Before COVID-19 put a temporary pause on live shows, the Chesapeake Energy Arena was on track to decimate previous records for number of shows and tickets sold. In fact, April was to be one of its biggest months ever, and topping last year’s 117-percent increase in tickets sold (over 2018) was a real possibility.
When live shows return, Chesapeake Arena will be ready, thanks to the leadership of General Manager Chris Semrau and Assistant General Manager Michael Owens.
“Our task now is to communicate clearly and effectively that we are taking steps to ensure customer safety,” Semrau says. “We’ll be limiting the high-touch components of the events, without taking away from the customer journey.”
Owens said that consumer confidence, always important to Chesapeake Arena’s success, will be an even larger factor going forward. “The concerts at the arena are a quality of life enhancement for the people of Oklahoma,” he says. “We recognize the importance of our place in the musical ecosystem of Oklahoma City, and we’ll continue to aggressively book the very best shows available.”
In 2019, Chesapeake Arena hosted 11 of the top 50 tours in the country (compared to just two in 2018), and that number would have increased in 2020, with shows such as Cher, Elton John and Pearl Jam. The team at the arena focuses on the fan experience, and the experience of the talent and their road crews – another important component in their ongoing success and the improvement of Oklahoma City’s reputation nationwide as a serious music destination.
“We’re creating a world-class atmosphere for the fans, the acts and the crews,” Semrau says, “and we’ll continue to diversify the variety of shows and events that happen at Chesapeake Arena.”
100 W. Reno Ave, OKC
405-602-8700