Convention Centers in Indiana With Plans

Indianapolis holds most of the convention centers in Indiana that organizers shortlist, with the downtown convention center, Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana State Fairgrounds all in Map D's Venue Library. Outside the capital, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Goshen and French Lick add coliseum, convention center, fairground and resort options. Below are the Indiana venues that already have ready-made floor plans in the library, grouped by area and linked to their venue pages so you can open a plan and start your booth layout. First, here is how to pick the right hall when one venue has several plans.

Dimensions in this article come from the plans drawn in Map D's Venue Library, not from official venue specifications. They are approximate, so confirm every measurement, column, door and utility location with the venue before you sell a single booth.

One Venue, Several Plans: Pick the Right Hall

The Indiana Convention Center appears in the library under several listings, drawn for different halls and combinations at different times. That is normal for large venues, and it is the first thing to sort out before you lay out a single booth.

1. Ask the venue for the exact halls and meeting rooms in your contract, and for a current CAD or PDF of that space.
2. Compare the shape and dimensions of each library plan with the venue's drawing. A long, narrow plan and a near-square one are clearly different halls.
3. Open the closest match and correct walls, columns, doors and service areas to the venue's current plan.
4. Note any connections to other spaces, such as a corridor to a stadium or another hall, and decide whether exhibits or registration go there.
5. Keep one master plan for your show and retire the others, so staff and exhibitors never work from the wrong version.

Worked Example: Sizing a Show From Three Indiana Plans

A planning assumption many organizers use is that booths take a little under half of the gross hall area once aisles, registration, food, stages and storage are added. Here is what that assumption gives for three plans from the library.

• Century Center, South Bend, about 203 x 201 feet: roughly 40,800 square feet gross, about 18,400 for booths, or about 180 booths of 10 x 10 feet.
• Indiana Convention Center listing, about 200 x 229 feet: roughly 45,800 square feet gross, about 20,600 for booths, or about 200 booths of 10 x 10 feet.
• Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, about 413 x 285 feet: roughly 117,700 square feet gross, about 53,000 for booths, or about 530 booths of 10 x 10 feet, before the share taken by columns, seating or other fixed features.

These are planning assumptions, not venue capacities, and fixed features can take a large share of some buildings. Run your own booth mix in the exhibit hall size calculator and confirm usable space with each venue.

Questions to Ask an Indiana Venue Before You Sign

Use this list on site visits, and see our full list of questions to ask an event venue for contract terms and costs.

1. Which halls, rooms or buildings are in our contract, and can you send a current CAD or PDF plan of exactly that space?
2. Where are columns, exits, airwalls, floor ports and fire equipment?
3. How does freight reach our halls, how many docks serve them, and how long are move-in and move-out?
4. What other events are in the building or nearby on our dates, including games and concerts that affect parking and hotel rates?
5. Which services are exclusive, such as electrical, internet, food, cleaning and security, and what do they cost?
6. For fairground buildings, is the space heated, and can vehicles or equipment drive onto the floor?
7. Are move-in days charged as rent, and is there a food and beverage minimum or room block?
8. How do you handle snow, ice or severe storms on move-in day?

Indianapolis Convention Venues

• [Indianapolis Convention Center](/venues/indianapolis-convention-center-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 529 x 582 feet, a drawing large enough that it likely covers several halls.
• [Indiana Convention Center](/venues/indiana-convention-center-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 200 x 229 feet.
• [Hall A – Indiana Convention Center](/venues/hall-a-indiana-convention-center-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 176 x 296 feet.
• [Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium](/venues/indiana-convention-center-and-lucas-oil-stadium-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 204 x 259 feet.
• [Lucas Oil Stadium](/venues/lucas-oil-stadium-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 175 x 438 feet. Ask which floor area the plan shows and what floor protection the stadium requires.
• [Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone at the Crossing](/venues/sheraton-indianapolis-hotel-at-keystone-at-crossing-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 118 x 152 feet, a hotel option on the north side for a conference with a tabletop expo.
• [Ritz Charles](/venues/ritz-charles-carmel/), Carmel: the drawn plan spans about 269 x 187 feet. The library has a second listing under Indianapolis with the same plan size.

Indiana State Fairgrounds

The fairgrounds suit consumer shows, home and outdoor shows, hobby and collector shows and equipment displays that need drive-in access and large parking areas.

• [Indiana State Fairgrounds](/venues/indiana-state-fairgrounds-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 911 x 375 feet, a very large drawing that may cover more than one building. Trim it to the buildings you rent.
• [Expo Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds](/venues/exposition-hall-at-indiana-state-fairgrounds-indianapolis/), Indianapolis: the drawn plan spans about 448 x 260 feet.

Northern Indiana

• [Allen County War Memorial Coliseum](/venues/allen-county-war-memorial-coliseum-fort-wayne/), Fort Wayne: the drawn plan spans about 413 x 285 feet. Ask which halls or floor areas the plan covers.
• [Century Center](/venues/century-center-south-bend/), South Bend: the drawn plan spans about 203 x 201 feet.
• [Elkhart County Fairgrounds](/venues/elkhart-county-fairgrounds-goshen/), Goshen: the drawn plan spans about 269 x 306 feet. Confirm which buildings and outdoor areas it shows.

Southern Indiana

• [French Lick Resort](/venues/french-lick-resort-french-lick/), French Lick: the drawn plan spans about 313 x 154 feet, a destination option for association meetings with an expo.

Plan Around Big Downtown Events

Downtown Indianapolis hosts large conventions, sporting events and races, and those can share streets, parking and hotel rooms with your show. Ask the venue for the calendar around your dates, schedule exhibitor freight away from game days and big move-ins, and publish a marshaling or freight plan so trucks know where to wait. Winter brings snow and ice, so set a weather contact and a decision deadline for exhibitors. For the cost side, see how much it costs to rent a convention center.

How to Start a Layout From a Venue Library Plan

Each venue page in the Map D venue directory shows the plans drawn for that building, their dimensions in feet and a preview.

1. Open the venue and pick the listing and plan that match the halls in your contract.
2. Select Use This Floor Plan Free and create a free account; the plan opens in the editor.
3. Trim very large drawings to your halls and correct walls, columns and doors to the venue's current plan.
4. Block out registration, food, lounges, stages, exits and fire clearances before adding booths.
5. Lay out booths and aisles in standard sizes and number them in a logical order.
6. Price booths by size and location, mark sponsor spots and hold space for returning exhibitors.
7. Send the layout to the venue and the fire marshal for review before you open booth sales.

Planning elsewhere in the Midwest? See the companion list of convention centers in Illinois.

Common Mistakes When Picking an Indiana Venue

• Laying out booths on the wrong listing when a venue has several plans.
• Using a multi-building or whole-building drawing instead of the halls you rent.
• Booking move-in on a day when a game or citywide event fills downtown streets.
• Assuming a fairground building is heated or that vehicles can drive onto the floor.
• Selling booths before the fire marshal has reviewed the layout.

Where Map D Fits

Map D is floor plan and booth sales software for organizers. You open a venue plan, then add booths, aisles, sponsor areas and labels in the editor. When the layout is ready, a paid plan lets you publish an interactive map, share it with exhibitors and sell booths online, with exhibitors choosing their own booth at checkout. Exhibition management software keeps that master plan, booth sales and exhibitor details together, so a large Indianapolis show has one current map. Map D does not book venues, quote rates or replace the venue's official plan, so keep the venue and the fire marshal in the loop on every revision. To see it with your own show, request a demo or build a free floor plan.