Skyline Club operator to be acquired in $1.1 billion deal
Apollo Global Management has agreed to acquire ClubCorp Holdings Inc., a golf-club and business-club operator whose properties include the Skyline Club in downtown Indianapolis.
Meeting & Event Planning
Articles
Gen Con closing in on its first sellout in 50 years
Local hospitality officials are expecting the 50th edition of the annual gaming event to be one of the biggest conventions the city has ever hosted.
Longtime Lucas Oil Stadium director departing for speedway
Mike Fox, who spent 33 years as stadium director at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Hoosier Dome, will now oversee facility operations at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Group business has historic French Lick Resort on a roll
At a time when revenue from its work horse—a casino that opened in late 2006—remains unpredictable, French Lick Resort is rolling the dice on a new strategy: one built on pursuing group sales to increase bookings at the resort and build exposure that will bring guests back for leisure visits. It’s already paying dividends.
Barn event venues crop up across central Indiana
Operators are pouring hundreds—in some cases millions—of dollars into renovations of existing barns or built-from-scratch centers that combine the rustic with the elegant, all to feed the still-growing trend of barns as places for weddings and other events.
Restaurant group planning changes to ‘Devour’ events
The Indianapolis Downtown Restaurant & Hospitality Association is making big adjustments to its “Devour” events starting next year, the organization announced Monday.
Debbie Locklear shares secrets for corporate gatherings and private shindigs
Debbie Locklear’s firm, Meeting Services Unlimited, works with dozens of clients nationwide and has helped put on shows for some of the country’s biggest corporations and associations, including Indianapolis-based Custom Electronic Design Installation Association.
Seven execs tell us where they take clients to dinner
The biggest business deals often come together over a great dinner. But with all the amazing options—new and old—in Indianapolis, choosing just the right spot might seem daunting. Do you go for the best food? For the trendy new place? Or how about simply a spot where you can hear a conversation?
Despite challenges, regional counties carve out convention, tourism niche
While Indianapolis pursues major sporting events and massive conventions—gatherings that attract tens of thousands of people and score tens of millions of dollars in economic impact—many neighboring counties are chasing small and midsize corporate confabs, weddings and senior-citizen bus tours.
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.
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.
Fuson: NBA All-Star Game economic impact bigger than anticipated
City and Indiana Pacers officials will decide after they get bid requirements later this summer whether to pursue the NBA All-Star Game for Indianapolis.
Developer plans $25M hotel, conference center in Plainfield
A local hotel developer plans to build the 175-room Embassy Suites near the town’s Interstate 70 interchange and Indianapolis International Airport.
Children’s Museum matures to become keystone of city, state tourism strategy
The museum is arguably the Indy area’s most magnetic force, luring visitors from virtually every state in the country and six of seven continents.
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.
Poll finds RFRA impacts linger; Visit Indy acts to blunt damage
The survey found that only 45 percent of the 339 meeting decision makers polled agree with the city’s post-RFRA battle cry “Indy Welcomes All.” And a mere 28 percent surveyed agree with the statement “Indiana Welcomes All.”
Hamilton County Sports Authority prepares for busy 2016
The organization, a division of Hamilton County Tourism Inc., is launching a five-year calendar, increasing its budget by 25 percent and hiring another staff member.
Live Nation’s deal to buy Old National Centre unravels
The group that owns the landmark entertainment and hospitality venue in downtown Indianapolis has decided not to sell the building after Live Nation made an offer late last year.