FFA Convention hits Indianapolis this week with up to 50K visitors
The event, typically one of the biggest annual conventions in Indy, was held virtually last year because of the pandemic.
Conventions
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10 ways to make your next convention or event environmentally friendlier
Over the past few years, interest in hosting environmentally friendly, “sustainable” business meetings and conventions has risen as inexorably as sea levels and summer temperatures.
Gen Con returns to Convention Center for first time since 2019
The massive gaming event is expected to draw upward of 40,000 people to downtown Indianapolis from Thursday through Sunday, marking the largest convention the city has hosted since before the coronavirus outbreak.
Crushed by pandemic, conventions mount cautious return
A lot is riding on the revival of in-person meetings. Prior to the pandemic, conferences and trade shows generated more than $1 trillion in direct spending and attracted 1.5 billion attendees annually around the world, according to the Events Industry Council, a trade group.
IBJ Podcast: Why a Chicago trade show displaced by the pandemic picked Indy
IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey talks with John Downs, the CEO of the National Confectioners Association, to find out why the group decided to host its signature trade show—The Sweets & Snacks Expo—in person this year and how it picked Indianapolis to be the event’s location.
CEO: ‘There’s a groundswell of support’ for candy expo to return to Indy
Indianapolis this week welcomed the Sweets & Snacks Expo at the Indiana Convention Center—its first major trade show since March 2020. John Downs, chief of the organization that organizes the event, said he’d like to see it return to Indianapolis in the future.
CIB optimistic about finances post-pandemic
The Capital Improvement Board of Marion County is working to balance its budget and rebuild its reserves after a year in which it fell $40 million into the red.
National FFA moving ahead with in-person convention in October
The Indianapolis-based group devoted to agricultural education said Wednesday morning that it expects anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people to attend its convention this fall at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Westin hotel downtown spiffing up with eight-figure renovation
The overhaul follows the hotel’s acquisition by an Atlanta-based firm for $118.3 million in August 2019.
Watch ‘The Rebound: Indy’s bounce back,’ a mini-documentary about the pandemic and the city’s hospitality industry
IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey, who has been covering the Indianapolis hospitality industry from the start of the pandemic the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, interviewed dozens of people in an effort to piece together how the city is working to emerge from the pandemic.
Gen Con reschedules to September, plans ‘hybrid’ event
In a statement on Gen Con’s website, event organizers said they believe the calendar change is the “best approach both to meet the many challenges of the moment and to explore possibilities for the future.”
March Madness could spark new growth in Indy events, conventions
Visit Indy plans to bring in a small group of “key decision-makers” from across the United States throughout the tournament, with the goal of letting major event executives safely see Indianapolis’ capabilities.
Carl Doninger: A unique take from the Final Four hardwood
Like PopCon, the NCAA is in the business of “fun.” Fun will not be had if you are worried about yourself and the people in which you come into contact. It is just as important for the world to see that Indianapolis, and Indiana-at-large is taking this undertaking seriously.
Undaunted by COVID, city tourism pros pack events into early 2021
Officials are hopeful new virus cases won’t ruin plans to host two dozen events in the first quarter of 2021—including efforts to bring the full NCAA men’s basketball tournament here.
Here’s what meetings and conventions could look like in the near future—and beyond
Liability waivers, temperature checks, social distancing. They’re in the foreseeable future for groups that want to meet in person.
Massive snacks convention picks Indy over sweet home Chicago for 2021 expo
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is expected to attract more than 13,000 attendees and generate an economic impact of $10.2 million.
Lost convention business exceeds $535M, leading to further budget challenges
Overall, 340 groups, representing nearly 965,000 attendees, outright canceled their Indianapolis events this year because of the pandemic. The loss of business is taking a toll on the Capital Improvement Board’s revenue streams.
PRI cancels its December trade show at convention center
The trade show in a typical year brings upwards of 67,000 people to the Indiana Convention Center and generates an economic impact of $65 million. Last year’s event had 1,100 exhibitors and 3,300 booths.
Tourism experts disagree on wisdom of planned convention center expansion
Overall attendance at Indiana Convention Center events has stagnated, but annual major conventions have seen explosive growth.
Indiana Convention Center still hosting some events despite pandemic
The pandemic hasn’t stopped all hospitality business in Indianapolis. Nearly 40,000 people have visited downtown since the beginning of July for events at the Indiana Convention Center or at major hotels.