Countdown to Super Bowl LVIII: Q&A with Las Vegas Super Bowl Committee

February 10, 2024

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect new estimates of visitors to the destination and the teams playing.

Speaking with Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee’s leading decision-makers

Las Vegas’ first Super Bowl could draw as many as 330,000 people to the city to see the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs play under what could be a rare case of showers in the desert Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. In addition to Taylor Swift and halftime performer Usher, Las Vegas is poised to show its locals, as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors, why Las Vegas has the reputation it does. The NFL wasn’t always destined for Las Vegas—not so soon anyway.

Originally scheduled for New Orleans, when the NFL Player’s Association’s new bargaining agreement added an extra regular game to the schedule, the Super Bowl was bumped into Mardi Gras, triggering the fine print and shifting the game to the next available date. New Orleans’ NFL bid is now scheduled for 2025, the city’s 11th time hosting.

Smart Meetings caught up with Sam Joffray, founder of event and media solutions company Concept Matters and president and CEO of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, and Bill McConnell, chief operations officer for the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, to discuss the role the host committee plays, how it feels to bring such a heavily attended/watched event to the city and how the Super Bowl is giving back to the local community, among other things.

Smart Meetings: What is the role of the Las Vegas Host Committee?

Sam Joffray: The Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that works as liaison between the NFL and the city’s officials and major stakeholders to fulfill the obligations Las Vegas has made to the NFL when the Super Bowl was awarded to Las Vegas.

We work closely with Clark County, the State of Nevada and other local jurisdictions and agencies to ensure we provide a seamless and unforgettable Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The Host Committee’s goal is to maximize opportunities surrounding the Super Bowl to drive lasting social, cultural, and economic impact across the region.

SM: How does it feel to be leading such a huge first-time event in Las Vegas?

SJ: It’s been an incredible honor to be leading this team of talented individuals as we prepare for Las Vegas’ first Super Bowl. LVCVA (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) asked me to assist them through the bidding process, so to be able to see it through to the finish has been an amazing experience. This city takes hosting and hospitality to an entirely new level, and I’ve been so impressed with what this small team has been able to pull off. Las Vegas is truly the sports and entertainment capital of the world, and we hope everyone sees that on Feb. 11.

SM: What has been the reception to the Super Bowl been by Las Vegas locals? There was a bit of grief (due to increased car and foot traffic, relatively high-ticket prices) from locals when Formula 1 came around. Has there been anything like that regarding the Super Bowl?

SJ: We have seen an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure the Super Bowl leaves a long and lasting positive impact on the Southern Nevada community.

From the Business Connect program with more than 200 diverse small businesses having the opportunity to work with NFL vendors, to our UNLV paid internship program, and our NFL Green initiatives, the Host Committee has kept the community top of mind for both environmental and economic impact. We also had an amazing response to our TEAM LV volunteer program with more than 8,000 volunteers signed up to assist our team during Super Bowl Week. It is truly a testament to how excited the community is to be part of this historic event.

SM: In what ways is the event giving back to the Las Vegas community?

Bill McConnell: Sam hit on many of those, but the Host Committee’s legacy program has been a top priority. Some exciting initiatives include the Super Bowl LVIII Business Connect program, which has given more than 200 minority, women, LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities and veteran-owned local business owners the opportunity to bid on NFL Super Bowl business opportunities and participate in professional networking and development programming.

NFL Green program will leave a lasting impact here in the Valley through 14 community greening projects throughout Clark County for Super Bowl LVIII creating greenspace, enhancing the natural environment, building community gardens and creating shade, cooling and beautification in traditionally under-resourced neighborhoods. TEAM LV, which has recruited thousands of local individuals to proudly serve as ambassadors for Las Vegas leading up to and during the week of Super Bowl LVIII, has emerged as a critical part of the Super Bowl team and we expect the program to continue even after the Super Bowl is over.

SM: What do you hope to achieve with this first Super Bowl?

BM: Through this Super Bowl, we are determined to present Las Vegas as the world-class destination for major events and show the world that Las Vegas is the preeminent leader in hospitality and entertainment. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional, unforgettable and safe Super Bowl experience to all—for Las Vegas locals as well as the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to join us.

Our entire community has embraced Super Bowl LVIII since day one and we could not successfully produce this event without their support. We’re ready to show the world that there is no place better equipped to host the Super Bowl than Las Vegas.