Indians Detail Naming Rights Deal for New Club Space

The Indianapolis Indians have secured a multi-year partnership with Indy-based Elements Financial as the naming rights partner for the team’s new club space at Victory Field. The Elements Financial Club will be constructed on the field’s upper level behind home plate during the offseason and will be ready by opening day 2020. Charlie Henry, director of communications for the Indians, says the more than $8 million project is the largest single investment in the history of the ballpark.

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business Reporter Mary-Rachel Redman, Henry said the club will be something Indians fans haven’t experienced before.

"We’re going to have open seating when you walk in; it’s one of the first things that will strike you," said Henry. "We’ll also have a bar that’s actually in the shape of a home plate…and then we’ll have these 10 private, four-person loge boxes that’ll be down below at the Elements Financial Club. So a little something for everybody but it’ll be sort of a social space where you’ll be able to mix and mingle and then that bar that I mentioned, any ticket holder on suite level will be able to access that bar."

Henry says the Indians are contributing $6.3 million for the project, with another $2 million coming from the Capital Improvement Board. Details of Elements Financial’s commitment are not being disclosed.

Henry says the naming rights deal is an extension of an ongoing partnership with Elements which began in 2015. He says the new deal will be a hallmark project for several years to come and he hopes will become a signature piece of the stadium.

Ron Senci, executive vice president of Elements Financial, says the partnership with the Indians creates a great opportunity for the company.

"From an exposure perspective, the Indians, next to the Pacers, draw over 600,000 fans, more than any other sporting venue other than the Pacers," said Senci. "It’s a great opportunity to showcase Elements with a partner that we’re very proud to be associated with and to be able to get the word out of all the things that we do here in Indianapolis."

The 4,500-square-foot interior space of the club will feature a mix of bar and soft seating, along with big screen TVs. It will include a 37-foot retractable glass wall system that will open the indoor club lounge to the outer seats. The team says the club will also be Victory Field’s first year-round venue and will be available for receptions and rental opportunities for guests throughout the offseason and while the Indians are on the road.

The announcement is the latest in a series of upgrades the Indians have made to Victory Field in the last few years. In 2017, the team announced a $2 million effort to upgrade the suites at the ballpark. The prior year, the team detailed its $2.4 million plans to upgrade Victory Field’s audio and video production and display capabilities. 

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story listed the $8 million project cost as the financial commitment from Elements Financial.