Member Referrals for February 2015

We would like to recognize and acknowledge member referrals for the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce. The following new members were referred by an existing member of the Chamber, and we would like to recognize and thank them for their support.

Jim Mercurio with San Francisco 49ers referred Walter Wilson with Minority Business Consortium.   If you are or know of a minority business that needs assistance, contact Walter at 408-660-9271 to learn more.  To contact Jim for the latest on the 49ers, call 408-562-4949.  Go Niners!!

Ravinder Lal with The UPS Store #4636 referred Rebecca Wang with Touch to Heal SPA.   For a relaxing way to relieve the stress of everyday life, contact Rebecca at 408-271-8729 and schedule an appointment for a healing massage.  Do you need flyers, business cards, posters or signs for your business?  Did you know the UPS Store #4636 on Homestead does much more than packing and shipping?  Call Ravinder at 408-247-4010 to find out more.

Kam Barn with U-Haul Co. of Southbay referred one of his colleges, Marlon Masongcay with U-Haul Moving & Storage.  If you are moving or need a place to store your belongings until you find that perfect home, contact Kam at 510-224-7608 or Marlon at 408-660-3108.

Sergio Oliveri with Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce & Convention-Visitors Bureau referred Gene Campbell and Kristen Kintner with The Glasshouse SJ, LLC.  Are you looking for a unique and awesome venue to host an event?  Contact Kristen at 408-606-8148 and find out more about this fantastic venue right in downtown San Jose!

Want to see your name here?  If someone you know would benefit by joining the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, please refer them to Carol Zimring at (408) 380-1236.  Every month we publish new member referrals, listing both the new member and the Chamber member who referred them.  When a member has referred a total of three new members, they will receive a $100.00 advertising credit for use in our weekly and monthly publications.

Santa Clara Chamber/CVB Active in Super Bowl Bid Process

The 2016 (50th) and 2017 (51st) Super Bowl Bid process began in October of last year when the Bay Area Bid Committee reached out to the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau for assistance. In November, we received the 152 page bid specification booklet and have been working on meeting the requirements ever since.  This is when we learned Miami is also bidding for 2016 and Houston is bidding for 2017.  The final bid document will be sent to the NFL on April 1 with a final decision made on May 21 at the owners meeting for both 2016 and 2017 Super Bowl locations.

Many meetings and conference calls have occurred since we began this process in October.  San Francisco Travel is leading the bid coordination with Santa Clara playing a critical role due to the stadium location and game day requirements and activities.  The initial focus was to determine where the major events would be held.  Many of these events like the NFL Experience and Media Center will be held in San Francisco due to their physical requirements; however, Santa Clara will be hosting the NFL Tailgate Party, On Location Hospitality and many other private corporate events that have yet to be determined.  There have been comments made that Santa Clara will not realize the economic impact from the Super Bowl due to many of the larger events being held in San Francisco.  My belief is we will see a huge economic impact not only from the NFL sanctioned events, but from the many private events that will certainly be held close to the stadium for the many companies that call Silicon Valley their home.

Also, a minimum of 19,000 blocked hotel rooms are required for the bid to be considered.  Our goal is to block 24,500 hotel rooms on peak night throughout San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara County.  San Francisco has blocked over 12,000 on peak, San Mateo 2,500, San Jose 3,500 and Santa Clara 1,700 as of this writing.  We are holding additional meetings with outlying Santa Clara County hotels to increase the peak block by another 600 rooms.  Several apartments and long term stay properties will also be needed and will be in high demand for the NFL staff and their affiliates.

The teams are scheduled to practice at Stanford University and San Jose State University prior to the big game. Each team hotel is required to be within close proximity of the practice facilities. Currently, team hotels are being considered in San Jose and in San Mateo County.

Many logistical issues still need to be worked out. Transportation, security, parking are just a few.  The city staff and city council are currently meeting to discuss how these costs will be paid and how to make sure the City of Santa Clara is not responsible for the entire bill. I feel confident these issues will be resolved very soon and the City of Santa Clara will realize a very positive return on investment.

If awarded, in 2016 or 2017, more than 100 million people around the world will have their eyes on the City of Santa Clara as they watch the Super Bowl.  Our hotels and restaurants will be full, generating a surge of transient occupancy tax and sales tax revenue for the City.  Fans will shop and enjoy local entertainment before and after the big game.  Even though San Francisco is named the official host city, the action will be at the other end of the Bay.  All roads will lead to the City of Santa Clara on game day and our community will realize the benefits of hosting a Super Bowl for years to come.