Group Business
How do we continue to elevate Fort Wayne / Allen County’s facilities and venues as destinations to host premier conferences, meetings, conventions, tournaments, and events for business and leisure travelers?
ACTIVE
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Goal: Continue to develop the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum as a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility that serves as a vibrant hub for community events, sports, entertainment, and cultural activities.
Points of Progress:
- The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum completed a longevity study that outlined recommendations for the future of the facility.
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Goal: Maximize the impact of the Grand Wayne Convention Center as a nationally recognized premier venue for meetings, conferences, tournaments, and group events.
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There are two aspects of Fort Wayne / Allen County’s Sports Tourism that are equally important, but address different aspects of the opportunity for Fort Wayne / Allen County.
Goal: Form an organization to direct and manage sports events and activities, which we have tentatively called a “Sports Entity.” The name of this recommendation is not final and will ultimately be changed to reflect the type and format of the organization eventually determined.
Points of Progress
- We identified the community need for a Sports Entity and determined the home for such an entity is Visit Fort Wayne. We’ll use this year to determine our next best steps.
July 2024
- Contracted with Gamechangers Consulting to guide Sports Entity process and development. Led by Michelle Perry and Dale Neuburger, Gamechangers Consulting is an experienced, well-connected, award-winning consulting firm that works exclusively in sports management and performance improvement.
FUTURE
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There are two aspects of Fort Wayne / Allen County’s Sports Tourism that are equally important, but address different aspects of the opportunity for Fort Wayne / Allen County.
Goal: Build upon our continued Sports Tourism Investment, and focus on the facilities, existing and future, that need to be upgraded, enhanced, or developed to best capture and capitalize on the sports tourism market. Each is presented under the umbrella of Sports Tourism.
Points of Progress
- We welcomed the announcements of several new sports facility developments in Fort Wayne/Allen County, including the 7,500+ seat soccer-specific stadium for Fort Wayne FC, Fields of Grace, and the purchase of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials pool.