When Keith Bruce, president and CEO of the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee, attended Super Bowl XLVIII, his committee was less than six months old and planning for Super Bowl 50 was preliminary. But by the time Bruce and his staff board their return flight from Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona, they will be on the clock.
Twelve members of the Bay Area group will travel to Arizona — compared with only four who went to New York last year — including several department heads and members of Bruce’s operations and fan experience teams. “Our goals for Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix are to watch, listen and learn,” Bruce said.
One significant similarity between this year’s event and Super Bowl 50 is that both of their footprints will be spread over a broad geographic area.
“They’ve got multiple markets involved and engaged during the entire week. We will as well,” Bruce said. “A lot of that comes down to flow, transportation management and logistics.”
The bulk of the fan activities and hospitality for Super Bowl XLIX will be in downtown Phoenix, about 15 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, with ancillary events also being held in Tempe, Scottsdale and Surprise. Similarly, the Bay Area’s Super Bowl hub will be in San Francisco, about 40 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Bruce said his staff will pay close attention to how their Arizona counterparts manage their vast area.
Other aspects of the event that the Bay Area group will be paying close attention to in Arizona are the establishment of a “clean zone” to protect the NFL’s official partners from ambush marketers, stadium perimeter management, and the integration of both NFL Now and the Super Bowl app.
The San Francisco committee has arranged for a “small contingency” of its corporate sponsors to make the trip to Arizona. Said Bruce, “It’s a great way for them to see a Super Bowl in action and how companies activate and experience the Super Bowl.”
The committee has a reception planned for its partners on Friday night, as well as for members of the Bay Area media covering the event.
In addition, a group of public safety officials from both San Francisco and Santa Clara will travel to Arizona, where Bruce said they will have the opportunity to shadow those working on the Arizona game in similar roles. The San Francisco Travel Association is sending a delegation of its own to observe the ins and outs of the hospitality-related aspects of the event.
Alex Silverman writes for sister publication SportsBusiness Daily.
