The June 15 match between Spain and Cabo Verde kicks off the series of eight FIFA World Cup games hosted in Atlanta. It’s almost four years to the day when organizers with the international soccer tournament selected the Georgia capital as one of the 16 host cities. Millions of dollars have been invested to get Atlanta in World Cup-ready shape, and the city is reportedly projected to see a $1 billion economic impact.
Now, with less than 30 days to go, what have city officials done to prepare Atlanta for thousands of global visitors, and what still needs to be done? On Monday’s “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott spoke with Lamar Stewart, the interim executive director of Showcase Atlanta. He shared how the city is now in the execution phase of its World Cup preparations.
Like the 1996 Olympic Games, Stewart says Mayor Andre Dickens wants to once again prove Atlanta can host a large-scale event, and in return, benefit from it. Allowing the games to “happen with us, not to us.” To accomplish that, Stewart says it starts with educating local business owners.
“We can educate them about what corporate partnership looks like,” said Stewart. “The money that goes into it, other ways that you can kind of peacock a little bit to be seen.”
But long after the World Cup competitors played their last game on the pitch at Mercedez-Benz Stadium, Stewart says Showcase Atlanta will continue to connect local vendors and small businesses with big ticket events. In the years to come, Atlanta will prepare to host Super Bowl LXII in 2028, the 2031 NCAA Men’s Division I Final Four, and ongoing large-scale conferences and conventions.
