Ladies and Gentlemen…start your engines!
This past week, Tammy Seldon and I met in Indianapolis, Indiana, to start working on the details for the 2009 International Conference and Trade Show that will be held September 21-23. (It was an easy four-hour drive for me from St. Louis, and I only used one tank of gas, which I bought for less than $2.00 a gallon. Tammy flew in from Virginia landing at Indianapolis’s new international airport.)
We were hosted by the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, and Meeting Services Manager Donna Striby kept us busy scouting out the city.
Our visit started at White River State Park where the IMAX Theater is located, and Dave Brown, IMAX Theater Director, along with his team took us on a thorough tour of the theater, booth, offices and meeting spaces that we will be using September 21-23, 2009. It’s very impressive, and as delegates attending the conference next year you will find it terrifically affordable.
When there is a member organization in the neighborhood we make a point of looking them up and meeting with them. So that afternoon Dave drove us to the new Goodrich Quality Theater, the Hamilton 16 IMAX, in Noblesville, Indiana, in a unique shopping district about 30 minutes from downtown. This is a relatively new theater and it was gorgeous. Dave Lavengood, IMAX Sales Director, met with us and gave us the behind-the-scenes tour.
That evening we had dinner with Bob Whitt, Executive Director, White River State Park; Dave Brown; Mike Greenfield, Director, IMAX Corporation; Donna Imus, President Imus Group; and Donna Striby at one of the many restaurants within walking distance of the conference hotel—The Indianapolis Hyatt. I want to point out that there are eateries of all kinds and at all price points in the blocks near the hotel. The lobby even has a Subway, Pizza Parlor and a place to get burgers, as well as the Hyatt’s own restaurant. Everywhere we went we had really outstanding service. Now you might think that because we were with some of Indy’s movers and shakers that we received good service, but honestly even meandering around by myself everywhere I went I encountered friendly and helpful service.
The following day we met with a representative of the Indiana State Museum and talked through some possible scenarios for the conference. Later that day we went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—home of the Indianapolis 500. There we toured several sites for social events, including the Race Pagoda and the Owners Suite that overlook the finish line and the museum that houses hundreds of cars and years of race memorabilia. Even if you are not a race fan it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement and history. We even got a ride on the track! Ok, it was in a tour bus, but it was still pretty neat.
Racing themes and sports themes run through the city, and that’s one of the things that makes Indianapolis a great place to hold a conference. That, and the fact that it’s so easy to do so much there. Within walking distance of the conference hotel is White River State park, where the theater is located, and within the park there are three museums--National Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Champions (NCAA), Indiana State Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. The Indianapolis Zoo is also in the park. All of this within walking distance from the hotel. On your way to the theater you’ll be tempted to hang a left and check out the new Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts), which just opened this year.
During these site visits we also interview a lot of possible service providers –audio visual, trade show decorators, and catering companies. We scout where the nearest print shop is located and of course where to get good coffee. Lucky for us the Hyatt Hotel is building a Starbucks in the lobby that will be completed by the conference.
We meet with the hotel staff and go over the preliminary schedule and look at meeting space for every single event we host. It’s busy, busy, busy!
To see what we saw check out these sites:
www.in.gov/whiteriver/
www.indydt.com/
www.lucasoilstadium.com
www.Indianapolis.hyatt.com
www.eiteljorg.org
www.discoverculturaldistricts.com
www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/
www.in.gov/ism/