The NCAA, citing low participation from member schools, announced Feb. 4 that it is canceling its winter Division III championships this year, and that includes Fort Wayne's men's basketball championship game. It's another loss to Fort Wayne's tourism industry caused by COVID-19, with similar losses totaling nearly half a billion dollars last year.
"We estimate we lost $475 million in tourism sales between March and December from cancelled conventions, sporting events and leisure visitors," according to Dan O’Connell, president/CEO of Visit Fort Wayne.
O'Connell did have some good news:
"We hosted several sports competitions that moved from Michigan or Ohio because Indiana was 'open.' Every sports venue increase cleaning, mandated mask wearing and staggered teams into their facilities for competitions with the next teams waiting outside in their cars. Also one way in, different way out, no fans in bleachers and it all was approved by the Allen County Health Department before competition began. The State Wars Inline Hockey National tournament changed from Michigan to Fort Wayne in August, 3 lacrosse events also move here and played at the Plex, plus even the Grand Wayne Center had events like cheer competitions and volleyball in their building instead of conventions. Sports tourism saved us, not made our summer, still dismal, but saved our summer."
O'Connell sees some light in 2021. Over January's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, Spiece Fieldhouse (being renamed Epic Center), Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, SportsONE, and the Grand Wayne Center "all were able to host sports regional competitions, again filling empty hotel rooms and restaurants over the weekend," according to O’Connell.
"We're hopeful by midsummer some sense of normalcy returns to Fort Wayne's hospitality industry."
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Jan. 19 sent out a declaration form to schools athletics directors and 98% responded, the Indianapolis-based organization said.
"While some institutions have been able to safely return to sport, the recent declaration form data show that more than half of our division has not returned to winter sport practice and competition to be in a position for NCAA national championship participation,” Fayneese Miller, chair of the Presidents Council and president at Hamline, said in an announcement.
The national championships affected are men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s ice hockey, and wrestling.
"Visit Fort Wayne with the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and Manchester University were set to once again be hosts to the DIII Men’s Basketball Championships," according to Emily Stuck, Visit Fort Wayne's director of visitor and partner services. "Due to the current situations with many of the DIII schools - this Championship has been canceled.
"With that said, we are thrilled that our community will be host to this championship through 2026 — so we are looking forward to and planning for next March."
Visit Fort Wayne in partnership with the Indiana Sports Corp and NCAA still plans to hold a “Mask Madness” drive-thru 3-5 p.m. Feb. 12. The event, with its name a play on the March Madness that takes place in the Hoosier State at tournament time, will take place at Visit Fort Wayne, 927 S. Harrison St. with the NCAA Fan Jam Truck. NCAA-branded masks will be distributed.
The event is to "get our community excited about all the great basketball still set to take place in Indiana this March," according to Stuck.
How much economic impact the March 19-20 Fort Wayne Division III event would have had couldn't be calculated because so much has been unknown as the COVID-19 pandemic remains in the nation. How many people would have been allowed to attend and restrictions on allowing the general public in were just unknown when Business Weekly previously spoke to O'Connell.
Last March the NCAA canceled all tournament games — including the Division III men’s basketball semifinals and a Division I women’s basketball Midwest regional that were to be held in Fort Wayne. That resulted in $1 million in unrealized economic impact. The Division I women’s regional wasn't returning to Fort Wayne this year.
O’Connell estimated in the fall that cancellations due to COVID-19 resulted in a $267 million loss in tourism to Allen County from March to August. Some recurring events are booked for the coliseum, including the Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show, which will be held in April, later than usual. On Jan. 5, the Fort Wayne Komets hockey team, which has its home ice at the coliseum, announced its season will start this month.
Aside from sports, Visit Fort Wayne has experienced a couple of other bright spots.
"Savor Fort Wayne 2021 was a tremendous success," Stuck said of the meal deals offered at 57 Fort Wayne restaurants during the event Jan. 12-23.
"The restaurants, diners, and sponsors all came out and showed amazing love to our 8th Annual Savor Fort Wayne," Stuck said. "...We have heard from several restaurants this is their best January in a long time, and to us — especially during COVID — (this) means a lot.
Because of COVID-19, restaurants were asked to offer their menu via carry-out, Stuck said, "and some even had fun outdoor dining options like bubbles or igloos."
Because of COVID-19, Visit Fort Wayne created an online store for Summit City-themed, made and branded items at https://visitfortwayne.square.site.
"Our online store is doing fantastic and has been such a nice complement to our physical store inside our Visitors Center," Stuck said. "We launched the online store Nov. 9, and from September through December it has accounted for ? of our sales. Cyber Monday (Nov. 29) alone was so fun to participate in and was a great day."
Local artisan' work is featured in the Visitors Center Store "but since September we have been able to add 12 new local/regional artists alone — and we are continuing to do so each month. We are connecting more with our residents and visitors and are showing how diverse and fantastic our community is.
"We ship from our online store and offer curbside pickup — all ways we want to ensure that anyone and everyone can shop with us.
"For February we are offing a 'Pick Your Perfect Pair' promotion where if you buy at least two items you get 20% off. Also, this month we are releasing our next print in a series of 6 with local artists Phan Gear. This will be the 4th in the series."
Phan Gear has images of Promenade Park, a Fort Wayne Children's Zoo's orangutan, and the city skyline in the series, with images available as framed and unframed prints, postcards and vinyl stickers.
For the latest on events, see CurrentFortWayne.com.
"Even though events might be looking a bit different, there is still a lot going on in our community to check out," Stuck said.
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