According to Senior Vice President of Events for the NFL, Frank Supovitz, Sun Life Stadium in Miami is spruced up for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. At the close of the Pro Bowl, that takes place later today, the field will be reconditioned, team emblems added, new advertising signage in place -- and all this in time for a Super Bowl press day on Tuesday February 2.

You would think, with the Pro Bowl on the previous weekend, that it would be a lengthy conversion to make the stadium ready for the Super Bowl. "It actually takes a whole lot less than a week," says Supovitz. "One of the things we did was make sure that everything we needed for the Super Bowl was already here by the time the Pro Bowl started. But we really don't have a week -- we have 36 hours (following the Pro Bowl). And the reason we only have 36 hours, is that Super Bowl media day happens this Tuesday. We want the stadium to look like it is ready for Super Bowl on Tuesday morning."

Outside the Sun Life Stadium will be the Game Day Fan Plaza, which is an event constructed by the NFL specifically for pre-game Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. The entertainment area on the South side of the stadium is a labyrinth in the shape of XLIV, which features food, live entertainment and games. It is open, at no charge, to the public on Pro Bowl Sunday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Free remote parking is also provided on a first-come basis. Fan Plaza opens again for Super Bowl ticket holders until game time.

This is the first time that the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl have been held at the same venue, and just a week apart. There are about 80 trailers that are being used for broadcast and operational purposes needed to put on an event of this magnitude. The Super Bowl was intended for New York in 2010. They had to forego the invitation because of plans to build a stadium on New York's Westside as part of their Olympic bid. Consequently, Miami was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl in 2006. As a note: New York did not get the Olympic bid nor did they build the stadium on the Westside.

What that means to South Florida is an increase in revenue and jobs. "What we are hearing with respect to the event is from the buzz in the community," commented Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto. "From hotels and restaurateurs, it's thanks a lot we are sold out and doing great business. Remember those people have to hire more help too. Then they pay more state taxes and federal taxes, so this thing has a huge multiplying effect on the economy that we are really happy with."

In reference to attendance at the game, Barreto said, "Really, from my heart, I am happy for New Orleans. I know what a Super Bowl does for a community, how it galvanizes the community. I think they need an emotional lift. I am really glad to see it, and they will be here in masses. During the regular season Dolphin game the stadium was just full of New Orleans folks. You would think it was a New Orleans home game."

Putting the double event together has been an amazing feat with the credentialing of 10,000 workers for Super Bowl and a total of 20,000 workers for the two-week build-out. "We actually started providing credentials for people in the fall," says Supovitz. "Because it takes that much time for the FBI to clear everybody, and there are about 25,000 names that have been submitted." More than 550 emerging businesses have been registered with the host committee, all female and minority owned. Services include infrastructure, food, security, plumbing, cleaning, lighting and others with an estimate by the host committee of 75% being Florida citizens.

"We have an amazing team of event professionals and contractors that come from all over the country to work on the Super Bowl every year. It's an amalgam of construction workers, architects, decorators, technical crews, production people and event planners for the enormous undertaking," said Supovitz.

The cost of security for the event amounts to over $5 million. A perimeter has been set up around the stadium due to the event being at a national security level one. There are about 2 1/2 miles of concrete barricade and barrier, as well as about eight miles of fencing.

Other interesting facts about the infrastructure: Over 35,000 square feet of tenting is being used to cover events, entertainment, games, food vendors and much more. There are 92,000 square feet of sod for the field, 5,000 temporary signs, and 352 auxiliary press tables. There are more that 8,000 volunteers from all over the state helping to make the two-week event a success, and the Super Bowl Host Committee has worked over 65,000 man hours to date.

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