Already, Indy has kicked off the new year in a big way. Earlier in January, the city welcomed over 100,000 fans for the College Football Playoff National Championship. From concerts on Monument Circle and performance alongside Salesforce Tower to sidewalk art galleries and fan activations, Indianapolis once again impressed in the national spotlight.
What many didn’t see were the countless hours of planning, preparation, and collaboration that went into bringing this weekend to life. We connected with a few of the young leaders behind the weekend’s festivities to learn more about their experience and their proudest moments from this city-wide collaboration.
Books, Music Artist for The Girl Called Books
What role have you played in CFP? I was the producer of the CFP Airport Music Series. We welcomed game fans to Indy with music performances Friday – Tuesday.
Tell us know more about your experience! It’s always a wonderful experience to partner with city organizations to highlight and elevate the talent that exists here locally. The connections I make are invaluable and I love connecting with organizations not solely through the work I do as a Creative Director, but also as a music artist, and even more, as a resource for other creatives.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? I am most proud of giving visibility to amazing local music artists! As a Music Artist and Creative Director, part of my mission has always been to amplify and give opportunity to women, POC, and other marginalized voices in a meaningful and significant way, and this series did that.
Waleed (Wally) Al-Hamed, Community Engagement & Promotions at 2022 College Football Playoff
What role have you played in CFP? As part of the 2022 College Football Playoff – Indianapolis Host Committee staff, my responsibilities started with the logistics and execution of our state wide initiatives, the Tailgate Tour, along with all the promotions of the 2022 CFP National Championship, then transitioned into an operations role for event weekend.
Tell us know more about your experience! Our team of 16 staff members may be the face of the 2022 CFP – Indianapolis Host Committee, however, it was the power of the Indianapolis community, the 400+ committee members, and 1,800+ volunteers that made the event happen. We could not have done it without the amazing people who are dedicated to representing our city.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? It’s a great pleasure to get to serve Indy via such sporting events. I’m proud to be a Hoosier and get to call Indy home.
Kyle Elliott, Airport Lead Operations Manager
What role have you played in CFP? As the Airport Lead Operations Manager for IAA I was placed on the CFP Host Committee as a subcommittee member and ran airside operations. This operation included multiple charter aircraft carrying the Alabama and Georgia teams, staff, and other official team party members, which required over nearly a year of coordination meetings. In addition to the team arrivals, I also managed eight charter flights from IND airlines bringing in Alabama and Georgia fans, along with 324 private aircraft for guests attending the big game.
Tell us know more about your experience! My experience with the city-wide collaboration was really good all around. We have been planning for this event for a long time and the result proved how hard everyone worked to make things run so smooth. I did get a chance to drive downtown to the convention center when I got my uniform for the event and seeing all that went into downtown Indianapolis was really awesome to see.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? For me it was at the airport for the team arrivals and departures. On Friday the 7th during the arrivals the different groups starting showing up at the airport and things just went together so well. There were many volunteers that came out and stood with everyone when the temperatures were not so nice but still enjoyed being part of the event. When the last team plane took off from the Indianapolis Airport on the 11th there was a real feeling of teamwork and accomplishment within our team.
Rico Francis, Member of the Teach Indy Partnership Sub-Committee of the College Football Playoff Foundation
Tell us know more about your experience! The Teach Indy Partnerships Sub-Committee use the College Football Playoff Foundation platform to support Teach Indy in its efforts to recruit and retain outstanding educators for Indianapolis schools. The committee is made up of a diverse group of residents and educators that are passionate about supporting teachers and school communities across Indianapolis.
K-12 Teachers have always played a big role in my development as a human and leader. Especially as it relates to authentic relationships, civic engagement, and high expectations. It was an honor to give back in a way that elevated the legacy teachers have to our state and communities. Now more than ever we need all hands on deck to help retain the educators who are preparing future Indianapolis leaders and residents. The Teach Indy Partnerships Sub-Committee efforts is an excellent example of how we can uplift and celebrate teachers all year long as a city. We’ve seen it time and time again – even in the face of an ongoing pandemic teachers continue to find ways to prioritize the needs of their students and themselves simultaneously (a true superpower). It’s important we keep up this momentum and keep our schools and educators at top of mind.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend?As a member of the committee, I had the chance to go on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium with 100+ educators to hold the American flag for the national anthem. To see the smiles, tears, and excitement of teachers who make a difference each and every day… it was a joyful reminder of why I strive to support teachers in my professional and personal life. Growing up, it was those same smiles, tears, and excitement from my teachers that got me through my own K-12 experience.
Allie Moffett, PR & Communications Manager at Downtown Indy Inc.
What role have you played in CFP? I was a member of the communication committee and helped plan a media event for the celebration of 100 days until the game, prepared local chefs to go on air with WISH TV each week for the Tailgate Taste series, and promoted the weekend’s events via local media and Downtown Indy, Inc.’s social media, website and newsletter.
In few sentences, tell us about your experience in this city-wide collaboration: The level of passion, professionalism, and strategy behind every detail of this massive event blew me away. Indy knows how to host major events – our city’s footprint is designed to do so and our community is ready to dig in and represent Hoosier Hospitality. I loved being a member of the incredible team.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? I am so proud to hear how impressed guests were with the events and service they experienced during event weekend. We promoted our city’s offerings so strongly that we will most definitely see guests from Alabama and Georgia in Indy once again!
Lacey Marsh, Strategic Account Coordinator at Innovative
What role did you play in bringing the Indy College Football Playoff 2022 to life? I worked with operations for the Bandaloop performance on the Salesforce Tower.
Tell us know more about your experience! The 2022 College Football Championship has been one of the best experiences in my professional career thus far. Over the past week, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with community leaders, local businesses, and other creatives around the city. This event allowed me to experience first-hand the strategic and creative work that goes into a production of this size and scope.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? Looking back over the past week, I’m most proud of our team’s unwavering commitment to capturing the best content possible. From bearing the low temperatures to overcoming fear of heights on the roof of the Salesforce Tower, our team went above and beyond to make every shot count.
Gaby Mojica, Indianapolis Artist for Side Walk Art Gallery
What role did you play in bringing the Indy College Football Playoff 2022 to life? I am an Indianapolis artist part of the outdoor Side Walk Art Gallery. My work can be found in the CSX tunnel on Capitol St., connecting the Indiana Convention Center and the Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tell us know more about your experience! The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis worked together to find local artists for the special project. My part as the artist was to create the artwork and have a professional high-resolution image in time for the installation process.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? It fills my heart with excitement that the city has chosen to display local artists’ work for many hosiers to experience on their way to their favorite CFP’s event. Knowing that I am one of those chosen artists makes me feel proud when I see the original art piece hanging in my art studio.
Becca Schmiegel, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Visit Indy
What role have you played in CFP? My colleagues at Visit Indy and I had a strong relationship with the CFP Indianapolis Host Committee from the beginning. I held a spot on the Media & Public Relations Committee with the CFP Host Committee and launched the social media channels (@2022Indy) back in 2019. Being able to support legacy initiatives, media invites, and a strong social presence allowed me to be a part of something bigger.
Tell us more about your experience! It was a busy weekend! My involvement was three-fold; managing social media to help tell the story of Indy, working to engage visitors at the Playoff Fan Central, and volunteering to present the American flag during the Pre-Game Show on game-day. Promoting the city through social media is always a highlight for me with any city-wide event, but getting to be front-and-center with hundreds of visitors coming through Playoff Fan Central was a unique and refreshing experience for me.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? Overall, I’m incredibly proud of the many ways our city came together to celebrate and coordinate CFP. The signage downtown, the restaurants that offered special dishes, and all the online social buzz that kept the energy flowing throughout the weekend made Indy stand out in the spotlight. The excitement for CFP was everywhere, and I don’t believe the same sentiment would have been felt in other cities.
Chelsea Wilson, Project Coordinator for 2022 College Football Playoff
What role have you played in CFP? In my role on the 2022 CFP Indianapolis Host Committee, I oversee the Legacy Impact Division, which revolves around the celebration and support of teachers across the state of Indiana in partnership with the CFP Foundation. This includes everything from doing media center makeovers, funding grants for teacher needs, in-school celebrations, teacher events, and statewide giveaways. During championship weekend this role involved hosting a Welcome Party, 2022 Extra Yard for Teachers Summit, Taste of the Championship, and hosting the 57 National and State teachers of the year in our city.
Tell us more about your experience! Since our staff is only comprised of 7 full time employees and 7 contractors, we relied heavily on our community partnerships to execute an event of this magnitude. Our host committee is comprised of over 400 community volunteers with all different types of backgrounds and expertise. These individuals were crucial to our success in both the planning and execution process of the event.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? Looking back at Championship Weekend, I am most proud of our program that celebrated and hosted not only the National and State teachers of the year but also our Indiana teachers. In Indianapolis we take pride in being hospitable and creating memorable experiences for those visiting us, and I love that even in an event that revolves around football and athletes, we were able to roll out the red carpet for teachers. They felt the love and were treated like the VIPs they deserve to be, which makes me proud of all the hard work we put in to make it a special experience for them.
Caity Withers, Arts Program & Marketing Specialist at the Indianapolis Airport Authority
What role have you played in CFP? I served on the CFP Local Host Committee on the “airport welcome” subcommittee. Within that committee, I helped coordinate our community engagement initiatives, including finding creative ways to uplift teachers throughout the airport campus in partnership with the CFP Foundation, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and Visit Indy. I coordinated the CFP Indiana Arts Educators exhibit in the KIND Gallery to welcome college football fans and honor Indiana teachers, featuring 20 art pieces in a variety of mediums from 15 art teachers from eight different Indiana counties.
Tell us more about your experience! From the very first planning meetings, everyone involved (and there were a lot of people involved!) brought so much passion, enthusiasm, and creativity to the process. Even as new details emerged and plans changed, there was a real sense of teamwork and a willingness to adapt and go all in to show CFP why Indy was the right choice for such a high-profile event. It was a great opportunity to meet some new community partners as well.
What is something you are most proud of when you reflect on the weekend? There were so many meetings, logistics, and emails leading up to the championship events but watching the way our airport team and the city of Indianapolis as a whole came together that weekend to provide a true feeling of “Hoosier Hospitality” for all the fans, teams, and media was really rewarding. I remember sitting eating lunch in Civic Plaza the day of the championship game and watching one of our directors at the airport taking picture after picture of fans in front of the CFP 2022 giant numerals and thinking “this is what all that planning was for…”
