Indianapolis Business Journal

The Indiana Pacers are turning to a Mickey Mouse operation in an attempt to improve customer service at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Make that, THE Mickey Mouse organization. IBJ's Anthony Schoettle explains how the Blue and Gold are teaming up with Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Institute. Also in this issue, we belly up to the bar to explain how a new law is paving the way for micro-distilleries across the state. And in A&E, Lou Harry hams it up at Broad Ripple's new Cuban sandwich spot.

In this week's issue, Scott Olson reveals that the new owner of the Illinois Building is stirring conversation about an upscale hotel in the downtown landmark. Also in this issue, Dan Human checks in with the Indiana entrepreneur who famously rejected a $200,000 offer from Mark Cuban on "Shark Tank." And in A&E, Lou Harry essays the biennial contemporary exhibit at the Eiteljorg.

The homegrown speaker and headphone maker Klipsch Group in recent weeks released a bevy of new products and launched a marketing campaign headlined by high-profile athletes and a rock band. Anthony Schoettle has details on the products, the push, and the people who will help get the word out. Also this week, J.K. Wall explores the possibility that Indiana could leave $1.2 billion in federal funds for health care on the table. And in Focus, we examine whether the citywide smoking ban that took effect in 2012 has helped boost convention business.

In this week's issue, Scott Olson hits the streets with local real estate legend Bif Ward, who is approaching the mind-boggling milestone of $1 billion in career sales. Scott rides along for a day on Ward's rounds and tries to figure out what makes her tick. Also in this issue, Anthony Schoettle uncovers what brought the behemoth Performance Racing Industry Show—with a total local economic impact of $45 million—back to Indianapolis after an eight-year absence. And in A&E, dining reviewer Lou Harry gets the scoop on the super-sized new Yats on Massachusetts Avenue.

In this week's issue, Anthony Schoettle explores whether the lack of a five-star hotel in Indianapolis hampers the city's chances of landing another Super Bowl. Dan Human profiles five up-and-coming tech firms that could be attractive acquisition targets. Chris O'Malley explains why TV's syndicated "Family Feud" is devoting an inordinate amount of airtime to Hoosier contestants. And in A&E, Lou Harry cases the new Studio Movie Grill for its cinematic bona fides and family-friendly eats.

In this week's issue, Anthony Schoettle reveals that Indiana University officials are seeking as much as $20 million to upgrade the Natatorium on the IUPUI campus and are in discussions to turn over operations to a third party. (The aquatics venue is in dire need of upgrades and is losing about $1 million per year.) Also, J.K. Wall takes a closer look at the premiums being offered to Indiana residents through Obamacare exchanges, which are among the most expensive in the country. And in A&E, Lou Harry appraises the blockbuster Matisse exhibit at IMA.

You didn't need to be a professional prognosticator to see this coming: Ratings for newscasts on WTHR-TV Channel 13 have surged since meteorologist Angela Buchman debuted, following her exit from competitor WISH-TV Channel 8 last year. IBJ's Chris O'Malley reports that numbers are very persuasive, as ratings for all of 13's evening newscasts have soared by double digits. Also in this issue, Anthony Schoettle reports that the Indiana Pacers are the first team in the NBA to score a deal for advertising on its court (outside of naming-rights sponsors). And in Focus, Jeff Newman has new details on the proposed Market Square Tower, which could be the first major addition to Indy's east-side skyline in decades.

This week, Scott Olson reports that the 19-building Precedent Office Park near Keystone Avenue and south of 96th Street has been put on the market, just eight years after selling to its current owner for $143 million. In Focus, J.K. Wall illustrates how technology could dramatically change the way doctors keep patients healthy. And in Forefront, columnist Sam Odle warns that Indiana will begin to wither if our leaders don't do more to attract immigrants to the state.

Boomers are ready to sell the suburban homes where they raised their kids and buy more modest abodes, but are hitting a disconnect in the housing market: Many of today's young families don't want to live in a subdivision or can't afford what the boomers are asking. IBJ's Norm Heikens documents their struggles. Also this week, we present IBJ's annual Meeting & Event Planners Guide, including stories about the growing influence of youth sports on tourism and the challenge of filling Indy's new convention center. And in A&E, Lou Harry checks out IRT's production of "The Crucible," which casts off the shackles of allegory and finds its power in the characters' complexity.

