It’s a great day for a meeting here in Indianapolis!  Welcome to our little corner of the blogosphere!

My name is Nathan Smurdon and I have the pleasure of serving as the voice for our entire team of sales professionals that work to keep Indianapolis hopping with conventions and meetings all year 'round.  I've been at the ICVA for 6 years and during that time have worked with both in-house, one hotel size meetings as well as large citywide events.

So what will this space be all about?

As our team works with our customers to connect them with the hotels, meeting venues, attractions and other Indianapolis resources that will make their event a success - we are always learning new things along the way.  We're a curious bunch!

So whether it is something new our client is doing as they plan and execute their meeting in Indianapolis or just a new tidbit about one of our local Indy partners - this will be our place to share those valuable pieces of event related wisdom!

Along the way we invite you to ask questions, share comments and thoughts and participate in the dialogue.  So sit back, add us to your list of favorite RSS feeds and get ready to stay up to speed on all the latest and greatest Indy convention and meeting news!

And if you ever want to drop me a note directly - you can do so to nsmurdon@indianapolis.org.  Would love to hear from you!

 

Last week I filed a short report on the portion of our ICVA Annual Meeting that covered the look backward on 2008.

Thanks for all those that were game enough to call in - it has been great talking with you!

What I didn't share was the other aspect of the meeting - a look forward into our plans for 2009 and beyond.  With so much new and exciting development happening in the city, expectations are high as we continue to pursue our mission of increasing Indianapolis economic growth through tourism.

We have five high level goals we will work to accomplish this year and if you click on the logo in this post you'll have a chance to peruse these goals and the way we will go about achieving them.  But I think the one that was highlighted most at the meeting was goal #2.

Expand the positive perception of Indianapolis.

Before visiting Indianapolis, feedback that we hear from meeting planners, board members and site selection committee members often includes concern that they will have difficulty promoting an Indianapolis convention to their attendees. 

After conducting a site visit, however, the last words spoken by these same individuals as they depart for home is often "I had no idea..."  After selecting Indianapolis they know they may still have to work a bit harder than they would if they selected an ocean side location or one with snow capped mountains in the distance.  

But you know what?  They also rest well in the comfort of knowing that it will be well worth it once they've conducted their meeting and have the opportunity to hear the positive feedback from their attendees about how easy it is to navigate the Indianapolis package of hotels, meeting space, dining options and entertainment and how they enjoyed their time here.

When it comes to things to do in Indianapolis - it has (and will continue to be) so easy to do so much. 

But we get it - we recognize the disconnect between the expectation prior to visiting and the reality of what is experienced here in Indy.  And the new branding platform that was shared at the meeting last week will be a large part of addressing this. 

Those that attended the meeting were given a glimpse of what the new brand might look like in the form of a promotional video - it drew rave reviews for it's energy and attitude...and that was just one example of what we'll be rolling out over the next few months! 

But we all know successful brands are experienced and not easily explained with mere words, so I'll allow our new teammates at Young & Laramore get to work on putting the brand into action.  Stay tuned...

And if you missed it, our CEO Don Welsh talked with Gerry Dick on Inside Indiana Business this past weekend - check it out!

Yep - you guessed it, we do get snow here in Indianapolis from time to time during winter months.  We had some of that "cold weather precipitation" yesterday and today in fact - no different than Dallas, St. Louis, Louisville, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cincinnati & Columbus - all affected by the same winter storm.  Tampa?  Well no, they got theirs last week...

But of course it is all what you make of the situation, so when I received this flyer yesterday afternoon from the cluster of our downtown hotels run by Dora Hospitality Corporation, I thought - Bravo!

Stay Over Snow Flyer

Gotta love quick on your feet hotel marketing!

When it comes to Indianapolis sports event venues - there is one thing they are known for here in Indy - flexibility to host a variety of events.  Case in point?  Here is a nice time lapse video of Conseco Fieldhouse over this past weekend when they hosted an NBA game, an AVP beach volleyball event and another NBA game - back to back to back on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights.

