Bloomington tourism ads play off liberal bent
Visit Bloomington has overhauled its marketing campaign and doubled its ad budget this year—pegging the home of Indiana University as the “blue dot in a red state.”
Tourism & Hospitality
Articles
Star Plaza Theatre in northwest Indiana to remain open
The owners of a 3,400-seat theater in northwest Indiana that has featured top entertainers such as Bob Dylan, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock have changed plans and won't demolish the facility.
Barn event venues crop up across central Indiana
Operators are pouring hundreds—in some cases millions—of dollars into renovations of existing barns or built-from-scratch centers that combine the rustic with the elegant, all to feed the still-growing trend of barns as places for weddings and other events.
Restaurant group planning changes to ‘Devour’ events
The Indianapolis Downtown Restaurant & Hospitality Association is making big adjustments to its “Devour” events starting next year, the organization announced Monday.
UPDATE: Indiana State Museum announces $17.8M renovation project
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites plans to pump more than $10 million into the Indianapolis museum in White River State Park and more than $7 million into 11 historic sites it manages around the state.
Evermore music event organizer says festival insolvent
The organizer for the Evermore Music Festival is telling vendors and bands that his business is insolvent and does not have enough money to fully pay them for their work on the inaugural event, which fell far short of attendance projections.
Indiana Landmarks mounts campaign to restore historic clock
Historic preservation not-for-profit Indiana Landmarks is leading a fundraising campaign to restore the 80-year-old “Ayres clock” mounted on the corner of Circle Centre mall at Washington and Meridian streets.
Cash-strapped Indiana zoo could lose nearly half its animals
The national association that accredits zoos and aquariums has given Mesker Park Zoo one year to fix maintenance concerns. Mesker Park is only one of four accredited zoos in Indiana.
Hancock County, 4-H leaders at odds over $18M fairgrounds
County officials and the local 4-H group disagree over who should control a proposed $18 million project for a new county fairgrounds.
High-rise hotel pitched for surface lot across from fieldhouse
A New Orleans company wants to build a 15-story hotel and a seven-level parking garage on downtown property where two previous attempts from other developers have failed.
Hospitality experts disagree on West Elm’s chances for hotel success
Bjorn Hanson, of New York University’s Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, expressed doubt at the home-furnishing retailer’s plan to open at least five hotels, including one in Indianapolis.
High-end retailer West Elm plans Mass Ave hotel
The retail chain plans to open a line of West Elm hotels, with five locations beginning to open in late 2018—including one in the former Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Debbie Locklear shares secrets for corporate gatherings and private shindigs
Debbie Locklear’s firm, Meeting Services Unlimited, works with dozens of clients nationwide and has helped put on shows for some of the country’s biggest corporations and associations, including Indianapolis-based Custom Electronic Design Installation Association.
Seven execs tell us where they take clients to dinner
The biggest business deals often come together over a great dinner. But with all the amazing options—new and old—in Indianapolis, choosing just the right spot might seem daunting. Do you go for the best food? For the trendy new place? Or how about simply a spot where you can hear a conversation?
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.
Marriott buys Starwood, becomes world’s largest hotel chain
Several of the best-known names in travel are now united in one hotel company after the $13 billion acquisition.
Museum of Contemporary Art leaving Fountain Square base
The Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art plans to move out of its headquarters gallery in the Murphy Arts Center by the end of the year to make room for an expansion of bar and music venue Hi-Fi and other building renovations.
Center for the Performing Arts seeking several high-level executives
Since May, the Carmel not-for-profit has lost its CEO and president, vice president of marketing and communications, and vice president of finance.
Indy Pride to move Pride Fest, hire first executive director
Indy Pride Inc. on Friday announced that its 2017 Circle City IN Pride Fest will be moving to Military Park at White River State Park after seven years of growth at the American Legion Mall.
$2M ad campaign helps drive ticket sales for debut air race at IMS
Tourism officials say they don’t know what kind of economic impact to expect from the event but note plenty of hotel rooms are available now for the Oct. 1-2 event.