City bicentennial celebrations ramp up despite pandemic
The city of Indianapolis is turning 200 and, although the pandemic has altered some plans, celebrations are underway and residents have plenty of opportunities to engage.
The city of Indianapolis is turning 200 and, although the pandemic has altered some plans, celebrations are underway and residents have plenty of opportunities to engage.
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.
The operators of the Pavilion at Pan Am Plaza event center are considering building a $15 million venue in downtown Indianapolis to replace the one Kite Realty Group plans to turn into rubble as part of its massive redevelopment of the plaza.
The two winter attractions drew more than 300,000 people to the northern Indianapolis suburb over a four-month period last winter, the city said.
Firms that specialize in making conferences, fundraisers and other events memorable and financially successful must pivot on a dime to stay relevant in the coronavirus era.
Organizers cited “an abundance of caution” for canceling the event, which had been scheduled to run from July 31 to Sept. 7.
The interruption in downtown convention business caused the closure. Also this week: Studio C, Tandoor & Tikka, Peppy Grill, The Fudge Kettle, 21st Amendment Wine & Spirits.
The Indiana State Fair has been called off this year, but the fairgrounds will still feature dozens of rides and vendors selling fair food this summer.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are putting all their energy into running the Indy 500 with fans in August, despite continuing concerns about big crowds and the coronavirus.
The Carmel City Council might force organizers of a proposed film and music festival to find funding elsewhere if they insist on holding it in May 2021.
The onslaught of COVID-19 cases in Indiana, just as wedding season was getting underway, has forced thousands of couples to make quick and often heart-wrenching decisions about how to proceed.
Organizers say they are planning to provide some events digitally. Officials said they are particularly concerned about the disproportionate effect the coronavirus is having on African Americans.
The race—rescheduled for Aug. 23—is on an otherwise open weekend in the city’s summer event calendar, which could fill hotel rooms at a time they would otherwise have been empty.
Early this century, the NCAA enlisted the accounting firm Deloitte to conduct a risk assessment, one that looked at the seemingly preposterous notion that the NCAA men’s basketball tournament—one of the most lucrative events in sports—would be canceled.
IndyHub, working with Leadership Indianapolis, plans to host digital book clubs, panel discussions and virtual meet-ups, replacing their traditional event and program schedules with opportunities to convene remotely.
The trade-only event scheduled for March 14-17 had been expected to draw 60,000 visitors and 2,200 exhibitors from 45 countries.
The $1 million initiative was announced in October as a legacy project tied to next year’s All-Star festivities, with each group receiving up to $50,000 in funding for youth-serving projects.
Fresh off a trip to Chicago for this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend, city officials are contemplating how best to celebrate the sport when the city hosts the event next year.
Carmel’s proposed film and music festival didn’t receive as much funding as organizers hoped for, but dates are set and a not-for-profit has been formed to run it.
The state plans to welcome hundreds of business and economic development leaders to Indianapolis in the spring for its first-ever Indiana Global Economic Summit.