This isn't just a "one off" example either.  Whether they are hosting Disney on Ice, a Pacers or Fever pro basketball game, beach volleyball, Cirque du Solei, Celine Dion, Dancing with the Stars, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, the World's Toughest Rodeo, Indianapolis Ice hockey, WWE wrestling or a banquet for hundreds or a small meeting...this place has you covered!
All of the above mentioned events are on the Fieldhouse calendar for the 8 week period between mid-December and mid-February by the way - I don't think I could have come up with such a diverse event list if I tried!  If you are interested in more specifics on what Conseco has to offer, just click on the below pic of the Fieldhouse for more info...just another great example of another Indianapolis meeting space option!

 

"Hey!  It's a great day for a meeting here in Indianapolis!  You've reached the voicemail for..."

If you've ever called my office and I was away meeting with clients, you've heard these words as my voicemail picked up.  I can't actually take credit for them - in fact I am not ashamed to admit I stole them from another ICVA staffer that has since retired (thanks Lester!).  But you need to know that you won't be hearing them any longer...

Yesterday at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, our ICVA senior leadership team was joined on stage by Mayor Greg Ballard, IMA CEO Max Anderson, Emmis Communications CEO Jeff Smulyan and our friends from Young & Laramore to report on our efforts from the 2008 calendar year and lay out our vision & strategies for 2009 and beyond.

Oh yeah - in the audience were nearly 600 hospitality leaders from our community that partner with us on a daily basis to make Indianapolis the convention and leisure destination that time and time again exceeds the expectations of our visitors.  Were you there?  Drop a comment and give us your take!

Wasn't the energy in "The Toby" theatre amazing?  Granted, it doesn't take much to get those of us in the hospitality industry jazzed about our city - after all, it IS what we sell day in and day out, right?

But I don't know that many of us often take the time to realize in whole what our city has accomplished in just the last year.  The accomplishments related to what we do here in sales in part (and in no particular order):

• The NEW Indianapolis Airport terminal opened.  Not just a new wing to the existing building.  An entirely new terminal providing our visitors with a fantastic arrival experience to our city.
• Lucas Oil Stadium successfully opened to replace the RCA Dome, which was imploded a few months later to make way for the 4th expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.
• The 1,600-room JW Marriott complex construction commenced and, by the end of the year, became one of the only hotel projects of its size in the world to continue full steam ahead in spite of the economic conditions.
• Indianapolis was selected as the host city for the most visible sporting events that take place in the United States - the 2012 NFL Super Bowl, the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four and the 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Final Four.
• Among the the many association and corporate groups that confirmed Indianapolis conventions for future years was the FFA - 55,000 of our nation's brightest youth that were already confirmed through 2012 - now coming back in 2016-2018 and 2022-2024.

Want the full scoop on last year?  Click the Annual Meeting logo for a link to the complete 2008 Community Report.

And, while it will still always be a "great day for a meeting here in Indianapolis," you won't hear that on my voicemail moving forward.  What will you hear?  Give me a call and find out!  You'll be sure to have your questions answered about our city and I guarantee that I'll ask you a few about your meeting or convention while we're at it!  You game?

A few weeks ago our marketing department here at the ICVA announced that after a search process that took place during the 4th quarter of 2008, we have selected locally based Young & Laramore to partner with us on our advertising, branding and marketing efforts.

Y&L has already been hard at work and as we enter into one of the most exciting growth phases in our city's history, we are thrilled to pull back the curtain a bit on our branding strategy for our city.  The unveiling will begin in part later this afternoon at the ICVA Annual Meeting to be held at "The Toby" - a 600 seat theatre that is a part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art campus.  We will be joined by many from the Indianapolis business community and look forward to hearing their thoughts and reaction.

Also - this weekend our CEO Don Welsh will appear on Inside Indiana Business discussing the roll out of the new brand - look for another post early next week that will include the video of that segment of the show!

UPDATE:  Hadn't read the IndyStar this morning before I posted - click below to read the article where local business columnist John Ketzenberger gives his take after talking with Don...

