The New Jersey-New York area scored its biggest touchdown when it landed the 2014 Super Bowl at the new $1.6-billion MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. By selecting this cavernous, 82,500-seat stadium, NFL owners who made the selection made history, as this will be the first open-air, cold-weather site in modern Super Bowl history.
The stadium is located just miles away from Wall Street and as a result, half of the Super Bowl’s roster of sponsors are financially focused companies like Goldman Sachs, JPMorganChase, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America. In a unique move, the National Football League has allowed more than one company in a particular industry to be a host sponsor.
Businesses in New Jersey and New York are gearing up for the crowds the Super Bowl will attract. The Meadowlands Regional Chamber (MRC) and the Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau (MLCVB) have teamed up with the Division of Continuing Education at the Corporate and Public Sector Training of Bergen Community College to create the “Excellence in Visitor Experience Certification, Providing a Warm Welcome” certificate program.
“We fully understand that for many of the people coming to see the Super Bowl, this will be their first time in North Jersey — even if they’ve visited New York City before,” says Jim Kirkos, CEO of the MRC. “Offering this certificate program is another important step in positioning the region as a viable destination for both vacationers and event planners. Regardless of the weather we will provide a warm welcome.”
The MRC has been an invaluable resource for many groups planning events during Super Bowl week. “Later in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, particularly Saturday and Sunday, is when groups want to be in New Jersey,” explains Kirkos. “We worked with a company today that wanted to host its top clients but didn’t want to be in Manhattan. They had a lot of money to spend and wanted great views. We have an abundance of interesting venues that meet this criteria.”
The Meadowlands region is looking forward to showcasing its assets during Super Bowl week. “New Jersey has a lot more to offer than what many people know about. We are leveraging the Super Bowl as an awareness campaign. We plan on showing people there is so much here and it will be beneficial to them to come back.”
New York City will also be hosting a slew of events during the week leading up to the Big Game. One of the most visible will be Super Bowl Boulevard Engineered by GMC, a free, interactive, football-themed experience that will take place Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 on Broadway between 34th and 44th Streets. An eight-lane, 180-foot-long, 58-foot-high toboggan run will run down Broadway and spill out into Times Square.
In addition to the Super Bowl Boulevard, the NFL announced that a number of Super Bowl parties and functions will take place in New York City. Among the highlights:
• The Super Bowl Media Center, which will service more than 5,000 credentialed media from around the world, will be held at the Sheraton.
• New York City will also host a number of events, including the Media Party, which will be held at Chelsea Piers on Tues., Jan. 28 of Super Bowl Week.
• The Friday Night Party, NFL House, a hospitality center for business partners, and the annual NFL Honors nationally televised awards show will all take place in New York on Friday, Jan. 31.
• The NFL will work out of its league headquarters on Park Avenue.
The first official public event of Super Bowl Week — Media Day, to feature players from both participating teams — will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on Tues., Jan. 28. In addition, New Jersey will host the two competing teams, as both will lodge at hotels in the state during their extended stay in the area. The teams will also practice in New Jersey — with the NFC team utilizing the Timex Center and the AFC the Atlantic Health Facility at Florham Park.
Another mainstay Super Bowl event, the NFL’s Tailgate Party, which is held during the final hours leading up to game time, will take place at the Grandstand at the Meadowlands Racetrack, on Sun., Feb. 2.
“We are thrilled that visitors to the region will have an opportunity to experience multiple landmarks in New Jersey, beginning with MetLife Stadium, and now extending to the Prudential Center and the Meadowlands Racetrack,” says Woody Johnson, cochairman of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. “We are also fortunate to have the players lodging and practicing in New Jersey, which allows their excitement and energy to be felt in the area throughout the entire week.”
“Each and every year, the events surrounding the Super Bowl become bigger and better,” says Jonathan Tisch, co-chairman of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. “In 2014, the week-long celebration will begin and end in New Jersey, and our events lineup is sure to bring an immeasurable sense of spirit and exhilaration to the area, and guarantee an unforgettable experience for all.”
Anheuser-Busch InBev is getting in on the hoopla by turning Norwegian Cruise Line’s 4,028-passenger Norwegian Getaway into a “Bud Light Hotel.” The vessel will be docked in New York and rooms will be open Thursday through Monday morning.