Tourism, Conventions and Event
Management News and Press Release
The Tourism, Conventions and Event Management Department is excited to offer an accelerated certificate in Events Management. Accelerated classes will begin Fall 2007, starting with TCEM 171: Introduction to Convention/Meeting Management. Subsequent semesters will offer additional classes. All classes are 12 weeks long. For more information on the accelerated Event Management Certificate, please contact our department at 317-274-2599.
City wins $25K prize for tourism campaign May 13 , 2006 From fortwayne.com staff reports
A group of Fort Wayne organizations that included the city of Fort Wayne today won the $25,000 prize for the best cultural tourism campaign in the state.
[ Read more ]
Fort Wayne wins for best cultural tourism campaign May 12 , 2006 From fortwayne.com staff reports
Battle of the brands. Planners go back to drawing board after city slogan nixed May 12 , 2006 By Matthew Kish
“The New Midwest.” The simple phrase almost became Indianapolis’ new identity. For more than two years, city officials and 14 tourism, business development and arts organizations have been designing a new brand for Indianapolis.
[ Read more ]
Richard Florida’s worried May 12 , 2006 By David Hoppe
Richard Florida is back … and he doesn’t like what he sees. Florida is the urban economist whose book, The Rise of the Creative Class, identified people and cities as the major factors defining economic success in our post-Industrial era.
[ Read more ]
Fort Wayne Organizations to Receive Cultural Tourism Award May 12 , 2006
Several Fort Wayne organizations, including the City of Fort Wayne, will this afternoon be honored for excellence in cultural tourism development at the Indiana Cultural Tourism Conference in Indianapolis.
[ Read more ]
Critical Thinking in College and Beyond May 11 , 2006 By Stanley Schermerhorn
An elective that I chose to take my first semester was TCEM 100, Introduction to Hospitality. I initially though the class would help me with employment by increasing my customer service skills; I never considered that this class would be enough to change my whole attitude about my future. I learned about event planners and the tasks they perform. I found this to be very exciting. I feel that this career would provide me with enough challenges to keep the career interesting. It will also provide me with enough enjoyment to keep me emotionally intrigued.
[ Read more ]
Getting Schooled: Colleges Adding Event Courses May 06 , 2006
Although event management has been offered as a formal course of study at a few colleges and universities across the United States for years, its popularity is growing significantly. First offered in academic institutions located in well-known tourist destinations—like New York University (NYU); Washington, D.C.'s George Washington University; and Las Vegas's UNLV—the subject is now being taught at institutions that might be considered somewhat off-the-beaten track, like Indiana University in Indianapolis.
[ Read more ]
Cultural Tourism Conference Offers $25,000 Prize April 26, 2006
The Elkart County Convention & Visitors Bureau is one of 14 organizations competing for a $25,000 prize to be awarded for the best cultural tourism initiative in the state.
The winner of the 2006 Efroymson Award for Excellence in Cultural Tourism Development prize will be announced at the Indiana Cultural Tourism Conference on May 12, 2006.
[ Read more ]
How to draw the creative class. Social theorist Richard Florida to address tourism conference May 12 April 21, 2006
Known as the world’s most influential scholar on the rise of the creative class and the impact of cultural tourism on a community’s economy, best-selling author Richard Florida will headline the Cultural Tourism Conference on Friday, May 12, at the University Place Conference Center on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis.
[ Read more ]
Indiana Tourism Revs Up New Brand Campaign April 19, 2006
By: InsideIndianaBusiness.com Report
Indiana's tourism is getting revved up with a new slogan and ad campaign. The Indiana Office of Tourism Development is today launching the slogan "Indiana: Restart Your Engines."
[ Read more ]
You can't argue with success of Indy's sports strategy April 06, 2006 By: Jerry D. Semler
A March 29 article in The Star questioned whether Indianapolis is getting sufficient bang for the bucks it has invested in sports. The question was posed as Indianapolis prepared to host its fifth NCAA Men's Final Four, which attracted 80,000 visitors who, in turn, slept in our hotel rooms, ate in our restaurants and shopped in our retail stores to the tune of an estimated $40 million during their four-day stay.
[ Read more ]
IUPUI Announces Cash Cultural Tourism Prize March 24, 2006
IUPUI's Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management has announced that a $25,000
prize will be awarded to the organization that wins a contest for the best cultural tourism initiative in the state.
[ Read more ]
Indianapolis Tries to Attract Conventions From Europe February 17, 2006
Last week, Sotiris H. Avgoustis, PhD, who is
Chair and Associate Professor of the IU Department of Tourism,
Conventions and Event Management at IUPUI, spoke on behalf
of Indianapolis at the second International Meetings Industry
Conference (IMIC 2006), in Athens, Greece.
His keynote presentation was titled "The history
of Indianapolis as an Emerging Meeting, Conventions and Exhibition
Destination". He shared with 350 conference participants from
Europe the steps our city took beginning in the 1960s to transform
itself into a world-class convention destination. Participants
were impressed by the level of cooperation between business
leaders, local politicians and the Indianapolis community
that resulted in the development of an infrastructure that
allows Indianapolis to capitalize on its geographic location.
[ Read
more ]
New
program will train future IU leaders February 13, 2006
Problems with IU's leadership structure prompted the largest set of administrative changes in IU history last month. Last week, IU President Adam Herbert took another step in fixing leadership problems.
[ Read
more ]
IU President
Adam Herbert announces inaugural LeaD class February 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President
Adam Herbert today (Feb. 3) announced a roster of 30 IU faculty
who will participate in the 2006 IU Leadership Development
Project.
[ Read
more ]
National
Cultural Guru, $25,000 prize to Highlight Cultural Tourism
Conference January 27, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS - A "national cultural guru"
will headline an inaugural conference at Indiana University-Purdue
University Indianapolis on advancing cultural tourism in Indiana.
