ECONOMIC BOOST

Super Bowl XLV will be great for local businesses — and a study currently being produced should prove it

By Hy Cotten

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 11:32am

Super Bowl XXXVIII (Above) in Houston, February 1, 2004. Super Bowl XLIII (Below) in Tampa, February 1, 2009.

Let the records show the economic impact study for the greater Houston area for Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 was $340 million. Talk about the green, green grass of home.

For the Super Bowl in Miami in ’07, it was $400 million. For Phoenix in ’08, $500 million.

These figures are not determined by sliding one’s fingers into a big spinning barrel and selecting the lucky winner. They serve as a serious indicator of the impact a Super Bowl has on a hosting region’s economy.

Those who helped put on this February’s most recent Super Bowl in Tampa Bay said, despite the dire economic downturn nationwide, hosting the Super Bowl might have provided an even greater source of outside revenue than ever. After all, how many cities with struggling economies would not want that extra surge in the old wallet?

The Host Committee a month ago hired Marketing Information Masters of San Diego, to determine what impact Super Bowl XLV will have. Michael Casinelli, president of MIM, is overseeing the project.

“He has done studies for several Super Bowls,” said Larry McCoy, the Host Committee’s Chief Financial Officer. “He has been involved with several NCAA tournaments. He’s also contracted for the NBA All-Star Game here. He’s worked 22 college post-season football bowl games, six PGA events, All-Star Games for NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball. 

“He has roughly over 30 years of experience doing economic impact studies. He’s been an expert witness. He’s developed his own statistical models and samplings based off tourist information.”

Tara Green, the Host Committee’s Vice President & COO, said the numbers Casinelli and his crew crunches aren’t just pulled from the sky.

“We’re looking at estimates based on in-bound travelers that don’t live in the state of Texas, what they spend per day, how much they spend on hotels, how much is their discretionary income right around North Texas. If you’re staying in Addison, how much of your money gets spent in Irving or Grapevine or other places?”

One thing about a Super Bowl: The vast majority of those attending the game are from out-of-state because tickets are divvied up among the league office and split among all 32 NFL teams.

It’s also important, Green reminds, to determine the lasting impact Super Bowls may have. In Louisiana, tourism numbers have increased by one million tourists the year after New Orleans has hosted its Super Bowls.

This will be the first in North Texas. If the NFL is impressed enough to bring future Super Bowls to the region, there’ll be no question then about the game’s impact — emotionally and economically.