INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Sports Corp and Next Practice Partners unveiled the 2050 Vision Monday, which is a 25-year statewide plan to make Indiana the "global epicenter of sports."
According to a news release, the two organizations surveyed over 120 key stakeholders and industry leaders across the country, as well as Indiana residents.
“The 2050 Vision is the next step in the sports strategy that began in 1979 and has led to Indianapolis being the successful host city that we know today,” Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty said. “This next chapter isn’t just about our city but our entire state. And although Indiana Sports Corp led the research and plan to convene many around this strategy, we see this as a collective, shared vision. Community and collaboration are imperative to accomplish these goals over the next 25 years. As we know in sports, this is a team effort.”
The feedback from everyone surveyed resulted in the 2050 Vision being comprised of the following "guiding principles" and "five pillars of focus" (provided by Indiana Sports Corp):
Guiding principles:
- Arts and culture
- Civic pride
- Community engagement
- Diversity in representation
- Economic vitality
- Environmental sustainability
- Equity of access
- Health and wellness
- Inclusion
- Youth development
Pillars of focus:
- Sports events
- Focus: Hosting world-class events (large, multisport, high visibility)
- Goal: To be in the Top 3 sports event host cities in the U.S.
- Sports tech
- Focus: Being the nucleus of entrepreneurship, innovation, and acceleration
- Goal: To be the sports tech hub of the U.S.
- Sports academia
- Focus: Creating and presenting high-quality academic offerings and leading research tied to sports
- Goal: To offer the top ranked sports education programs in the world
- Sports business leadership
- Focus: Attracting and retaining decision-makers and influential governing bodies in the world of sports
- Goal: To host the largest cluster of sports organizations and governing bodies in the world
- Women’s sports
- Focus: Creating the leading women’s sports ecosystem and women leaders in sports
- Goal: To be the women’s sports capital of the world
“The greatest successes haven’t come from following best practices but from innovation and disruption to create next practices,” said Neelay Bhatt, founder & CEO of Next Practice Partners. “Having just visited the Paris 2024 Olympics, I would rate our event execution and hospitality on par with the world’s best. We have already started convening our expansive sports academia cluster with IU, Purdue (and their campuses) Butler, Ball State, Notre Dame and U Indy. They will attract global minds, drive research and fuel the sports innovation and tech ecosystem that Sports Tech HQ is rapidly building. Lastly, our sporting leaders who happen to be women have championed the women’s sports movement for years. In short, we have all it takes to build the global epicenter of sports here in Indiana.”
Indiana Sports Corp is asking organizations to continue submitting their feedback and ideas for the 2050 Vision online here.