Richard Florida, widely regarded as one of the most influential
scholars on the rise of the creative class and the impact
of cultural tourism on a city's economy, will headline the
Cultural Tourism Conference, to be held May 12, 2006.
[ Read
more ]
Urban
rejuvenation and cultural tourism January 27, 2006
By Sotiris Avgoustis
Page 5-7 of 15
In an address to the 1995 White House Conference
on Travel and Tourism, Garrison Keillor described cultural
tourism by saying, "We need to think about cultural tourism
because really there is no other kind of tourism. It’s
what tourism is...People don’t come to America for our
airports, people don't come to America for our hotels, or
the recreation facilities....They come for our culture: high
culture, low culture, middle culture, right, left, real or
imagined -- they come here to see America." [ Read
more ]
Indiana
Economy OK in 2005 December 21 2005
By Leigh DeNoon
Construction, education, health services, leisure
and hospitality, were all sectors for job growth in Indiana
in 2005.
Jerry Conover, an economist and director of
the Indiana Business Research Center says manufacturing jobs
grew in the first part of the year, but slowed in the second
half of 2005. [ Read
more ]
Tourists
in Indy are opening their wallets wider, study says December 8 2005
By Erika D. Smith
When the Final Four is in town, the operators
of RAM Restaurant turn bullish. The NCAA basketball tournament
means thousands of people will walk through the doors of the
Downtown Indianapolis sports bar and restaurant. They'll plunk
down dollars as they straddle barstools and fill up booths. [ Read
more ]
TCEM
Students lend a helping hand
November 24 2005
By Sotiris Avgoustis
The TCEM 271
Mechanics of Meeting Planning class assisted the Inter-American
Press Association with their conference in October,
2005. The conference took place at the Indianapolis
Convention Center. In appreciation of the students'
efforts a $1,000 donation was made to the department
for student professional development.
Indianapolis
residents "comfortable" with the city
November 23 2005
By Mary Milz/Eyewitness News
"I think overall Indianapolis residents
are very comfortable with their city." Indiana University-Purdue
University at Indianapolis' Sotiris Avgoustis says those surveyed
give Indy high marks in several areas. [ Read
more ]
Survey
Shows Indianapolis Residents Believe City Has Arrived
November 21, 2005
By Rich Schneider
Promotion of Indianapolis as a cultural destination
has had a positive impact on how Indianapolis residents view
the quality of their lives, according to a survey conducted
by the Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management
at IUPUI. [ Read
more ]
Boom,
baby: Tourism industry preps for growth?
October 17, 2005
By
The dirt is still fresh
from the Colts??? stadium ground breaking, but local hospitality
professionals already are planning for the growth it will
spur in their industry.
Experts project as many as 25,000 additional
jobs by 2010, when both the stadium and a 275,000-square-foot
expansion of the Indiana Convention Center are scheduled to
be complete. That tally counts jobs created
in those facilities as well as in hotels, restaurants and
other attractions.
Officials expect 4,200 jobs to be added in
the new facilities themselves, everything from convention
setup crews to sound technicians and electricians.
Each one of these presents an opportunity for
a career path, said Bob Schultz, communications director for
the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.
While many of the jobs may be entrylevel, Schultz
said employees could work into higher-level and management
positions. Managers earn $25,000 to $50,000 a year, according
to a 2005 Indiana Hotel and Lodging Association survey.
The rate at which jobs are created will depend
on how quickly the expanded convention center attracts additional
events.
Still, local trade group Minorities in Hospitality
has begun
preparing college hospitality students for the growth, hosting
15 of them at a roundtable discussion last month.
MiH President Glenda Wilson said students can
get involved now through entrylevel jobs, internships or volunteering.
There are just so many different components
that make up the hospitality business, it's going to create
a need, said Wilson, director of marketing and events for
the Indianapolis-based Black Coaches Association.
Recent growth at IUPUI's Tourism Department
also may feed into the growing job market. In the last four
years, enrollment has increased 400 percent, to 350 students,
department Chairman Sotiris Avgoustis said.
Avgoustis said his department is emphasizing
a strong academic background as well as professional experience
to prepare students for positions.
There will be more employers looking for people
with
experience, he said. Tourism is a field where both education
and experience are paramount in ensuring success for our students.
How many jobs are created outside the new facilities
will depend on the demand for additional hospitality services.
The convention center already hosts 40 citywide
conventions a year, Schultz said, filling downtown hotel rooms
and spilling over into outlying hotels. ICVA has begun working
to add 20 to 25 citywide conventions
and four or five trade shows, he said.
Consultants who studied the convention center
expansion last year said downtown likely will need a 1,000-room
hotel to accommodate additional visitors. That can be accomplished
by building a new hotel or adding to an existing one, they
said.
Hospitality veteran John Livengood, who heads
the Restaurant and Hospitality Association of Indiana and
the Indiana Hotel and Lodging Association, said a hotel has
opened nearly every time the convention center
has grown. And a large hotel could add as many as 500 jobs.
Livengood also expects growth in restaurants.
You are going to see more restaurants looking
for places downtown to locate, he said, and existing eateries
also may look to expand.
Downtown restaurants earn at least half their
revenue from visitors, he said.
While the hospitality industry is buzzing about
the growth, Livengood said it might see a period of declining
business first, since two of the city's largest conventions
are moving to other cities until the expansion is complete.
We are going to go through a tough time for
a few years, he predicted.
But once the stadium and convention center
are complete, the hospitality industry and the city alike
are poised to see the benefits.
The whole hospitality industry is a major economic
engine in our community, he said.
IUPUI student Rasheeda Moore attended the hospitality
roundtable to start networking and to learn about the industry.
She anticipates the convention center expansion will help
her and other students with
internships and jobs in coming years. After graduating in
2010, Moore plans to start an event-planning business.
