INDIANAPOLIS–The blue and gold are back. They’re not the Pacers. The FFA convention starts today and runs through Saturday at the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium. The hope is that some of the students may return to Indianapolis one day in the future, based on their experience now.

“The strategy is, will they come back to be college students? Will they enter our work force? Will they raise a family here?” asked Chris Gahl, senior vice president of Marketing for VisitIndy, the organization that helps facilitate and organize conventions that come to the city.

“These student leaders who come as part of FFA from across the country, ultimately have a positive impression of the city, have fun here in Indianapolis, leave with a positive emotion.”

Gahl said more than 70,000 people are expected to attend the convention through Saturday. They are expected to leave behind about $40 million in economic impact. That’s the money they spend, plus the jobs that their presence necessitates.

And, the FFA has made a commitment to do it for more than 10 more years.

“We’re very proud that national FFA has committed to Indianapolis to host its annual convention through 2031, really an unprecedented move to show commitment to a city,” said Gahl.

He calls that commitment a “big win” for the city and the state.

Gahl said that even though the first couple of days are expected to be cold and rainy (and possibly snowy), that weather won’t even be a factor for the students.

“As a city that has more climate-controlled skywalks connected into our convention facility and into Lucas Oil Stadium, we really take weather out of the equation,” he said. “It’s the walkability that has also been one of the key selling points in keeping them here.”

Gahl said that even though the president showed up last year to speak at the convention, he is not aware of any plans for Pres. Trump or Vice Pres. Pence to make appearances.