Due to COVID 19, we encourage you to check the status of any Indianapolis establishment prior to visiting.
Indy is back on track and safely hosting meetings.
In 65 days, Indy has welcomed 21 live events and 48,600 attendees with no known COVID-19 cases.
Ten Reasons You Can Confidently Book Indy Now
Task Force in Action: As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Visit Indy gathered 63 city leaders and hospitality employees across all sectors to work diligently towards a Hoosier Hospitality Promise to our visitors. This Task Force meets regularly to ensure every step is being taken towards a safe and healthy environment.
Hospital-Grade Filters: In March, the Indiana Convention Center installed hospital-grade filtration systems and have been running the system daily. In fact, the center received NAFA's 2020 Clean Air Award for leadership and excellence in air filtration.
Zero Attrition: Indy was the first city to launch a zero attrition program for meetings booked in the year for the year.
Drivability: Indy is within a day’s drive of more than half of the nation’s population, making it one of America’s most drivable cities. Research shows travelers will be more comfortable taking a road trip before boarding a plane.
Walkability: With 4,700 rooms connected to the Indiana Convention Center and 7,100 rooms in the downtown core, your attendees can safely walk to their meeting destination without having to employ shuttles.
Every Employee: As part of our Hoosier Hospitality Promise, every hospitality employee will be wearing a mask when servicing your convention.
Outdoor Venues: We know there is perceived safety in being outdoors. Fortunately, Indy is home to numerous outdoor venues within walking distance from our downtown convention package – White River State Park and their new Lawn amphitheater, Monument Circle, Indianapolis Zoo’s White River Gardens, Chef JJ’s Rooftop Terrace, or even the Georgia Street promenade immediately outside the Convention Center.
Employee Training: A new 2020 Super Service training program committed to the Hoosier Hospitality Promise has been launched for hospitality employees across all sectors.
Making Headlines: The Indiana Convention Center has been named to EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2021 Centers of Excellence list. This honor is given to the top convention centers in North America.
You Make an Impact: 83,000 men and women in Indy depend on tourism for a paycheck. When travel came to a screeching halt, our industry nationwide immediately felt the void of no visitors. Let’s rebuild the #1 Convention City in the U.S. (USA Today)
Indy is open and we'd love to host your next event. Now is the time to submit your RFP for flexible rates and dates.
Any event with an estimated attendance of over 50 must submit a public health plan for approval by the Marion County Public Health Department. The form must be submitted at least seven days prior to the event.
This plan requires events to think through:
Capacity limits
Pre-Communication to Attendees
Social Distancing
Enforcement of Safety Plans
Increased Sanitization Plans
Plan for Temperature Checks and Health Screenings (based on size of group)
Your Visit Indy Convention Services Manager will assist with health plan details.
In effort to keep Indy’s reopening stages safely progressing, the city has mandated that residents and visitors are required to wear masks in any indoor space or outdoor space. The masks can be removed while eating at a restaurant. The mask order excludes children under the age of 2, as well as anyone with a medical condition that prevents the use of a mask.
Since March 17, all of the Indiana Convention Center's one million square feet have been sealed off. During this time, the Center invested over $7 million in health and safety enhancements including hospital-grade filtration systems, contactless faucets and toilets, increased hand sanitizer stations, Plexiglas shields at information desks and food and beverage stations, and more. In fact, the industry is taking notice as the Indiana Convention Center was just named a Center for Excellence by EXHIBITOR Magazine and the building also received the Clear Air Award by the National Air Filtration Association. For more information, click here.
The building is now also implementing a Clorox 360 cleaning process that kills 99.9 percent of bacteria in five seconds and can cover 18,000 square feet of space in an hour. With this new process, it will be ever so important to work together to understand your conference schedule so that the building’s team can consistently employ this cleaning mechanism.
Additional ways the Indiana Convention Center is delivering on their Hoosier Hospitality Promise:
The Indiana Convention Center has a lead staff member who has completed her Global Biorisk Advisory Council certification (GBAC) and the on-site catering company has recently hired a new Hospitality Ambassador to lead through CDC guidelines and city and state mandates.
All employees servicing your convention will be required to wear masks and will have their temperature taken upon entry into the building.
For the safety of convention attendees, no buffets or self-serve stations will be permitted at this time. The in-house caterer is prepared to provide individually wrapped utensils and condiments.
To assist in social distancing, directional signs will navigate a new flow of traffic, and access to the convention center will only be permitted to convention attendees, employees, and convention vendors.
To assist in social distancing, new floor layouts and capacity numbers will be implemented within the building, including a minimum of a 10’ walkway between exhibitors.
Indy is home to the #1 Airport in North America for eight years in a row, according to Airports Council International and Condé Nast Traveler. Airports Council International has certified the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) with its Airport Health Accreditation. IND is one of only eight airports in the United States to receive this industry-leading designation.