Playing in the Big Leagues - It's Now Game On

And here is Andrea Davis' take from the Indianapolis Business Journal mid-day daily update:

Raising the Game for Tourism

In case you missed the announcement elsewhere in the hospitality media, Ronnie Burt, Jr. joined the team as our new senior vice president of sales last week. With nearly 20 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, Ronnie began his career as a marketing executive at Caesars Hotel and Casino. He then joined the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association in 1999 where he worked his way from director of national accounts to vice president of convention sales and services. For a period during 2006, Ronnie served as the interim president and CEO, where he managed a staff of more than 50 employees and a $9 million budget. 

"I am thrilled to be joining the ICVA and the Indianapolis community. As the Indianapolis product continues to grow and change, I look forward to working with our incredible sales team and industry partners to sell and market Indianapolis as a top-tier convention destination to meeting and event planners."

Ronnie has had a busy first few weeks - conducting one on one meetings with each of us here on the sales, services and housing staff, beginning to meet with the sales leaders in our hotel community, traveling to the PCMA conference in New Orleans to meet with clients, visiting our Washington DC sales office...he's been hopping!

We're looking forward to introducing him to you in person soon!

We are excited to announce that in spite of the economic downturn and the challenges created anytime construction is looming near on the calendar, the ICVA sales team exceeded our largest annual goal ever during the 2008 calendar year.

In total, the ICVA worked with 559 Indianapolis events that will bring 685,643 room-nights to the city in future years, which is 106% of the 645,000 room-night goal that we set for the year. 

To offer a bit of perspective, goals for 2006 & 2007 were 521,000 and 565,000 room-nights respectively.  As we continue to get closer and closer to the years when we will have increased Indianapolis meeting space and hotel room inventory, this number will continue to climb as we work hard to fill the additional space and hotels coming on-line.

But of course none of this is possible without you - our clients and partners. 

To our customers and prospective customers: we appreciate the opportunity to continue to earn your trust and the right to do business with you and your organization.  Whether you are an annual client or a group that has just recently put Indy on your radar screen, we wish you a fantastic 2009 and look forward to our next conversation!

To our partners: we are honored to be in a position where we represent your product or service and look forward to continuing to do so as we enter an exciting time for our city.  Thanks for all you do to make Indianapolis such a great city for conventions, events and meetings!

It is great to see so many of you finding the blog through your searches for information on the Indianapolis JW Marriott project that is underway!

 It has been a little while since I posted an update on the project and wanted to share the short local media hit from WISH TV in case you missed it a few days ago.  In it you'll hear Cory Chambers, Director of Sales and Marketing talk about how the project will be a unique addition to the Indianapolis package for conventions here downtown. 

 Cory now has their pre-opening sales team fully staffed and we are actively working together with them and the other hotel sales teams to book not only larger opportunities into the city, but also more groups that will be able to meet in the city at the same time - all possible because of the expansion taking place to the Indiana Convention Center that will nearly double the amount of Indianapolis meeting space available to groups.

Whether you saw it on CNN or on Yahoo, it didn't take long for you to watch a building that housed 25 years of events in Indianapolis crumble to the ground Saturday morning!

Workers had spent the last few months demolishing the lower seating decks inside the RCA Dome and preparing it for the implosion that took place this past weekend.  The police secured a one block perimeter around the facility and in the end, one of the best spots to watch was on the circle drive between the Omni Severin Hotel and Union Station.

My implosion party group joined friends and clients of the Omni on their west facing top floor rooms where we ended up providing some of the local news coverage with reaction and voiceovers for their reports.  I ended up on the cutting room floor, but my friend's didn't!

Of course the excitement of the morning now gives way to the anticipation of the significant addition to our Indianapolis meeting space at the Indiana Convention Center.  Crews will spend the next few months removing the rubble from the downtown Indianapolis construction site and begin laying the foundation for the new entrance and the breakout rooms that are on the north side of the expansion footprint.

Looking for more photos like the one above?  Check out the IndyStar Special Report on the RCA Dome where you will find video, news articles and images galore!

Quite a bit of hospitality related news flashes hit the local media recently (many in the last 24 hours) so I thought I'd share with everyone.



