City eyes another big hotel downtown
City and hospitality officials have started laying the groundwork to accommodate demand for rooms booked for conventions and other big events by Visit Indy.
Conventions
Articles
Visit Indy earns big win after long pursuit
Visit Indy signed a deal to host the American Wind Energy Association Windpower Conference & Exhibition June 7-10, 2021, in the convention center.
Cultural Trail becomes unique drawing card for conventions and trade shows
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail was supposed to be a nice city amenity and promote a healthy lifestyle among downtown residents and visitors. But it’s become much more.
USDA secretary coming to Indiana for national FFA convention
The Agriculture Department said Monday that Sonny Perdue will be in Indianapolis on Wednesday for the kickoff of the 90th annual convention and expo for the FFA
Meeting planners are increasingly mixing glitz, glam and tech
Long gone are the days when on-stage presentations at conventions or corporate meetings consisted of a speaker with a handheld mic and a curtain as a backdrop.
Indy wins bid to host national FOP convention
The National Fraternal Order of Police’s Biennial Conference is expected to draw up to 6,000 attendees to Indianapolis and have a $7.1 million economic impact on the city.
LOU’S VIEWS: Best Games of Gen Con 2017
I tested dozens of tabletop games at this year’s epic event to find the most playable ones to add to your collection.
As Lucas Oil Stadium nears 10th year, new director rolls out ambitious agenda
Eric Neuburger, hired in April to run Lucas Oil Stadium, hopes to draw more conventions and other non-sports events to the $720 million venue.
Gen Con closing in on its first sellout in 50 years
Local hospitality officials are expecting the 50th edition of the annual gaming event to be one of the biggest conventions the city has ever hosted.
Gen Con to more than double space usage in Lucas Oil Stadium
Gen Con this year plans to use more than 750,000 square feet in the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and in the connector between the two facilities. It’s the most space ever booked for an Indianapolis convention.
Hotel hiccup could cost agencies millions
Local hoteliers and hospitality officials are bracing for a soft 2018. And some in the industry are pointing to the fallout from a controversial 2015 law as the culprit responsible for an expected one-year downturn.
Locally based CEDIA sells massive electronics trade show
Visit Indy officials don’t expect the sale to affect the 2021 CEDIA show in Indianapolis and say they are hopeful it won’t have an impact on the city’s bid to host the event in 2024.
Group business has historic French Lick Resort on a roll
At a time when revenue from its work horse—a casino that opened in late 2006—remains unpredictable, French Lick Resort is rolling the dice on a new strategy: one built on pursuing group sales to increase bookings at the resort and build exposure that will bring guests back for leisure visits. It’s already paying dividends.
Local hotel revenue growth beats national average
Through November, downtown Indianapolis hotels saw their revenue increase 8 percent over the same period a year ago, far ahead of the national average of 4.9 percent.
Late flurry of hotel room bookings gives Visit Indy strong finish for 2016
In the last two weeks of the year, Visit Indy signed deals to bring 41 conventions to Indianapolis in the next five years. Those deals helped push the group close to a new annual record for advance bookings of hotel rooms.
Advanced bookings down for Indy hotels
The number of hotel rooms Visit Indy booked into future years took a tumble in 2016 to the lowest level since 2013. But local tourism and hotel officials aren’t overly concerned.
City inks one-year deal to keep Gen Con through 2021
The short-term extension allows the city to keep one of its largest conventions, with an estimated economic impact of $70 million, for at least another year.
Gen Con organizers seek shorter-term extension with city
After initially seeking a five-year extension that would keep the massive gaming convention in Indianapolis through 2025, Gen Con officials have changed their request.
Despite challenges, regional counties carve out convention, tourism niche
While Indianapolis pursues major sporting events and massive conventions—gatherings that attract tens of thousands of people and score tens of millions of dollars in economic impact—many neighboring counties are chasing small and midsize corporate confabs, weddings and senior-citizen bus tours.
Visit Indy chief says major convention center expansion not needed now
Visit Indy CEO Leonard Hoops told Capital Improvement Board members that standing pat is not an option when it comes to hospitality infrastructure, but a major expansion wouldn’t be needed in the near future.