I am trying to get out there as much as possible
so I can get the experience I need, she said
Boost
or bust?
October 2, 2005
By J.K. Wall
City and state leaders say an expanded convention
center will bring more money to the city. But some experts
say event attendance is down as exhibit space has increased
in the U.S. [ Read
more ]
Survey to Measure Indy's Quality
of Life
September 19, 2005
By John Bartholomew and Cheryl Miller
Has the Cultural Arts Initiative by the city
of Indianapolis improved the quality of life here? What other
factors make the city a good, or not so good place to be?
Those are some of the questions that a new IUPUI survey hopes
to answer. [ Read
more ]
Studying
Culture
September 13, 2005
by Rich Schneider
When the city of Indianapolis announced in 2001
that it would pursue a cultural tourism initiative, the department
of tourism, conventions and event management better known
as TCEM - at IUPUI was ready to help.
And it's been playing a key role in advancing
Indianapolis' cultural initiative ever since.
The goal of the city's initiative was straightforward:
enhance the quality of life and attract visitors and businesses
by bolstering the city's regional, national and international
cultural profile.
"Financing the arts and culture in Indianapolis
will pay great dividends for the minds, hearts and souls of
our citizens well into the future," says Indianapolis Mayor
Bart Peterson. "What's more, making Indianapolis a destination
city will help attract new visitors, businesses and events
and further put our city on the map."
Less than three months after the new tourism
initiative was announced, TCEM had completed and analyzed
the results of a study it had conducted to look at international
visitors' perceptions of Indianapolis.
Since then, the department has conducted additional
surveys to produce a picture of who visits Indianapolis, why
they come here and how the city measures up to their expectations.
With each additional survey, that picture comes
into sharper focus, says Sotiris Avgoustis, chair and associate
professor of TCEM. The department is sharing its information
about visitors with the city helping the city to strengthen
the local tourism industry.
"We want to know what questions visitors have
in determining whether they go to Indianapolis, St. Louis,
Chicago or another city," he says. "The identical questions
are then asked again, in terms of Indianapolis. If a question
is, do you prefer a destination with a lot of outdoor activities,
we ask how they rate Indianapolis in terms of outdoor activities.
We can compare and see if Indianapolis ranks high or low and
whether that ranking is important."
"Our goal is to develop a profile of visitors
to Indianapolis, who are they, where are they coming from,
and what are their interests," Avgoustis says. "If we know
ahead of time that a certain group of people like what Indianapolis
has to offer, we can go after them and market the city to
them."
By building on its strengths and addressing
weaknesses, Indianapolis can develop initiatives to draw more
and different visitors to the city, Avgoustis says.
"We are developing a good understanding of
what is going on in the city but the process is on-going because
you can never have too much information," he adds.
In addition to measuring visitors' reactions to Indianapolis,
TCEM has begun another assessment: examining the opinion of
Indianapolis residents about the quality of their lives.
TCEM faculty and students conducted a survey
last fall that will provide a baseline against which efforts
to improve the quality of life in Indianapolis can be measured,
Avgoustis says.
Avgoustis notes that one of the goals of implementing
the Indianapolis cultural tourism initiative was to improve
the quality of life for the city. By measuring the opinions
of city residents about their quality of life, it will be
possible to measure the impact of the city's efforts over
time.
Learning
while living. Sarah Krukemeier fits an online education into
a 40-hour work week. September 12,
2005
Sarah Krukemeier is a part of a growing trend
of millions of people turning to the Internet to complete
their college degree or certificate because of their wide
availability, convenience and focused curriculum.
Her certificate through Indiana University-Purdue
University Indianapolis's (IUPUI) Tourism, Convention and
Event Management Department is the most popular one, according
to Sotiris Avgoustis, PhD, the departmental chairman. [ Read
more ]
Keep it
clean. Don't forget to follow the most basic of rules when
you prepare to cook your next meal. September 9, 2005
Mom always told you to wash your hands before
eating a meal. And she was right. Experts say washing your
hands is one of the easiest and best ways to prevent food-borne
illnesses. [ Read
more ]
Circle
Centre turns 10. The mall has helped transform the culture
and economy of Downtown. But will it continue to thrive? September 8, 2005
Downtown Indianapolis was a "scary place"
30 years ago, Cindy Porteous remembers. "You just weren't
sure you wanted to be walking around," she said. "There
wasn't anything there. You certainly didn't go out in the
evening for anything." [ Read
more ]
IUPUI
to Conduct Second Quality of Life Survey September 6, 2005
The Department of Tourism, Conventions and
Event Management at IUPUI says it will conduct a second survey
to measure how Indianapolis residents view the quality of
their lives. [ Read
more ]
IUPUI
Tourism Department Seeks to Attract Hispanic Students With
Class in Spanish August 26, 2005
The Department of Tourism, Conventions and
Event Management at IUPUI will tap a new market for students
this spring when it offers an introductory course that will
be taught in Spanish. [ Read
more ]
IUPUI
to Offer Tourism, Event Management Course in Spanish August 25, 2005
The Department of Tourism, Conventions and
Event Management at IUPUI will this Spring offer an introductory
course that will be taught in Spanish. The school says the
tourism and hospitality course is aimed at attracting potential
students living in the Indianapolis Hispanic community. [ Read
more ]
Grant Will
Help TCEM Boost New Indianapolis Initiative August 05, 2005
Thanks to a recent grant, the Indiana University
School of Physical Education and Tourism Management at IUPUI
is positioned to be a key player in advancing the city's cultural
tourism initiative. [ Read
more ]
Don't spoil
your picnic: Ants aren't the only threat to outdoor meals.