FFA re-ups with Indy - Announced last Friday at a press conference in Conseco Fieldhouse!  Kudos to all those involved in on the bid team that have worked closely to ensure the FFA would return to Indianapolis after our current 7 year contract expires in 2012 - this is another fantastic addition to an already productive booking year here in Indy.

Brickyard Motel shuttered - Last night the Indianapolis Motor Speedway issued a news release announcing that the ~100 room motel will immediately cease operations.  This property sits just outside turn 2 of the famed racing oval and while it has played a large part of the venue's history, IMS has plans to build a new hotel in the future.

Anthony over at the IBJ reported on these future plans last month - you can read his article here where it has been archived on the website for the Speedway Redevelopment Commission.  The SRC is an organization that is leading the efforts to redevelop downtown Speedway and the area immediately south of IMS.  Maps and renderings can also be found on their website.  Quite a bit of positive work being done over near the Speedway as they enter their 100th anniversary celebration from 2009 (track opened) to 2011 (first Indy 500).

Back to the motel closure - while the overnight rooms will no longer be available, the main building that houses the 5000 square feet of meeting space, restaurant, bar and pro shop for the Brickyard Crossing golf course will remain open.  While not right in downtown Indianapolis, this facility is located just 10 minutes from downtown and is often used for small meetings



Columbia Club GM to return to Hershey, PA - The Columbia Club general manager Maarten Van Wijk announced today that he has accepted the GM position at the Hershey Country Club.  The Columbia Club will announce an interim GM shortly and we wish Maarten the best in his new role!



Super Bowl Legacy Project Progress - Beyond the room nights, beyond the incremental February business for our restaurants, nightspots, attractions and other hospitality related companies - beyond all the economic impact there is a part of our winning 2012 Super Bowl bid that will have a long term impact on our community...and the work is already getting started.

As you would expect - many of my hotel updates will be related to full service properties that have the meeting space that can accommodate meetings of a larger size, but in these next two entries to the blog I want to highlight a couple of smaller "new" properties that may be of interest.

With the brief departure of the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown from our inventory (the Courtyard DT sits on the construction site of the JW Marriott hotel complex and will reopen in the first quarter of 2010 as a Fairfield Inn and Suites), we could have lost some of our select service inventory here downtown that allows us to offer multiple price points and products to Indianapolis convention attendees.  However, Dora Brothers Hospitality Corporation (one of our great local Indianapolis hotel management companies) timed things just right by opening this property this past  May - just as the Courtyard was temporarily closing.

Although this property only offers 130 rooms, it has made significant contributions to our Indianapolis package for downtown convention this year.  And if you think select service means less service - think again.

I visited the Comfort Suites during their customer appreciation open house at the end of October and was impressed by the quality of the hotel - plus it's fun and a bit edgy.  Here are a few photos that will help you see what I mean.

This shot is looking back to the main entrance (just out of the photo to the left) and shows the funky textile patterns on the furniture.  You also see the color red quite a bit here - and this will continue throughout the entire property.

Pass through the lobby and you'll enter into the restaurant&bar where you have your choice of dining inside or...

...when the weather is great you can pop outside and snag a seat on the patio.  This shot shows the proximity to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Now up to the guestroom floors - here is a shot of one of the guest corridors.  I have to admit, the carpet design isn't one of my favorites, but I did like the subtle architectural feature worked into the overnight room entrances.  Instead of the typical squared off indentation for the door, they went with an angled indentation instead.  Not sure I've seen that before in any Indianapolis area hotels.

Once inside the room you'll again find red is the color of choice for the backdrop to the bed.

Between the bathroom and the bed you'll find some comfortable furniture as well as the microwave, refrigerator and workspace (yes - free wifi in the rooms).  You can also see that each room has a flatscreen TV which puts them ahead of the curve compared to many other hotels that are in the process of upgrading to those.

Meeting space?  They do have it, although I wasn't able to get a blogworthy shot of it during the event - the room was packed with clients!.  It is an 1100 square foot room that divides into nearly 2 equal sections.  You can see the full capacity specs on their website and for a photo of it, just click on over to their listing on our website (it is image #13 in the photo gallery).

