GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s not just the top NFL prospects Wisconsin is welcoming for the NFL draft in Green Bay.
Lisa Jossart of the Greater Green Bay Chamber said work is underway to bring in site selectors during the event who are looking at potential business locations in the state.
“We’ll have some time to spend with them,” she said. “All of us are talking about the great opportunities, the great development, the great communities we have here to support workforce.”
While there’s an immediate statewide business impact from the Draft, there’s also a longer-term vision in play.
“Part of it is getting them here, showing them the great things that we have — and we have a ton — but also staying in touch with them after they go home and talking about what they might want to come back and see,” Jossart said. “Or what they might want to keep an eye on and know about how things are evolving in the region. It’s a multi-year process.”
Officials have said the Draft is expected to attract about 250,000 people to the three-day event. Some of those attendees will be business owners and entrepreneurs.
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said the business impact of the Draft can extend out years.
“Anytime someone flies into our airport or to the general aviation facility, especially for the first time, it’s our opportunity to roll out the red carpet and to welcome them,” he said. “Not just welcome people who might be here on business for a couple of days, but to invite them to stay and to invest in our community.”
Appleton International Airport is finishing part of a $66 million concourse expansion just in time for additional Draft traffic.
“When businesses make investment, they have a number of check boxes,” Nelson said. “A big check box is going to be transportation corridors. Whether it’s being located on a interstate, whether or not we have the possibility of extending rail up here and then most prominently the airport.”
Jossart said you never really know who the community may connect with at a large-scale event like the Draft.
“We will be planting the seed for future visitors and for the future workforce,” she said. “All of that will happen with an event like this.”
