We partnered with Indiana Sports Corp to bring another Men’s and Women’s Final Four to Indianapolis.
Few people realize how much work goes into large sporting events. From community engagement to volunteer coordination, it takes years of planning to bring each event to life. But long before these events are announced, sports commissions like Indiana Sports Corp must bid on each event—and the honor of hosting them in their hometown.
Over the years, INNOVATIVE has helped Indiana Sports Corp (ISC) bring countless events to Indianapolis, including Final Fours, Big Ten Championships, and even the Super Bowl.
Our most recent bid partnership was focused on upcoming Men’s and Women’s Final Four events from 2027 to 2031. One of the biggest challenges with this bid was coming up with a unique strategy for both the Men’s and Women’s events. We started the process with a quick discovery session that helped us develop a distinct and intentional brand for each bid.
Video elements bring more voices and more impact to live bid presentations.
For each bid, we worked closely with Indiana Sports Corp to determine how video storytelling could elevate their presentation. These videos were designed to increase engagement, leave a strong impression, and ultimately make Indianapolis stand out from the crowd.
We started with a unique takeoff and landing video for each bid—because great presentations are only as memorable as their beginning and end. Then, we identified key focus areas throughout the bids to bring in authentic voices from across the Indianapolis community.
ISC needed to communicate all of the required information in a compelling, engaging way.
Our top priority was crafting a clear and compelling case for Indianapolis. Our city has a long-standing partnership with the NCAA, but we never take that relationship for granted. We wanted the selection committees to feel heard and respected, knowing that we delivered all of the elements they asked for—and so much more. Because that’s what Indy does. We always go above and beyond to ensure every event leaves a lasting impact.
The final bid presentations involved an array of live speakers alongside branded presentations and engaging video elements. Once each bid was finalized, our producers worked with the ISC team to rehearse the presentations and ensure that both teams were ready to nail the live bid process.
Two more bids. Two more wins.
In November 2022, the news officially came out: Indianapolis would host the 2028 Women’s Final Four and the 2029 Men’s Final Four. We are honored that both our bids were successful, once again bringing the best of college basketball to Indiana. And just like our friends at ISC, we cannot wait to dive into the next big bid opportunity—as we make Indy one of the greatest host cities in the world.