Bacteria and viruses can wreak havoc as well. July 23, 2005
Jim Bennett aptly describes a seemingly harmless
picnic as a "condo on the lake" for germs. Bennett,
a senior lecturer for the department of tourism, convention
and event management at IUPUI, teaches a course in food handling,
and knows a picnic can be a perfect haven for germ incubation. [ Read
more ]
Five TCEM
students and one TCEM faculty receive top honors August 03, 2005
Indiana Chapter was awarded the first ever,
grant from the Meeting Professionals International Foundation.
At the World Education Conference (WEC), Charlotte St. Martin,
President of the Foundation, made the announcement to 3,417
MPI members at the opening general session. Talk about exciting!
We received this grant based on the strength and professionalism
of our grant request, written by Amanda Cecil, our VP Education.
So many MPI members wanted to know how we got the grant and
how we are going to use it. [ Read
more ]
The
Indianapolis Star College Guide May 18, 2005
Jobs in hospitality, tourism and event management
are going begging as students earn degrees that help them
find jobs with hotels, restaurants, convention centers and
major corporations.
"There are more positions available than we
have graduates to fill," said Sotiris H. Avgoustis, Ph.D.,
chair and associate professor of the Tourism, Conventions
and Event Management Department at the Indiana University
School of Physical Education and Tourism Management. [ Read
more ]
Carolyn Sieger,
a TCEM senior and a Super Nanny! April 15, 2005
Carolyn Sieger may not be ABC's "Supernanny"
. . . yet. But the 23-year-old is on her way to rivaling the
newest Mary Poppins. [ Read
more ]
Indiana
University Purdue University Indianapolis is now offering
a certificate in health tourism. April 5, 2005
IUPUI is offering a new certificate program
to meet the needs of a growing economic sector: health tourism.
The interdisciplinary, 22-credit health tourism
certificate will help bridge the interest in tourism and health
professions, said Sotiris Avgoustis, Chair and Associate Professor
of the Tourism, Conventions and Event Management Department.
In recent years, an increasing number of people
have been employed in the health-related segments of the tourism
industry, Avgoustis said. Health tourism includes businesses
that promote and manage holiday packages bundled with everything
from spas to cosmetic treatments and weight-loss camps to
mental health treatments to herbal treatments, he added.
Courses included in the health tourism certificate
include the development and management of attractions; hospitality
and tourism marketing; the tourism system; tourism internship;
fundamentals of nutrition; introduction to exercise science;
drug use in American society; and personal health.
"The certificate seeks to develop introductory
skills in management and operations analysis appropriate to
the context of health tourism," Avgoustis said. Guest lecturers
and private consultants will be involved and group activity
will familiarize students with contemporary professional practice,
he noted.
Women's
Leadership Initiative: Mentoring and Perseverance Pay Off
for IMPI Member March 2, 2005 (by Carol Paddock)
Encouragement from his mentor and a life-long
perseverance to his professional development has paid off
for David C. Lueck, CMP. Literally.
David won the Women's Leadership Initiative
(WLI) Wyndham International - United Airlines Scholarship
Fund to further his pursuit of a bachelor's degree in Tourism,
Conventions and Event Management from Indiana University -
Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). As an additional
honor, David is the first man to which MPI and the Women's
Leadership Initiative has awarded a scholarship.
The WLI Wyndham International - United Airlines
scholarship is for planners, women or men, in the industry
who can demonstrate financial need and are enrolled either
part time or fulltime in an industry-applicable degreed program/course
of study in an accredited college or university program.
"As for the incredible opportunity provided
me by winning the MPI - WLI Scholarship - if it weren't for
the IMPI newsletter, I would have never learned that the opportunity
for the scholarship - and for me to apply as a man - existed.
The scholarship will significantly help me reduce my debt
load incurred through student loans," David said.
David's mentor and professor at IUPUI, Amanda
Cecil, CMP, encouraged him to pursue the scholarship. "My
role was a simple one. David contacted me after reading the
WLI article in the I-MPI newsletter about the scholarship
and asked if he should pursue it. My answer is always "of
course with your education, experience, and future goals."
Originally from Indianapolis, David started
in the meeting planning industry through a series of fortunate
events. He took a part-time job cater-waiting to supplement
his income from his full-time management job. During his time
with the catering company, he worked his way up to event supervisor.
But a broken foot halted his catering career and forced him
to concentrate on his management job. When his management
position was eliminated due to corporate restructuring, David
decided to branch out on his own to do event planning and
private events, which provided him with great experience in
the field.
In the mid-nineties, David went to San Francisco
where he spent nearly 10 years in the meetings and event industry.
Six of those years he ran a very successful event planning
firm that produced city-events and nightclub promotion and
events around the country. After the dot-com bust and health
concerns, David decided to re-evaluate his life, which eventually
lead him back to Indiana and to complete his bachelor's degree.
In August 2003 David returned to college full-time,
which takes up the majority of his time now. However, he still
finds time to do some public relations and marketing consulting,
as well as volunteer for the Damien Center. David will graduate
in May this year.
"One of the things that continues to draw me
to this profession is the challenging mix of being 'on' and
a 'people person' with the behind-the-scenes work of organizing,
planning and working out the details of an event or meeting.
... I also really enjoy the constant change and flux that
we, as planners in this industry, experience," says David.
David's perseverance and passion for meeting
planning are not the only things that are instrumental to
his success. His mentorship with his professor, Amanda, also
has contributed significantly to his professional growth.
"David is incredibly professional and talented, so mentoring
an adult student is a privilege for any instructor. I have
simply encouraged David and reconfirmed that he can (and will)
be successful in this industry, and returning to higher education
will pay off."
David and Amanda both agree that mentorship
is important to any career, and will even be more important
to the industry in general.
"Networking and mentoring in every career is
essential! It is important for industry leaders to take work
with our future employees/professionals. If a student or anyone
interested in entering the profession is interested in finding
a mentor, join the association and seek out someone who is
willing to let you shadow or ask questions," says Amanda.
