Santa Clara launches $1 million seed fund and sponsorship push for citywide Super Bowl–World Cup events
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Summary
City staff presented a $1,000,000 council‑authorized seed fund for a year of community events tied to Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup visits, outlined allocations for watch parties, night markets, STEM and art activations, and said staff has confirmed $45,000 in sponsorships so far.
Paulina, presenting staff plans for the "where the mission meets the moment" campaign, said the council authorized $1,000,000 in seed funding and that staff has so far confirmed $45,000 in private sponsorships for community events and art activations. "We have secured seed funding for major community events and art activations in the amount of 1000000 dollars," Paulina said.
Staff described the campaign as a yearlong program of watch parties, a stadium event, night markets, a STEM Zone and public art. Budgeted allocations from the seed money include $200,000 for watch parties, $250,000 for night markets and $240,000 for a STEM Zone; staff also identified an additional $1,000,000 from Stadium Authority funds earmarked for the stadium event and said it expects about $200,000 in stadium‑adjacent advertising revenues (projected at $100,000 tied to the Super Bowl and $100,000 tied to FIFA). Paulina said staff will continue private‑sector outreach to increase sponsorships and distribute a finalized sponsorship package to committee members.
Rena, the city's economic development director, said the campaign also includes a global marketing brochure and outreach to consulates and business delegations visiting during the World Cup: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city," she said, noting staff hopes short meet‑and‑greet events will generate longer‑term business leads.
Staff emphasized the need to coordinate licensing and partnerships for official FIFA activities. Paulina said staff will seek a FIFA license for branded watch parties and fan fests and will continue to add event details to the city's web calendar as they are finalized. The committee asked members to share sponsor leads and joined staff in urging quick action to firm budgets and contracts.
The committee did not take a formal funding vote during the meeting; staff presented the allocations and said further subcommittee work and vendor contracts will follow.