Business leaders hope to score economic development because of big games - FOX 8 News WVUE-TV

  New Orleans—The back to back big football games are not just helping to fill local hotels and restaurants, they are attracting influential people to the city.  And local business leaders hope to score some new economic development opportunities in the process.

Outside a prominent Poydras Street high-rise building a Saints themed sculpture of a dog was being delivered.  The dog will have a conspicuous spot inside the building.

Not far away at One Canal Place, dog sculptures representing the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide were on display.

And many businesses in the central business district have Saints and LSU flags hoisted high.

Saturday the New Orleans Saints host the Detroit Lions in a playoff game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome, and on Monday LSU and Alabama go at it in the national championship game in the dome.

"New Orleans has been a community that has always punched above its weight, but now with these types of world magnitude sporting events happening here, one after another, it's simply extraordinary,” said Michael Hecht, Executive Director of Greater New Orleans, Inc., an economic development entity.

The business community is eager to seize the opportunity the high profile sports events are affording the city. National media outlets are already beaming positive images of the city around the world.

"We actively work with the media to give them information about the new, New Orleans, for example we're working with the Saints to get the broadcasters for the playoff game information about how the Wall Street Journal just ranked us as the fastest improving economy in the country,” Hecht added.

TV news stations from around the region, like FOX 10 out of Mobile, Alabama are also keeping the city in the spotlight several times a day.

"We have team coverage here, so right now my side is really what's going on in the city, so obviously that's businesses, that's hotels, that's how much money you guys are getting out of this and how it's good for the recovery,” said FOX 10 news reporter Andrew Perez.

But business leaders are not counting just on the free media coverage.  Big sporting events attract movers and shakers from other parts of the country and it is an opportunity to sell the city as a place to do business.

"We do bring [business] prospects to our suites at the games, so we use the games as recruiting events,” said Hecht.

The local S.P.C.A which is behind the colorful dog sculptures which are being placed in the central business district calls the timing great.

"They're Mardi Gras bead dogs which is really fitting for our city, it's an iconic representation of the city and it's really exciting because it lends itself to our mission which is animal welfare,” said Katherine LeBlanc of the S.P.C.A.

"We have the eyes and ears of the world and they're going to see a place that's come back from Katrina, not only to where it was before, but better than ever and then you have teams like the LSU and the Saints who are metaphorically coming back stronger than ever,” Hecht added.

He said after the big football games on Saturday and Monday there's more national media coverage for the city to come, and it has nothing to do with Mardi Gras.

"After that we've got the Final Four, we've got the Women's Final Four, NCAA, then we've got the 2012 Superbowl,” said Hecht.

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