If you are interested in adding another price point to your convention room block or if you are planning an event at Lucas Oil Stadium and want everyone to stay right across the street - Robert Goad is your "go to" guy for this hotel.  You can reach him at 317-968-9494; rgoad@dorahotels.com. 

Those in our business well know the phrase "there's an association for everything."  So true...that really is a fun part of working for a CVB - learning about all sorts of different industries and how they work.  Case in point...

When I first started working with the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) a few years ago to see if their conference would be a good fit here in downtown Indianapolis - it was fascinating.  In layman's terms, GSCA is the association for the IMAX theatres all across the world - although IMAX is not the only company that runs giant screen theatres.

This opportunity was a unique one in that they conduct much of their program at a local giant screen theatre instead of a convention center or hotel meeting space.  The program revolves around showing short segments of films that are under development or in production to gather feedback and determine whether or not what they are working on will be of interest to the theatres who decide which films to show.  So having a local giant screen theatre willing to host the conference is the first criteria for selection.

Beyond that, there was a need for some Indianapolis meeting space at a hotel and/or unique venues around the city for an expo, professional development sessions, an awards dinner and other functions.  As you can imagine, having headquarter hotel options near the theatre is a huge plus so shuttle costs can be kept to a minimum- but can be a pretty difficult criteria to meet in most cities.

The GSCA executive director (Gretchen Jaspering) and meeting planner (Tammy Seldon) were just in town for a pre-planning session as they work out the final details of their Indianapolis package before the conference comes here in 2009 - and I was delighted to hear that Gretchen has started blogging on their association's website as a way of keeping their membership up to speed with the various initiatives she is working on.  Think of it as a more frequent "membership newsletter" that has the potential to drive more membership traffic to the association website...

After this recent trip to Indy, she wrote up an entry that highlights some of her impressions of the city.  But more than that - notice how she used this as a way of starting to educate her members on what they will encounter when they arrive for their Indianapolis convention next September.

GSCA blogs about Indy

As a planner or association executive, do you see this as a new strategy for communicating with your members? 

As many of you know, our organization welcomed a new leader to the helm this year.  Don Welsh has been on the ground here in Indy since the beginning of August and has been busy meeting with staff, board members and the large number of community leaders that are so instrumental to making our hospitality industry a success here in Indianapolis.

A couple of observations on Don:

1.  This guy is bringing an entirely new level of energy to our organization.  I mean, we've always been excited about our city and sharing it with our clients - but I'll tell you this - I've got a athletic resume that includes a 4:10 mile and even I'm having trouble keeping up with Don!

2.  He's a change agent.  He's very quickly evaluated the state of our industry here in Indianapolis, realized that as a whole, Indianapolis does quite a bit right and a large percentage of what we've been doing will continue to work.  But as we look ahead to what will be needed to continue to succeed as our city unveils $3 billion worth of new infrastructure over the next few years, he's also quickly identified areas we will need to approach differently.

The Indianapolis Business Journal did a nice Q&A with Don that I think you'll find interesting.  In it, he shares what got him excited about coming to Indy from Seattle, what challenges we face as we make our way through the growth phase we are currently in as well as changes he is making to how we are structured here internally so that we are able to overcome these challenges.

In this article you'll also see a shot of Don taping a video - this is something we produced here at the ICVA that provides you the opportunity to meet Don and see why he is so excited about Indianapolis.  Check it out!

Indianapolis - A Marketer's Dream Come True

A few miscellaneous Indianapolis Halloween related tidbits before we move on to the next holiday!

The Gothic Chapel at Crown Hill Cemetery

Thanks to our local foodie expert Renee for sharing a unique venue on her blog over at FeedMeDrinkMe – a friend of hers rented the Gothic Chapel located on the grounds of Crown Hill Cemetery, just 3 ½ miles due north of downtown Indianapolis.  Her event? A Halloween themed wedding rehearsal dinner.

