Tourism leaders in Chicago are launching an initiative some observers think is a direct shot at Indianapolis. In October, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau formed its own sports commission and fed it $300,000 in startup cash.
The gift will enable the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association to continue an annual marketing campaign aimed at attracting Midwestern visitors to the city.
City has a strategy to pitch Indianapolis to honchos.
Strategic Marketing & Research Inc., commonly known as SMARI, measures ad effectiveness for several states, attractions.
With the $275 million Indiana Convention Center expansion built and set to open Jan. 20, one major question remains: Will enough conventions, trade shows and corporate meetings come here to make the big-dollar investment pay off?
As of mid-December, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association had hit about 93 percent of its 2010 goal of booking 650,000 room nights for future conventions. The group is stepping up its efforts to meet the demands of the new JW Marriott hotel and convention center expansion.
Designers of a walkway that connects the buildings are making the experience as attractive as possible in order to overcome
the psychological barrier of moving from one building to another.
As state and city officials sit down with architects to hammer out final plans for the Indiana Convention Center expansion,
they’re cutting some bells and whistles to make sure the project comes in at its $275 million price tag.
