Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Organizers Head To Arizona For Crash Course In Hosting Big Game
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- Bay Area planners are about to get a firsthand look at what it takes to put on a Super Bowl next week when they attend a crash course in Arizona in in how to be a host city.
"Super Bowl is the biggest event worldwide on an annual basis, and there's a lot of details that need to be taken care of," Santa Clara Economic Development Officer Ruth Shikada told KPIX 5.
Super Bowl Fifty will be a first-time experience for both Levi's Stadium and Santa Clara, so a group of about twenty city workers will travel to next month's game in Arizona to learn as much as they can.
"The event is overwhelming, and it's huge and spectacular. So, we expect to find a lot of things that we're going to need to plan for over the next 11-months," Shikada said.
The fire department will take notes on building capacity, exit routes, emergency access, and even the use of pyrotechnics. Building inspectors will examine placement of temporary structures, and police will study security measures.
"it's a target for a potential terrorist event, and we want to make sure that we do everything that we can to protect people," Shikada said.
Because Santa Clara generates its own electricity, the group will be studying the power needs so there is no repeat of the blackout during the big game two years ago.
