Board highlights ASAE convention’s lift for Indianapolis hotels and leads

Leonard presented the ASAE report and told the board that July hotel performance in Marion County set monthly records, with occupancy "nearly 72%" countywide and downtown occupancy "nearly 73%," and said year-to-date revenue metrics were also at record levels.

He described the ASAE bid and delivery effort — noting a multi-year pitch team and roughly 500 volunteers — and said the CIB provided about 40% of supplemental funding for the event while additional partnerships raised about $1,000,000. Leonard contrasted the CIB’s conservative economic-impact calculator (which estimated attendees spent about $7.3 million over four days) with organizer-reported figures of $13–15 million, and said the board prefers reporting conservative numbers publicly.

Board members thanked Leonard and his team for their work. Several members emphasized that hosting ASAE helped Indianapolis outpace national revenue gains and raised the city’s profile for future large events.