San Diego Gears Up for Super Bowl XXXVII
By Joanne DiBona
In less than a year, the eyes of the world will again be on San Diego when it plays host to Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003.
Having recently returned from New Orleans--where I was part of a delegation representing the San Diego Super Bowl Host Committee--I feel even more confident that San Diego will again put its communal "best foot forward" to welcome the more than 100,000 guests who will visit our region next January.
New Orleans is a class act, to be sure, but we are definitely on par when it comes to offering Super Bowl visitors a truly unique and diverse environment. Super Bowl is so much more than a game; it is an experience, and one that lasts an entire exciting week before it culminates on Super Bowl Sunday.
We estimate that 122,000 people visited San Diego for the Super Bowl XXXII in 1998 --yet 56,700 of those people didn't even attend the game! They were here for the dozens of ancillary events that took place throughout the week and to share in the overall excitement that pervaded the entire region. From NFL owners to corporate sponsors, from dedicated fans to national and international media representatives, San Diego had something to offer each of these diverse groups in the way of entertainment, accommodations and activities.
Contrary to our experience in New Orleans, where all activity was concentrated in a relatively compact downtown area, Super Bowl visitors will find an entire county waiting to be explored and enjoyed when they arrive in San Diego. Our golf courses, for example, are unrivaled in their diversity and beauty. Our expansive beaches and mountain vistas take one's breath away. Our attractions are, of course, world-famous.
So whether the Super Bowl visitor wants to party in the Gaslamp, shoot a round of golf on the cliffs of Torrey Pines, enjoy an afternoon of gaming in our casinos, or take in a Broadway show, the opportunity for entertainment and activity in San Diego is endless.
As we saw in 1998 and also in New Orleans, Super Bowl week is truly about creating special events-- and we couldn't be better positioned to take on this challenge since we boast a wide variety of outstanding venues throughout the County as well as our newly-expanded Convention Center. Our Convention Center is perfect for large-scale NFL events: it is easily controllable (security will continue to be an issue) and boasts an expansive grand ballroom and covered sails area in addition to spacious outdoor terraces and smaller party venues. Not to speak of a view and location that make us the envy of many of our convention destination competitors!
Dining out was, of course, part of the overall Super Bowl experience in New Orleans. And San Diego, boasting 6,400 restaurants that offer everything from new taste sensations to traditional favorites, will also be well prepared to offer a variety of culinary experiences to Super Bowl visitors. They can sample the tastes of Thailand one evening and Mexico the next, and snack on local favorites like fish tacos and smoothies in between. Even the most discriminating tastes will find a wide variety of dining options. San Diego is home to world-class chefs, eleven of whom demonstrated their talents at the famed James Beard House Foundation, the culinary equivalent to Carnegie Hall.
Speaking of security, it will certainly be in full force for next year's game as it was in New Orleans, where 46 federal, state and local agencies worked together to ensure the safety of Super Bowl visitors. San Diego does not come unprepared or without experience, thanks to the Republican National Convention and the BIO 2001 convention, both of which brought protestors--and intense security concerns--to the area. In both cases, thanks to the excellent co-ordination of our local police force with dozens of other organizations and agencies, there were few arrests and no disruptions.
We'll also be making sure--as we did in 1998--that our visitors' first impression of San Diego is one they will remember with pleasure for years to come. Together with local restaurateur Dave Cohen, I will co-chair the Hospitality Sub-committee of the Super Bowl Host Committee, whose goal will be create to a level of world-class hospitality for our visitors. This is something we already do well (San Diego received high marks from the NFL in 1998 for its outstanding hospitality efforts), but we will carry it a step further and roll out the red carpet to our Super Bowl guests in a wide variety of ways.
To do this effectively, we will need the same community spirit and support that we experienced in 1998. The sense of community pride, coupled with the warmth and hospitality we displayed to our visitors, made that Super Bowl experience one that still stands out in the minds of those visitors. In fact, there were countless numbers of reporters and corporate representatives who approached us while we were in New Orleans to let us know how very much they enjoyed their Super Bowl experience in 1998 and how anxious they were to return to our beautiful and hospitable community.
Obviously, making our visitors feel right at home is something we do well--and will continue to do well as we forge our Super Bowl hospitality programs and plans for the coming year.
