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2024 SBC Annual Meeting a $20+ million economic impact for Indianapolis

Messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting cross the street in Indianapolis.(Photo/Baptist Press)

Messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting cross the street in Indianapolis.(Photo/Baptist Press)

Posted Monday, June 24, 2024 10:09 am

By Baptist Press

INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — This year's SBC Annual Meeting and Pastors’ Conference was responsible for an estimated $20,169,855 economic impact on the host city. With 10,946 messengers representing 3,988 churches and 16,818 total attendees, this year’s gathering was the third largest since 2010.

The calculation was provided by Visit Indy’s Janelle Johnson, destination experience manager for the city’s tourism bureau. According to Johnson, the estimated economic impact is calculated based on dates, length of stay, attendance and other group demographics. It is generated from Visit Indy’s proprietary event economic impact calculator developed by Rockport Analytics.

“We have seen a renewed interest among Southern Baptists in the SBC Annual Meeting,” said Jonathan Howe, vice president for communications at the SBC Executive Committee. “Hotel demand before and after the convention dates continues to increase, and more families are making the annual meeting part of their summer vacationing. This trend bodes well for us as we work to secure future locations for the gathering.”

The SBC Annual Meeting and Pastors’ Conference is scheduled to return to Indianapolis in 2028.

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This story first appeared in The Baptist Press.

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