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.
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?
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