David echoes those comments, but adds that his
"greatest concern for this industry is how it will begin to
accommodate newcomers who have completed a collegiate education
in meetings and event management. So many of the people working
in the industry currently do not have a college background
in this field, and many people in hiring decision making capacities
have not yet realized how such a professional education can
be put to use in entry-level positions and above. As such,
mentorship is going to play a hugely significant role in helping
groom the future leaders of our industry. In addition to sharing
valuable life experience with eager college students and graduates,
[mentors] will also help shape realistic job expectations
(workload, long hours and pay) for these newcomers to the
industry."
To learn more about the Women's Leadership Initiative
scholarships and requirements, visit www.wli.mpiweb.org. The
next deadline for the Women's Leadership Initiative scholarships
is March 31, 2005.
Indianapolis
Quality of Life Survey To Be Discussed at Town Hall Meeting
February 18, 2005
The results of a survey showing what Indianapolis
residents think about the quality of their life will be presented
at a town hall meeting on March 11 at IUPUI.
The town hall meeting will be held from noon
to 2 p.m. in the auditorium of University Library, 755 W.
Michigan Street. The auditorium is located on the lower level
of the library.
Among the findings of the survey, conducted
over a six-week period last fall by a team of faculty and
students from the School of Physical Education and Tourism
Management's Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event
Management, are:
Twenty-three percent of respondents said they did not
feel a sense of community with others in their neighborhoods,
27 percent said they didn't have an opinion, and 44 percent
said they agreed or strongly agreed that they felt a sense
of community with their neighbors.
When asked if they believed it was important to feel a part
of their community, 58 percent of the respondents said yes.
Downtown Indianapolis during the day was viewed as safe
by an overwhelming margin, 81 percent of respondents. But
when the sun goes down, those feelings change. Only 46 percent
of respondents said downtown was a safe place to live, work,
and socialize at night.
A majority of respondents also expressed these views:
trash or litter on the streets (52 percent see this as somewhat
of a problem to a big problem), graffiti (44 percent see
this as somewhat of a problem to a big problem), car theft
(55 percent see this as somewhat of a problem to a big problem)
, dangerous driving, including drunk driving and speeding
(72 percent see this as somewhat of a problem to a big problem),
traffic problems (62 percent see this as somewhat of a problem
to a big problem), air pollution (53 percent see this as
somewhat of a problem to a big problem), and insufficient
green spaces (57 percent see this as somewhat of a problem
to a big problem).
However, most respondents said Indianapolis,
as a whole, was a beautiful, clean city with many attractions,
cultural venues, and historical venues.
For More Information Contact:
Rich Schneider, 317-278-4564
Efroymson
Fund gives $150,000 To Advance Cultural Tourism Initiative
January 15, 2005
The Indiana University School of Physical Education
and Tourism Management at IUPUI has received a $150,000 grant
that will enable it to play a key role in advancing Indianapolis'
cultural initiative.
"It's the best thing that ever happened to the
department," said Sotiris Avgoustis, associate professor and
chair of the Tourism, Conventions and Event Management Department
(TCEM).
The grant is from the Efroymson Fund of the
Central Indiana Community Foundation. The Efroymson Fund is
a donor-advised fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation
and continues a long legacy of charitable commitment by the
Efroymson family in central Indiana. The fund was established
in 1998 to promote the viability of Indianapolis.
Because of the expertise it offers, TCEM offers
an important resource for the city, said Jeremy Efroymson,
Vice Chairman of the Efroymson Fund. "I believe that TCEM
can play an important role in helping establish a nationally
recognized program that will put Indianapolis on the map nationally
and internationally."
Indianapolis officials have been working to
make the city a nationally- and internationally-renowned artistic
and cultural destination.
Avgoustis said the grant will be used to support
an annual cultural tourism conference beginning in 2006 that
would provide training and educational opportunities to those
involved in cultural tourism. A cash award, presented in the
name of the Efroymsons, will be given at the conference to
an organization that demonstrated dedication and commitment
to cultural tourism.
Funds from the grant will also be used for faculty
research and scholarships.
The Efroymson grant is the largest received
by TCEM. In fact, it marks the first time the department has
received funds for a purpose other than scholarships, Avgoustis
said.
With the grant, TCEM will be able to help bring
people and organizations working on individual projects together
and assist in organizing their efforts to promote the cultural
tourism initiative and move it forward, Avgoustis said.
New Partnership Brings Tourism Degree
to IUPUC December 2, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis residents who participated
in a quality of life survey conducted by IUPUI gave their
health, lifestyle, and the city, as a whole, high marks.
Some residents raised concerns regarding downtown
Indianapolis , and some residents reported they did not feel
a sense of community with others in their neighborhood. [ Read
more ]
PCMA Scholarship
News… November 22, 2004
PCMA has just awarded six minority scholarships
for the Spring 2004 and Fall 2004 semesters. A BIG congratulations
goes out to Luciane Baier who is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree
in Tourism, Convention, and Event Management from Indiana
University Purdue University Indianapolis. Luciane's interest
in the industry began while interning in the hotel industry
in her native country, Brazil. Today, Luciane is a dedicated,
full-time student and holds multiple leadership roles in her
activities at IUPUI.
MPI Scholarship News… November 22, 2004
David Lueck, a TCEM junior, has been awarded
the MPI Women's Leadership Initiative Scholarship ($6,000)
sponsored by Wyndham International and United Airlines. This
is the VERY first scholarship that the Women's Leadership
Initiative has awarded to a man! Congratulations, David!
