Hospitality Roundtable

John Livengood, President/CEO, Indiana Hotel & Lodging Association
 
Scott Blalock and Cindy Hoye are right in feeling a sense of optimism and renewal. That is especially true for Downtown Indianapolis where there is growing awareness of the powerful economic engine fueled by visitor spending that benefits our entire community. In many other Indiana communities, hospitality is the principal economic activity. Unfortunately, the state of Indiana is not taking full advantage of the income potential from visitor spending. When you talk to policy makers about investing in promotion to grow the hospitality sector and generate more jobs and tax revenue they all too often express disbelief or disregard the facts you present to them. This may be because Hoosiers are used to thinking of Indiana as a manufacturing state or because tourism is not seen as an essential economic activity.

I suspect that policy makers, both in the General Assembly and in the Executive branch of state and local government, don’t understand the role hospitality plays in our quality of life and economic development. Those of us in the hospitality sector need to do a better job of sharing the economic and social value we bring to the table.

Cindy Hoye, Executive Director, Indiana State Fair Commission

Optimism is in the air!  Our group felt truly a sense of pride in the marketable and treasured assets in Indianapolis and the entire state of Indiana.  Coupled with pride in the successful endeavors of the leadership in Indianapolis, all of us were honored to be at the enviable table on June 15.

Thanks to Ice Miller and Gerry Dick, we spent an evening comparing future trends, growth challenges and current findings in the tourism industry. And while obstacles were identified, I think we all prefer to relish in our “glimmers of hope” recently seen and have been forecasted for the immediate future. One such notable sign can be seen in the Fairgrounds’ user groups. From a blockbuster Car Auction this May to signs of our public and consumer show visitors do have confidence, attending events and enjoying themselves.  We are seeing the end-users back to “opening their wallets” with a sense of more security about the economy.  The planning and preparation for this year’s State Fair, the largest, most attended and oldest event in Indiana, speaks to the overall experience, which includes the need for entertainment value and understanding customers are making strategic choices for their time and discretionary funds.

Do we all have challenges? Absolutely.  The challenges may remain in the forefront of continued growth. However, given the creativity, passion and dedication in all aspects of the tourism industry…we are destined to be rock solid in Indiana!

Scott Blalock, VP & GM, JW Marriott

It was nice to have the opportunity to visit with other hospitality and tourism professionals at our dinner on June 15.  The passion we all share for hosting visitors is unmatched by any city in the country.  In fact, I often hear meeting planners from large conventions say “we had no idea that Indianapolis has so much to offer.”  They are amazed by our restaurants, hotels and venues.  Time and again, the one thing they are most impressed with is the genuine hospitality our city offers.  Our Hoosier hospitality really makes the difference. 

I’ve been to many customer events across the country recently and I tell you there is a buzz in the convention and meetings industry about Indianapolis.  There are a lot of people across the country who are now helping tell our story.