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2018 Confluence Conference Visitors Guide

tower theatre oklahoma city

The Venue

This year’s iteration of Confluence Conference will be held at the Tower Theatre, an iconic local venue and one of the most recognizable buildings in OKC. Now the heartbeat of the Uptown 23rd Street District, the Tower was originally opened as a movie house in the 1930s and flourished for years as OKC’s go-to cinema for movie premieres and historic films.

After converting from a movie theatre to a music venue in the 1990s, the Tower was eventually shut down and was left abandoned in 2000. It sat idle during most of the decade while other arts and culture districts around 23rd Street began to thrive and bring about a new renaissance for OKC.

In 2014, a local development group (The Pivot Project) stepped in and took over the process of restoring the Tower Theatre. In early 2016, the classic neon sign was refurbished and lit up 23rd Street again for the first time in decades. And in 2017, the venue was officially re-opened for business under new management led by Chad Whitehead and Stephen Tyler.

In just over a year of re-opening, the venue has hosted hundreds of concerts, movie screenings, and parties. Almost overnight, it helped make the Uptown 23rd Street District into a destination for people who were looking to have dinner or drinks before/after events.

We’re very excited to be holding our conference at the Tower Theatre this year. Mostly because their story of big dreams and humble beginnings closely resembles our own, but also because we will get to spend two full days in Uptown exploring the restaurants and bars that are all within a five-minute walk from the venue.

Surrounding Businesses

uptown 23rd street oklahoma city

The Drake – One of OKC’s finest. Extreme hospitality and some truly adventurous seafood.

Urbun – Bowls, sandwiches, and sweets.

Old School Bagel Café – New York style bagels that still manage to make you feel at home.

Pizzeria Gusto – OKC’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant and bar.

Cuppies & Joe – Gourmet coffee and handmade cupcakes.

HoneyBunny Biscuit – Made from scratch biscuit dishes for breakfast or lunch.

The Pump Bar – Former gas station turned watering hole with bar bites, small plates, and creative cocktails.

Cheever’s Café – Upscale bistro offering southwestern cuisine, wine, and cocktails.

Bunker Club – Dive bar set in the atomic age.

Scottie’s Deli – American deli founded on three principals: passion, craftsmanship, and quality.

The Rockford Cocktail Den – Classic craft cocktail bar that offers a true glimpse into 1970s culture.

Urban Teahouse – Handcrafted tea with over 100 loose leaf options available.

Big Truck Tacos – Named the #1 food truck in the south by Southern Living magazine.

Tucker’s Onion Burgers – Oklahoma’s first premium onion burger restaurant.

Backdoor Barbecue – Smoked ribs, brisket, duck, lamb, etc. If it will fit into their smoker, they’ll smoke it.

Ponyboy – Neighborhood bar and home to our Thursday evening Confluence happy hour.

You can visit all these places (and more) with all your new Confluence friends on September 20th-21st. Registration is open now!