WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.702 >>GERRY: NOW THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING THE COVID-19 VACCINE, THINGS "FEEL" LIKE THEY ARE GETTING BACK TO A LEVEL OF 2 00:00:02.702 --> 00:00:07.307 NORMALCY. AIR TRAVELERS ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY STARTING TO TAKE TO THE SKIES AGAIN - IN INDIANAPOLIS 3 00:00:07.307 --> 00:00:13.813 THANKS IN LARGE PART TO MARCH MADNESS AND SPRING BREAK. THE OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM AND THE CONVENTION BUSINESS IS STARTING 4 00:00:13.813 --> 00:00:19.719 TO TAKE A POSITIVE TURN AND INDIANA RESTAURANTS...THE ONES THAT SURVIVED THE PANDEMIC...ARE SEEING MORE FOODIES TAKING A 5 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:26.726 SEAT AT THE TABLE. FOR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW ALL OF THIS IMPACTS INDIANA'S ECONOMY WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME OUR 6 00:00:26.726 --> 00:00:35.902 PANEL OF INSIDERS, VISIT INDY'S CHRIS GAHL, FORMER STATE LAWMAKER CHRISTINA HALE AND BALL STATE UNIVERSITY ECONOMIST MIKE 7 00:00:35.902 --> 00:00:49.349 HICKS. WELCOME ONE AND ALL. >>: GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. >>: OKAY HAVE TO START WITH 8 00:00:49.349 --> 00:00:57.357 MARCH MADNESS AND REACTION AND CHRIS I WILL START WITH YOU. YOU WERE AT GROUND ZERO, VERY MUCH INVOLVED ON THE FRONT LINES 9 00:00:57.357 --> 00:01:08.168 OF THAT EFFORT. TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU FEEL THE IMPACT IS AND WILL BE FROM INDIANAPOLIS LARGELY WEST 10 00:01:08.168 --> 00:01:15.341 LAFAYETTE AND CENTRAL INDIANA PULLING OFF REALLY HERCULEAN EFFORT. >>: IT'S A SENSE OF PRIDE AND 11 00:01:15.341 --> 00:01:26.019 WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF HOSTING MARK -- MARCH MADNESS WE EMPLOY ALONG THE SPORTS CORPORATION TO STUDY THE 12 00:01:26.019 --> 00:01:34.160 X'S AND O'S AND HOW HEALTHY THE NINE FIGURES OF ECONOMIC IMPACT WAS DERIVED FROM MARCH ALONE WE KNOW THAT THE HOTELS ENJOYED A 13 00:01:34.160 --> 00:01:41.935 BUMP AND YEAR TO DATE THE DOWNTOWN HOTELS ARE SEVENTH IN THE NATION FOR REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM SO WE KNOW PEOPLE 14 00:01:41.935 --> 00:01:47.774 ARE COMING. WE KNOW MARCH MADNESS MOVED THE NEEDLE. WE HAD AT LEAST ONE CONVENTION 15 00:01:47.774 --> 00:01:56.349 THAT SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE BECAUSE BEING HERE WITH MARCH MADNESS THAT'S A CONVENTION THAT TAKES PLACE IN 2025 AND A FEW 16 00:01:56.349 --> 00:02:02.989 OTHERS WE HOSTED DURING MARCH THAT ARE CLOSE TO SIGNING SO IT HAD AN IMPACT. THE LAST THING I WILL MENTION 17 00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:13.700 ABOUT THE BRANDING KICK THE BOOST COMING INTO THE HEIGHTENED TRAVEL SEASON OF SPRING WE ENJOD 4200 NEWS STORIES NATIONALLY 18 00:02:13.700 --> 00:02:19.138 ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS HOSTING THE PANDEMIC. HOSTING MARCH MADNESS. A BOOST TO OUR BRAND. 