WEBVTT

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>> ON TO OUR TOP STORY NOW. THE

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CONVENTION AND TOURISM SECTOR

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WAS DECIMATED BY THE PANDEMIC.

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BUT THERE ARE DEFINITE SIGNS THE

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INDUSTRY SO IMPORTANT TO THE

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STATE'S ECONOMY IS BACK.

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VISIT INDY SAYS LAST YEAR,

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INDIANAPOLIS HOSTED MORE

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IN-PERSON EVENTS THAN ANY CITY

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IN COUNTRY AND, TO DATE THIS

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YEAR, INDY HAS THE HIGHEST

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DOWNTOWN HOTEL OCCUPANCY IN THE

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ENTIRE COUNTRY FOR CONVECTION

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BUSINESS.

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THE NEWS COMES AS GEN CON, ONE

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OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND

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LONGEST-RUNNING TABLETOP GAMING

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CONVENTIONS, RETURNS TO

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INDY.

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WITH MORE ON THE NUMBERS AND

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WHAT THEY MEAN, I'M PLEASED TO

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BE JOINED BY VISIT INDY SENIOR

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VICE PRESIDENT CHRIS GAHL.

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CHRIS, WELCOME.

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WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THE HALLS

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ABOVE THE CONVECTION CENTER.

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THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

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THIS GEN CON CONS TO BE A BIG

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DRIVER FOR INDIANAPOLIS.

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>> YEAH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME

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ON, GERRY.

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GEN CON HAS BEEN HERE SINCE

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2003, INITIALLY 20,000 ATTENDEES

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AND THIS YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTING

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65,000.

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EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE

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CONVENTION CENTER BEING

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UTILIZED, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO

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WELCOME BACK THIS TIME-TESTED

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GROUP BACK TO THE CAPITAL CITY.

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>> GERRY: THE CEO OF GEN CON HAD

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A STATEMENT THIS WEEK ABOUT THE

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ABORTION BILL BEING DEBATED AT

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THE HOUSE IN SPECIAL SESSION,

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EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE

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POTENTIAL OUTCOME AND HIS

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COMMITMENT TO INDIANAPOLIS.

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HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

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>> PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL ONE

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WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR

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STAKEHOLDERS AND ATTEND EAST AND

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WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO REMAIN

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COMMITTED TO INDIANA AS OUR

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LONG-TERM HOME.

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>> GERRY: GEN CON OUT FRONT IN

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AGO.CONTROVERSIAL SEVERAL YEARS

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YOUR REACTION FROM GEN CON'S

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C.E.O.

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>> WE KNOW THE LAST FEW WEEKS

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THAT THERE HAS BEEN A HANDFUL

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CONVENTION AND EVENTS EYEING

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INDIANAPOLIS.

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THE FIRST TO GO PUBLIC WITH

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THEIR DISTASTE IN WHAT IS

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HAPPENING, WE HAVE BEEN AROUND

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FOR 100 YEARS.

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WE CARE ABOUT DRIVING TOURISM

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FORWARD, ANY TIME THERE IS AN

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EVENT OR ISSUE, WE TAKE CONCERN

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AND WE HAVE TAKEN NOTE.

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WE CONVEYED THEIR MESSAGE TO THE

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GENERALLY ASSEMBLY.

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TOURISM IS A BIG PART OF OUR

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ACADEMY, SO WE WERE PART OF THAT

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TEAM TO PUT THAT OVER TO THE

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STATE HOUSE.

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>> GERRY: HEY, CHRIS, I WANT TO

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TALK ABOUT THE RECOVERY.

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LET'S GO BACK.

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HOW DEVASTATING WERE THINGS IN

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THE CONVENTION AND TOURISM

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INDUSTRY, PARTICULARLY FOR

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INDIANAPOLIS DURING THE

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PANDEMIC, THE HEIGHT OF THE

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PANDEMIC?

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>> DEVASTATION IS THE WORD,

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GERRY.

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TOURISM HIT GLOBALLY.

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WE LOST MORE THAN $5MILLION

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WORTH OF CONVENTION BUSINESS,

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HOTELS VIRTUALLY EMPTY AND OUR

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WORKFORCE NO LONGER ABLE TO EARN

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A PAYCHECK.

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IT WAS DEVASTATING.

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NOW, AS YOU MENTIONED AT THE TOP

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OF THE SHOW, 2021, NO OTHER CITY

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IN THE NATION HOSTED MORE LIVE

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EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS THAN

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

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255 TO BE PRECISE AND THAT

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HELPED TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR

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US TO BE STRONGER AND QUICKER TO

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RECOVER THAN MOST MAJOR CITYS.

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>> GERRY: QUICKLY, WHAT IS

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DRIVING THIS, INDIANAPOLIS AND

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INDIANA HOSTED MUCH OF MARCH

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MADNESS, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE

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FEET.

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WHAT IS BEHIND THIS EARLY

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RECOVERY?

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>> GREAT QUESTION.

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TWO THINGS, EARLY ON THE CAPITAL

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IMPROVEMENT BOARD INVESTED

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$7 MILLION IN UPGRADES TO THIS

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CONVENTION CENTER THAT GAVE

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CONFIDENCE FOR CONVENTIONS TO

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MEET SAFELY.

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THE NCAA'S CONFIDENCE IN

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INDIANAPOLIS, THE SPORTS CORE,

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CITY AND STATE GOVERNMENT

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FORGING AHEAD.

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THAT PUT ALL EYES ON

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INDIANAPOLIS AND VALIDATED THIS

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IDEA THAT WE CAN SAFELY HOST

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COMPLEX EVENTS IN A PANDEMIC.

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THAT HELPED US RECOVER.

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WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE 2024

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RECOVERED, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR

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EVENTS, WE'RE PACING TO PROBABLY

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EARLY IN 2023 BE 100% RECOVERED,

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IF NOT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR,

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IF YOU LOOK AT OUR METRICS.

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>> GERRY: VERY QUICK, I KNOW THE

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HOTEL PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.

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A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT

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IS NEXT.

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WILL INDIANAPOLIS GO AFTER THE

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NFL DRAFT?

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>> YOU KNOW WHAT, DRAFT ORR

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COMBINE, PREMIERE EVENTS, WE

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HAVE A LONG-STANDING

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RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NFL AND I

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THINK YOU WILL SEE INDIANAPOLIS