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Many football players have long envisioned the moment. The look and feel of walking across the stage after hearing their named called in the NFL Draft, shaking hands with the commissioner, putting on the cap of the franchise that picked him and posing for photos.
Years of hard work are realized and pure emotions start flowing. It’s a beautiful sight.
That dream will be a reality for some prospects April 23-25 in Las Vegas. That dream will also have a vastly different look from other drafts. Las Vegas, remember, is always over the top in hosting events, and always first-class.
For starters, you can’t beat the setting of the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the most notable stretch of real estate in the world. And the entry will be legendary: Draftees and their families will arrive via boat to a red-carpet stage at the Fountains of Bellagio.
Those photos prior to the actual draft will have the bright lights of the Strip in the background. You can already see Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and others smiling on the red carpet before they head to the main stage to hear their names called.
“The style and feel will capture Las Vegas,” Jon Barker, head of live events for the NFL, told Clark County commissioners on Tuesday when presenting details for the event.
We know how to throw a party in Las Vegas. Whether it’s a prize fight, entertainment awards show, Stanley Cup Final, New Year’s Eve celebrations and everything in between, there’s no better place than here for a celebration. The NFL Draft will be our time to again shine, reaffirming to the league what it’s long known — it’s great to be in Las Vegas. We will be an accommodating and proud NFL city, and eager to host more events.
A Super Bowl is surely on the horizon. A Raiders game day will also be over the top. That’s why it is vital for local officials — Clark County, Metro Police, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and those in the resort corridor — to remain on the same page in their coordination of the draft.
It’s simple: Once this is successful, many more revenue-generating events will follow.
Give credit to the Clark County Commission for green-lighting all of the NFL plans to host the draft on the Strip, realizing that whatever concessions with road closures, added security and inconvenience to casino workers will be worth the investment. The Strip from Spring Mountain Road to Harmon Avenue, and east on Flamingo Road to Koval Lane, will be closed to traffic except for early-morning hours each day of the draft. Some closures for prep work will begin earlier in April.
So what?
Consider: A combined 600,000 people attended the 2019 event in Nashville, Tenn.; a combined 47.5 million watched on the ESPN family networks. The economic impact to the economy in Nashville was estimated at $224 million. Three consecutive days of NFL Draft coverage, showing the awesomeness of the Strip — everything from the Fountains of Bellagio to Caesars Entertainment properties where other draft events will be staged — will be an invaluable marketing tool for the local tourism industry. Add to that the millions of dollars visitors will spend on the Strip over those three days.
An artists rendering of the NFL Draft 40-yard dash attraction in Las Vegas. The draft will be held April 23 through 25. Courtesy of the NFL
Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly scouted draft preparations last year in Nashville, brilliantly stating that “they did a fantastic job, but this is Las Vegas.”
And Vegas loves being a good host. It’s why people from around the world save money to keep coming back.
The draft itself will take place on a main stage that will be constructed in a lot east of the High Roller observation wheel. Adjacent to the main stage will be the NFL Experience, a three-day football festival with interactive games for children, appearances by NFL notables and the energy of the big event transpiring nearby. The best part? It’s all free and open to the public, including daily concerts that will feature A-list artists.
You may not be able to afford taking your family to a Raiders home game in the fall, but this event will allow them to get a full dose of what the NFL has to offer. It will be a gigantic celebration of the league and Las Vegas becoming one of those elite 32 cities with an NFL franchise. It’s such a good time to be in Las Vegas.
“It’s going to be a week that is out of sight,” Weekly said.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21