Miami boat shows in the middle of South Florida’s bid for upcoming Super Bowls

Jan 8, 2013 by Guest Writer

Two South Florida cities are figuring out a way to lure the 2016 Super Bowl, making that year’s Miami boat show a possible force to be reckoned with.
2016 is the 50th Super Bowl, that season-ending championship American football game, and organizers want the cities that bid for the chance to host it to keep the first three weekends in February open for the privilege.
Miami and Ft. Lauderdale both say they can host it, but reserving Presidents Day weekend, which includes the third Monday in February, is a problem in Miami since the Miami International Boat Show, the Yacht and Brokerage Show, Strictly Sail and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival all occur on that weekend.
In mid-December, South Florida was selected as a finalist for the game. News reports immediately after quoted Miami-Dade Tourism Director William Talbert as saying the city didn’t have enough hotel rooms to handle the Super Bowl on the same weekend as the boat shows.
That brought up debates as to whether the boat shows should move (they have resisted), the urban core for the Super Bowl should be in Ft. Lauderdale, or cruise ships should be brought in to house everyone.
“We’ve worked great together in the past, and we’ll work through this,’’ Rodney Barreto, the long-time head of South Florida’s Super Bowl Host Committee, told the Miami Herald newspaper. “We’re right in the middle of negotiating things.”
In 2010, the National Football League began asking cities to reserve President’s Day Weekend as one of three potential dates for the Super Bowl in case it extended the playing schedule. South Florida didn’t guarantee that date in either of its 2010 or 2011 bids, and lost both. South Florida has hosted 10 Super Bowls, the most of any city.
Tourism officials in Broward County and Ft. Lauderdale say they won’t do that again.
Broward is ready to be the Super Bowl hub if Miami-Dade can’t because of the boat show, said Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Boat show officials have resisted the suggestion to move weekends, a slot they’s held for decades.
“We’re a big city that can hold multiple events in our town,’’ Barreto told the Herald. “I’m not totally convinced the boat show needs to move.”
“We can hold two parties at once,’’ Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said during a County Commission discussion about the Super Bowl.
South Florida is competing with San Francisco for the golden anniversary game. Owners of the 32 teams will determine the host city on May 21. The runner-up will vie with Houston to host the 2017 game.
Two South Florida cities are figuring out a way to lure the 2016 Super Bowl, making that year’s Miami boat shows a possible force to be reckoned with.
2016 is the 50th Super Bowl, that season-ending championship American football game, and organizers want the cities that bid for the chance to host it to keep the first three weekends in February open for the privilege.
Miami and Ft. Lauderdale both say they can host it, but reserving Presidents Day weekend, which includes the third Monday in February, is a problem in Miami since the Miami International Boat Show, the Yacht and Brokerage Show, Strictly Sail and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival all occur on that weekend.
In mid-December, South Florida was selected as a finalist for the game. News reports immediately after quoted Miami-Dade Tourism Director William Talbert as saying the city didn’t have enough hotel rooms to handle the Super Bowl on the same weekend as the boat shows.
That brought up debates as to whether the boat shows should move (they have resisted), the urban core for the Super Bowl should be in Ft. Lauderdale, or cruise ships should be brought in to house everyone.
“We’ve worked great together in the past, and we’ll work through this,’’ Rodney Barreto, the long-time head of South Florida’s Super Bowl Host Committee, told the Miami Herald newspaper. “We’re right in the middle of negotiating things.”
In 2010, the National Football League began asking cities to reserve President’s Day Weekend as one of three potential dates for the Super Bowl in case it extended the playing schedule. South Florida didn’t guarantee that date in either of its 2010 or 2011 bids, and lost both. South Florida has hosted 10 Super Bowls, the most of any city.
Tourism officials in Broward County and Ft. Lauderdale say they won’t do that again.
Broward is ready to be the Super Bowl hub if Miami-Dade can’t because of the boat show, said Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Boat show officials have resisted the suggestion to move weekends, a slot they’s held for decades.
“We’re a big city that can hold multiple events in our town,’’ Barreto told the Herald. “I’m not totally convinced the boat show needs to move.”
“We can hold two parties at once,’’ Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said during a County Commission discussion about the Super Bowl.
South Florida is competing with San Francisco for the golden anniversary game. Owners of the 32 teams will determine the host city on May 21. The runner-up will vie with Houston to host the 2017 game.

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