Circle City Classic is an event that draws thousands to the City of Indianapolis. Along with those crowds come many advantages.
“Classic continues to be an event that showcases the city and draws in repeat and new visitors. From a tourism perspective it’s also big bucks,” said Chris Gahl, vice president of marketing and communications for the Indianapolis Conventions and Visitors Association (ICVA).
It has been previously reported by the ICVA that Classic brings in between $10 million and $12 million in direct visitor spending. Gahl believes these revenues are due to the execution and entertainment Classic offers.
The ICVA assists in that execution of events and is currently, prepping the city’s tourism and hospitality core for Classic guests who will be in town Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. That industry is alerted to guests’ travel patterns, spending habits and other weekend expectations.
Gahl said that although the city is preparing for and anticipating Super Bowl XLV in February, guests should not have a problem enjoying the city.
“Georgia Street is the only point with dust and demolition that could potentially affect a visitor. The sidewalks are open but the street is not,” said Gahl.
There are many visitors that come to town to see two Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ football teams square off on the gridiron but the recently added Friday Night high school game gives the local community something to look forward as well.
Even with all of the great things Classic brings to the city, many visitors return to their homes outside of Central Indiana. To encourage return visits, Gahl said the city is constantly reinventing itself in order to offer something new and refreshing.
The city is proud of its sports history, but works hard to promote downtown’s numerous attractions, hotels and restaurants that are all within walking distance from one another.
Downtown Indianapolis is also beginning to promote its affordable arts and cultural attractions and independent restaurants.
With avenues such as partnerships with other tourism entities and their recently updated website, the ICVA alerts more than 60,000 visitors about all of the exciting happenings.
In the meantime, Gahl and many others are excited for this year’s Circle City Classic. The history, the events and the focus on education – all is essential to Indianapolis’ eclectic tourism calendar that boasts to be the best “classic” event in the nation.
“The two Black colleges facing off, the parade, and all the networking and business that goes on by the alumni offices – it’s a very sought after, city-wide event that we look forward to each year that we want to ensure stays healthy and in Indianapolis,” said Gahl.
Go to visitindy.com for more information. The Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association’s free mobile website m.visitindy.com is accessible from any web-enabled device but for the best experience, visitors are encouraged to download the Visit Indy app for Android and iPhone.
