Hotel operator says Indy hospitality growth spotty
Convention center is sparking optimism, Schahet says, but overall market is still soft.
ICVA
Articles
Bed-and-breakfasts complain of inferior ICVA support
Local B&B operators squeezed by the economy, including Gary Hofmeister, claim they could be doing better if they got some
support from the
Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association.
City inks long-term deal with motorsports show
An agreement with the International Motorsports Industry Show will keep it in the city indefinitely. Attendance for the three-day
December convention is expected to top 20,000.
Benner leaving convention group for Horizon League
Well-known local sports columnist Bill Benner is leaving his job at the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association to
become senior associate commissioner for external affairs for the Horizon League.
Football coaches’ group to convene in Indianapolis
The four-day events in 2014 and 2019 are expected to draw about 7,000 attendees each and fill a total of more than 20,000
room nights, likely ranking among the city’s 25 largest conventions each year.
Officials: Despite expansion, convention center needs work
Seven months before the $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center is complete, convention planners and local
convention and tourism officials are calling for an upgrade to the existing Convention Center space.
Cheer competition inks three-year extension with city
Jamfest Cheer Super Nationals will be held in Indianapolis through 2015. The competition is one of the city’s largest annual
gatherings, attracting about 20,000 cheerleaders and spectators.
City visitors group launches $1.3M ad campaign
The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is spending $1.3 million to promote the city to eight Midwestern markets,
in
hopes of attracting more travelers.
British tour firms’ visit may lead to transatlantic direct flights
An initiative to bring 10 of the biggest travel tour operators in the United Kingdom to this year’s Indianapolis 500 could
be a first step in bolstering business at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, area golf courses and Indianapolis International
Airport, where city boosters hope to establish direct flights to London.
Indianapolis beats Louisville on visitors, but not space
Together, the Kentucky International Convention Center and the Kentucky Exhibition Center offer cavernous space. However,
Indianapolis is attracting more guests.
Connector bridges gap between convention center and stadium
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.
Corporate hospitality in doldrums at Speedway
Unfathomable just a decade ago, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is trimming demands on hospitality packages in a scramble
to fill vacancies and preserve what IMS officials call "a major profit center."
Indianapolis to host conference for occupational therapists
Attracting the meeting is a coup for Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association officials who are trying to pull in
more health-related events.
Convention center tours part of larger tourism strategy
Executives of Gen Con, one of the city's largest conventions, visited Indianapolis last week to get their first glance
of the construction of the Indiana Convention Center expansion. Local tourism officials are using such tours to market the
larger space.
Local officials interested in hosting NBA All-Star Game
With Lucas Oil Stadium and other new city amenities to show off, local sports and tourism officials are considering making
a bid for the NBA’s midseason blowout weekend.
ICVA chief: Downtown Indianapolis will need another big hotel
The 1,000-room J.W. Marriott isn’t even finished and support already is emerging for a second downtown hotel that
would rival it in size.
Local convention activity warming up during winter months
Once considered a destination only eight months of the year, Indianapolis—with its compact downtown and indoor walkways—is
emerging as a convention powerhouse even during cold weather.
First hotel in downtown Marriott complex to open doors
The Fairfield Inn & Suites on West Washington Street downtown will open Wednesday. The hotel is the first of four comprising
the 1,600-room Marriott Place project to welcome guests.
ICVA receives $5.4M gift to promote Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association said Thursday that it has received a $5.4 million gift to help market the
city’s tourism and convention industries. The grant comes from a foundation headed by the developer of the Marriott Place
hotel complex under construction downtown.
ICVA hotel-room bookings ahead of schedule
Groups that committed in 2009 to hold meetings in Indianapolis in future years booked a total of nearly 688,000 hotel-room
nights, a number that exceeded ICVA’s goal by 5 percent.