INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Sports Corp in partnership with Next Practice Partners, has unveiled the 2050 Vision, a 25-year statewide strategic plan to make Indiana the global epicenter of sports.
Together, the two organizations surveyed over 120 key stakeholders and industry leaders across the country as well as local Indiana residents to provide insight and feedback on the impact of sports throughout the state and what they value most when envisioning the future landscape of the sports ecosystem.
“The 2050 Vision is the next step in the sports strategy that began in 1979 and has led to Indianapolis being the successful host city that we know today,” said Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty. “This next chapter isn’t just about our city but our entire state. And although Indiana Sports Corp led the research and plan to convene many around this strategy, we see this as a collective, shared vision. Community and collaboration are imperative to accomplish these goals over the next 25 years. As we know in sports, this is a team effort.”
The feedback from those stakeholders, Indiana Sports Corp board members, and staff resulted in the 2050 Vision being comprised of the following guiding principles and five pillars of focus that include an end goal:
Guiding Principles
· Arts & Culture
· Civic Pride
· Community Engagement
· Diversity in Representation
· Economic Vitality
· Environmental Sustainability
· Equity of Access
· Health & Wellness
· Inclusion
· Youth Development
Pillars of Focus
- Sports Events
- Focus: Hosting world-class events (large, multisport, high visibility)
- Goal: To be in the Top 3 sports event host cities in the U.S.
- Sports Tech
- Focus: Being the nucleus of entrepreneurship, innovation, and acceleration
- Goal: To be the sports tech hub of the U.S.
- Sports Academia
- Focus: Creating and presenting high-quality academic offerings and leading research tied to sports
- Goal: To offer the top ranked sports education programs in the world
- Sports Business Leadership
- Focus: Attracting and retaining decision-makers and influential governing bodies in the world of sports
- Goal: To host the largest cluster of sports organizations and governing bodies in the world
- Women’s Sports
- Focus: Creating the leading women’s sports ecosystem and women leaders in sports
- Goal: To be the women’s sports capital of the world
“The greatest successes haven’t come from following best practices but from innovation and disruption to create next practices,” said Neelay Bhatt, Founder & CEO of Next Practice Partners. “Having just visited the Paris 2024 Olympics, I would rate our event execution and hospitality on par with the world’s best. We have already started convening our expansive sports academia cluster with IU, Purdue (and their campuses) Butler, Ball State, Notre Dame and U Indy. They will attract global minds, drive research and fuel the sports innovation and tech ecosystem that Sports Tech HQ is rapidly building. Lastly, our sporting leaders who happen to be women have championed the women’s sports movement for years. In short, we have all it takes to build the global epicenter of sports here in Indiana.”
Organizations can continue to submit their feedback and ideas for the 2050 Vision by visiting IndianaSportsCorp.org/2050Vision. Indiana Sports Corp will lead in updating the community on the progress of the pillars of focus.
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About Next Practice Partners
Next Practice Partners is a proud Central-Indiana headquartered firm helping agencies globally prepare for the future through inclusive and innovative planning and training. They specialize in strategic, master & business planning that intersects sports, parks, arts, recreation and culture and are committed to a more inclusive and innovative future for all.
Their team’s experience on five continents includes Fortune 100 companies such as Disney and Target, TEDx and sporting events including the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, The Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star, Olympic Swim Trials and the Cricket World Cup.
Locally, they are also partnering with Indianapolis Parks and Recreation, Indy Arts Council and the Central Indiana Community Foundation to help shape their strategic direction for the future while nationally, their planning and training work continues to impact cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, San Diego among others.
About Indiana Sports Corp
Founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission, Indiana Sports Corp is a not-for-profit organization focused on bringing premier sporting events to Indiana to drive economic vitality, facilitate a vibrant community with civic pride and garner positive media attention. Because of this, Indiana Sports Corp is able to provide positive, sports-related opportunities for youth in the community. For more information, please visit IndianaSportsCorp.org.