NOLA Awarded 2017 NBA All-Star Game

Following an unprecedented whirlwind 29-day pitch, the National Basketball Association has awarded the 2017 All-Star Game – relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina – to New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center on February 19. The win for the New Orleans region and Louisiana is largely the result of quick action and cooperation between the city, the Pelicans and Saints, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Sports Foundation, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the state police and law-enforcement offices in New Orleans and Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

While the direct economic impact of an All-Star Game typically exceeds $100M, the indirect value of the press and marketing around the event is far greater; about 8M people usually watch the contest.

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