ST. MARYS -- Even the nation's largest city in square
miles isn't big enough to host a Super Bowl on its own.
A committee formed to prepare for Super Bowl XXXIX, scheduled Feb. 6, 2005,
in Jacksonville, has asked for help from surrounding communities including
Southeast Georgia to ensure the event goes off without a hitch.
An estimated 150 representatives from hotels, tourism councils and chambers
of commerce from Daytona Beach to Waycross met last week in Jacksonville with
event coordinators to discuss preparations.
The city needs help hosting the event, said Heather Surface, spokeswoman with
the Super Bowl Host Committee, because more than one third of the 100,000 people
coming to the game will be unable to book rooms in Jacksonville, which at 758
square miles covers the most area of any U.S. city.
Even though only about 70,000 will attend the game, the Super Bowl
traditionally attracts thousands of additional fans who come to the host city to
soak in the atmosphere of the biggest one-day sporting event in the nation,
Surface said.
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Jacksonville will
host Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005. Here is how the game will likely impact
the region based on statistics from the five prior Super Bowls:
49 percent of guests have never attended a Super Bowl
45 percent of visitors travel in a party size of two people
72 percent arrive by commercial, charter or private air
15 percent of the visitors are from the Super Bowl host state
70 percent of guests are male
60 percent of guests are between the ages of 26-44
48 percent of guests stay three to four nights
17 percent also made overnight visits to other areas of the state with the
average length spent outside host city of three days
Source: National Football League
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A bad experience by a guest, even if that person is staying in a room in St.
Marys or St. Augustine, could give the city a bad reputation, Surface said.
The estimated $260 million spent by fans is important, but the financial
impact will linger long after the game ends, Surface said. A favorable
impression of the area will result in new business starts, conventions and
increased tourism following the game, she said.
"It's a real opportunity to showcase Jacksonville, and we don't want to blow
it," Surface said. "The Super Bowl is our golden opportunity to market the whole
area."
Other cities who have hosted the event more than once usually begin
preparations 18 months in advance, said Mike Weinstein, president of the Super
Bowl Host Committee. A positive first impression will determine if, or when, the
event returns, Weinstein said.
"There's no question if we do this right we'll get it every five or six
years," Weinstein said.
Hotel and motel representatives attending the meeting also were asked to sign
anti-gouging agreements designed to freeze guest rates at no more than 10
percent of the highest rate currently charged, Surface said.
"It's to protect the NFL and to protect the public," Surface said. "We're
counting on the hospitality [officials] to really get on board with this."
Tourism officials throughout the region will attend many upcoming meetings,
Weinstein said, to plan local events intended to lure guests staying in
Jacksonville to their cities.
The events don't have to have a Super Bowl theme. Regional festivals, for
example, could be rescheduled during the week leading up to the game to give
out-of-town visitors something to do, he said.
Vickie Leverette, director of the Waycross Tourism Bureau, said her office isto any suggestion that will enhance the stay of fans, but she was unsure
how the game will impact her city.
"We may not get Super Bowl fans but we will get people dislocated by Super
Bowl fans," Leverette said.
Any fans who stay in Waycross may visit the Okefenokee swamp or just soak in
the small-town atmosphere of the city, she said.
"They may be looking for something to do besides just party," Leverette said.
"I think we have to look at this the way all of Georgia did for the Olympics.
I'm thrilled Jacksonville got the Super Bowl. It's been good for the whole
area."
Janet Brinko, director of tourism in St. Marys, said she's already gotten a
commitment from every motel in the city to sign the anti-gouging contract
limiting prices.
"I would imagine with us being 45 minutes from Alltel Stadium, all our rooms
will be booked, along with Kingsland's," Brinko said.
The city will promote local golf courses, along with Cumberland Island
National Seashore, to those in town for the game, Brinko said.
Brinko said the meeting was helpful and looked forward to others to help the
city prepare for the event.
"This was very enlightening," Brinko said. "I feel like the NFL has a grasp
on how to hold a Super Bowl 2005 that will be the best ever."
Organizers say they need at least 7,000 volunteers to help with Super Bowl
XXXIX events when the game comes to Jacksonville in 2005. Call
for information.
