Tampa's 2005 Bid For The 2009 Super Bowl - Press Release

Here's a press release on Tampa's bid to host the 2009 Super Bowl, which it did win the right to host.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

May 3, 2005 Karen Brand, 813/342-4052

Tampa, FL -- The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau planned to get a jump on the competition by submitting the area’s bid to host Super Bowl XLIII to NFL owners a day earlier than the official deadline. The organization shipped the 80-page “Host City Bid Specifications with Responses for Super Bowl XLIII (2009)” to the 32 team owners and NFL staff for delivery on Friday, April 29. The official deadline was Monday, May 2.

“It’s just one of the many tactics and strategies we have in place to set our bid apart from the others,” explained Dick Beard, chair of the Super Bowl Task Force. “We’re doing everything we can to call attention to Tampa’s bid and position ourselves as the best choice for hosting the world’s most spectacular sporting event. I think we’re off to a good start.”

The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau compiled the response with support from various community organizations including Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Tampa International Airport, Tampa Sports Authority, and area hotels. The bid included over 50 letters of support from business and community leaders across the region. Packaged in a customized binder for each team, the document showcases the area’s beaches, warm weather, and leisure pursuits.

“Our goal with the bid book was to remind the owners that there’s nowhere else in the country that they’d rather be than Tampa in February for the Super Bowl,” said Paul Catoe, President/CEO of the Tampa Bay CVB. “We have the total package: a great stadium, a solid hotel block, tremendous community support, and a legacy of success and innovation every time
we’ve hosted the Super Bowl. And don’t forget our award-winning airport, world-class attractions, warm weather, championship golf, and some of the best beaches in the country.”

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SUPER BOWL BID
SHOWCASES TAMPA BAY’S
BEST ATTRIBUTES

Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau 􀁺 400 N. Tampa Street, Suite 2800 􀁺 Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 223-1111 􀁺 (813) 229-6616 􀁺 www.visittampabay.com
Super Bowl Bid Showcases Area’s Best

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In response to the requirements set forth by the NFL, some of the elements of the bid include:

• Resolutions from the City and County protecting the NFL from unauthorized promotional activities during the Super Bowl period (“ambush marketing”).

• Resolutions from the City and County confirming that there will be no charge for any public security/safety services provided outside the Stadium, the NFL Experience, and all other facilities used for NFL Official Events.

• The City and/or County must create a one-mile “clean zone” around the Stadium and pertinent downtown areas where no unauthorized merchandise vending will be allowed.

• The Host Committee will provide cost-free venues for both the Friday night party and the Saturday night parties sponsored by the NFL. Venues suggested include the Tampa Convention Center, MacDill Air Force Base, USF Sun Dome, The Florida Aquarium, A La Carte Event Pavilion, Busch Gardens, and The Plaza at the St. Pete Times Forum.

• The Host Committee will provide three top-quality 18-hole golf courses for the NFL Charities Golf Classic at no charge.

• Funding for the Host Committee activities will be derived from sponsorship and corporate contributions, tourist development funds, the Florida Sports Foundation, and hotel rebates.

If Tampa Bay’s bid is successful, it would mark the fourth time the area has played host to the Super Bowl: Super Bowl XVIII in 1984, the Super Bowl XXV anniversary game in 1991 during the Gulf War, and Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. Super Bowl XLIII will be played on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Tampa is competing with Houston, Miami, and Atlanta for the 2009 Super Bowl. Representatives from the Tampa Bay area will make a presentation on May 25 in Washington, D.C. at the NFL Owner’s Meeting. A decision is expected following the conclusion of the meeting.

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The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau is an independent, non-profit membership organization created to attract and serve visitors to Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay CVB is funded, in part, by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council.

www.VisitTampaBay.com