19 00:02:19.138 --> 00:02:26.145 >>: ALONG THOSE LINES BECAUSE THAT WAS INCREDIBLE AND WAS MOSTLY POSITIVE STORIES ABOUT THAT. 20 00:02:26.145 --> 00:02:33.653 CHRISTINA, AS YOU LOOK AT THE RECOVERY AND THE INTENTION INDIANAPOLIS GOT AS A HOST CITY AND SPORTS CAPITAL AND THE 21 00:02:33.653 --> 00:02:42.061 STORIES THAT WERE DONE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL ULTIMATELY THAT MAY HAVE SOME IMPACT AS WELL. >>: IT WILL HAVE LASTING IMPACT 22 00:02:42.061 --> 00:02:51.538 OVER TIME. IT BUILDS ON OUR SUCCESS HOSTING THE SUPER BOWL SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND IN THE GAMES THE WORLD KNOWS 23 00:02:51.538 --> 00:02:59.946 THAT INDIANAPOLIS CAN PULL OFF MAJOR MAJOR WORLD-CLASS EVENTS IN DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMPLICATED MOVING PARTS IN THE 24 00:02:59.946 --> 00:03:10.723 BEST OF TIMES AND WE ARE A FUN PLACE BUT CAN HANDLE A REALLY HEAVY LIFT AND WHEN YOU HAVE ALL BALLS IN THE AIR'S AND SHINE AND 25 00:03:10.723 --> 00:03:17.230 IT'S REFLECTED IN THOSE STORIES BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, NOT JUST IN OUR BRAND BUT IN OUR REPUTATION IN A CITY THAT 26 00:03:17.230 --> 00:03:23.603 DELIVERS. >>: YOU TALK ABOUT HEAVY LIFT I TOTALLY AGREE TO PULL THAT OFF IN THE COMPLICATIONS AND MOVING 27 00:03:23.603 --> 00:03:34.013 PARTS WAS AMAZING. IN MARCH MADNESS NO DOUBT INDIANAPOLIS AND CENTRAL INDIANA A BOOST HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE 28 00:03:34.013 --> 00:03:41.621 ECONOMY AND HOW DO YOU SEE THE ECONOMY COMING OUT EVENTUALLY SLOWLY, BUT SURELY OUT OF THE PANDEMIC? 29 00:03:41.621 --> 00:03:51.030 >>: MARCH MADNESS WAS AN AMAZING STORY AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS I WILL SAY 150- 150-250 MILLION IMPACT JUST 30 00:03:51.030 --> 00:04:02.575 BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE HAD GONE ON IT WAS A SLOW SEASON AND YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AN ECONOMIST TO KNOW THINGS ARE COMING BACK AND 31 00:04:02.575 --> 00:04:10.750 THAT'S TAKEN PLACE IN GREAT NUMBERS TODAY ON RETAIL SALES COMING OUT OF THE DOWNTURN AND THE STIMULUS BEGINNING TO HIT 32 00:04:10.750 --> 00:04:19.592 AND PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT VACATIONS AND ALL THAT SAID WE ARE DOWN 140 OR 50,000 JOBS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION AND 33 00:04:19.592 --> 00:04:29.268 AND THAT PUTS A SPECK TO APRIL OR MAY OF 2015 SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE THREE YEARS TO PULL OUT THE LABOR MARKET OF EFFECTIVENESS 34 00:04:29.268 --> 00:04:37.577 EVEN THE OTHER PARTS GDP AND INCOME STARTS ZOOMING BACK QUICKLY OF THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. 35 00:04:37.577 --> 00:04:46.386 >>: GROUND TO MAKE UP. CHRISTINA AS YOU LOOK AT THE VACCINE OR ALLOWED IN INDIANA IT'S POSITIVE AND THE JOHNSON & 36 00:04:46.386 --> 00:04:53.726 JOHNSON SITUATION NOT EXCLUSIVE TO INDIANA, BUT PROVIDING A HICCUP. SO MUCH OF THIS I THINK WILL BE 37 00:04:53.726 --> 00:05:01.134 DEPENDENT UPON HOOSIERS FEELING CONFIDENT TO GO BACK INTO STORES AND RETAIL OUTLETS AND TO FLY AGAIN. 