INDIANAPOLIS — Gen Con organizers reported a record attendance for its 2023 event in Indianapolis with more than 70,000 people.
Visit Indy said that’s just a taste of what’s to come in 2024, with several events on the calendar that promise to be economic game-changers for the city.
“Looking at 2024, this is going to be a monumental year,” said Nate Swick, with Visit Indy. “The list just goes on and on and on.”
2024 Indy events
February: NBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Saturday's events will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.
March: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second rounds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
April: Rare solar eclipse coming over Indy.
May: 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
June: U.S. Olympic Team Trials for swimming at Lucas Oil Stadium.
November: Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” coming to town for three nights at Lucas Oil Stadium.
December: Big Ten Football Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Plus, dozens of conventions and events like Gen Con and the FFA at the Indiana Convention Center.
“We’ve always been a sports city, a convention city, but we are really taking it up a notch in 2024,” Swick said.
Visit Indy said the jam-packed year is guaranteed to boost downtown business. Most recently, Gen Con brought in nearly $75 million in economic impact with restaurants, hotels and flights.
So far, there’s no official estimate for next year, but with Taylor Swift's concert dates downtown, Visit Indy is predicting a sold-out weekend.
“When you look at some of our comparable cities in the Midwest region and beyond, all of their hotels were sold out. All of their restaurants were packed,” Swick said. “So, we are anticipating Lucas Oil Stadium to be full all three nights and every hotel in this city being full all three nights.”
PHOTOS: Renderings of Indiana Convention Center expansion, new hotel
To keep the momentum going, the city is also expanding the convention center and adding an 800-room hotel at the Pan Am Plaza. The hope is to not just keep customers but add more.
“By adding these new places and spaces, we will be able to host two or more major conventions or sports tournaments at the same time, which we generally can’t do right now,” said Leonard Hoops, CEO and president of Visit Indy.
The project is expected to be finished in mid-2026.