Visit Indy Has Hosted 18 Indiana Events In 40 Days With Over 40,000 Attendees
September 2, 2020
In the past 40 days, Indy has now safely welcomed 40,160 attendees across 18 events and meetings. We are back on track.
Indy’s momentum has gotten the attention of national media from “Condé Nast Traveler” to “Food & Wine” magazines, and earned the city USA Today’s “#1 Convention City in the U.S.” honors. Numerous major developments have the city continuously evolving and moving forward.
With $7 million in safety enhancements invested in the Convention Center immediately following the March 17 closure, Indy showcased these measures for the first time as the Tournament of Champions brought nearly 300 basketball teams and 9,000 visitors to the city. To date, we’ve hosted 18 events and meetings, 11 of these groups were hosted inside the Indiana Convention Center, while the other seven were self-contained throughout downtown hotel properties. These include medical, corporate, and religious meetings, along with amateur basketball tournaments.
All events operated under strict guidelines, as event organizers worked closely to implement an approved safety plan that included limiting occupancy to 250 people in each exhibit hall, requiring everyone to wear masks while inside, having daily temperature checks, and strict directional flow of attendees throughout the halls.
“The Indiana Convention Center and the City of Indianapolis pulled out all the stops and worked hard to ensure this event went off without a hitch,” said Tournament of Champions’ Director of Event Operations Amanda Ewing. “While our main focus was to provide a safe place to play for those who were ready to do so, we also saw this as an opportunity to help kick-start our industry in general and show how to keep people safe while still conducting business. The health of the events industry is directly tied to the health of the economy in all major cities. Our industry is very far reaching, and it’s necessary to find a safe way to get back to work so that those employed by hotels, restaurants, and airlines can get back to work as well.”