EMERGING OPPORTUNITY

The Women's Museum plays host to the kick-off event of the NFL’s Emerging Business Program for North Texas

By Steve Pate

August 22, 2009

Are you a woman or minority with your own business? No matter how small you think you are, you too can be a player in North Texas’ first ever Super Bowl.

That point was emphasized over and over Friday as Super Bowl XLV officially launched its ambitious Emerging Business Program. The “Getting the Word Out” luncheon drew close to 250 local business members and media at the Women’s Museum in Dallas’ storied Fair Park.

The heavy hitters turned out in full force. From the NFL offices in New York came Frank Supovitz, the NFL’s Senior Vice President Events; and, Tisha Ford, the league’s Manager, Events Business Development.

From the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee: Bill Lively, President & CEO; Tara Green, Vice President & COO; Robbie Douglas, Director of Business Development; and, numerous members of the Host Committee staff and Board of Directors, as well as its Emerging Business Action Team.

Among the program’s star participants were Super Bowl XLV’s Co-Chairs of the Emerging Business Action Team: Gina Puente-Brancato, CEO, Puente-Brancato Enterprises, Inc.; and, former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, CEO, ESmith Legacy, Inc.

Francine Powers, owner of We’re Having a Party, Inc. in South Florida, and Dallasite Kaye Burkhardt, president of Dallas Fan Fares, Inc., also sang the praises for participation in the Emerging Business Program.

“We want to make sure everybody has an opportunity to participate,” Supovitz said, “not just to come out and enjoy all the great events that are going to be put on by the NFL and the Host Committee, but also in terms of the business community, making sure everybody has an opportunity to take part.”

Minority and woman-owned businesses are encouraged to attend three Emerging Business Workshops. The first — its date and place to be announced soon — will occur in October. A second will be held in January; and, a third, in April.

By March, the licensing program will be closed and businesses must be certified.

Online registration is available now at this website by clicking the Emerging Business button.

According to those who have participated, it’s an experience worth doing — for the Super Bowl coming to North Texas in 2011 and for business long afterward.

“Whether they get a contract or not,” Ford said, “ideally the experience is such that you can take that knowledge, that wisdom, and feel competent and competitive when other opportunities of this stature come along. That’s part of the legacy, part of the journey, that doesn’t stop when the game is over.”

Burkhardt first participated in a Super Bowl in ’87, before the NFL had begun its Emerging Business Program. She was also an early pioneer in ’94 after creation of the program. She emphasized the importance of the Emerging Business database even after the Super Bowl is past.

“Convention & Visitors Bureaus in our area, the Chambers in our area, hotels in our area, will have access to this list,” Burkhardt said. “Anytime anybody comes to North Texas for any business reason whatsoever, they will have a built-in list of qualified people, many of whom will have had an opportunity to do some type of work for the NFL, for the Super Bowl, for the Host Committee. And, that’s about the biggest seal of approval that you can get.”

Her previous Super Bowl experiences also caused Burkhardt to offer a realistic reminder.

“This is not your retirement plan, and it’s not the lottery,” she said. “But when you have to do a proposal for the NFL, you will find that you do your very best work.”

The key now is for the Host Committee’s Emerging Business Action Team to get the word out to North Texas businesses.

“I feel like the Emerging Business Program is perfect for anybody trying to break into a big contract because of the fact that they are going to teach you how to get certified,” Puente-Brancato said. “There’s going to be business development opportunities. You’ll be well prepared for future opportunities as well.”

The program has become one of the most spectacular undertakings by the NFL and host committees every year.

“In Tampa this last February, they had about 130 or more contracts of about $4 million,” Lively said. “That was significant. Now, we’re a bigger area than Tampa, and we’ve got big ambitions, so I would imagine we’ll be better than ever. Time will tell.”