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Racing Heart Senior Editor Barbara Palmer (right), ready to roll at the Dallara IndyCar Factory.
looping back toward downtown. By mid-afternoon, Georgia Street, a
three-block pedestrian boardwalk that debuted during the Super Bowl, was a sea of red and white — the school colors for both the University of Nebraska and the University of Wisconsin, who were battling it out Saturday night for the Big Ten championship. Surrounded by restaurants and entertainment venues, Georgia Street links the convention center with Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home to the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, and Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, to downtown. Por- tions of Georgia Street can be blocked off and reserved for groups and custom- ized with lighting and tents. Before kickoff, we squeezed in the
rooms, is the largest JW Marriott in the United States. The property features more than 103,000 square feet of meet- ing space, including a 40,500-square- foot grand ballroom, an exhibition hall, and 34 breakout rooms. The second- floor meeting space is connected via a walkway to the Indiana Convention Center, which offers 566,000 square feet of exhibit space, plus 71 meeting rooms and three ballrooms. The con- vention center in turn is linked to Lucas Oil Stadium by a walkway; together, the two venues offer approximately 750,000 square feet of exhibit space. The convention center is also con-
nected to more than 4,700 hotel rooms — more than any other city in the U.S. That includes those at the newly updated Hyatt Regency, which last year completed a $20-million renova- tion of its meeting spaces, 499 guest rooms, and revolving rooftop restau- rant, The Eagles Nest. The renovation didn’t simply update hotel interiors, but rethought and realigned spaces with how people meet and work today, said General Manager Brian Comes, including outfitting guest rooms with ergonomic work stations and the latest
in wireless technology, such as RFID- enabled room keys. We had brunch at The Eagles Nest, where we moved slowly through a panoramic view of the city as Chef John Pivar explained the philosophy behind the restaurant’s seasonal, healthy menus. After brunch we set out to explore
the city’s pedestrian- and bike-friendly Cultural Trail; that very day, city work- ers were installing the last few pavers in the eight-mile-long trail, which links Indy’s downtown and near-downtown areas, and which has given walkers and bikers — and meeting attendees — a new way to travel the city. The trail’s design — a mosaic of cocoa-colored pav- ers — is as beautiful as it is functional, and includes $2 million in commis- sioned public art. The trail is “now the best way to
see Indianapolis,” said Cultural Trail Executive Director Karen Haley on our tour, which started at a new bike hub where bike rentals are available. We pedaled through the Massachusetts Avenue shopping and dining district, where we made stops to browse books, buy locally made chocolates, and admire the art installations before
visit to the Dallara IndyCar Factory, near the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to tours of the space with Dallara Automobili company engineers, the venue offers more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space. On Saturday night, the game’s score
was far from close — Wisconsin beat Nebraska, 70–31 — which gave us lots of time to enjoy Visit Indy’s hospitality in one of Lucas Oil Stadium’s approxi- mately 140 suites. When not used as a gridiron, the stadium offers 183,000 square feet of exhibit space, plus 12 meeting rooms and many party spaces. Indianapolis is headquarters to the
NCAA, and on Sunday morning, I took a tour of its Hall of Champions and Conference Center in White River State Park, also downtown. The conference center recently has almost doubled its meeting space with the construction of the Brand Building, and now can accom- modate groups of up to 550 in theater- style seating. Groups also can reserve the Hall of Champions, including areas with interactive exhibits representing all 23 NCAA sports.
. — Barbara Palmer For more information: visitindy.com JANUARY 2013 PCMA CONVENE 25