What did the BHOD crew think of Indianapolis? Really like the area around the convention center, you can walk anywhere downtown and not be worried for your safety. One of my favorite cities to go to a convention.
Indy is hands down my favorite place for the ATA Show. We've done Indy, Atlanta, Columbus, Louisville and Nashville over the years. The way all of the hotels are connected to the convention center and the amount of restaurants close by makes it perfect for this type of event. And the fact it's only about 3.5 hours away isn't bad either. I believe the show is back in Indy next year and then off to either Louisville or Nashville after that.
I've lived all over the eastern half of the US...Indy is by far the nicest "big city" in which I've spent any amount of time. Low(ish) crime and cost of living, with light traffic. Good airport and centrally located to Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Louisville. My only real complaints are no big bodies of water nearby and no MLB team although their AAA stadium is family-friendly fun. And unless you're a big fan of fast cars driving in circles; GTFO of town on race weekends!