, and a 15,000 seat multi-purpose arena (one of the city's three major arenas).

The arena in the Cox Convention center was home to Oklahoma City Blazers hockey in the 1970s and then again in 1992-2002, Bricktown Brawlers Indoor Football League team, in addition to the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. The Cox arena has also hosted numerous state and college basketball events, including the 2007 and 2009 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament and UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard on September 16, 2009.

Improvements
The Myriad received a major renovation as part of the city's 1993 Capital Improvement Program, known as Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (or "MAPS"), which financed new and upgraded sports, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities primarily in the downtown area with a temporary 1-cent sales tax assessed. Despite the "metropolitan" moniker of the improvement program, the tax was only assessed inside city limits.

The MAPS Project also funded construction of the Chesapeake Energy Arena (located just south of the Cox Convention Center) and Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The Cox Convention Center received another upgrade, budgeted at $4.5 million, to accommodate the move of the Edmonton Oilers' top farm team, the Oklahoma City Barons and which began play in fall 2010.

Events
Prior to the opening of the Ford Center, the Myriad was Oklahoma City's premier sports and entertainment venue.

Other events

 * National Finals Rodeo (1979 - 1984)
 * 1983 Billy Graham Oklahoma Crusade at the arena
 * NBA and NHL exhibition games
 * 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival events
 * Boxing
 * Tennis
 * UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard - September 16, 2009
 * Indoor Track meets
 * First and second round games for the 1994 and 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (Bryce Drew's famous buzzer beater took place here during the 1998 tournament)
 * Talk show host Phil Donahue taped his show in the Great Hall of the Myriad for a week in 1981
 * Pro Wrestling (Mid-South Wrestling, WWF and WCW)