Airports around the country were affected by travel bans, but as cities look to re-open, IND airport has already seen a re-bound in airlift and new flights have even been identified and set to launch later this year.
All eight domestic airlines operated at IND airport throughout the pandemic. Air Canada was forced to suspend flights due to US/Canada travel ban.
Three new routes have been added:
IND – STL will start on Southwest in September
IND – FLL will start on Spirit in November
All United flights will have resumed operations as of July 2020, including the transcontinental flight IND – SFO.
All Spirit flights will have resumed operation as of mid-July 2020.
IND Airport is taking the following measures to help protect the traveling public and fulfill their Hoosier Hospitality Promise:
Using a multipurpose cleaner, degreaser, and sanitizer to clean and disinfect every restroom surface from doorknobs to diaper changing stations in public-facing restrooms on an hourly basis. Kivac machines are also utilized daily with a hospital-grade disinfectant.
Hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the terminal (pre- and post-security and the Ground Transportation Center). More hand sanitizing stations have been added in the public areas.
In locations where travelers congregate, IND is conducting extra cleaning, including the Civic Plaza food court seating area, visitor seating area, airline gate seating areas, and baggage claim.
At this time, mandates from the City of Indianapolis require that any event or convention with anticipated attendance of 250 or greater must have Marion County Public Health Department-approved mitigation plan.
Indy is home to many independent and global hotel brands, however all hotels are working together to implement a global brand promise, in addition to our Hoosier Hospitality Promise standards.
Here are general protocols all Indianapolis hotels are taking to ensure guest safety:
Hotel staff will pass a health check or complete a health survey prior to each shift.
Indy hotels will continue to be a leader in safe sanitation practices with all staff members completing a COVID-19 training class before returning to work and wearing the appropriate PPE as per State, County and CDC Guidelines.
All guest rooms, restaurants, meeting spaces and public spaces will be disinfected utilizing approved chemicals by the EPA for killing the COVID-19 virus.
Food and Beverage place settings, utensils, menus and condiments will either be single-use or will be cleaned and sanitized after every use.
Hotels will clean and sanitize common areas and high guest touch point areas on a regular basis.
All hotel public spaces, restaurants and meeting spaces will comply with the social distancing according to local jurisdiction guidelines.
Hand sanitizer or hand washing stations will be available upon entry to the hotels and placed throughout the hotel properties in high traffic areas.
For more information on global brand cleanliness standards, please click on the links below.
Drury Hotels
Redesigned check-in process, social distancing signage, constant common area cleaning. Drury Travel Happy Again
Indy is home to numerous award-winning, family-friendly attractions. Leaders from key institutions have met to ensure consistence in quality re-opening protocols. Indy attractions are limited to 25% indoor capacity.
Please be sure to check individual attraction websites for their re-opening timeline and COVID-19 protocols.
Indianapolis restaurants are open at 50% capacity indoor and 100% outdoor. The maximum party size per tables is six. Bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues are limited to 25% capacity. These businesses must close at midnight each night and can reopen at 5:00 AM.
In general, all Indy restaurants will be taking the following protocols:
Staff will have to pass a health screening or health survey upon arrival to the restaurant.
All employees are required to wear a mask throughout the entire duration of shift
All restaurants, both indoor and outdoor spaces, have been reconfigured to allot for dining tables to be spaced six feet apart.
At this time, tables of 7 or more diners are not permitted.
Places settings, utensils, condiments, and menus will be single-use or will be washed between every use.
At this time, no self-service stations or buffets are permitted at restaurants.
It is recommended that you check with each restaurant’s website prior to arrival to ensure they’ve moved from a carry-out only to in-restaurant dining.
Indianapolis restaurants have made the Hoosier Hospitality Promise. To learn more, click here.
Both ride sharing platforms continue to operate in Indy under new safety guidelines. IndyGo’s Red Line mass transit system is also back to operating under their regular schedule, while following these safety measures for riders.
Lyft has launched these general safety protocols:
Riders (and drivers) must wear a mask for the duration of the ride
If possible, please ride with the window down
Riders are encouraged to handle their own personal belongings like a suitcase or phone charger.
Uber has pledged 10 million free rides and food deliveries to frontline workers during the pandemic. They’re also asking riders to practice these safety measures when utilizing Uber’s services:
Riders (and drivers) must wear a mask for the duration of the ride
Wash your hands before and after you ride.
Cover your mouth and nose. If you sneeze or cough, do so into your elbow or a tissue.
Sit in the back. Give your driver space by sitting in the back seat.
Open the window. If possible, roll down the window to improve ventilation.
In effort to keep Indy’s reopening stages safely progressing, the city has mandated that residents and visitors are required to wear masks in any indoor space or outdoor space. The masks can be removed while eating at a restaurant. The mask order excludes children under the age of 2, as well as anyone with a medical condition that prevents the use of a mask.
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