sports event management - FIFA/CIES International University Network

PARTNER CASE STUDYExceeding the boundariesThere is no stadium that can hold the Super Bowl within the confinesof its permanent infrastructure. Every aspect of the event, from thesize of the audience, to the number of concessions, to the media andbroadcast facilities, exceeds the boundaries of the venues in whichit’s held. This means that event overlay has been taken to almostunparalleled levels of complexity, quantity, and detail by the NFL andPopulous to support the event.Essentially, the challenge is to construct an entire town, with all itsrequired facilities and amenities, but one which exists for just a single day.The Super Bowl XLV, staged at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas, had over90,000 spectators on site, alongside 18,000 square metres of tents, 12kilometres of fencing, 900 metres of concrete barricades, 260 portaloosand 42,000 metres of electrical cable.Event planningPreliminary work for Jerry Anderson and his team starts up to three yearsin advance for each Super Bowl, assessing what each city and stadium’srequirements are and helping the NFL in their initial awarding of thecontract. For the entire year leading up to the game, Todd Barnes leads ateam on site, which means that as soon as one Super Bowl finishes, thePopulous team are thinking about the next. The team works on drawingsand layouts and, as the year progresses, the team increases in linewith the scale of the work. Three weeks before, the delivery and set-upcommences. On game day itself, the team is at its peak.To manage the work, “a fully integrated event plan is crucial,” saysAnderson. “The plan takes all the existing features of the stadiumcampus and marries those with a temporary commodities plan.”The plan also joins together the aspects of facilities design withtransportation planning, crowd flow and management, and operations.Super Bowl XLIV, Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida – Getty Images SportIntegrationOne of the most critical aspects of the plan is the true marriage ofoperations with facilities; by making sure these two aspects are properlyintegrated, Populous is able to support the NFL by delivering the mosteffective use of the venue, the staff, the schedule, and the equipmentthat supports every part of the event.The overlay plan uses significant quantities of temporary commodities.This generally includes tens of thousands of square metres of tents,hundreds of portable trailer structures, kilometres of fencing andbarricades, scores of massive generators and 45 kilometres of electricalcable. From trash cans to thousands of temporary signs, no detail isconsidered too small. And all of these commodities have to deliver acohesive experience that reflects the NFL brand.Raising the barEach year the Super Bowl not only tests the current applicationsand technologies available in the temporary commodities and designmarketplace, but also pushes the envelope to create even greater andmore memorable experiences.As well as the physical dimensions of the stadium, some of the keydrivers behind the Event Plan are the people involved - the participatingteams, the US and NFL Broadcast networks domestically and thenumerous international broadcast networks who form a significantpresence at the Super Bowl. There are also over 3500 accredited mediato consider, the sponsors and of course the spectators, ranging innumber annually from 70,000 to 90,000.The Super Bowl has come to be about far more than sport – theHalftime Show attracts some of the world’s biggest music stars includingBruce Springsteen, U2, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and, mostrecently, the Black Eyed Peas. There are also huge hospitality parties onthe grounds including the NFL Tailgate Party and On Location program.A gathering of such significant numbers, with so many celebritiesinvolved, demands high levels of security – the Super Bowl is a level oneNational Security Special Event, as designated by the US Department ofHomeland Defense. This is the highest security rating given to any eventin the US. As a result, there are significant facilities created to fulfill thesecurity programme.Populous has raised the bar on planning over the past 27 years. Wenow use the most advanced methods of 3D and animated drawings,renderings, scheduling and estimating software developed in houseexpressly for the Super Bowl.No event is watched or scrutinised as much as the Super Bowl.Populous is honoured to have been a partner of the NFL for more thana quarter of a century, working with them to create this unparalleledexperience, which has become a standard bearer for the highest levelsof achievement and quality in a sports event. The delivery of the eventplan carries the highest of expectations and Populous is proud to haverisen to the challenge each year.Jerry Anderson (Senior Principal)jerry.anderson@populous.com; +1 303 382 2780www.populous.comSPORTS EVENT MANAGEMENT 31