INDIANAPOLIS – Allison Melangton will join Hulman Motorsports as senior vice president of events, Hulman & Co. Chief Executive Officer Mark Miles announced today.
Melangton, currently president of the Indiana Sports Corporation (ISC), will be responsible for overall production of major events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including those during the Month of May, the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 400, and Verizon IndyCar Series special events, such as the pre-season kickoff and post-season celebration parties.
“The Indiana Sports Corporation has been pivotal to the growth of Indianapolis, as well as the entire state, for decades and Allison’s contributions to that effort have been enormous,” said Miles. “Staging major events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is much more complex than may be apparent. Allison is the best event organizer in the country. We will be very fortunate to have her working with our leadership team to ensure that we meet our aggressive goals for further enhancing the prestige and growth of our events.”
“For more than 20 years, Indiana Sports Corp has been a huge part of my life – professionally and personally,” said Melangton. “At this point in my life, I have decided to make a professional change. My time at the Sports Corp and with the Super Bowl Host Committee has allowed me to work alongside the most talented people in our industry on many of the world’s largest sporting events. I’ll leave Indiana Sports Corp with friendships that will last a lifetime and memories I’ll always cherish. I love all that Indiana Sports Corp does in the community and globally to use sports as a vehicle to enhance quality of life and drive economic impact. At the same time, I’m excited for the opportunity to join Mark Miles and their talented team in executing events at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and for INDYCAR.”
As the president of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, Melangton led what is widely regarded as the most successfully organized Super Bowl in the NFL’s history and one that changed the way the NFL approaches fan involvement. It drew more than 1 million people to downtown Indianapolis, attracted more than 8,000 volunteers, and led to a $154 million investment in the city’s Near Eastside through the Legacy Project.
“Allison is the rare individual who combines keen creative vision and peerless operational expertise,” said Frank Supovitz, president of Fast Traffic Events & Entertainment, who worked closely with Melangton as the NFL’s lead executive for Super Bowl XLVI. “Her collaborative leadership style will rally the organization to achieve greater success in providing a world-class fan experience in both substance and service.”
In her two years as President of Indiana Sports Corp, Indiana Sports Corp has successfully hosted NCAA championship events in swimming and diving, lacrosse, basketball, and rowing, as well as Big Ten championship events in football and basketball. In this period, Indiana Sports Corp has also won the right to host several of the nation’s premier events in the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships, 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving, and multiple Big Ten championships in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball through 2022.
Melangton was honored with a “Sagamore of the Wabash” by Indiana Governor and Hulman & Co. board member Mitch Daniels in 2012, and recognized as a “Living Legend” by the Indiana Historical Society in 2014. Sports Business Journal, the nation’s industry-leading publication, named Melangton as a recipient of its “Game Changer” Award in 2012.
Melangton serves on the board of directors for OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., Visit Indy, Arts Council of Indianapolis, and Indy Chamber.
She will transition to Hulman Motorsports in October and become part of the company’s leadership team.