State tourism grants promote development November 15, 2004
If you've got it, flaunt it. If you don't,
get it. State tourism leaders historically have taken the
first approach, using limited resources to encourage visitors
to wander Indiana. Now they're trying the latter. [ Complete
details (available
only to the IBJ subscribers)]
New Partnership Brings Tourism Degree
to IUPUC November 1, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS- Indiana University-Purdue University
Columbus (IUPUC), in partnership with the Indiana University
School of Physical Education and Tourism Management at Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), will offer
a new four-year degree that will prepare Columbus area students
to host the large number of people who visit that city each
year.
"This is great stuff," proclaimed
Columbus Mayor Fred Armstrong as he joined officials from
both campuses as they met to formally sign documents launching
the new IUPUC degree program in Janaury. [ Read
more ]
Researching quality of life October 4, 2004
IUPUI professor Sotiris Avgoustis enthusiastically
supports Mayor Peterson's cultural tourism initiative. But
he also thinks it needs both statistical research and stately
rhetoric to succeed.
So Avgoustis sent nine of his students
to four Downtown sites to gauge Indianapolis residents' perceptions
of the city's quality of life. [ Read
more ]
IUPUI Team Measuring Indianapolis
Residents Views on Quality of Life
September 29, 2004
A team of IUPUI faculty and students are in
the midst of conducting a survey that will measure the opinion
of Indianapolis residents about the quality of their life.
The survey will provide a baseline against which efforts to
improve the quality of life in Indianapolis can be measured,
said Sotiris H. Avgoustis, associate professor and chair of
the Tourism, Conventions and Event Management Department. [ Read
more ]
School of Physicial Education and
Tourism Management To Offer Classes on Microbrewing Beer,
Gay Tourism
September 28, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS- Beginning on January 13, 2005
, the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
at IUPUI will offer a new three credit hour class: Introduction
to Microbrewing. Students taking the course must be at least
21 years of age.
Depending upon interest, IUPUI may add additional
courses that would lead to a certificate in microbrewing.
In Indiana, microbrewers are brewers that produce 20,000 barrells
or less of beer annually. [ Read
more ]
New joint program
between IUPUI School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
and IUPUC
September 15, 2004
We are pleased to announce the development of
a new joint program between Indiana University Purdue University
Columbus (IUPUC) and our school to offer students in Columbus
an opportunity to work on a TCEM
Bachelor of Science degree. The agreement will allow IUPUC
students to take all courses included in the first three years
of the plan of study via web and commute to IUPUI to finish
up their last year. Both Dean Kellum and IUPUC Vice Chancellor
Paydar see this agreement as a great opportunity for our campuses
to offer a quality program that will meet the growing needs
of the State's tourism industry. The agreement will be signed
by both parties on Friday, October 22 at the Columbus
Visitor's Center.
September Entrepreneur's Alliance
of Indiana Dinner EAI Brings You Five Entrepreneurial Experts
August 21, 2004
If you need advice on sales, marketing, communication,
business planning or leadership don't miss this event.
Dinner will be served at 5:30. Networking and announcements
will continue through 6:00. EAI then provides facilitated
roundtables in which you can get answers. All entrepreneurs
welcome.
Sotiris Avgoustis, Chairman and Associate Professor of IUPUI's
Department of Tourism, Conventions, and Event
Management, will discuss business planning. Will you be able
to afford a holiday next year? What will your
standard of living be? Preparing, presenting and defending
your business plan are real tests of your business wisdom.
Avgoustis was recognized as a Who's Who in the Indianapolis
Business Journal in 2003. [ Read
more ]
Amanda Cecil was appointed Vice President
- Education for the Meeting Professionals International association
August 6, 2004
My
eight years in the hospitality, meetings, and sports tourism
field have been both exciting and rewarding! The opportunities
afforded to me have taken me to New Hampshire, Ohio, Kentucky,
Florida, and finally back to Indiana. I have worked both on
the supplier and planner side of the industry, learning the
meeting and convention industry through both educational and
practical experience. [ Read
more (see
"Board Member Profile")]
Cruise Line Management Course
July 21, 2004
The
School of Physical Education and Tourism Management is offering
a 3 credit course, which is offered on board a cruise ship.
The course is open to Department of Tourism, Conventions,
and Event Management students first, and if space is still
available it will be open to IU system students from other
departments. [ Read
more ]
Great Opportunities
available to see the world and earn up to 12 credits!
July 20, 2004
by Sotiris Avgoustis
The
TCEM Department, in association with the Recreation and Park
Administration Department at IU Bloomington, is offering our
TCEM students the same opportunities to participate in overseas
fieldwork programs that are currently available to the Bloomington
RPA majors.
Our department has fieldwork contacts in Hawaii, Alaska, Germany,
England, Iceland, Japan, and other overseas areas. Although
we have worked with activities such as the US Embassy in Moscow,
the local government in Unalaska, Kamaaina Kids in Honolulu
and others, our primary contacts are US Navy bases and US Armed
Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) resorts.
The support provided varies by location but in all foreign countries,
we insist that the host agencies provide safe housing and sufficient
subsistence allowances. We also require that fluency in English
be the only language requirement.
In some cases, our students will use the overseas fieldwork
to meet the 2-credit requirement for a professional internship.
In other cases, the fieldwork may be up to a 12 credit internship.
We do require students be enrolled for academic credit. Duration
of the fieldwork commitments range from the 3-week Christmas
break in Hawaii to the 13-month stay in the Bavarian Alps. Fourteen
weeks is the usuasl duration. In Hawaii and Alaska most agencies
require students pay for their transportation with the host
providing housing and a subsistence allowance or salary.
Please contact:
Daniel R. Sharpless
Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising Dept of Recreation and
Park Administration School of Health, Phys Education and Recreation
HPER Building, Room 133,
1025 East Seventh Street Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN 47405-7109
Tel: 812 855-3100
Fax: 812 855-3998
email:
Hospitality pro trains future servers
IUPUI prof has played key role in getting Indiana's tourism
industry up to speed
July 18, 2004
Taking
care of the 57 million tourists and conventioneers who visit
Indiana annually is a big job. Many members of Indiana's growing
tourism industry have Linda Brothers to thank for guiding
them into that field.
