Expanded Indy convention center brings more meetings
Dealer Expo became the first group to meet in the expanded US$275 million Indiana Convention Center. Officials cited the expansion as a major reason for their selection.
“One of the advantages now is that all of our vendors can be in one contiguous event space,” Dealer Expo Vice President Danny Phillips said. “It’s an upgrade for the exhibitors and it significantly improves the experience for visitors.”
Nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space was added to the convention center, pushing it from 32nd largest in the United States to 16th. The facility, when combined with Lucas Oil Stadium, offers a total of 1.2 million square feet of exhibit and meeting space.
The expansion helped retain Dealer Expo, a major convention. Expo officials say they will keep the annual event in Indianapolis through at least 2016.
The center’s appeal was also helped last year by a 1,500-room Marriott Hotel within walking distance.
The center itself is connected to 4,717 hotel rooms — more than any other convention center in the US, according to convention officials, by climate-controlled skywalks. Last year, the Indianapolis International Airport also opened a new terminal.
As a direct result of the expansion, the city has already booked and retained conventions that will generate US$1.3 billion in economic impact for Indianapolis, officials say. The city will also host the Super Bowl in 2012.
By David Wilkening
David
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