Indy tourism will end year on a high note

Indy tourism is ending the year on a high note with 15 conventions and events in December.

Visit Indy spokesperson Nate Swick said 2022 has been a year of recovery.

“As we look back at 2022 numbers here, as we're winding down the year, we're only 3 percent behind 2019 pre pandemic numbers,” Swick said. “So, we are almost back at that 100 percent recovery. And we're anticipating hitting those numbers in 2023.”

Swick said the city worked closely with local and state officials to pull off some notable events.

“I mean, if you look at the entire NCAA tournament, we had so many youth sporting events, and then we even borrowed or I don't want to say stole, but we took some conventions from other cities when they were unable to host,” Swick said.  

One of those conventions was the Sweets and Snacks Expo, the largest sweets and snacks confectioner's trade convention in the country. Chicago had been hosting the expo for more than two decades, but  was unable to host in 2021.

“Indy raises its hand and says ‘Hey, we can do this.’ We worked with our officials to make this happen,” Swick said. “So, they come down and in 2021 they have such a good time they're actually breaking up with Chicago now and starting to do their convention in Indy for two years and then in Vegas and then Indy for two years and Vegas.”

Swick said being able to step in to host events forced some other groups that had never considered Indianapolis before to come to town.  “They fell in love,” he said.

In 2022, Indianapolis hosted more than 550 conventions and events.

In 2023, some events coming to Indianapolis include a conference with the American Chemical Society, which will bring 14,000 people to the city in March and a tech conference called VeeCon is coming in May.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org.