Gen Con wants more lodging options in Indy to fuel growth
Total attendance for last week’s Gen Con show in Indianapolis inched up over last year’s record numbers. More hotel spaces could help the show expand, according to an organizer.
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Fishers-based vendor loves doing business at Gen Con
In 2006, just three years after Indianapolis became the home of the national gaming convention, Tom Anders of Fishers decided to turn his gaming hobby into a business.
Hospitality industry braces for new overtime rules
While the new law applies to all employers, it could hit the hospitality sector harder than most. The hotel industry is one that relies heavily on modestly paid middle managers, who are exempt from overtime, to pick up the slack—and extra hours—when called upon.
New report exposes Indy convention soft spots
The annual report of the city’s Capital Improvement Board shows the number of events at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium—and the total attendance for those events—fell sharply from 2014 to 2015.
Central Indiana showcased as 200 mayors come to town
Mayors, their staffs and policy experts from across the country—about 1,200 conference attendees in all—will attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual summer gathering that runs Friday through Monday.
Gen Con’s expansion to Lucas Oil is test for conventions
Gen Con is the biggest and highest-profile convention to use both the stadium and convention center since the 2011 expansion—and others are watching to see how it works.
Indy lands convention with 50,000 visitors, $35M impact
Primerica Inc.’s annual gathering will be one of the city’s five biggest conventions in 2017. The deal came together in a matter of weeks, which is exceedingly rare in the world of mega-conventions.
Restroom neutrality becomes hospitality sales tool
Only 1 percent of the events booked over the last year at the Indiana Convention Center asked for gender-neutral bathrooms, but hospitality experts say it’s a big and growing issue.
YouTube stars, multiple genres help boost locally created PopCon
The inaugural outing of Indy PopCon, in 2014, generated about 9,000 turnstile spins. Last year’s event had 24,000.
Major renovation for downtown Marriott to run ‘tens of millions’
The revamp of the 622-room Marriott is meant to bring the hotel up to the same standards as the JW Marriott a block to the west. The latter’s owners have agreed to buy the former for $165 million.
National FFA Organization names new chief executive
Mark Poeschl, of Brookville, Ohio, will take over leadership of the Indianapolis-based National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation on Aug. 1, succeeding Dwight Armstrong, who is retiring after leading the organizations for seven years.
U.S. Conference of Mayors plans June meeting in Indianapolis
Each of the presidential candidates and newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan have been invited to speak at the event.
Indiana Comic Con draws record crowd, plans to return next year
Attendance for the third annual Indiana Comic Con was up more than 4,000 and the event’s economic impact increased by $1 million, according to local tourism officials.
New hotel boosts downtown Muncie tourism business
Only three months in, Muncie's most recent major investment to its downtown corridor seems to be luring hundreds of people who otherwise might never have visited.
Visit Indy sets annual record for hotel room bookings
Hotel rooms booked by Visit Indy rose to a record in 2015. But the number of bookings from out-of-state organizations plummeted by more than 100,000, possibly because of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act controversy.
Survey: Religious freedom law costly for convention business
Indiana might have lost as much as $60 million in hotel profits and other economic benefits when a dozen groups decided against hosting conventions in Indianapolis last year possibly because of the controversy surrounding the religious freedom law.
Indy fends off rivals, signs multiyear NFL Combine pact
Indianapolis has hit pay dirt with a multiyear deal intended to keep the lucrative NFL Scouting Combine here through 2020, just as competition to host the high-profile event intensifies.
PRI expo hits gas on attendance, keeping exhibitors busy
The Performance Racing Industry expo’s attendance over the weekend in Indianapolis surpassed 55,000, as exhibitors reported best-ever sales.
Growing Gen Con event to use Lucas Oil Stadium in 2016
The annual gaming convention, considered the largest of its kind, attracted 61,423 individuals for 197,695 visits in August, marking its sixth straight year of growth.
Conference frustration leads to business that helps companies pick best events
In January, Kristin Eilenberg launched Lodestone Insights and has built up a team of 15 people feeding a searchable, sortable database of more than 4,100 conferences around the world.