There are a handful of cities across the country that are frequent hosts to big events, Final Fours, Super Bowls and the like. These cities are somewhat cheaper and “maneuverable” – so not New York, and generally warmer weather types – you can’t have Super Bowl attendees needed a sled team to get to the game. Indianapolis, New Orleans and Atlanta are among the most frequent.
Experts disagree on the real numbers, but the cities and their respective chambers of commerce tout impact somewhere in the $200 million range. Tens of thousands of visitors from out of town, filling up hotel rooms, spending money at restaurants, buying merch – it’s undoubtedly a lot of spending. But many Atlanta residents wonder what the actual impact for them is and a new initiative from Mayor Andre Dickens is aiming to address these concerns.
Showcase Atlanta, chaired by Arthur Blank and Carol Tome, CEO of UPS, will work to ensure that events, conventions, conferences and festival benefit city residents and local businesses. Besides Blank and Tome, a committee will help to lead the initiative, composed of local business and civic leaders.
“The primary goal of Showcase Atlanta is to provide our residents, small businesses and visitors with exceptional experiences during major events hosted in our city. As more large sports and entertainment events continue to choose Atlanta, we want our community to participate fully and equitably, and this initiative is a unique opportunity to drive generational progress for our communities across the city,” said Dickens.
The program’s first test will be the FIFA World Cup 26 as Atlanta hosts eight matches, including the semi-final. The 2026 World Cup will be one of the largest sporting events in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia continues to shine as a premier event and sports destination, and I’m thrilled to support Mayor Dickens alongside Carol Tomé as we highlight our city, state and community achievements through Showcase Atlanta,” said Blank.
Dickens points out that this is not just about the World Cup, indeed Atlanta is slated to host the Super Bowl in 2028. An Executive Director has already been named, Norelie Garcia. She has extensive marketing experience, working most recently with AT&T and with 25 years in film, tech and entertainment.
“Through the leadership and vision of the mayor and other public and private leaders, we are going to showcase Atlanta to the rest of the world, while ensuring major events are done with and for the benefit of all our residents,” said García.
Garcia has her work cut out for her to win over some Atlanta residents. One social media commenter, presumably a city of Atlanta resident, wondered “What if we focused on everyday quality of life in Atlanta instead of big events that are attended by out of town fans?”
