The National Rifle Association’s annual expo will return to Indianapolis in 2029 and 2031, Gov. Mike Braun and NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin announced at a joint press conference inside the Governor’s Office on May 4.
The convention center expects about 600 exhibitors and up to 75,000 attendees for each of the gatherings, slated for April 13-15, 2029, and April 4-6, 2031. Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and city tourism leaders worked on the NRA bid for more than a year upon learning the organization was interested in returning to the state.
“For the people attending, it is a tradition long held that embodies the second amendment and is meaningful to most Hoosiers, and their choosing Indianapolis proves it is a city and state that is on the move,” Braun said.
In remarks to reporters, Hamlin said the NRA has a large share of members in Indiana, making Indianapolis a natural fit for the convention.
Indianapolis has played host to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits three times before — in 2014, 2019 and 2023. At each of the previous annual expos in Indiana, there was a peaceful protest zone for those who disagree with the NRA’s mission. Ammunition and guns are not sold at the convention, but there are guns at the expo for show and activities like practice shooting ranges.
Attendees will be able to bring their personal guns with them into the convention under Indiana state law and a convention center rule that says a client can choose whether to allow guns or not. In some cities that have hosted the NRA, guests cannot bring their own guns into the convention hall.
“If someone rents the Indian Convention Center and they’d like to have attendees have the ability to carry firearms, personal firearms, they can exercise that,” said Chris Gahl, Visit Indy executive vice president.
The event brings together NRA members, second amendment lovers and conservative politicians from across the country. In 2023, the Indianapolis convention attracted then-former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence as speakers. Then-U.S. Senator Braun also spoke at the event.
The NRA annual event is one of several high-profile conventions that Indianapolis will be hosting in the coming years. It will be one of the largest groups to visit the Circle City, about the size of Gen Con, which is planning to meet here every August through at least 2030.
The Indiana Convention Center, overseen by the Marion County Capital Improvement Board, will unveil a convention center expansion at the end of 2026 when the Signia by Hilton hotel opens at the corner of Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue. When the expansion is complete, the Signia will hold 800 new hotel rooms and the convention center will boast the largest ballroom in the state.
Alysa Guffey writes business and development stories for IndyStar. Contact her at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NRA convention returning to Indianapolis in 2029, 2031
Reporting by Alysa Guffey, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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