INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “It’s like catching lighting in a bottle.”

That is what experts at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Indianapolis said about the major impact that Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour will have on Indianapolis.

Kyle Anderson is an economist at the Kelley School of Business on the IU Indianapolis campus. “We’ve looked at events in the past, and they’ve been around $100 million for, say, the Super Bowl that was now 12 years ago and other big events like that. I think this (Swift’s concert) could be even bigger, so we’re looking at well over $100 million.

Anderson said the economic impact comes from multiple revenue sources. “It’s clearly not ticket prices. It’s about hotels, restaurants, hospitality, and all of the events that are going on in conjunction with this, and a lot more of that money will stay here in central Indiana.”

Other academics agree with Anderson’s estimation.

In August, the research director at the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, Dagne Faulk, estimated an impact of up to $100 million for the central Indiana economy. She calls it a “back-of-the-envelope calculation.”

Marketing is another important part of this experience.

IU Indianapolis marketing professor Mark Mayer said ticket prices alone reflect how big the concert is but all the add-on events and excitement make it even bigger. “It just shows how special this concert is, and you look at other really top-name performers and not many people in the history of entertainment have had a run like Taylor Swift, if anyone has had. So for her to come to Indianapolis right now, it’s like catching lightning in a bottle.”

Mayer says Indianapolis is known as a great host city, but rolling out the red carpet for Swift and her Swifties will further cement Indianapolis as a first-class destination for a new group of travelers. “It definitely legitimizes Indianapolis as one of the top-class hosting destinations in the United States.”

Anderson said while this concert is a big deal, it is important to remember it is one of many big events helping the economy. “It’s not that big to the size of the Indianapolis economy so even though it sounds great and, certainly, a lot of businesses will benefit, it’s not something that will change the trajectory of the city, so we should keep it in some perspective.”

Visit Indy, the city’s tourism arm, has been working on an official dollar amount for the economic impact but anticipates a healthy nine-figure impact.

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