CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: Help celebrate our 25th year

You, too, can be published in IBJ.

As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, we’re inviting readers to submit their thoughts on how Indianapolis has changed over the last 25 years.

The best-written and most compelling submission will be included in our IBJ silver anniversary commemorative publication, enclosed for subscribers with their April 25 issue.

Here are the details: Keep your essay between 500 and 800 words, and send it to us at essay@ibj.com. Or log on to www.ibj.com, and click on the “Get published in IBJ” link. Deadline is Feb. 7.

This opportunity is one part of our celebration to mark a milestone in 2005, when IBJ completes a quarter-century of publishing. It’s been a great ride so far.

The lead story of our first issue was about the potential for a domed stadium downtown. Isn’t it coincidental that today we are talking about a new version of the same thing?

What has happened in our city in the intervening 25 years is nothing short of miraculous. IBJ has been happy to be at the forefront of bringing all that news to you as it happened.

I’ve always thought it fortuitous that we started this publication at a time of booming local growth. The year 1980 marked the beginning of 2-1/2 decades that transformed Indianapolis from merely a city with big ideas into a real contender.

During that time, our city has stood out as an example of how the public and private sectors can work together to make big dreams come true. Many Midwestern cities have mimicked Indy’s ideas.

And, as the city grew, IBJ grew. We are thankful for that. Like our hometown, we have tried to stay ahead of the game and reinvent ourselves, our ultimate motivation being to meet and to exceed the needs of our readers.

You’ve probably noticed the 25-year anniversary logo that appears every week now on both the frontpageand page3. I hope you’re reading “A Look Back,” an anniversary-related feature that appears on the Editorial page each week, and will through May.

At year 10, we cordoned off Monument Circle for a party. At year 15, we threw a luncheon at the Indiana Roof Ballroom for 800 guests with Mayor Steve Goldsmith as our keynote speaker. At year 20, we took the longer view and said to ourselves, “We don’t need to have a big to-do every five years.”

So, what’s on the agenda for year 25?

Our celebration this year will be subtle, but powerful. As for an event, we’ll host a client-appreciation party in the spring, celebrating our 25 years in business with the people who helped us get where we are today.

We will also publish the aforementioned IBJ silver anniversary edition. This beautiful publication will take a look back at the people and the news that have propelled our city the last quarter-century.

The edition will include recaps on major industries, profiles of newsmakers, a time line of major events, and much more, including a feature called “Growing up with IBJ,” a look at some promising young people who were born the same year as our newspaper.

And, in addition to the essay contest, there’s another feature that requires your assistance.

We need you to help us pick the biggest business news stories from the last 2-1/2 decades. We’ve done the first round of vetting by combing through more than 1,200 issues to find what we think are the Top 25. You can help us narrow the list to 10, and rank the 10, by going to www.ibj.com, clicking on the “Help pick IBJ’s all-time top stories” link, and following the simple instructions.

Hope you’ll participate … and have fun doing it.