The cemetery is the 3rd largest in the United States (555 acres!) and this chapel, built in 1875, is right in the heart of the grounds.  Many know it as a treasure trove of Indianapolis history and enjoy the surprisingly large number of tours conducted each year.  Others enjoy driving up to the top of the hill where they soak in the 360 degree panorama of our city ithat includes the downtown Indianapolis skyline.

Renting the facility for events benefits the Crown Hill Heritage Foundation whose mission is to raise funds for the upkeep of the cemetery as well as to inform and educate the public through tours and other programs.

I hadn't known the chapel was available for non-funeral related functions, so I picked up the phone and talked to Marty Davis with the Foundation.  She shared that the chapel has a vestibule as well as the main chapel that can sit right around 50 or so for a meal at rounds.  At just $200/hour ($400 on October 31st), you'll be hard pressed to find a more unique venue at this price point.

Bonus feature - the 183 pipe organ that is in the facility to help you create that perfect spooky/scary ambience.

Bummer - Unless you are lighting a Unity candle for your wedding - no candles allowed!

It was renovated just a few years ago to the tune of $2 million and was an Indiana AIA award winner in 2006 (more photos there). 

Intrigued?  Give Marty or her colleague Marianne Randjelovic a call.

ICVA Sales Team takes 2nd in Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Ok - I'm taking some liberties here because I don't think they really awarded anything else but 1st place, so technically everyone that didn't win was tied for 2nd, right?

As is our tradition – the ICVA staff conducted our annual pumpkin decorating contest last Friday over our Halloween lunch hour.  This year was a timed competition (60 or 90 minutes depending on whether or not you followed the rules) and carving was not allowed.  Each department was provided a pumpkin and some supplies, but we were encouraged to bring in additional supplies of our own as well.

Although the sales team didn’t bring home the victory, I thought you’d enjoy our theme and approach.  Wondering where the pumpkin is?  Click on the image to see our full entry! 

Our award winning Housing Department was crowned as the champions – fresh off of executing the housing program for the Girls Scouts of the USA National Convention (here in town this past Tuesday - Sunday), they stayed with that theme and brought home the victory this year.  Pretty sure they paid the judges off in Thin Mints though...

You can find one other noteworthy entry into the contest over here on Karissa's blog - they also got 2nd.  J

Where have I been these past few weeks?  Did you think the ghouls and goblins snagged me?  Or perhaps the Headless Horseman that haunts Conner Prairie this time each year?

Well, the good news is that if I didn’t find time to blog – it typically means that I’ve been super busy working with clients on future opportunities.  Which means I’ve been out and about Indianapolis with them – which means that I’m learning the latest and greatest changes various hotels and attractions are making!  So here’s the sneak preview of what I’ll be posting on over the next few weeks:

• NCAA Hall of Champions re-opening update
• Omni Severin overnight room renovations
• Hyatt Regency overnight room renovations
• Westin fitness center expansion
• Ongoing JW Marriott hotel complex update
• Lucas Oil Stadium meeting and event space options
• Comfort Suites/Staybridge Suites Downtown overview
• Marriott East expansion&renovation overview
• RCA Dome Implosion

These are in no particular order, so shoot me an e-mail (nsmurdon@indianapolis.org) if you have a preference as to what you’d like to hear about first!

Plus – ‘tis the season for hotel client appreciate events so I’m sure I’ll have news and tidbits as I make my way to other Indianapolis hotels over the next month or two!

Anthony Schoettle over at the Indianapolis Business Journal did a nice article on our organization and some changes we are making to better serve our clients and partners and some of the challenges we are facing now and into 2009.  Check it out and let me know if you have any questions!

[For you sports fans, Anthony also writes The Score - a blog on the local "behind the scenes" sports scene here in Indy.]

Last week Indianapolis was a proud host to a new United States Olympic Committee conference that brought together representatives the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of mostly the summer Olympic sports with representatives from other CVB/Sports Commissions across the country.  It was held at the Hilton here in downtown Indianapolis... 

While many are thinking about the 2008 Beijing Games that we just enjoyed a few months ago, those attending this meeting are already looking ahead to the next "quad" during which National Championships and Olympic Trials will take place leading up to the 2012 Summer Games.  Such is the life of our industry - always looking ahead quite a few years out...

