Grit keynotes for Oklahoma City’s energy and aerospace teams
Oklahoma City is the state capital and a centre for energy and aerospace. Paris brings The Grit Code to its conferences and leadership teams.
Energy and endurance
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of Oklahoma, with oil and gas wells famously on the Capitol grounds.
Tinker Air Force Base, one of the largest employers in the state, maintains military aircraft for the US Air Force.
Paris ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Who Paris speaks to in Oklahoma City
Oil and gas
Resilience keynotes for field and office teams.
Aerospace and defence
Talks for maintenance and engineering teams.
State government
Sessions for public-service leaders.
Conferences
Opening keynotes.
Event venues
The Oklahoma City Convention Center, opened in 2021, hosts conferences beside Scissortail Park.
- Oklahoma City Convention Center – downtown, opened in 2021
- Bricktown venues – near the canal
Ways to book Paris in Oklahoma City
The Grit Code keynote (45–60 min) · Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day) · virtual keynote (30–45 min) · event host and MC. Compare formats →
Tested at sea, on the ice and on stage
7 marathons, 7 continents
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Rowed the Pacific
4,800 km in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Read how Paris spoke to the US Army at Fort Shafter. US Army at Fort Shafter recap · The Grit Code keynote
Booking for Oklahoma City
Available for in-person events in Oklahoma City, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead, so an early enquiry gives the best chance of your preferred date.
See also keynote speaker in the USA, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
An adventurer with American chapters
Paris Norriss's biggest adventure ended in the United States. With the Brothers N Oars crew he rowed 4,800 km from California to Hawaii in 39 days, 4 hours and 28 minutes, as part of a self-supported, unassisted team in the World's Toughest Row. The row raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation, and Paris went on to live in Hawaii for three months.
In 2025 he delivered his keynote to the US Army at Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor, and he has spoken at Surfbreak in Honolulu. Miami was one of the stops when he ran seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
For Oklahoma City conferences, sales kick-offs and leadership offsites, The Grit Code turns those experiences into practical habits: purpose, vision, challenging limiting beliefs, adapting the plan and keeping a clear head under pressure. Organisers in the US typically book speakers three to five months ahead, and Paris also delivers 30 to 45-minute virtual keynotes in your time zone.
Oklahoma City’s economy and who the talk is for
Oklahoma City has a population of about 681,054 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Businesses with their headquarters in Oklahoma City include Sonic Drive-In (restaurant), Expand Energy (petroleum industry), Devon Energy (petroleum industry), Tronox (mining) and Continental Resources (extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas).
Energy and resources (Expand Energy, Devon Energy and Continental Resources). Energy teams live with long project cycles, price shocks and safety-critical work. The Grit Code gives operations and project leaders a shared language for staying steady when a plan meets reality, which is the same discipline that kept four rowers moving across 4,800 km of the Pacific.
Retail and consumer goods (Sonic Drive-In). Retail and consumer brands live and die by execution. Paris has spoken for Kraft Heinz and Al Kabeer Foods, and the keynote helps sales and store teams keep going through peak seasons and tough trading.
Mining (Tronox). Mining and resources teams work in tough environments where endurance matters. Paris’s stories from the Antarctic marathon and the Pacific row translate directly to remote-site and safety audiences.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Oklahoma City’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Oklahoma City University. Paris’s talks for students and graduates focus on grit as a skill that can be learned, using his own expeditions as evidence.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
Other large venues in Oklahoma City
For bigger audiences and set-piece events, Oklahoma City venues include Oklahoma State Fair Arena.
Paris is comfortable on any stage, from an arena to a boardroom, and can also host the main stage as MC. Event host and MC →
How a Grit Code session works
- Paris starts with a short briefing call to understand the room, the sector and the challenge in front of it.
- The keynote uses film from his expeditions and TV work to make each idea concrete.
- Many organisers pair it with a Grit Deconstruction workshop or ask Paris to host the full day.
The content is shaped around Oklahoma City organisations and their goals, so the room hears examples that match its own challenges. Paris presents as an adventurer and CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, not as a theorist.
Where the talk fits in Oklahoma City
Organisers in Oklahoma City usually book Paris for one of these occasions:
- Kick-off meetings for new financial years, projects or teams.
- Industry association conferences and trade-show main stages.
- Executive retreats that pair the keynote with a Grit Deconstruction workshop.
- Hybrid all-hands meetings with a virtual version for remote staff.
Credentials at a glance
- Past speaking clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Questions from Oklahoma City organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Oklahoma City?
Yes. Organisers in Oklahoma City can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Does Paris speak to energy-sector audiences?
Yes. A briefing call tailors the stories to the pressures of your industry.
Has Paris spoken in the United States?
Yes. He delivered his keynote to the US Army at Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor, in 2025 and has spoken at Surfbreak in Honolulu.
How far ahead should US events book Paris?
Organisers in the US typically book speakers three to five months ahead. Virtual keynotes can often be arranged at shorter notice.
Which Oklahoma City industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Oklahoma City it suits energy and resources, retail and consumer goods and mining audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Oklahoma City?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Oklahoma City University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Oklahoma City?
Yes. The Grit Deconstruction workshop runs from 90 minutes to half a day and turns the keynote’s ideas into team habits and actions.
Can the keynote be delivered online for teams in Oklahoma City?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version is available for remote or hybrid audiences, delivered in your local time zone.
Who has Paris spoken for?
Past clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
Check a date for Oklahoma City
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.