My Tuesday Traditions at Indianapolis

My check-off list upon arriving at FDIC:

• Lunch at Steak and Shake
• Get "Badge Holder" and registration bag
• Pre-register for FDIC next year
• Buy the latest Fire Engineering textbooks

Second largest convention at Indianapolis

The 30,000 firefighters and emergency workers attending the Fire Department Instructor's Conference make up the second largest conference hosted by the city, generating about $30 million in revenues.

It will be the first event to use the expanded Indiana Convention Center and the first floor of the Lucas Oil Stadium (inside Indiana business item).  The three year effort has expanded the conference center hall by 50%.

The largest convention is the October National FFA conference with 55,000 attendees.  The 12 – 21 year old Future Farmers of America attendees and their guests/parents make a different impact on the city than we do.

New registration area 

The 17th year at Indianapolis includes a new location for registration.

Muscle memory walked me to the northeast corner of the Maryland Avenue side of the center. Confused when all I saw were signs for Hands On Training staging.

Registration moved to the new Georgia Street entrance which is on the east side of the center, across from St. John's Church.

Need to walk one city block south on Capitol Avenue from the old registration area.

Pre-registration for FDIC 2012

When FDIC moved to Indianapolis in 1995, I could get housing within walking distance of the conference center.

The exponential increase in attendance made it a challenge to get downtown housing since 2000. Going through the registration process would often result in staying in a hotel requiring the use of the shuttle service.

I would game the system by looking for new downtown hotels, catching them in their first year before they were absorbed into the conference housing database.

Four years ago Pennwell/Fire Engineering offered an ability to get to the top of the conference housing queue if you pre-paid registration one year early.  Thousands of attendees pre-register to get first crack at convention housing. 

This year I am at the JW Marriott hotel. First impression: Swarmed by a pimply squad of too-sincere parking valets eager to provide a memorable experience at the blue monolith.

Opened in February 2011, this is the flagship on a Marriott campus on the northwest corner of the convention center.  From a corporate press release:

Marriott Place Indianapolis is a collection of five Marriott properties that offer unprecedented options for business and leisure travelers, not to mention meeting planners. In addition to the new JW Marriott Indianapolis, the $450 million complex includes the Courtyard by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown and the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, with a total 2,248 rooms. All are connected to the newly renovated and expanded Indiana Convention Center.   

World's Largest JW Marriott Opens in Downtown Indianapolis 

New Books

I bring a half-empty two-suiter bag that is dangerously close to the excessive weight penalty when I check in for the return flight. 

This year includes second edition of classics:

John Mittendorf, Truck Company Operations. 2nd edition

Vincent Dunn, Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety. 2nd edition

Two new books

Paul Combs, Drawn By Fire (political cartoons)

Christopher Brennan, The Combat Position: Achieving Firefighter Readiness. Chris is an Illinois firefighter/state instructor.  Has no relation to the beloved former Fire Engineering editor. Except, as he speculated, "400 years ago in Ireland."

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward