CREATING OPPORTUNITY

Super Bowl XLV is more than just a sporting event — it’s a way for women and minority-owned businesses to get in the game

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 11:31am

There’s been a whirlwind of activity since the first meeting of the expanded North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee a mere month ago. The region has prepared thoroughly and swiftly on many fronts.

Thousands of volunteers will not even be added for another year. Many contractors will be brought aboard. In fact, many key participants of North Texas’ first-ever Super Bowl have not yet surfaced.

And when help is added, it’ll come from all over. The NFL will see to that, and so will the North Texas Host Committee. Since the NFL created the Emerging Business Program in 1994, $55 million in Super Bowl-related contracts have gone to minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

Robbie Douglas is heading up the North Texas committee’s efforts to noticeably hike that figure. Later this spring, the Host Committee will announce the particulars of when and how women and minority-owned businesses can dive in.

“While we’ve kicked off our million-dollar founding sponsors program, and will soon announce other sponsorship levels, we also will have an Emerging Business Program,” Douglas said. “The intent of the program is to involve women and minority-owned businesses so that they too will experience the economic impact that the Super Bowl will bring to the North Texas region.

“As the NFL contractors and other companies and businesses come in for the Super Bowl, we will be the conduit to women and minority-owned businesses. We’ll know contractor needs and provide a process to match them with certified businesses.

We want to make this an easy, seamless process for those that wish to contract with  and women and minority-owned businesses.”

Douglas’ staff will provide “that screen and filter,” as she puts it, so that it’s easier for both the league and local businesses to connect and work fluidly.

“It’s a templated program, but we are going to customize it in a way that fits North Texas,” Douglas said.

Douglas and staff will be building a database of businesses, from childcare to construction, gift baskets to graphic designs, temporary services to travel-related services.

Tisha Ford, the NFL’s manager of special events business development, recently told The Dallas Morning News that profits from Super Bowl contracts is but one benefit. Forming lasting business contacts, and working to put on an event as huge as the Super Bowl, can lead to even more benefits long after the game has left town.

“We want this program to be one of the biggest legacies left from the Super Bowl,” said Douglas. “The game will come and go, but this moment in time will jump-start many businesses economically and have lasting effects far into the future.”