1 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to playmakers. Everyone. I'm Haley Elwood. We have a 2 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: really exciting episode today as the Super Bowl is back 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly thirty years. 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: So joining me to talk everything about this game is 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: NFL Senior Director of Event Operations Katie Keenan. Katie, thank 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: you so much for coming on. So happy to be here, Haley, 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: thanks for having me, absolutely so, just let's kind of 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: talk about this game. Obviously, I mentioned it's been almost 9 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: three decades. How excited are you in the NFL to 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: bring the Super Bowl back to Los Angeles? Yeah, you know, 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: it's really just amazing. You know, the stadium here, SOFI 12 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: Stadium being brand new and just such an amazing modern 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: news stadium. Really are kind of pinnacle here at the 14 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: NFL for stadiums, and you know, being able to bring 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: two teams back to this amazing you know Los Angeles 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: market is just it's unbelievably exciting for us when it 17 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: comes to planning for the game. How far out does 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: something like this start. Albeit, we know the super Bowl 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: was supposed to happen a year ago in LA but 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: rain kind of delayed due to construction of the stadium. 21 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: But alas it's here. So just what is that timeline like, Yeah, 22 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: so it's anywhere from you know, five to seven years 23 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: or so from bid process through execution. Things really start 24 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: to ramp up as we get closer, you know, call 25 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: it eighteen months or so out from the game, and 26 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: just obviously it gets busier and busier, you know, as 27 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: we get closer, But it's years of planning that goes 28 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: into the game. Obviously you mentioned Sofi Stadium the Chargers, 29 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: that is their home. It is extremely exciting. It was 30 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: extremely exciting to be there with fans this year. It 31 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: is still a pretty new stadium though, So what is 32 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: it like to plan for a game in a year 33 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: where this was the first year that there were fans there? 34 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: And just what is that process like of introducing a 35 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: new venue to the Super Bowl rotation? Yeah, you know, 36 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: it certainly brings its challenges, but it's also an awesome 37 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: opportunity to kind of take a look at, you know, 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: what new things we can do and how we can 39 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: operate differently. But we're certainly you know, just like the 40 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: Rams and Chargers have been doing. Every weekend we learn 41 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: more about the stadium. You know, every weekend you kind 42 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: of make a different turn and there's like, Oh, I 43 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: didn't even know this was here, right, It's such an 44 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: amazing facility. There's so much technology, there's so many different 45 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: options for food and beverage and premium spaces and all 46 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: these different things. So it's really challenge us, challenged us 47 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: to think about how we can use all these different spaces. 48 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: And certainly, you know, we don't have the institutional knowledge 49 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: that we might have in a place like Miami or 50 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: you know, another one of the super Bowl stadiums that 51 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl has been in multiple times. So we 52 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: take the learnings from those other facilities obviously, and then 53 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: kind of learn from you know, events and games here 54 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: at the stadium and kind of put it all together 55 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: and hope for the best. I laugh because as a 56 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: member of the Chargers every week it felt like we 57 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: were learning something new when we were going to SOB 58 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: it was I've been going to that site since it 59 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: was a giant hole in the ground, and I say, 60 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: I almost felt I knew it better when it was 61 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: under construction than it's. Wow, because there's so much to learn, 62 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: But how much did you guys rely on maybe game 63 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: days from the Chargers and also the Rams in terms 64 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: of setting that blueprint for this game. Yeah, I mean 65 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: we've had people myself, colleague, some of our vendors here 66 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: pretty much at every home game to really watch and 67 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: learn because a stadium, you know, you can kind of 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: walk around on a day where there's not an event 69 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: and you can learn, but until it really comes alive 70 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: and you combine kind of the stadium itself with human behavior, 71 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: which is always kind of a funny thing to watch, right. 72 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: You know, you're like, oh, I think people are going 73 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: to go that way, but then you watch it and 74 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: everybody kind of goes hitting right, and everybody stands online 75 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: even though they don't really know what they're standing online for. Right. 76 00:03:55,400 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: So it's just like seeing those places where that's happening, 77 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: and how we can say, hey, how can we do 78 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: this a little bit differently, you know for Super Bowl? 79 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: And then you also layer on that we do things 80 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: differently for Super Bowl, So it's just like, Okay, how 81 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: are the Chargers doing it this weekend. That's the same 82 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: way we're going to do it for Super Bowl, So 83 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: maybe we'll tweak it a little bit, or hey, this 84 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: works great. And then on the other hand, saying thing well, 85 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: you know, the Chargers use it this way, but for 86 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: Super Bowl it's going to have this different element. So 87 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: you know, how what how do we manage that? You 88 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: mentioned it is a multi year process to get to 89 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: this point. But what truly is it like to produce 90 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: a Super Bowl from the logistics side of things? I 91 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: mean it is. It's really kind of unbelievable the different 92 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: layers of coordination that go into it. I mean, you know, 93 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: when I first started here, this is my tenth super Bowl. 94 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: I you know, you kind of think you've known and 95 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: you've done events before, and then you get into it 96 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: and it's kind of like the best way I couldn't 97 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: describe it is it's a football game, it's a concert, 98 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: it's a television show. It's a like workshop because we 99 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: build all these things like it's all these it's multiple 100 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: television shows. Really, it's all of these things, you know, 101 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: happening in the same facility where you usually just do 102 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: one of those things at a time, you know, So 103 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: it's like, how do you think about all the different layers? 