Hosting Large Events that Promote New York City and Help Spur New York City's Tourism Industry is Part of the Bloomberg Administration's Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York Yankees General Partner Hal Steinbrenner and President Randy Levine, Big East Conference Commissioner John Marinatto and Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe today announced that the new Yankee Stadium will host an annual bowl game after next year’s college football season. The game will feature participants from the Big East and Big 12 conferences and is expected to draw 40,000 out-of-town visitors to the five boroughs and generate $47 million in economic activity. The bowl – as of yet unnamed – will be the first in New York City since 1962 and the first in the Northeast since 1981. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., Deputy Mayor for Economic Robert C. Lieber, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Sports Commissioner Ken Podziba attended the announcement, which took place at Yankee Stadium.

“What better place for a big game between the Big 12 and the Big East than the Big Apple,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Not only will it give fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to close out their season and the year in the world’s most exciting City, it will also give us a chance to introduce New York City to thousands of new visitors, including college students and football fans from the South, East, and Midwest. Over the last several years we’ve targeted events that might seem unconventional for New York City – like the Country Music Awards or NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champions Week – for just that reason: they highlight the City to new audiences. An annual college football bowl game is the latest example, and – with an anticipated economic impact of $47 million – we’re thrilled to join the Yankees and play host.”

“This is a great day for the New York City and the Bronx, as we bring a premier college football bowl game to Yankee Stadium,” said Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner.  “When we constructed this stadium, it was our intention to create a first-class baseball stadium as well as a venue capable of holding a variety of unique and memorable events.”

“There is no better place during the holiday season to host big events than New York City, and no one does big events better than New York City,” said Yankees President Randy Levine.  “Hosting two of college football’s premier conferences in an annual bowl game will give sports fans from all over the country a unique opportunity to experience and enjoy Yankee Stadium.  It is a tremendous honor to bring the excitement and prestige of college football to the great stage of Yankee Stadium and the great city of New York.”

Both conferences voted to approve the bowl game with a four-year agreement. The first game will be played between December 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011. The game will pit the third or fourth team from the Big East conference against the seventh team from the Big 12.  Should the Big 12 team fail to qualify per NCAA guidelines, Notre Dame has also agreed to participate if they fail to qualify for a Bowl Championship Series Bowl.  In addition to their potential participation in this bowl game, Notre Dame will visit the stadium next season to play Army.

The bowl game falls in line with recent non-traditional events that target the domestic travel market.  They include: Harbor Day, the Country Music Awards, the Latin GRAMMYS,

the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champions Week, Farm Aid 2007 and Spider-Man Week. Given the current economic climate, many domestic visitors are looking for cost-conscious travel destinations, and offering events and programs of interest to them is an essential part of the City’s recent marketing strategies.

In addition to the game itself, the City will explore other potential festivities to celebrate and promote the bowl’s arrival. These may include online content and travel offers, promotional events around the five boroughs in the days leading up to the game and the use of the City’s numerous marketing assets.

“Hosting a bowl game gives us the chance to showcase the best of New York City to a whole new audience,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, the City’s official tourism and marketing organization. “In this economy, our goal is to remind domestic visitors that you can visit a world-class, global city at a reasonable cost.  The bowl game offers a whole new platform with which to make this connection.”

The Bloomberg Administration’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan is a comprehensive strategy to bring New York City through the current economic downturn as fast as possible. It focuses on three major areas: creating jobs for New Yorkers today, implementing a long-term vision for growing the city’s economy, and building affordable, attractive neighborhoods in every borough. Taken together, the initiatives that the City has launched to achieve these goals will generate thousands of jobs and put New York City on a path to economic recovery and growth. To learn more about the plan, visit nyc.gov.

Recent Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan announcements to help diversify the New York City economy include:

• Five new initiatives to help strengthen New York City’s cultural sector.
• A marketing and tourism agreement to boost travel between New York City and London.
• Broadway had its biggest season ever, selling 12 million tickets generating $943 million.
• More than 800 retailers throughout the five boroughs participated in Fashion’s Night Out.
• Resources for workforce training to New Yorkers for jobs in a green economy.
• ImClone will locate its research headquarters at the City’s new bioscience complex.
• A plan to create 11,000 permanent industrial jobs on Brooklyn’s working waterfront.
• Eight initiatives to strengthen the media industry in New York City.
• New international cruise activity, growing New York City’s 13,000-job cruise industry.
• Steps to help New York City’s bioscience companies compete for Federal funding.
• Legislation that will green buildings and create 19,000 construction jobs.
• Green projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard are creating more than 1,700 permanent jobs.
• Comprehensive initiatives to support the nonprofit sector and its 490,000 jobs.
• New programs to provide training and resources for City’s future entrepreneurs.
• The start to construction of the International Gem Tower, which will house 3,000 jobs.

