Motorsports Convention Makes Lifetime Commitment to Indy

Press Release

July 21, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – After substantial growth at their inaugural convention last year in Indianapolis, officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) and the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA) have announced an unprecedented agreement to keep the show in Indianapolis indefinitely.

After an original two year contract for 2009-2010, officials from IMIS and the ICVA announced a contract extension through 2015 during the event’s welcome reception last December. Today’s updated agreement will keep IMIS in Indianapolis through the life of its convention.

The IMIS generates more than $15.9 million in direct visitor spending annually for the City of Indianapolis.

The inaugural IMIS (December 2009) drew more than 10,000 attendees from around the globe, in addition to 345 exhibitors and a sold-out tradeshow. Due to the demand, IMIS officials have doubled the space they will lease in the Indiana Convention Center, anticipating more than 20,000 attendees and 575 exhibitors at this year’s show—representing a 100% increase.

“It is only fitting for the ‘Racing Capital of the World’ to permanently host the premier racing industry tradeshow, a show that brings together the entire global motorsports business,” said Don Welsh, ICVA president and CEO. “Our entire hospitality community is extremely thankful to the IMIS ownership for their commitment and confidence in Indianapolis. It is extremely rare for a convention this size to make this type of commitment to a city.”

The Indianapolis-based show is owned by Chris Paulsen of C&R Racing, Tom Weisenbach, executive director of the Indiana Motorsports Association (IMA), Jeff Stoops, president of Stoops Freightliner and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and Indiana resident, Tony Stewart.

“The entire IMIS team is ecstatic to announce we will be calling Indianapolis our permanent home.” Weisenbach said. “The city’s burgeoning facilities, first-class hospitality community, and racing-minded culture make this a perfect fit. After shattering our projections for our inaugural show in 2009 and overwhelming positive feedback from attendees, we are confident in this deliberate decision to keep our show in Indianapolis.”

The IMIS convention offers individuals and companies from all facets of the racing business the chance to interact, share ideas and products, build relationships and attend seminars to improve motorsports business around the world. www.imis-indy.com

The mission of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is to advance Indianapolis tourism and economic growth. The ICVA seeks to increase the number of visitors and their financial impact, expand positive perception of Indianapolis, and positively influence the visitor experience. According to a Global Insight report, in partnership with D.K. Shifflet & Associates, 22 million visitors annually provide $3.56 billion in total annual economic impact of tourism on the Indianapolis economy resulting in 66,600 full-time equivalent employment positions in the hospitality industry. www.VisitIndy.com.

Source: Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association