This week, see how the Fishers Redevelopment Commission is helping to remake the fast-growing community and read about why a group of elite investors are giving back most of the money they made from Tim Durham's Fair Finance Co. In  Focus, take a look at the booming rental market in downtown Indianapolis. And in A&E, Lou Harry explores the best of the West at the Eiteljorg.

Everybody knows that Indiana has a problem with brain drain—keeping its talented graduates in-state—right? Wrong. IBJ's J.K. Wall has debunked the conventional wisdom—and the findings of a major study—to show that Indiana actually holds onto a good share of its graduates. Tackling another bit of conventional wisdom, IBJ's Kathleen McLaughlin takes a closer look at the planned nonstop flights between Indianapolis and San Francisco and finds that they aren't as convenient for tech executives as advertised. And Anthony Schoettle finds a local inventor who has discovered that waterlogging doesn't necessarily mean the death of a smartphone.

This week, see what new Indy Chamber chief Michael Huber envisions for the organization and find out why a partisan battle is brewing over the Marion County Sheriff's Department. In Focus, explore the rationale for the trails sprouting throughout the northern suburbs. And in A&E, Lou Harry introduces the new Playscape area at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

This week, J.K. Wall examines Mitch Daniels' uphill battle to change the way Purdue University measures student learning, graduate success and the school's overall academic quality. After a year in the job as university president, Daniels still faces skepticism from faculty who view his quantitative approach, miserly style and political bent as counterproductive. In Focus, we present our annual list of the top real estate brokers in central Indiana, with in-depth info on their transactions for 2012. And in Forefront, state legislators go head-to-head in a debate over the best methods to improve the Indiana's economic outlook.

This week, read IBJ's special report detailing how Indianapolis spent nearly $400 million in Rebuild Indy funds and find out how a Noblesville firm helped Budweiser's parent company develop a "revolutionary" beer can. Lou Harry offers a guide to arts events worth trying in the annual A&E Season Preview. And Bill Benner shares his thoughts on college football.

This week: Scott Olson explores a new way cooler-toting sightseers are tooling around town using peddle power, and Andrea Davis shares developer Pittman Partners' plans for a high-profile corner in Zionsville. In Focus, Anthony Schoettle takes a look at how advances in vending machine technology are helping Fastenal grow. And in A&E, Lou Harry offers a beginner's guide to the IndyFringe festival. Plus: IBJ's 2013 Healthiest Employers.

The upcoming MotoGP motorcycle race could be the last at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as NASCAR officials lobby instead for a stand-alone race for a newly merged sports-car series. Anthony Schoettle has more on the United Sports Car Series that will kick off in 2014, and the impact in Indianapolis of losing MotoGP. Also this week, Andrea Davis has an inside look at two redevelopment ideas for a seven-acre parcel near Carmel's downtown. The catch is that the projects—priced $33 million and $65 million, respectively—each would require a funding kick from the public. And in A&E, Lou Harry surveys the new goodies offered by food vendors at the Indiana State Fair.

In this week's issue, we have a number of pieces focusing on the city's approach to crime, including news that the tax-averse Ballard administration is willing to consider an income-tax hike to add more police officers. Also this week, Chris O'Malley takes a look at a recent stumble by City Securities Corp., which could lose its grip on the Indiana municipal bond market. And Scott Olson examines the flood of new downtown apartment projects and their possible effect on the retail market. The projects will add another 170,000 square feet of apartment-anchored retail, leading to a potential glut as existing downtown storefronts struggle to find tenants.

This week, read about a series of EEOC complaints filed against WTHR-TV--seven since 2005--by female employees alleging sex discrimination and meet the  three Colts employees who have been on the team's payroll since it called Baltimore home. Also, examine the IU medical school's progress in the research realm. And in Focus, see how Indiana's tourism spending stack up against other nearby states looking to draw visitors.