
For three tourism, event and sport management (TESM) students, interning with Visit Indy last semester was nothing short of eye-opening and transformational. One of the nation’s leading destination marketing organizations (DMO), Visit Indy forges partnerships between business and government, driving the visitor experience and bolstering city and state economy. Located in the heart of the city and within walking distance from campus, the coveted internships prepped students to be workforce-ready and land their future dream jobs.
Simmi Kaur (pictured left), from Whiteland, Indiana, wants to stay in Indy post-graduation and work in the events and tourism scene.
Kaur served as a Visit Indy destination development intern. Among other tasks, she monitored local news to update Indy’s Destination Vision website and managed the final phase of the Neighborhood Event Toolkit online training program. She communicated with community leaders and internal staff for her projects, as well as worked on sustainability research regarding Indy’s travel and carbon footprint.
“I took away new skills and made great industry connections,” Kaur said. “I also have a better understanding of how DMOs at this level work with others in the city to make our city successful… This experience was like sitting at the adults table and getting to be a part of the big things that happen in our city!”
Kaur’s proudest Visit Indy achievement was the Neighborhood Event Toolkit, where she used her skills to create a resource for the city’s neighboring communities. The project showcased her ability to improvise and keep projects moving toward a launch date.
Martinsville, Indiana, native Alyssa Varnell (pictured right) worked as a convention sales intern. She supported the Visit Indy sales team by gathering group history, managing accounts and creating resources like hotel guidebooks. She utilized a CRM [customer relationship management] system to track and organize sales data efficiently and was wowed by the organization’s talent and fast-paced environment.
The internship allowed Varnell, who hopes to land a future job in tourism, sports or conventions, to witness and contribute to record-breaking achievements at Visit Indy, plus deepened her interest in the planning and promotion of large-scale events.
“My primary internship goal was to gain practical, hands-on experience in the tourism industry, with a focus on understanding the nuances of destination marketing,” Varnell explained. The experience exceeded her expectations, giving her an insider look at major events like Taylor Swift’s sold-out shows, the NBA All-Star Game preparations, record attendance at the Olympic Trials and GenCon’s economic impact.
“My experience at Visit Indy has shown me firsthand how these events; whether conventions, athletic tournaments or major concerts, fuel a city’s economic growth, bring communities together and enhance its reputation as a destination,” Varnell shared.
Greenfield, Indiana’s Annie Boyd (pictured center) interned in Visit Indy’s destination experience department. Her responsibilities included assisting department members, supporting conventions and special projects and conducting industry research. She plans to work at a DMO when she graduates and is prepared to put in the work to excel.
Boyd gained a stronger understanding of inner industry workings and was proud of her work researching Indianapolis and competing cities. She presented findings to her team during a work retreat, receiving positive feedback on her professionalism and confidence.
Boyd’s greatest internship takeaway was the importance of relationships.
“I always knew it was important to make connections and have good relationships,” Boyd shared, “but being on the destination experience team gave me the opportunity to see how much of a core role it is for everyone here to be connected with their clients and make sure their needs are met on professional and personal levels.”
Boyd also noted that her work varied daily, depending on Visit Indy’s needs.

“If a large event or convention was happening, then I was most likely off supporting that,” Boyd said. “However, when I was in the office, I directly assisted my team members or developed special projects I was assigned.”
TESM internship coordinator Amy Vaughan believes if students want an exciting career beyond the desk—where every day brings them something different—the TESM majors provide perfect professional paths.
“These are careers where one day, you might be working in sales or client services, the next day marketing and promotion, the next day logistics, and so on,” Vaughan said. “Students must be able to understand goals and execute strategies to meet them. These three students walked away with this knowledge, thanks to our Visit Indy partners.”