Indiana Black Expo (IBE) has become one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the nation, and many people in the local community claim it with pride.
Occasionally, however, supporters, observers and the curious have questions about the organization’s status and success.
IBE officials provided answers to some of those questions this week during a special “State of Indiana Black Expo” address Wednesday at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Officials used the address as an opportunity to thank the community for its support, and share the impact of this year’s fundraisers, the current focus of the organization and goals for next year, among other details.
IBE President Tanya Bell shared her thoughts at Recorder press time, prior to the event.
“I think IBE is in a transformative period,” she said. “We will continue to focus on the three primary areas of economic development, education and health. We have a great opportunity to enhance our collaborations and partnerships so that we can have programs that are not duplicative, but have a greater impact across the state.”
Established in 1970, Indiana Black Expo is known for its extensive programming for youth and families, health initiatives and business workshops, topped with celebrity appearances, performances and award ceremonies. Its annual Summer Celebration and Circle City Classic serve as major fundraisers for student scholarships.
“Our goal is to continue to offer programming that is relevant to the African-American community, and help make improvements in our community that benefit everyone,” said John Thompson, chairman of IBE’s board.
Bell said that a key goal for 2012 is to concentrate on programs where IBE has a niche and determine how they can have a greater impact and reach in the community.
“We will actually hire a consultant to come in and do a comprehensive evaluation of all of our programs just to make sure that what we’re doing is effective,” she said.
Bell added IBE will also work to strengthen its statewide footprint through collaborations with other organizations and partners across the state, who work with IBE on initiatives such as the State of Our Black Youth report and the annual Education Conference.
One of the new partnerships IBE revealed this week is an effort with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission to increase involvement in events celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., which prompts many to volunteer for service projects in his memory.
Event upgrades
Bell said IBE enjoyed positive responses with respect to date changes for Summer Celebration, such as moving the free concert from Sunday to Friday.
“Now we have to look at how to sustain that and keep attendees in the city over the weekend,” she stated.
One of the things IBE is considering is a partnership with national concert promotions firm Live Nation to enhance the brand and status of the concerts.
The organization will also look at ways to raise attendance inside the Exhibition Hall at the Indiana Convention Center by increasing exhibitors and offering a better variety of products that are available.
In terms of safety, it will continue to work with IMPD and the Faith Based Patrol of volunteer pastors to ensure that activities remain safe. IBE will keep using the recommendations of the Summer Celebration Task Force, which played a key role in ensuring that no violence occurred downtown during this year’s event.
“We will also strengthen partnerships with groups, particularly churches, sororities, fraternities and organizations in order to make sure that we have the community buy in for our events,” Bell said.
For Circle City Classic, a promotional campaign will start earlier than usual, probably during Summer Celebration. IBE is also forming a Circle City Classic Task Force to examine the selection of teams, ticket prices, attendance, the date and the prospect of finding a broadcast sponsor.
Dollars and sense
Financially speaking, IBE officials report that the organization has been able to avoid severe fiscal challenges.
“We’ve been fortunate over the last three years as an organization to remain in the Black, considering the economy,” Bell said.
She noted for example, that more than $166,000 was raised in scholarships for students following IBE events this year, an increase from $144,000 in 2010 and a record for the organization.
“We would like to continue that improvement over time, so that we can invest in our young people and programming that serves the broader community,” Thompson said.
Despite lower ticket sales for this year’s Summer Celebration activities, IBE did not experience a loss in revenue, thanks to an increase in sponsors.
Bell noted that the bulk of IBE’s revenue comes from sponsorships, but the organization is also supported by grant revenue, memberships and donors.
“We’ve done a pretty decent job with the sponsorships, but we really want to enhance our efforts in those other areas where we have a tremendous opportunity for growth from a financial standpoint,” Bell said.
Surprise announcement
IBE management could hardly contain their joy this week as they announced the headline performer for next year’s outdoor concert for Summer Celebration: national recording artist Gladys Knight affectionately called “The Empress of Soul” by fans. She is best known for songs such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “If I Were Your Woman,” “Neither One of Us” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
“She is confirmed and we are very excited,” Bell said. “We’re going to continue to build off that excitement.”
