How the NCAA tournament built its ‘bubble’ in Indianapolis
The 68-team men’s tournament, which starts Thursday, is usually staged in 14 cities across the country. Here’s how Indianapolis plans to pull off the whole thing all by itself.
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How arenas work to keep fans safer while attending indoor sports
Experts say attending events like the NCAA basketball tourney is relatively safe because of how big arenas with high ceilings work to move and mix air—as long as capacity limits allow for physical distancing and masks are still worn properly.
Looking to eat out? Here’s a list of restaurants with heated outdoor seating
The weather is starting to warm up, meaning patio dining is much more comfortable than it was a few months ago.
Baker takes leave from Women’s Fund to be March Madness ringmaster
Over the past few weeks, Jennifer Pope Baker has spent pretty much every waking moment overseeing Indy’s effort to host this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Ryan Vaughn: The NCAA tournament is uniting our city
It’s taken thousands of Hoosier residents willing to put community first in order to take Indy’s success to the next level.
Three-week downtown arts festival to coincide with NCAA tournament
More than 600 artists, musicians, dancers and other creative types are expected to take part in Swish, an arts and cultural festival that will take over sidewalks and outdoor cultural spaces in downtown Indianapolis starting Saturday.
Performance Racing Industry to hold in-person trade show again in 2021
A typical PRI Show brings upwards of 67,000 people to Indianapolis and generates an economic impact of $65 million, making it one of the city’s largest annual events.
State launches digital ad campaign to leverage exposure during NCAA tourney
To take advantage the national attention on Indiana as it hosts the entire NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the state has enlisted some famous Hoosiers and some up-and-coming residents for a campaign to show why Indiana is a great place to live, work, study and play.
NCAA tournament will be no party for event venues
Other than a few facilities that will be COVID testing sites, team lounges or overflow areas, most event spaces that usually glean revenue from tournament gatherings could be left out in the cold.
Event manager makes career shift after pandemic job loss
Former JW Marriott employee Lisette Woloszyk watched things go from bad to worse in March, as cancellations for the city’s hotels racked up alongside COVID-19 cases.
Spectators to be allowed at Big Ten men’s, women’s tournaments in Indy
A limited number of spectators will be allowed to attend the Big Ten Conference’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Indianapolis this month, the conference announced Thursday morning.
March Madness will help restaurants. But how much?
The city will host an unprecedented number of games with the entire tournament being played in Indiana. But the pandemic will limit capacity at both games and restaurants.
Tournament’s economic impact will turn on number of fans who come
Even after the NCAA said Feb. 19 that some spectators will be allowed at the games, local tourism officials and economists are still tempering their financial expectations.
NCAA tournament tests won’t be included in state’s public dashboard
The Indiana Department of Health told IBJ that the state’s COVID-19 testing data, which has been updated daily since the pandemic began almost a year ago, is limited to information on Indiana residents.
NFL owners working to implement 17-game schedule for 2021 season
The deliberations about when to implement the 17-game season are tied in part to the completion of new broadcasting contracts with the television networks, according to people familiar with the planning of owners and the league.
Fans to be allowed at NCAA men’s basketball tourney games
Most of the games will be played at a handful of venues in Indianapolis, while remaining games will be played in West Lafayette and Bloomington.
Capital Improvement Board ends 2020 with $40M deficit
The agency, which operates the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Victory Field, was hit hard by the pandemic, with annual revenue off more than 50% from the previous year.
Newfields president resigns amid staff, community pushback
Charles Venable, who came to Newfields in 2012, stepped down Wednesday amid controversy over a job posting.
Indiana should see some economic recovery this year, economist says
Indiana’s economy should start to recover this year from the damage of COVID-19, but the economy likely won’t fully rebound until late 2022 or early 2023, a Ball State University economist says.
Dozens of Newfields employees sign letter calling for ouster of Venable
The letter said staff members spent four hours Monday “listening to members of senior leadership attempt to explain themselves, their actions and their plans,” but were left feeling “more distrustful and confused” about their future after the meeting.