38 00:05:01.134 --> 00:05:08.074 HOW DO YOU SENSE THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE ROLLOUT SEEMINGLY GOING FOR THE MOST PART DO YOU THINK LATER ON FOLKS 39 00:05:08.074 --> 00:05:15.148 WILL BE COMFORTABLE GOING BACK TO STADIUMS AND BEING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE? >>: I THINK PEOPLE ARE FEELING 40 00:05:15.148 --> 00:05:22.388 MORE COMFORTABLE. I LIVE IN INDIANAPOLIS AND I TELL YOU THE RESTAURANTS PARTICULARLY OUTSIDE ARE PACKED 41 00:05:22.388 --> 00:05:29.896 AND ARE READY FOR FUN AND TO GET ON PLANES. I AM READY. I'M VACCINATED NOW AND DURING 42 00:05:29.896 --> 00:05:40.740 THE PANDEMIC MY SON DEVELOPED A SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND IN LOS ANGELES AND HE WANTS TO GET ON A PLANE AND CHECK OUT THAT 43 00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:49.916 SITUATION BUT SO MANY OF US MISS PEOPLE AND MISS LIFE AND OUR FRIENDS AND THAT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE HOSPITALITY 44 00:05:49.916 --> 00:05:57.323 INDUSTRY BUT I ALSO WANT TO UNDERSCORE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE PROCESS GOING SMOOTHLY FOR THE MOST PART IN INDIANA AND I 45 00:05:57.323 --> 00:06:07.600 ALSO THINK WE PIVOTED WITH THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON HICCUP VERY SMOOTHLY AS WELL AND EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE VACCINATED NOW 46 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:14.907 CAN BE AND THAT CAN BE DISCOUNTED. >>: I HAVE BOTH VACCINE SO GOOD TO GO. 47 00:06:14.907 --> 00:06:23.850 AS YOU LOOKING AT THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR IN THE HOSPITALITY THE TOURISM SECTOR SO IMPORTANT TO INDIANA AND CENTRAL INDIANA 48 00:06:23.850 --> 00:06:32.058 WHAT IS YOUR GUT FEEL AT THIS POINT, IF WE WILL BE BACK TO CLOSER TO FULL GOAL LATER THIS YEAR. 49 00:06:32.058 --> 00:06:41.033 >>: THE CONVENTION IS A GREAT AREA AND THERE ARE TWO GROUPS 4,000 A PIECE THAT ARE ROLLING OUT AND MOVING OUT OF THE 50 00:06:41.033 --> 00:06:51.177 FACILITY SO EVEN AFTER MARCH MADNESS WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 220 CONVENTIONS HOLDING COURSE THAT WE WILL CONVENE HERE IN 51 00:06:51.177 --> 00:06:57.550 INDIANAPOLIS TO THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AND USUALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 500 SO THAT'S A POINT OF PERSPECTIVE. 52 00:06:57.550 --> 00:07:08.094 WE KNOW JUNE IS A GO/NO-GO DAY AS ORGANIZERS ARE SLATED TO CONVENE AND WHETHER THEY CAN BUILD A DENSITY OF PEOPLE TO 53 00:07:08.094 --> 00:07:15.501 PULL OFF A TRADE SHOW. ON THE LEISURE SIDE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RESEARCH WE GET CONSUMERS ARE HUNGRY JUST LIKE CHRISTINA 54 00:07:15.501 --> 00:07:22.942 THEY WANT TO TRAVEL AND SEE LOVED ONES AND WE BELIEVE VISITING FRIENDS AND FAMILY LOCAL RESIDENTS INVITING THEIR 55 00:07:22.942 --> 00:07:30.016 FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SEE THEM WILL OPEN THE GATES AND BE THE FIRST TO COME TRAVEL SOAP CONFIDENCE BUILDING AND 56 00:07:30.016 --> 00:07:39.492 TRAVELING VIA CAR AND PLANE IN THE SHORT TERM IT. >>: REALLY QUICK 15 SECONDS THUMBS UP ON COMING OUT OF THE 57 00:07:39.492 --> 00:07:46.732 PANDEMIC IN A POSITIVE LIGHT ULTIMATELY. >>: WE WILL RECOVER LIKE THE NATION AND CENTRAL INDIANA A 58 00:07:46.732 --> 00:07:53.105 GOOD BIT FASTER BECAUSE OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE ECONOMY AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS TO FULLY GET BACK.