‘Built to Host’: How New Orleans Is Turning Super Bowl LIX Into Long-Term Community Impact – Essence

On any given day, the heartbeat of New Orleans pulses through its streets with an energy that’s hard to replicate. Just ask any ESSENCE Festival of Culture attendee.

But come February 9th, as Super Bowl LIX descends upon the Crescent City, that energy will reach a fever pitch. For Marcus Brown, executive vice president and general counsel of Entergy – the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans – this moment represents more than just bringing football’s biggest stage to his beloved city. As chair of the New Orleans 2025 Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, Brown is focused on leveraging America’s most-watched sporting event to create lasting change in a community that has shown remarkable resilience through hurricanes, economic challenges, and social transformation.

“If you get to the airport on February 10th the day after the Super Bowl, and you’ve got that white beignet dust on your pants and you’ve got a hurricane headache from drinking too many hurricanes, and that’s all you take from New Orleans, we will have failed in our mission,” says Brown, who has been recognized as one of the top in-house general counsels for companies worldwide.

The stakes are particularly high as New Orleans prepares to host its 11th Super Bowl, which ties Miami for the most in NFL history. For Brown and his team though, the true measure of success extends far beyond the final whistle – it’s about creating economic opportunities, fostering community development, and showcasing why the Big Easy remains one of America’s most magnetic cities.

“Everybody does want to know the reason, why would the NFL keep wanting to come back?” Brown reflects, before pausing. “I think it’s a few things. First, I think it’s New Orleans: the culture, the people, the food, this whole welcoming atmosphere.” The city’s innate charm is complemented by practical advantages that have evolved over the years – a newly renovated Superdome, following a $500 million upgrade, and unmatched walkability that allows visitors to experience everything from their hotel rooms to the French Quarter without ever needing a car.

The economic implications are substantial, and the numbers tell the story. The last Super Bowl hosted in New Orleans generated approximately $480 million in economic impact, and this year’s event is projected to exceed that figure significantly. To maximize these opportunities, the host committee is establishing a 13,000-square-foot economic development center downtown, which is designed to showcase the region’s potential to visiting corporate leaders and decision-makers.

As New Orleans’ only Fortune 500 company, