Cleveland’s hosting plans are moving smoothly

Spring is just around the corner — if you squint a little you can see it coming — and the three days Cleveland will be showcased as the host city for the 2021 NFL draft aren’t far behind.

Cleveland was awarded the 2021 draft in May of 2019, winning a competition with 21 other cities with each trying to be named host for one of three drafts. The draft this year will be April 29 to May 1. The vast Port Authority parking lot north of First-Energy Stadium will be the staging area for fans to congregate and drafted players to be welcomed to the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“It’s coming on us fast,” David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, said enthusiastically Feb. 12 in a phone interview. “It is exciting. We do fully expect the draft is going to happen as a large, live but safely distanced event.

“While it’s certainly not going to be the numbers of people we thought and expected when we were first awarded the draft, it will likely be a very large event. This could also be seen as a major coming out party and celebration for the community and in many ways the nation. This may end up being timed well as the first big event as we’re hopefully getting on the other side of COVID.”

Gilbert did admit, “At the end of the day, the pandemic certainly makes the final call in a lot of ways,” but planning is proceeding full steam ahead.

“Our job is to coordinate everything locally that needs to be done. All the plans are in full swing. There is still a lot to be finalized. It’s planned to be a really large, exciting, free, outdoor almost NFL playground.” — David Gilbert, CEO of Destination Cleveland

He said the NFL is using the Super Bowl played Feb. 7 and the events surrounding it as a model for how, from the league’s end, to proceed with the draft as it relates to fan involvement.

“This is the NFL’s event,” Gilbert said.

“Our job is to coordinate everything locally that needs to be done. All the plans are in full swing. There is still a lot to be finalized. It’s planned to be a really large, exciting, free, outdoor almost NFL playground.”

FirstEnergy Stadium along with the football field, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also the Great Lakes Science Center will be part of the site encompassing the draft event.

“We’re fortunate it’s a very large outdoor site,” Gilbert said.

“It allows for a lot of people, but a lot of people to also be safely spaced.”

Gilbert said the fact the Browns were able to host 12,000 fans for home games most of the season is a good sign the three-day draft party can be a success.

“Cleveland has a passionate fan base and the city offers distinctive iconic locations and attractions that will bring the NFL Draft experience to fans in unique and exciting ways,” Goodell said when Cleveland won the bid to host the draft. “We look forward to collaborating with the Cleveland Browns, the City of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland to celebrate the achievements of the next generation of players and create a memorable fan experience.”

Cleveland in April, as everyone knows, can be wet. But Gilbert said the average temperature on April 30 — the second day of the draft — is 65 degrees. He said there are contingency plans for the NFL if the weather is truly horrible, but if it rains, it rains. Fans can get wet with pride and wear the raindrops as badges of honor.

Gilbert did not set a number when asked about the economic impact hosting the draft will have on Cleveland because it is impossible to predict how the pandemic will ultimately affect the number of fans that can attend, or what the attitude of fans will be in 10 weeks. Gilbert said indicators show people are more willing to travel than in recent months.

“It’s an event with tens of thousands of people every day,” Gilbert said. “We’re within a day’s drive of 16 NFL markets. This is an NFL pilgrimage. I think a lot of people come because they just want to be around other NFL fans. It’s a huge celebration.

“People come in for the NFL experience. It’s not just the commissioner on stage to announce the picks. There are red carpet events for the athletes, concerts, and all of it is free.”

Gilbert said visitors from out of the area could visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, museums and other attractions in Cleveland and still flock to the downtown lakefront for the draft.

More details will be announced as they are finalized and the draft draws nearer.

Concert performers for the draft weekend are still being booked, Gilbert said.