Brothers,
an associate professor in the Tourism, Conventions and Event
Management Department at IUPUI, served as chairwoman of that
department from 1987 to 2003. When she began her tenure as
chairwoman, the two-year, Purdue-based program featured only
restaurant and lodging components.
"As the industry began to grow, as the city of Indianapolis
became more vibrant, there was a greater need and demand for
a four-year degree," Brothers said. "We had strength in our
two-year program, but we saw that the industry was not just
a two-part player. We really had to have all the players involved
to make tourism a possibility as an industry." [ Complete
details (IBJ
vol. 25 no. 18, July 12-18, 2004) ]
IU Trustees hear recommendations
to keep Camp Brosius in operation
July 16, 2004
The
Indiana University Board of Trustees on Dec. 5 heard recommendations
of a task force, appointed in September by IU President Adam
W. Herbert, that will allow Camp Brosius to continue operation
as a family camp and academic instructional facility with
certain stipulations and organizational changes. Herbert will
implement those recommendations. [ Read
more ]
Cruise Line Management Course
July 16, 2004
The
School of Physical Education and Tourism Management is offering
a 2 credit course, which is offered on board a cruise ship.
The course is open to Department of Tourism, Conventions,
and Event Management students first, and if space is still
available it will be open to IU system students from other
departments. [ Read
more ]
Dr. Yao-Yi Fu receives the "Best
Paper Award"
July 2, 2004
Dr.
Yao-Yi Fu, assistant professor of Tourism, Conventions and
Event Management received the "Best Paper Award"
for her paper submitted for presentation at the 2004 International
CHRIE Conference that will take place in Philadelphia, PA
between July 28 and July 31, 2004. The paper is titled "The
impact of service failure and service recovery on consumers'
satisfaction updating process in the lodging industry".
Congratulations! [ Read
more ]
Product development a focus for new
tourism director. June 7, 2004
Marty Peters knows she has her work cut
out for her. The newly appointed director of Indiana's tourism
efforts takes over an operation with a shrinking budget, a
growing workload and an uncertain future. It's a good thing
she likes a challenge. [ Complete
details]
Please join me in congratulating Jennifer
Buckwalter, a junior in TCEM, in being featured this month
in PCMA's newsletter. April 8, 2004
The following article contains questions
posed by Tim Walker, Sales Manager, at the Kalamazoo County
Convention & Visitors Bureau to Jennifer Buckwalter, the
2004 PCMA Student Scholarship Winner. [ Complete
details]
Building an arts buzz
Tourism effort to connect dots between major events in 2005 April 5, 2004
A little more than two years and $2 million
after setting out to promote the artistic ambiance in Indianapolis,
the city's Cultural Tourism Initiative is gearing up to make
its grandest effort yet.
Cultural Development Commission members
last month approved a preliminary plan to spend $2.7 million
through 2005 to build buzz around an array of major events,
ranging from the World Swimming Championships to the ArtsPark
grand opening. [ Complete
details (available
only to the IBJ subscribers)]
Cultural training program expands March 29, 2004
Leaders of the city's Cultural Tourism
Initiative made strides last year in their efforts to spread
the gospel of Indianapolis as a hotbed of arts and culture.
[ Complete
details (available
only to the IBJ subscribers)]
Greek Islands dinner to raise
scholarship funds March 26, 2004
The Greek Islands Restaurant, 906 S. Meridian
St., will open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for its 10th-anniversary
scholarship fund-raising dinner.
[ Complete
details ]
Restaurant Gives Special Gift
to Raise Money for Tourism Endowed Scholarship March 3, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS- A well-known Indianapolis
restaurant will again give a special gift to the Department
of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management at IUPUI: its
business and reputation for a day.
The Greek Islands Restaurant, 906 S. Meridian,
will open its doors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March
28, 2004, for the 10th anniversary Greek Islands Scholarship
fundraiser dinner.
The scholarship dinner has raised nearly
$20,000 since it was begun in 1994. It was initiated by George,
Angela and Penny, children of Elias and Fofo Stergiopoulos,
who opened the Greek Islands Restaurant 17 years ago.
[ Complete
details ]
European Convention and Event
Industry Turns to IUPUI Professor for Help February 11, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS- Representatives of Europe's convention
and event management industry have turned to an IUPUI professor
to help them gain recognition for what they can contribute
to the bottom line success of the companies for which they
work.
Sotiris Avgoustis, associate professor and chair
of the Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management
at IUPUI, is helping plan the 1st International Meetings Industry
Conference: Challenges in the New Global Environment November
21-23, 2004 in Athens, Greece.
[ Complete
details ]
German Cities Turn to IUPUI
for Tourism Advice January 7, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS- Two cities in Germany have
turned to two IUPUI professors for help in attracting tourists
from Indiana and other Midwestern states in America.
Sotiris H. Avgoustis, associate professor and
chair of the Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event
Management at IUPUI, and Gyles Hoyt, director of the Max Kade
German-American Studies Resource and Research Center at IUPUI,
departed for Germany Wednesday, January 7, 2004.
[ Complete
details ]
IUPUI Secret Tourism Study December 3, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS- A secret survey of Indianapolis
downtown hotel employees shows they are well versed in basic
tourism information about the city.
That's good news, says Sotiris H. Avgoustis,
associate professor and chair of the Department of Tourism,
Conventions and Event Management at IUPUI, who conducted the
study, along with a colleague, Amanda Cecil.
[ Complete
details ]
Have you met Megan Leek? November 11, 2003
It's
a pleasure to introduce a young woman so goal-oriented, that
she is certain of the impact and importance of the field of
meeting planning. You can be certain that your path and Megan's
will cross sometime in your careers.
