Prepping For NFL’s Biggest Event: Las Vegas Gathers For Super Bowl 58 News, Caesars Hosts NFL HQ, Mandalay Bay Home For Media Center, Super Bowl Experience
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
This is razzle-dazzle Las Vegas, so there were Cirque de Soleil characters in full costume, a bright red screen with the Super Bowl logo as the high-tech backdrop and valet workers outside the Vu venue parking stylish cars for Super Bowl 58 announcements Wednesday morning.
This is Las Vegas’ first time as host to the NFL’s premier event set for Allegiant Stadium Feb. 11, so the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee and its legion of supporting promoters have a hyper-enthusiastic, puppy-like excitement toward working with the National Football League to throw the country’s biggest party.
All the big hitters of the Las Vegas tourism and sports landscape were here early — Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan, sports industry consultant/host committee exec committee treasurer Jeremy Aguero and Sam Joffray, chief of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee.
Gov. Joe Lombardo joined the familiar faces for a group photo before the 9:30AM announcements.
For example, the NFL headquarters for the Super Bowl will be at Caesar’s Palace, while the Super Bowl Experience will be at Mandalay Bay and the convention center.
The Super Bowl media center will also be at Mandalay Bay, which is across the interstate from Allegiant Stadium.
Lombardo set the tone with an inside joke for Aguero about Super Bowl 58 and tried to rev the crowd up with a “good morning.”
He welcomed the NFL and asked the audience to clap for Clark County commissioners.
He recognized Hill, who is not only the LVCVA tourism agency chief but also the chairman of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, the public body that oversees Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders’ home venue. The Southern Nevada public contributed $750 million in public dollars to help build the 62,000-seat domed stadium.
Morgan said the Super Bowl is also attracting women-owned businesses and sustainability initiatives and she hopes that will keep going after the game.
Aguero hosted a chat with the NFL’s top events man — Peter O’Reilly, Joffray and Hill.
Joffray, who is overseeing more than 9,000 volunteers and has worked on previous Super Bowls, recalled the Las Vegas market submitting the bid to the NFL for the Super Bowl.
The NFL is hardly new to the Las Vegas market after shunning the city for so many years because of gambling fears.
Not only are the Raiders in their fourth season here in Las Vegas, the market has already hosted the NFL Draft in 2022 and the NFL Pro Bowl all-star game.
In Las Vegas, the Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas is already a monster tourism event with more than 300,000 visitors for that Super Bowl weekend in February.
Vegas has more than 150,000 rooms in the market — and Joffray mused that Las Vegas might need even more hotel rooms for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.
Some other highlights:
Wednesday, Feb. 7 – Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
· Super Bowl Media Center powered by Verizon at Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Sunday, Feb. 4 – Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024
· Super Kids Super Sharing at Pearson Community Center at Pearson Community Center | January 2024
· 25th Annual Super Bowl Soulful Celebration at The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort | Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024
· Taste of the NFL at Keep Memory Alive Center | Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
· Super Bowl Breakfast at Caesars Palace | Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
