Susie Townsend, senior vice president of visitor experience for Visit Indy, worked inside the men’s NCAA basketball tournament bubble in Indianapolis. 

I was so lucky to be a part of the bubble after being a part of the planning—to see the plans work, and when they did not work, we adjusted. You know the word: flexibility. The word holds new meaning for me. We pivoted every day and still are pivoting as I write this.

I am officially starting to get the “let down” feeling I always get when the end of a major event is near. I know most of you who work in the meetings and events business feel the same way.

You work for years or months on a very special project or event, then it is here and then in the blink of an eye it’s over. Wedding planners feel this when working on their own wedding or that of a special bride or groom—maybe it’s a destination wedding or a wedding at a unique venue. I still can recall most of the details of a wedding I had the honor of planning when I first started my career in this business 35 years ago. I remember vividly the color of the linens, the delicious and exquisite menu, the planning meetings, inspecting the waiters’ uniforms to make sure they were clean and pressed, the special china and silver that was ordered, the fact that we dyed pasta the color of the linens and then tied beautiful ribbons of pasta in bows around freshly steamed asparagus and a butler served it in beautiful white baskets. I learned so much from this bride’s mother and I owe much to her today for teaching me that attention to detail is one of the most important aspects of event planning. But I digress.

If you recall, Indy had the opportunity of a lifetime when the NCAA first reached out to us. Credit due here to Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy, and Andy Mallon, executive director of the Capital Improvement Board and the Indiana Convention Center. They were called by the NCAA in November 2020, and under strict confidentially were asked if it was possible to clear dates in the convention center for March Madness. This was the first and most important step.

As you know, Indy has been luckier than most cities and we did have events booked on our calendar in that time period. Leonard and Andy worked quietly to move the groups in the center and then negotiations began with the hotels that would serve as the bubble hotels. Talks began with the other venues and partners and in early January it was announced that Indy would be the host for the entire March Madness.

Now for my part in the madness. After the announcement the work kicked in for the services team and the many partners who helped with all of the logistics. From the hotel staffs to laundry providers to the Indiana Sports Corporation to IU Health (who did the daily testing in all of the hotels and convention center) to the convention center and venue staff who planned for an event that we still had no idea if fans would be allowed to attend to meetings with the Marion County Public Health Department to discuss risk mitigation plans that were required of every venue and hotel and to the many meetings that the NCAA held that we were not a part of that I am sure took over their entire lives.

And then it was announced in early March that fans would be allowed. Yes, early March. As a reminder, all 68 teams would be arriving between March 13-15 with games starting on March 18. So early March means in two weeks additional risk mitigation plans had to be detailed out and approved. Those on the planning side literally were Zooming all day long. The daily meetings took on a new lens as the teams began arriving and the next phase of our work began.

I was so lucky to be a part of the bubble after being a part of the planning—to see the plans work, and when they did not work, we adjusted. You know the word: flexibility. The word holds new meaning for me. We pivoted every day and still are pivoting as I write this. The new knowledge I have gained—from understanding how to manage contact tracing, how to manage the testing, how to quickly change course when a positive case is confirmed. In this case it meant tightening the reins, changing room sets and more quarantining when necessary—and unfortunately the forfeiture of a team.

And then I was out. Out of the bubble to experience firsthand a city alive and booming.

Through the work of the Arts Council of Indianapolis with creative direction from GANGGANG (a new arts and culture start up: ganggangculture.com) and nine local curators, a diverse lineup was produced. The program, which concludes today, included the following.

·      23 days and nights of outdoor arts and performances

·      600 participating central Indiana arts and creatives

·      250 live performances by musicians, spoken-word artists, dancers and more in civic spaces and pop-up locations

·      50 artworks in downtown storefronts and at the Indianapolis International Airport

Being out of the bubble also allowed me to host customers, eat at a restaurant (socially distanced of course) and attend one of the best college basketball games ever in person. The games felt almost normal with cheering fans, a half-time concert (Miley Cyrus rocked the stadium) and ice cold beer.

One more game, tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium. One of the most anticipated matchups in college basketball. Will the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs make history and have a perfect season for the first time in 45 years? Or will the No. 2 Baylor Bears crush their dreams? I am going to give both teams some advice tonight: The team with the greatest attention to detail will be the winner. I am sure attention to detail works in basketball as much as it does in event planning.

I for one can’t wait until tipoff tonight, when again I will be in the building! And then, after that, on to the next.