[ Complete
details ]
Cruise Ship to Become Laboratory
for IUPUI Students October 15, 2003
Two
dozen IUPUI students will board a Caribbean-bound cruise ship
in January, but sun, fun and relaxation have little to do
with their trip.
During
a five-day Carnival cruise that will take them to the Bahamas,
the ship will serve as a traveling laboratory for the students
who will have a unique opportunity to closely examine what
makes tourists and a major component of the tourism industry
tick.
[ Complete
details ]
2 TCEM students go to IAAPA
Orlando 2003 September 17, 2003
Two
TCEM students, Megan Leek and James Elliott, have been selected
to participate as a Show Ambassador in the IAAPA Orlando 2003
Annual Convention and Trade Show Convention Internship Program,
in Orlando, Florida. As participants in the Convention Internship
Program, they will be representing the largest amusement industry
convention in the world. Their Internship experience will
begin on Saturday, November 15, 2003 and will conclude on
Sunday, November 23, 2003. For one week they will have the
opportunity to enjoy the latest and greatest amusement rides,
eat hot dogs, cotton candy, and popcorn, see cutting edge
entertainment technology, play video games, meet people from
more than 100 countries, and build their resume with real-work
experience in convention and event management and even try
to land a job!
Megan
Leek has also been selected by the Professional Convention
Management Association (PCMA) as its 2003 Student Planner
of
the Year Award winner!
Congratulations to both students!
Tourism initiative targets front-line
industry workers August 25, 2003
Implementing Indianapolis'
Cultural Tourism Initiative is going to take help from a lot
of people, including concierges, hotel clerks and taxi drivers.
To do their job, though, they need to know just what cultural
attractions the city offers. That's one of the conclusions
of a recent study by the IUPUI Department of Tourism, Conventions
and Event Management.
[ Complete
details (available
only to the IBJ subscribers)]
Touting tourism on a tight budget August 25, 2003
Anyone with a working car radio has likely
heard them: cute-sounding kids waxing poetic about the great
times to be had in Michigan.
Earlier this year, central
Indiana television audiences got frequent glimpses of what
St. Louis has to offer--aside from the celebrated Gateway
Arch.
Bob Schultz's reaction
to the advertising spots comes from his gut. [ Complete
details (ibj.com)]
Tourists depend on drivers, clerks
to know area attractions August 25, 2003
Raymond
Holloway steered his electric Blue Line shuttle down Washington
Street the other day, sounding as much like a tour guide as
a bus driver.
"Have
you been to the Indiana State Museum?" he asked. "It's
beautiful." [ Complete
details (indystar.com)]
IUPUI study identifies what
steps to take to implement indianapolis' cultural tourism
initiative August 7, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS- Instilling
appreciation of culture in children at a young age, selling
Indianapolis to Indianapolis, and training tourism front line
employees on the city's cultural attractions top the list
of suggestions to implement the city's cultural tourism initiative,
according to an IUPUI Department of Tourism, Conventions and
Event Management study.
[ Complete details
]
Arts effort picks up steam July 7, 2003
Nobody ever said it'd
be easy. And organizers of the city's $10 million cultural
development initiative have found their task to be anything
but effortless.
[ Complete
details (available
only to the IBJ subscribers)]
Cultural tourism forum at IUPUI May 14, 2003
by David Hoppe
A May 7 meeting at
IUPUI, promoted as a forum to get Mayor Bart Peterson's cultural
initiative "on track," generated a flurry of ideas from about
30 individuals. The meeting, called by Sotiris Avgoustis,
an assistant professor in IUPUI's Department of Tourism, Conventions
and Event Management, and local arts entrepreneur Jeremy Efroymson,
allowed people to, as Avgoustis put it, "express their position
on what Indianapolis has to do to be a cultural destination."
[ Read
full story at nuvo.net ]
Town Hall Meeting Set to Obtain
Views on Cultural Tourism Initiative April 15, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS- When Indianapolis'
first attempts to launch a cultural tourism initiative didn't
get the bounce that was expected, many people interested in
the arts and tourism wondered what would happen next.
An IUPUI Department
of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management professor and
a research assistant will help answer that question, beginning
with a town hall meeting from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 7 in the
auditorium of University Library, 755 W. Michigan Street. [ Complete
details ]
Confusion tips patrons' scales
on gratuities February 23, 2003
Before Camp Brosius opens its doors to
IU alumni, faculty, staff, and their families this summer,
a contingent of IUPUI School of Physical Education and Tourism
Management students and faculty will make the resort their
home.
[ Complete
details ]
Camp Brosius Offers Unique Setting
for Hands-On Experience for IUPUI Students February 20, 2003
The server handing you a cup of coffee
at a Starbucks near the University of Colorado's Boulder campus
can make $1.50 to $2 an hour in tips, just from that extra
change flung in the see-through plastic box on the counter.
[ Complete details
]
IUPUI Students
to be part of major tourism convention January 17, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS - When hundreds of tour bus operators
and representatives of tourism-related businesses gather in
Indianapolis, there is a good chance they will encounter an
IUPUI student from the School of Physical Education and Tourism
Management.
[ Complete details
]
IUPUI Students
embark on maiden voyage of class that offers unique view of
cruise line industry January 27, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS- Thirteen
students at IUPUI packed textbooks and sunscreen as they embarked
on the maiden voyage of a class that offers a unique view
of an important segment of the tourism industry. [Complete
details]
Sipping
wines and sampling foods are all part of an evening's academic
work for students taking a new class at IUPUI February 11, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS- Entitled
"Food and Wine Pairing," the semester-long, three
credit hour class offers a fun and pragmatic approach to fine
food and wine, said Michael Pyle, instructor of the class.
[Complete
details]
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