On Tuesday, Clark County, Nev. unveiled renderings of the league’s epic plans for the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, and naturally, Sin City is going all out.
The centerpiece of the three-day event, which will take place April 23-25, will be a red carpet stage constructed atop the lake at the fountains of the famous Bellagio Hotel, located on the Las Vegas strip. Draftees and their families will have to be ferried to-and-from the stage for red carpet interviews.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce picks from a separate main stage constructed adjacent to the brand new, $375 million Caesars Forum. The forum will house selection square, where the teams will set up.
The event will disrupt traffic patterns and will result in multiple road closures on and near the famed strip.
As with previous drafts, attendance to the festivities is free and open to the public. Access to designated areas and enhanced experiences are not yet available online.
The draft has evolved into a massive tentpole event for the league, each year aiming to top the last in an extravagance arms race. The 2019 draft in Nashville drew a record-breaking 600,000 people in attendance and 47.9 million viewers according to Nielsen.
The league intends to create an interactive brand activation with this year’s NFL Draft Experience, which will be located next to the main stage. Per a tweet from Clark County, fans will also have the opportunity to participate in various activities, such as autograph sessions with players, testing their 40-yard dash times, viewing the Vince Lombardi Trophy and other special performances.
Peter O’Reilly, NFL’s executive vice president of club business and league events, emphasized their mindfulness in incorporating multiple landmark Vegas institutions during planning.
“Embracing Las Vegas’s unique energy and iconic locations as the backdrop for the 2020 NFL Draft will further elevate this growing event,” said O’Reilly. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Raiders, Las Vegas officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to create an unforgettable week-long celebration of football for our fans, the incoming prospects and partners and kick off the NFL’s next 100 years.”
The event coincides with the Raiders’ organization relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas this year.
“The Raiders are thrilled to join the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the resort corridor, and the local community in welcoming fans to Las Vegas for the 2020 NFL Draft,” Raiders president Marc Badain said in a press release.
It’s going to be a hard act to follow for Cleveland, which will host the 2021 draft.
