The loss of the Pro Bowl to Orlando, Fla., means the state needs to focus on a marketing plan and be aggressive in retaining the sports events it has and attracting new ones, critics said.
In concert with Walt Disney World, ESPN and Florida Citrus Sports, the NFL is scheduled to announce today in Orlando that the all-star game that has called Aloha Stadium home for 35 of the past 37 years is relocating to central Florida.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority said it has been asked by the NFL not to comment in advance of the league’s announcement.
“I was disappointed by the NFL’s decision to move the Pro Bowl, but not shocked,” said State Sen. Glenn Wakai (D, Kalihi-Salt Lake), chairman of the Economic Development, Environment and Technology Committee, who had backed an unsuccessful bill to create a statewide sports authority in the last session.
“Even if we had a Sports and Entertainment Authority in place I doubt we could have kept the game in Hawaii,” Wakai said in an email. “However the loss of the Pro Bowl raises the question: What’s our commitment to sports as an economic driver in Hawaii? We punted away an event that brought in about $26 million in revenue. How are we going to get the ball back and start playing some offense?”
Mark Rolfing, an NBC and Golf Channel analyst who has advised the state on sports tourism in the past, said, “I’m very concerned. From the beginning, I’ve said that Hawaii desperately needs some entity to be proactive in sustaining and attracting events. I do not know at this point, other than the HTA, what or who that entity is. And, if it is the HTA, what the plan is.”
The concern comes as the HTA prepares to name a sports marketing/events agency to assist the authority in attracting national and international events.
A request for proposal was issued in March and a contractor was to have been selected by May 13 and begun work on a one-year contract today, according to a timetable announced by the HTA in March.
With contracts winding down on several PGA and LPGA events and a replacement sponsor yet to be named for the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, “We need some experts working on that out there, whoever that is,” Rolfing said. “I’m hoping there is a discussion about a relationship with the NFL, which we’ve had for decades.
“Irrespective of whether the all-star game is in Hawaii, there are a lot of things that could be done between the NFL and Hawaii — and should be done. There could be a preseason game. There could be a whole series of activities. If the players love coming to Hawaii so much, then after the season is over we could have island-wide NFL player initiatives or we have a golf tournament. But somebody should be having that proactive discussion with the NFL.”
“We have two things going for us in Hawaii: excellent weather for outdoor sports, and a sports-crazy state, overflowing with kids on soccer, football, and baseball fields,” Wakai said. “We have two things holding us back: a lack of proper venues (a 42-year-old, single-purpose stadium) and too few practice fields; and (second) no comprehensive sports-entertainment marketing plan.”
