Panel to discuss sports strategies for cities

UIndy’s Fairbanks Symposium will tackle community impact of events

An expert panel of elected officials and sports event executives will convene Wednesday in downtown Indianapolis to discuss the continuing power of major sporting events in promoting economic development and civic engagement.

Sports Strategies for the 21st Century is the theme of the second annual Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium on Civic Leadership, a dinner and conversation hosted by the University of Indianapolis’ Institute for Civic Leadership & Mayoral Archives in partnership with Indiana Humanities.

The free event is already booked solid, but a waiting list is being maintained here.

The panel includes:

• Mayor Greg Ballard of Indianapolis, host city for national and international sports events;
• Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City, which recently established its first NBA franchise;
• Ryan Vaughn, president for Indiana Sports Corp, which is the nation’s first sports commission and brings national and international attention to the area;
• Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co. and leading figure behind the 1987 Pan Am Games and 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

The discussion will be moderated by Edward Frantz, associate professor of History at UIndy and director of the Institute for Civic Leadership & Mayoral Archives. This evening begins with registration at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. and a Q&A session at 7:45 p.m.

The Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium on Civic Leadership is made possible through the generous support of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.