But this conference wasn't all about looking ahead - it was structured to allow both sides (host cities and NGBs) to share best practices and experiences from not only the execution of these events, but for the bidding process as well.

The most compelling statement I heard during the 3 day conference was from Chuck Wielgus, the Executive Director of USA Swimming.  During the last panel session, Chuck emphasized that as they look at the cities that are bidding to host their events, he is looking for more than a business relationship.  "While that is important, more than that I seek intellectual, emotional and creative engagement with our organization."  This can only happen through an open communication process - which was exactly what the USOC accomplished by putting this conference together.

This got me thinking about the many non-sporting event opportunities that cross my desk over the course of the year.  Many (not all) are simply RFPs designed to be able to populate a summary spreadsheet with data.

So why is it easier for Chuck (and his colleagues that were nodding along with him) to take this approach?  Is it because they come from the culture of the athletic world where teamwork is the cornerstone to success?  Is there a small takeaway here that a planner who does conventions and meetings could integrate into their relationships with CVB and hotel sales contacts - or are you already taking this approach?

Perhaps Amazing Awaits us "on the shoulders of our teammates" as long as we take that mindset into our relationships?

Well, they said they were going to do it - and they really did!  You may find a couple of different perspectives interesting - one post from a colleague of ours that has worked for the ICVA for over 20 years and another post from one of our interns that is not as closely tied to the Dome.

Some of our convention sales team enjoyed watching the roof gently fall towards the ground with some of our local clients from our Skyline Suite on the top floor of the Pan Am Plaza Building (the building in the foreground of this photo).  We had the front row seats to the show!

Many of these clients have hosted their own events in the Dome over the years - from tradeshows to athletic competitions to large convention general sessions.  Together we now look forward to those events taking place either in Lucas Oil Stadium or in the expanded convention center that will be built once the Dome is gone.

Speaking of which, you can already see they have started removing portions of the roof (click on the photo for an enlarged version).  So much for our idea of creating a super large swimming pool for a few days!  They will continue that process and then around Thanksgiving they will demolish the outer portion of the structure.

For some great photos from various vantage points all around the city, make sure you check out the Indianapolis Star Photo Gallery. 

 

An Indianapolis icon will begin it's departure from our skyline Wednesday morning.  At the press conference to be held on the steps of the Dome's replacement, Lucas Oil Stadium, former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut will flip a switch that will turn off the 100 horsepower fans that have kept the Dome inflated for 25 years and the roof will gently fall to the ground over the next 45 minutes.

Of course we couldn't let this happen without a few Dome fun facts...

• The roof surface area is 8 acres and is made of teflon coated fiberglass outside and canvas inside.
• The roof weighs 257 tons and stands 19 stories high (+/- 5 feet depending on weather conditions).
• There are 2 miles of steel cables that are stretched across the roof to hold it in place.

Here are a couple of image galleries for you to enjoy:

The IndyStar went through their files and put together a nice photo tribute of the construction as well as shots of the wide variety of events hosted in the building.  From athletic competitions to tradeshows to religious gatherings to civic gatherings - the Dome really did it all.

And here is a blog post that Josh Hallet, one of our blogging consultants, posted after he visited us last year.  Make sure you also check out his photos from his behind the scenes tour.

Once deflated, the roof will be removed and additional demolition of the building will take place over the next few months to make way for phase V expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.

My colleague that heads up our efforts in the Chicago area market organized a client outing last week and wanted to share with everyone...

Dustin Arnheim writes:

Ahoy Matey!

Last week the ICVA partnered with George Fern to host a group of our Chicago area customers out on Lake Michigan for a very pleasant evening cruise on the Tall Ship Windy.  Luckily, we were able to leave this motley character behind on the dock!

Guests were encouraged to assist the crew with raising the sails and were also able to take a trick at the wheel while we were out on the water.

We've thrown together a photo album of the event - take a look!  Even if you joined us at the event, you may find a few celebrity guests that you didn't notice on the ship!