Indianapolis: Article: Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association Announces Top 20 Conventions and Special Events for 2008

Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association Announces Top 20 Conventions and Special Events for 2008

INDIANAPOLIS – The Fire Department Instructors Conference, National FFA Convention and Gen Con again lead the list of top 20 conventions and special events coming to Indianapolis in 2008, based on direct visitor spending, booked by the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association, ICVA officials announced today.

These top 20 conventions and events will account for more than 270,000 hotel room nights, draw almost 500,000 visitors and produce an estimated $275.8 million in direct visitor spending.

Other highlights include Dealer Expo 2008, Indiana Black Expo’s annual Summer Celebration and Music For All’s Grand National Championships. The latter will be among the first groups to utilize Lucas Oil Stadium.

Combined with leisure travelers, special and sporting events attendees and visiting friends and relatives, Indianapolis expects to attract more than 21 million visitors in 2008, keeping pace with recent visitor numbers provided by industry analyst DK Shifflet and Associates.

“Our convention and hospitality package of convenience, customer-driven service and exceptional amenities in our deliberately designed downtown continue to drive the tourism industry in Indianapolis,” said Bob Bedell, President and CEO of the ICVA. “With the opening of Lucas Oil Stadium and the new midfield terminal at Indianapolis International Airport in 2008, we look forward to making the Indianapolis experience even better and easier.”

Highlights of the 2008 convention and special events calendar include:

The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in April brings 28,000 fire and emergency services personnel to Indianapolis for advanced training. More than 700 exhibitors will demonstrate the latest products and services.
The National FFA Convention returns for the third of a seven-year commitment in October. The national convention l attracts more than 50,000 high school and college students and their adult leaders. The students are preparing for careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. The convention also draws national leaders from the corporate, agri-business and education sectors. It will generate an estimated $30 million in direct visitor spending.
Gen Con LLC, billed as the “best four days in gaming,” comes to Indianapolis for the sixth consecutive year in August. Now in its 41^st year, Gen Con is the largest annual consumer sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America, attracting 25,000 enthusiasts who participate in interactive game play, hobby-related events and meet celebrity guests.
Nearly 40,000 attendees will arrive in November for Music For All’s Grand National Championships in Lucas Oil Stadium. Rigorous training and competition leads to this ultimate competition to be bestowed the title of best high school marching band in the United States.
Dealer Expo 2008, which will be here in February, is the largest and most comprehensive trade-only event in the world for the aftermarket powersports industry. More than 22,000 are expected to attend the show which has been in Indianapolis annually since 1998.

To calculate the anticipated direct visitor spending figures for each convention, the ICVA utilizes the online calculator developed by the Destination Management Association International (DMAI) as a result of its Convention Expenditure and Impact Study. Dubbed "ExPact," short for "Expenditure Impact," the study surveyed 86 convention and visitor bureaus in the United States and Canada, event organizers from more than 1,000 events across the country, 12,920 convention delegates and 1,286 exhibiting companies. The figures gleaned from this survey produced expenditure averages for food and beverage, accommodations, sightseeing, merchandising purchasing and transportation used while in the host city, plus incidental costs accrued by convention delegates during their visit.

The mission of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is to advance Indianapolis tourism and economic growth. The ICVA seeks to increase the number of visitors and their financial impact, expand positive perception of Indianapolis and positively influence the visitor experience. According to a Global Insight report, in partnership with D.K. Shiffllet & Associates, 21.9 million visitors annually provide $3.56 billion in total annual economic impact of tourism on the Indianapolis economy resulting in 66,621 full-time equivalent employment positions in the hospitality industry. *

* Source:Economic Impact of Travel & Tourism in Indianapolis prepared by Global Insight in partnership with D.K. Shifflett & Associates, Ltd.