Howdy dear reader!

We’re excited to share that the 2026 Indiana Creative Economy Summit will return on September 15 & 16. More details coming soon, but for now consider this your official save the date.

March has already been a busy one around here. Earlier this month we kicked off the 2026 Creative Economy Panel Series with Katz Sapper & Miller, starting with a conversation about adaptive reuse and the role creative businesses can play in bringing vacant Main Street buildings back to life.

We also finally sent PATTERN Mag Vol. 28 to print and opened applications for the next round of Pattern interns and fellows.

Next week our team is heading to Fort Wayne to spend time with local music professionals and tour Sweetwater, one of Indiana’s most impressive creative industry success stories. We’re also looking forward to connecting with partners at the Indiana Tourism Association’s annual conference.

Meanwhile, the national conversation around the music industry continues to evolve. The Department of Justice antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, something many independent venues have been watching closely, has taken another turn. (More below)

As always, this newsletter is a mix of ideas, opportunities, and signals we’re watching across the creative economy.

Glad you’re here.

— Polina

It’s easy to assume downtown revitalization starts with art galleries and coffee shops. In reality, it usually starts with policy, financing, zoning, and a few brave creative entrepreneurs willing to move into spaces everyone else overlooked. At our first Creative Economy panel breakfast in partnership with Katz, Sapper & Miller, a room full of developers, civic leaders, and economic development professionals unpacked how housing policy, incentives, and adaptive reuse shape the economic future of our communities. Turns out the creative economy isn’t just cultural. It’s structural.

What started as the federal government’s blockbuster antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster has turned into something closer to courtroom theater.

Just days into a long-awaited trial over allegations that Live Nation monopolized the live music industry, the U.S. Department of Justice abruptly struck a settlement with the company. The deal allows Live Nation to keep Ticketmaster but requires a handful of reforms: selling off booking rights to about 13 amphitheaters, capping certain service fees around 15%, opening Ticketmaster’s system to rival ticketing platforms, and creating a roughly $280 million settlement fund. 

But the story didn’t end there. More than two dozen state attorneys general refused to join the settlement, arguing it fails to address the alleged monopoly at the heart of the case. They’re continuing the trial on their own, pressing claims that Live Nation uses its control of venues, promotion, and ticketing to shut out competitors. 

For now, the outcome remains uncertain: a federal settlement still requires court approval, while the states’ case continues before the same jury — leaving the possibility of stronger remedies, or even a breakup attempt, still on the table.

Indiana isn’t part of the lawsuit, but local venues and fans still have a role to play. The Save Our Stages coalition is tracking the case and organizing support for independent venues across the country. If you care about fair access to touring artists and transparent ticketing, it’s worth taking a look at their work.

A new federal housing bill could make it easier for cities to convert long-vacant buildings into homes.

The RESIDE Act (Revitalizing Empty Structures into Desirable Environments), sponsored by Indiana Senator Jim Banks, recently passed the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to the House. The measure would create a pilot program within the existing HOME Investment Partnerships Program, setting aside funds to help communities purchase and convert abandoned properties such as warehouses, factories, hotels, and strip malls into housing.

The goal is to address two challenges at once: reducing blight while increasing the supply of attainable housing.

Mark your calendar for the 2026 Indiana Creative Economy Summit, returning September 15–16 at VisionLoft at the Stutz in Indianapolis.

Each year the Summit brings together entrepreneurs, policymakers, educators, investors, and creative leaders to explore how creativity drives economic growth across Indiana. Expect two days of conversations, case studies, and connections focused on the future of creative industries in our state.

More details and registration will be announced soon. For now, go ahead and block the dates.

Following our opening conversation about adaptive reuse, the next session in the Creative Economy Panel Series zooms out to a bigger question: how do creative assets shape the economic competitiveness of cities?

In a competition for talent and capital, place matters. Cities like Austin and Nashville treat creative assets as infrastructure. Cultural districts, activated downtowns, venues, and design-forward redevelopment all play a role in building competitive economies.

Across Indiana, communities from Fort Wayne to Madison to Elkhart are beginning to connect adaptive reuse, cultural identity, and place-based investment as part of broader economic development strategies.

Join us the morning of April 28 for a conversation about moving creativity from the margins to the core of economic competitiveness.

Tickets, parking, coffee, and breakfast are free. Registration opens soon. Watch your inbox and follow us on social for updates.

Each year Pattern works with emerging creatives across design, writing, photography, events, and more through paid internships and fellowships that involve real projects and real clients.

Since 2010, more than 250 students and early-career creatives have come through the program. Many remain part of the Pattern Alumni Network, a lifelong community for connections, opportunities, and continued career growth.

If you know a rising junior, senior, or recent graduate looking to gain hands-on experience in the creative economy, please send them our way.

Pattern Internships are 3-month placements for junior and senior college students.

Pattern Fellowships are 12-month roles for recent graduates and early-career creatives.

P.S. Thank you to our fellow champions of the creative economy!