How the Super Bowl Pulled It Off
On Sunday, February 8th marked Superbowl XLV. To some, it may have been just another yearly tradition of football, good food, and over the top advertisements, but to others, it marked a turning point in what the future of live events during Covid-19 looks like. While 65,000 seats were designated for cardboard cutouts, Raymond James Stadium was still filled with over 22,000 people, 7,500 of them being vaccinated health care workers.
One of the questions that remain on a lot of viewers in mind is — how come college graduations, business conferences, music festivals, and other highly populated events all over the country remain canceled? The short answer: testing, planning, and enormous budgets.
First off, the entire NFL organization was subject to frequent testing. The Chiefs being tested before boarding their flight to Tampa Bay on Saturday, and both teams were tested day-of. Opting against a “bubble-scenario” both teams were subject to daily testing beginning as far back as the opening of training camps last Summer. The NFL also conducted sophisticated contact tracing utilizing electronic tracking devices, to go above and beyond ensuring safety and containing the virus. On top of rigid testing and regulations, teams, coaches, and players were subject to strict disciplinary measures if they were to violate any safety protocols put in place.
Similar to the teams, the production team behind this year’s half-time show was also under extreme regulations. All members after testing negative had to go through a daily health screening as well as were given health screening wristbands that were scanned at each level of access. In case there was an outbreak or sick staffer, their every move could be traced. Another key protocol the team had in place — ready-to-go replacements. Each team, from vendors, dancers, and even pyro’s had 10 background checked replacements waiting at home, ready to hop on a flight at a moment’s notice.
Beyond testing, the entertainment team was issued more than 25,000 KN96 masks and were required to wear face shields during all rehearsals. The NFL also donated an extensive amount of hand sanitizer as well as placed safety reminders around every corner of the stadium.
One question might remain unanswered and that is — how expensive was it to throw a covid-safe event with over 22,000 attendees? The short answer — extremely expensive. The number is not specific but there are two things to keep in mind here:
1. The cost is astronomical when you combine it with the loss of ticket sale revenues associated with these events
2. With testing, face masks, social distancing enforcers, hand sanitizer, and other costs associated with keeping everyone safe the event was extremely costly. Testing itself adds around an extra $200 per person, and with such a massive list of people involved, you can only imagine how much the total cost was.
Despite the enormous cost, amount of testing, and other vital attributes that went into making this year’s Super Bowl event possible there is one thing to keep in mind — it is possible to throw a large event during the pandemic while ensuring safety. That is exactly what gives us hope. As a live events company, Ideaison plans to incorporate all of these precautions in our events to keep bringing the music to the people. So in the future, we can all remember what it is like to dance throughout the night, meet new people, and let the music take away all our worries.