WEBVTT

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>>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO
INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS.
I'M GERRY DICK.
THE EYES OF THE SPORTS WORLD

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HAVE BEEN ON THE CRADLE OF
BASKETBALL COUNTRY FOR MOST OF
MARCH AS CENTRAL INDIANA HAS
HOSTED THE ENTIRE NCAA MEN'S

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BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - A FIRST
IN THE TOURNEY'S 82-YEAR
HISTORY.
SIXTY-EIGHT TEAMS, 67 GAMES

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PLAYED IN SIX DIFFERENT HOOSIER
VENUES.
ALL ADDING UP TO A BIG - AND
MUCH NEEDED -- SCORE FOR THE

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REGION'S $3.4 BILLION DOLLAR
TOURISM INDUSTRY THAT'S BEEN HIT
HARD BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY.

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DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS LED THE
NATION WITH THE HIGHEST HOTEL
OCCUPANCY FOR TWO WEEKS IN A ROW
IN MARCH, OUTPACING SPRING BREAK

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HOT SPORTS LIKE MIAMI, ORLANDO
AND PHOENIX.
IN FACT, DURING THE FIRST
WEEKEND OF MARCH MADNESS, MANY

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HOTELS WERE HANGING THE "NO
VACANCY" SIGN -- NEARLY
96-PERCENT OF HOTEL ROOMS WERE
FILLED.

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NUMBERS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SEEN
SINCE INDIANAPOLIS HOSTED GEN
CON IN 2019.
AND THOSE TOURISTS SPENT THEIR

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MONEY AT HOOSIER DINING SPOTS,
TOO.
ONE RESTAURANT OWNER SAYS SALES
HAVE BEEN UP MORE THAN 20%

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DURING THE TOURNAMENT.
FOR MORE ON ECONOMIC IMPACT
MARCH MADNESS HAS DELIVERED AND
WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR CENTRAL

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INDIANA TOURISM IN THE FUTURE,
WE ARE JOINED BY VISIT INDY
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT CHRIS
GAHL.

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WELCOME AS ALWAYS,.
>>: THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
>>: COMING TO US FROM THE MEDIA
HOW IN DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS AND

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I CAN SEE JUST OVER YOUR LEFT
SHOULDER THE BRACKETS ON THE
MARRIOTT SO YOU ARE IN THE HEART
OF IT.

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THAT BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT IN
ADDITION TO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
MEDIA ATTENTION FOR THE MONTH OF
MARCH HAS BEEN INTENSE ON

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INDIANA.
>>: AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION
AND INDIANAPOLIS COUNTLESS TIMES

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ON THE AIR AND IT'S A BIG BOOST
HEADED INTO SPRING TRAVEL AS
CONSUMERS THINK ABOUT TRAVELING
SO WE ENJOYED A BOOST TO OUR

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BRAND WITH NATIONAL MEDIA
BANTERING ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS AND
THIS IS THE MEDIA HOUSE SO
WELCOME MORE THAN 2000 DURING

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THE MONTH OF MARCH.
>>: BREAKING NEWS REGARDING A
NEW EVENT.
WE WILL GET TO THAT.

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LET'S GET RIGHT TO THE NUMBERS.
EVERYONE WONDERS WHAT IS THE
IMPACT.
GOING IN EXPECTATIONS, BUT NO

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ONE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT.
THE NUMBERS FOR HOTEL OCCUPANCY
TELL A POSITIVE STORY.
>>: ANYWHERE IF PEOPLE ARE

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CHECKING INTO HOTELS TOURISM IS
HAPPENING SO WE WERE VERY
PLEASED THAT THE FIRST TWO
WEEKENDS IN MARCH TIED DIRECTLY

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TO BASKETBALL.
WE WERE THE NUMBER ONE IN THE
NATIONS AS TERMS OF DOWNTOWN
HOTEL OCCUPANCY 85 N95 PERCENT

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SO NEW YORK IN THE '60s IN
MIAMI IN THE 70s SO THAT TELLS
US PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING AND
STAYING AND GENERATING TOURISM

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AND ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THE THIRD WEEK THIS PAST WEEK
BASED DECKED UP IN THE TOP TEN
NUMBER NINE AND NATION IN TERMS

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OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY SO PEOPLE
STAYED AND STAYED IN OUR HOTELS
GENERATING SOMETHING MUCH NEEDED
ECONOMIC IMPACT.

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>>: CAN YOU SENSE OR SPENDING
MONEY BEYOND HOTELS AND
RESTAURANTS AND VENUES THAT HAVE
BEEN HURT SO BAD DURING THE

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PANDEMIC.
>>: SPECIFICALLY RESTAURANTS
TALKING TO OUR RESTAURANTS AND
THEY ARE REPORTING MODERATE

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MINES OUTSIDE IN A GOOD WAY TO
GET INSIDE SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT
DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS IN
PARTICULAR OUTDOOR SEATING

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INDOOR SEATING HAPPENING SO THEY
WILL STUDY POST GAME AND TRULY
ON WHAT WAS FELT IN MARCH OR
EARLY INDICATORS RESTAURANTS AND

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HOTELS AND STRONG SHOWING
LEADING THAT BRACKET, IF YOU
WILL.
>>: YOU HAD EVENT PLANNERS AND

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MEETING PLANNERS AND DOZEN OF
THEM IN INDIANAPOLIS OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL WEEKS WITNESSING
WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE HOW THEY

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HAVE PULLED THIS OFF.
CAN THIS MEAN NEW BUSINESS AND
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS DOWN THE
ROAD.

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>>: IT'S BEEN SO HARD TO GET
DECISION-MAKING'S ANYWHERE AND
HERE WE ARE APPROACHING MARCH
MADNESS SO WE UTILIZE THIS WITH

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MORE THAN MEETING PLANNERS HAVE
BEEN OUR GUESTS AND THEY SAW THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE EVENT AND WE
KNOW THAT WILL TRANSLATE INTO

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FUTURE BUSINESS AND IN ONE CASE
ONE OF THEM MEETING PLANNERS
BETWEEN ORLANDO AND INDY AND
THIS WAS ENOUGH TO TIP HIM FOR A

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CONVENTION FOR 2026 THEY PICKED
INDY AND THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF
HOSTING MARCH MADNESS.
>>: I MENTIONED BREAKING NEWS

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OF YOU WILL ANNOUNCE SOME TIME
AGO THE NFL COMBINE WHICH HAS
BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS WON'T
HAPPEN AT LEAST THE ON-FIELD

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TESTING WILL HAVE BEEN ON
COLLEGE CAMPUSES BUT
INDIANAPOLIS HAS RECEIVED WORD
THAT THE MEDICAL TESTING PIECE

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OF IT WILL HAPPEN HERE.
>>: EXACTLY RIGHT.
BREAKING THIS WEEK WE LEARNED
FROM THE NFL SCOUTING COMBINE NO

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ON-FIELD ACTIVITY, OKAY.
BUT THE MEDICAL PORTION MORE
THAN 150 ATHLETES COLLEGE
ATHLETES REPLICATING WHAT THE

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NCAA DID WILL BE IN DOWNTOWN
MARRIOTT.
TO PHYSICIANS FROM EVERY TEAM
COMING AND DOING THE MEDICAL

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PORTION OF THE COMPANY SO
TOURISM IS HAPPENING WITH THE
COMBINE IN THE MEDICAL PORTION
AND INDIANAPOLIS.

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>>: ADDING TO ITS REPUTATION AS
A SPORTS CAPITAL IN A BIG WAY
AND ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE THIS