The 2025 Holiday Campaign is in full swing, bringing the magic of the season to those throughout Hamilton County and beyond!

Hamilton County Tourism’s holiday media campaign is reaching millions across the Midwest through strategic placements in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Lexington and Louisville. With millions of impressions planned across radio, billboards and digital channels, the campaign casts a wide net to attract holiday visitors.

The creative assets in this campaign showcase Hamilton County as a premier holiday destination, highlighting the unique blend of festive attractions, cultural experiences and community celebrations that make this season truly special. Additionally, the messaging encourages people to experience holiday attractions during the week, driving visitation during historically quieter periods of time.

The Holiday Adventure Pass has also returned for its second year, a collaboration between Hamilton County Tourism and Visit Indy. The free digital passport guides users to explore 20+ festive attractions across Marion and Hamilton counties. From ice skating under the stars to experiencing Carmel Christkindlmarkt or Conner Prairie's A Merry Prairie Holiday, there's truly something for everyone to enjoy.

This year's Holiday Adventure Pass campaign features locally sourced prizes from beloved small businesses with storefronts in both Marion and Hamilton Counties: The Shop, Penn & Beech Candle Co. and Silver in the City.

Participants simply check in via QR codes at one of the participating locations and after three check-ins, users can claim their choice of prize (limited to the first 300 participants). Those who visit five attractions are also entered to win a grand prize weekend getaway.

Hamilton County Tourism is grateful for county-wide partnerships and collaborations in crafting memorable experiences that inspire families to return year after year!

Two world-class arenas: One celebrating its grand opening. One celebrating its first anniversary. Together, transforming Hamilton County’s tourism landscape for both leisure and sport.

FISHERS EVENT CENTER CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF IMPACT

The Fishers Event Center marked its milestone first anniversary on November 22, having welcomed over 527,000 guests to 141 diverse events in its first year of operation. From Blake Shelton and John Legend to Cirque du Soleil, this 7,500-seat venue has established itself as a regional entertainment powerhouse. It is also the home to three professional sports teams: Indy Fuel, Indy Ignite and Fishers Freight.

But the venue’s impact doesn’t stop with its headlining acts. Fishers Event Center has distributed more than $1 million back into the community through nonprofit partnerships and has commissioned 80 pieces from local artists.

THE ARENA AT INNOVATION MILE OPENS IN NOBLESVILLE

This August, Noblesville welcomed The Arena at Innovation Mile, a 123,000-square-foot multipurpose sports venue that's already generating buzz. Home to the Noblesville Boom – the Indiana Pacers' G League team – this 3,400-seat facility is projected to generate $2 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years.

What began as an effort to spotlight Hamilton County's 600+ miles of trails has evolved into something far more meaningful – a movement that's reconnecting people with place, one pedal stroke or footstep at a time.

The HamCo Hubway campaign generated nearly 10 million digital impressions across all platforms during its 60-day run from September through October. The YouTube video currently has 3.2 million views (and counting!).

The Hamilton County Tourism team distributed 13,350 physical trail maps across 26 bike shops, 49 hotels and 16 civic locations throughout the county. Digital engagement proved equally robust as staff members fulfilled over 4,200 map requests, including 2,725 new leads, while another 2,324 users accessed the interactive map online. The campaign met people where they were, in whatever format worked best.

But the real magic isn’t solely in the metrics. It's in the way the community has embraced this vision of connectivity. The team’s favorite part of the campaign has been hearing "HamCo Hubway" in everyday conversations and reading positive feedback on digital community pages.

These authentic exchanges confirm what the community has always known: Hamilton County’s trails aren't just infrastructure. They're part of what makes the destination unique and transform its distinct communities into an integrated destination where adventure and accessibility coexist.

The marketing campaign for HamCo Hubway may have concluded for the season, but the momentum continues. Resources remain live on our website, map requests continue to be fulfilled and the Hamilton County Tourism team is already envisioning what comes next.

From LIV Golf to the World Fitness Project and beyond, the 2025 calendar year saw Hamilton County reach a global audience. The third and final event putting our area on the map was the World Aquatics World Cup in Carmel in October.

Carmel High School’s sparkling new $55 million aquatic center held the event, which brought a total of 8,992 people to the city. Forty-four countries were represented by 450+ athletes, with several swimmers delivering record-breaking performances, including one world record.

Mike Unger, Chief Sports Officer of World Aquatics, raved about the experience Hamilton County delivered to fans, world-class swim athletes, and the swim community at large.

“Our World Cup event in Carmel was a super success, and we were treated so well by our partners in Hamilton County,” Unger said.

Unger continued: “The entire team from Hamilton County Tourism to Carmel High School and the Carmel Swim Club was sensational. We would work with all of them any day of the year. They were great partners for the event.”

Like LIV Golf and many other high-profile events on the 2025 calendar, Unger and World Aquatics are already thinking about a return to Swim City USA in Hamilton County.

“We most definitely are looking forward to coming back to Hamilton County and Carmel High School,” he said.

Join tourism colleagues from around the state to elevate, elaborate and collaborate. The conference will be held March 16-18, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Indianapolis. Register to attend and submit your hard work for a tourism award.