The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA) has announced that a feasibility study requested by the city-owned Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome has concluded that sufficient demand exists to warrants a significant expansion.

�There is requisite market demand for an Indiana Convention Center expansion of the size and type being contemplated, if developed with a new hotel,� said Robert V. Canton, a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, which conducted the study.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers� findings, the addition of 275,000 square feet of exhibit space plus additional meeting, ballroom and support areas would enable the Center to accommodate additional conventions and trade shows that want to consider Indianapolis, but cannot due to current space constraints. It was estimated that an expanded Center could realize an additional 18�23 major conventions and trade shows and four to five consumer shows per year, which would generate $165 million in economic impact while creating at least 2.700 new jobs.

The study also noted that the Indiana Convention Center performed exceptionally well, with high occupancy during a period of industry decline. It is that kind of momentum that local hospitality officials want to sustain.

�These findings are consistent with our own examination of the future needs of our enormously important and healthy conventions and meetings industry,� said Bob Bedell, ICVA President and CEO. �The demand continues to grow for Indianapolis and this proposed expansion represents the next phase of Indianapolis� deliberate development of its convention district and downtown, which has already proven successful.�

The study additionally determined that a new headquarters hotel offering 800 to 1,000 rooms, or an expansion of an existing connected hotel to 1,200 rooms, is critical to the marketability of an expanded Convention Center. With nealry 28,000 hotel rooms in the metropolitan area, Indianapolis offers planners more than 6,000 hotel rooms dowtown, including 2,600 rooms connected via skywalk to the Center and an additional 1,500 rooms within walking distance to the Center. Still, the study states that the expansion should be accompanied by additional rooms to help absorb incremental demand associated with convention center expansion, and to improve room block availability for simultaneous events.

�Maintaining the status quo is not the answer,� confirmed Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. �I am confident that as contiguous site possibilities and potential funding sources are identified, we will definitively move forward to ensure the longterm viability of this very important economic engine for the city of Indianapolis.�

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Media Contact: Bob Schultz +1 317-639-4772 bschultz@indianapolis.org