More Than Just a Game

“It’s just a game.” That phrase was repeated to me throughout my entire childhood as I admittedly was a little over-invested in the performance of my favorite teams. The older I get though, the more I laugh at that silly statement. Sports have always been more than just a game. They’re a cultural pulse point and a place where people gather, traditions thrive and host cities showcase their unique energy.

Similar things can be said for events. As planners, we don’t need to follow the box score or know the exact ins and outs of the game, but I will argue that sports offer the world’s most effective event model. Think about it: they bring together thousands of people from different walks of life, keep them engaged for hours and leave them energized long after the final buzzer. Isn’t that the goal of every corporate event?

We saw these ideas play out on basketball’s biggest stage this summer when the Indiana Pacers made their run to the NBA Finals. Overnight, the energy in Indianapolis transformed. Streets filled with fans wearing blue and gold. Watch parties popped up in every neighborhood. Local businesses experienced a surge of hype, and visitors from across the country got a taste of what makes this city special. The Finals weren’t just basketball games, they were cultural events that brought common ground to our community and showcased our spirit to the world.

This kind of momentum matters, and we’re lucky to have leaders in our city who consider sports a key part of our larger economic and community strategies. The Indiana Sports Corp was the nation’s first-ever sports commission, established in 1979 – and now almost every major destination has a similar entity. The 2012 Super Bowl? The 2024 Olympic Swim Trials on our NFL field? Our Local Organizing Committee (LOC) structure? Now blueprints for other host cities. The creation of Sports Tech HQ shows that Indiana is doubling down by investing in the businesses that move sports and our communities forward. We’re even fresh-off of the first ever TEDSports event, which chose Indy as its host destination because of our legacy and impact in the industry.

With over 500 major sporting events hosted in our city since 1979, Indy proves time and time again that we can handle the world’s spotlight, delivering not just the logistics of a major event but having the right people and infrastructure to nurture the emotional heartbeat of the fan experience. For event professionals, that’s the gold standard. It’s not about checking lines off on a production schedule, it’s about creating belonging, sparking emotion and crafting a story that attendees want to be part of.

So the next time someone says, “It’s just a game,” I’ll smile because I know better. Sports, like the very best events, are proof that when passion, culture and community collide, you get more than just a moment. And if we as event professionals can capture even a fraction of that energy, we won’t “just host events”. We’ll create experiences that resonate, inspire and leave people wanting more.

- Dustin Frye, Experience Coordinator