Other recent Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan announcements include:

• Stimulus funds to begin training for 90 new FDNY Emergency Medical Technicians.
• An increase in MWBE contracts in FY 2009, bringing the total to more than $1 billion.
• The City hosted a bilingual small business seminar for Latino business associations.
• A $150 million redevelopment plan for the Staten Island Homeport.
• The approval of Recovery Zone bonds to create 960 jobs in Queens and Brooklyn.
• The City financed 12,500 low- and middle-income affordable units in the last year.
• The start of construction of the $148 million East River Waterfront Esplanade.
• The first housing projects to start using TCAP stimulus funds, creating 2,800 jobs.
• The start of construction of an affordable housing complex in the South Bronx.
• Steps to prevent a speculative purchase of Ocelot Capital Group sites in the South Bronx.
• Plans for the first 120 units of the Seaview Senior housing project in Staten Island.
• SecondMarket, Inc. will create 367 new jobs in Lower Manhattan through JCRP.
• $1 million to create a shared commercial kitchen at La Marqueta in East Harlem.
• The start of construction of a 600-unit mixed-income complex in the Bronx.
• The start of construction of major improvements to Queens Plaza and Jackson Avenue.
• $100 million for 14 infrastructure projects across Queens that will create 400 new jobs.
• The adoption of the City’s plan for Coney Island that will create more than 30,000 jobs.
• New initiatives to help support Hispanic-owned small businesses.
• The opening of China Construction Bank’s New York City office.
• 11 new initiatives to support the financial services sector and promote entrepreneurship.
• $350,000 in NYC Business Solutions Training Funds awarded to small businesses.
• Enhancements to the City’s Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program.
• The opening of a 125-unit mixed income housing development in the Central Harlem.
• A record 10,500 job placements through the first half of 2009.
• A plan to convert unoccupied apartments and stalled sites into affordable housing.
• The opening of New Mount Hope Community Center in the Bronx.
• The purchase of the Hunter’s Point South site to create a new, affordable neighborhood.
• A public campaign to help more New Yorkers get free foreclosure prevention services.
• The start of services of the Park Slope 5^th Avenue Business Improvement District.
• A stimulus-funded bond program to spur commercial and industrial projects citywide.
• The City will use nearly $32 million to train 10,000 New Yorkers for jobs.
• New space for 20 small businesses in Bushwick, creating more than 80 industrial jobs.
• City’s Workforce1 Centers in Harlem and Jamaica received awards for innovation.
• Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program to encourage grocery stores.
• City-supported loans unavailable from banks to help small businesses stay in operation.
• Three new Financial Empowerment Centers offering free, one-on-one financial coaching.
• Stimulus funding to help the City provide summer jobs for 51,000 young New Yorkers.
• The opening of New Hope Walton Project, housing for low-income residents in Harlem
• New affordable housing at Gateway Building, a long-vacant structure in the South Bronx.
• The Harlem Business Assistance Fund to help businesses relocate to the 125th Street area.
• The expansion of NYC Business Express to help businesses obtain permits and licenses.
• The “Nine in ’09” campaign to promote economic activity in diverse neighborhoods.
• A Center for Economic Opportunity program put 4,000 low-income New Yorkers in jobs.
• Stimulus-funded community development projects that will strengthen neighborhoods.
• Stimulus-funded Housing Authority projects that will create jobs for 3,255 New Yorkers.
• The start of construction of 103 units of affordable housing in Brownsville.
• The opening of Home Depot in the South Bronx creating 200 new permanent jobs.
• The latest round of training funds to help small businesses train their employees.
• The placement of 50 laid-off New Yorkers into positions at entrepreneurial companies.
• New York City achieved a record 5,000 job placements through the first quarter of 2009.
• Help for a beer distributor to create 55 permanent and 30 construction jobs in the Bronx.
• Federal stimulus transportation projects that will create or preserve 32,000 jobs.
• Steps the City is taking to help small businesses adapt to conditions and avoid layoffs.
• A plan to create and retain 400,000 jobs over the next six years.