Chris Gahl

| Adventurer |
Chris Gahl
Director of Communications,
Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association

Indianapolis, Indiana
Age: 33

Chris Gahl had an adventurous childhood traveling back and forth to Hawaii to visit family, fostering skills for surfing and scuba diving. After pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism and communications at Butler University in Indiana, Gahl heeded the call of his Polynesian roots and ventured to Honolulu, where he worked in marketing and public relations for four years. But when he and his wife decided to start a family, they wanted to do it in Indianapolis, his hometown. He’s been with the Indianapolis CVA for six years, and Gahl says he enjoys proving to planners that there’s a lot more to the city than the iconic Indy 500. He’s also worked hard to promote the recently completed $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. “I’ve always been fascinated with what someone takes from a destination and what someone leaves behind,” Gahl says. He’s actively involved with the Society of American Travel Writers, and recently was named a “Who’s Who In Hospitality” by the Indianapolis Business Journal. He doesn’t mind working overtime to help promote his city, but he also doesn’t mind getting away from time to time to travel and find that perfect wave. —L. Plummer

What was the best advice someone gave you when you started in the industry?
“Always be transparent and don’t pretend to be something you’re not.”