“When we host a big event, we do it big,” Paul said.
Dallas — read This article and other North Texas business news From our partners at Dallas Business Journal
It's a great time to be a sports fan in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Rangers are off to a strong start, the Stars are headed to the playoffs, and the Mavericks are on a roll.
But that's just the beginning. The 2024 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is scheduled for this summer in Arlington, which will host nine games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, more than any other venue. The men's Final Four is scheduled to be held at AT&T Stadium in 2030.
The mastermind behind many of the area's major sports attractions is Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul, a 15-year veteran of sports marketing in DFW. From small local tournaments to big prizes like the World Cup, Paul and her team's efforts have resulted in billions of dollars in economic impact.
This success has had a major impact on Dallas, which was named the No. 1 sports business city last year by DBJ's sister publication, Sports Business Journal. This year, SBJ ranked Arlington No. 6 in the county as the best sports-business city for events, and Fort Worth No. 1 among cities without a major professional team.
And Paul has his sights set on other high-profile events, including the biggest party in American sports.
“I think it's going to be very special to have the Super Bowl back and to have a Super Bowl that we've probably never had before, like the FIFA Women's World Cup and the WNBA All-Star Weekend,” Paul said. said.
Paul spoke with her podcast, Texas Business Mind, about her career and the strategy behind such a major milestone. You can listen to the entire conversation in the player at the top of this article or on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Below are some excerpts from the interview, edited for brevity and clarity.
maintain a complete calendar
“One of the goals when evaluating any business event or sporting event that comes here is, 'Can we make it an annual event?' … In order to grow it, somewhere You have to start with. So we know that if we can host an event and get them to come here every year, that incremental tax and economic impact on those jobs will be greater. “And we also try to maintain a calendar of major events, because we still want to be on that cycle and rotation of major events.”
“We are very critical and we are very critical on the front side when bidding for these events in terms of what financial or what type of incentives are needed to secure it. We're doing significant analysis on that, and we never want to exceed that amount of money that we're spending to host an event here. I think there are additional value points that are difficult to put into financial numbers, such as media value, global awareness, etc. I think one of the other areas we're looking at is, from the time we host an event, what are the benefits for our community other than the economic impact?”
World Cup Countdown — What’s next?
“We're really laying the groundwork for that and we're working on it right now. That game schedule is what we wanted to achieve about a year ago because it's in terms of safety, security and transportation routes. Because it's very impactful. You have a conceptual idea in your head of “I think this is the best way to do it,'' but without knowing the actual game schedule, you just go around and try again later. There will be a lot of planning that needs to be done.
“Right now, we are working hard to set up a transportation committee and a number of subcommittees to ensure that we deliver on our transportation plans.Currently, we are starting to form a sustainability committee. , we are focusing on a number of items.''As the Human Rights Commission reconvenes here next month to work on the FIFA framework, what do we want to achieve?What kind of legacy is here? Do we want to leave behind? We can program, not just from a soccer perspective or additional areas, but how can we improve the community here?”
DFW Sports Reputation
“I think this has a lot to do with our corporate base here. And companies that want to relocate here for business, from a sports standpoint as well, why do we do business here? What makes DFW special? Location, ease of sports, etc. Business, affordability. There are many sports companies based in DFW. [And] When you host a big event, you do it in a big way. We usually set records, and we're trying to beat them. I really think that's because of the people who are involved in all of our organizations and who really take pride in trying to find win-win situations. ”
