Volume 2, No. 3. February 8, 2002
Super-land
That annual American sportsfest, last Sunday's Super Bowl football championship
game, is always preceded by a week-long slate of celebrity-packed parties, and
this year's host city, New Orleans, was bound to inspire more big-name good
timing than usual. However, one of the highest profile parties on Super Bowl
eve landed not on Bourbon Street but in the faux French Quarter of Jazzland
Theme Park.
Hailed by Sports Illustrated magazine as the "power party of Super Bowl
Weekend," the 16th annual shindig thrown by agents Leigh Steinberg and Jeff
Moorad attracted about 3,000 guests to Jazzland, including sports and entertainment
stars Deion Sanders, Warren Moon and Warrick Dunn. U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Tom Daschle also attended, five-time Grammy nominee and hip hop fave Outkast
provided the music, and the pop troupe N'Sync was on the guest list and reportedly
in attendance.
The party started at 2 p.m. (14,00) and was only supposed to run for three hours,
but guests, lingered until 6 p.m. (18,00). "What we hear from Steinberg's people
and the guests is that it came off flawlessly," said David Wright, Jazzland's
marketing director. In addition to festive decorations and food, Jazzland was
able to offer the replica French Quarter street and a spacious plaza overlooking
the rest of the theme park surrounding its centerpiece lagoons.
"This definitely shows the variety that our park can offer," Wright said of
the party. "We're not just a theme park experience; we can deliver on the upscale
magnitude of this event, or even bigger."
Jazzland has aggressively pursued the group events market for its off-season
months. This past winter the park has hosted fund-raisers for local charities,
corporate and association banquets, community festivals and Christmas parties,
ranging from a few hundred people to 20,000-plus. "We're like the Sanger Theater
or House of Blues: we try to market the fact that we are an additional venue
to have events," said Patrick Evans, the park's public relations manager. Hosting
community festivals and charity events also serve as good community outreach.
Though Jazzland's rides do not run during these events, the park can offer its
themed environs plus ample parking and security. Wright also pointed to the
park's proximity to downtown, just eight miles from the Superdome where the
Super Bowl was played. "The French Quarter is right off Interstate 10, and we're
off Interstate 10," Wright said. "Sometimes its quicker to get here than navigate
a couple miles in the Quarter." Especially for last Saturday's super party guests.
"They came in limos, taxis and shuttle buses."