104 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: And I used to do credentials for the Super Bowl, 105 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: which is you know, yeah, so that was helpful for 106 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: me because I got to learn like every single person 107 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: and every single group that you know comes through the 108 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,559 Speaker 1: doors has to come through you as the credential person, 109 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: so you know, and there's two hundred and fifty different 110 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: groups and twenty five thousand people, and I mean, it's 111 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: the numbers are just it's unreal. Yeah, as someone who 112 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: has worked the last couple of Super Bowls, I'll be 113 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: there at this one. And who gets credentialed that is, 114 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: I think anyone who does that job, because it is 115 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: incredible the amount of detail and access and points of 116 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: access that you have to log into. I mean, it 117 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: blows my mind when I think about it, and I 118 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: don't want to think about it too hard, don't There's Yeah, 119 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: it's a hard job. It's a really hard job. And 120 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: it's probably one of the most high pressure jobs because 121 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: you know, you're just like you feel like everyone has 122 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: to come through you to get through, and if you 123 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: miss something, it's you know, you ruin someone's day and 124 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: potentially something else. So it's one of those jobs where 125 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: you know, you just have to be so in the 126 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: details and so in the weeds, and it's kind of 127 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: a NonStop, very thankless job. So our folks who do 128 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: it are really the behind the scenes heroes for sure. 129 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: You mentioned credentials, you mentioned obviously it's the biggest game 130 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: on the world stage essentially at that point, how would 131 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: you describe the magnitude of just in terms of the 132 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: people who work on a game like this in comparison 133 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: to maybe a regular NFL game or a concert broadcast, cruise, 134 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: anything of that sort. Yeah, so on game day we 135 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: are credentialing somewhere between. I mean, you know, I haven't 136 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: looked at the numbers recently, but call it fifteen thousand 137 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: and sixteen thousand, you know, with media broadcast play, you know, 138 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: team staff, our vendor staff, all the security, all of 139 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: the concessionaires, all of the housekeepers, you know, I mean 140 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: there's every every single person has to have a credential 141 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: right to get in because our security levels are so 142 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: high and all of that. So, you know, comparatively to 143 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: a Chargers you know, game night, there maybe just a 144 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: few thousand, you know, which is still a lot, right, 145 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: I mean, it's certainly not small. And the casual thousand, yeah, exactly. 146 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: You know, this datium is tremendous, so there it takes 147 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: even more people to run it. So maybe there's three 148 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: thousand or so, you know, versus you know, fifteen thousand 149 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: for Super Bowl. It is crazy when you put that 150 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: all kind of just in simple numbers, if you will. 151 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: You mentioned a concert. The halftime show this year is 152 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: set to be pretty special. There was a trailer that 153 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: came out. I know we're recording this a few weeks 154 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: in advance, but the trailer spectacular. How important was it 155 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: to tie this year's halftime show to LA in the 156 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: city's culture as well. Yeah, I mean, you know that 157 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: it was the thing, right, I mean, we just felt like, 158 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: coming back to LA after all this time and the stadium, 159 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: you just had to kind of play that up. And 160 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: you know, one of the things the NFL does really 161 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: really well is kind of embrace the moments and those 162 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: special moments. You know, my boss Peter O'Reilly, who oversees 163 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: all the events, he's so laser focused on that, and 164 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: it's you know, sometimes you're like, okay, Peter, like we 165 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: get it, you know, but when they all comes together, 166 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: it's just it really sets you know, the super Bowl 167 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: and some of our events really apart from other things 168 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: because they just spend so much time thinking about how 169 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: do we make it off how do we make things authentic? 170 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: How do we highlight the local, you know, flavor of 171 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,839 Speaker 1: whatever city we're in. Especially this one feels even you know, 172 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: more more of a focus, just because it is such 173 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: a big city and we're back, it's been so long 174 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: since we've been here. And then last question you kind 175 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: of touched on it a little bit just in terms 176 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: of maybe setting the halftime show apart and making that special. 177 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: But in other ways, how what is really going to 178 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: set this game apart from other Super Bowls in the past. Now, 179 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: I think all the entertainment elements, I really I think 180 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: it's the stadium. I think it's just such a special 181 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: stadium visually, like when you see it, you know, on TV, 182 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: and then we're going to add so much amazing decre 183 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: and different elements to the stadium too. It's already so amazing, 184 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: and then you layer on kind of the Super Bowl 185 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: look and feel, and it just takes it to a 186 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: whole other level. So I really think this stadium, this 187 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: kind of crown jewel of modern architecture, is probably the 188 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 1: thing that just really sets it apart. And I also 189 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: think that, you know, it's been a tough couple of 190 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: years for everyone, right, So this is just a moment 191 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: a day for people to come together and hopefully just 192 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: enjoy each other and the game and the show and 193 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: not think about all the other stuff going on in 194 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: the world. Right. That's the power of sports right there. 195 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: We are so excited. February thirteenth is the date on NBC. Katie, 196 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for coming on. We really appreciate it. 197 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: Thanks again for having me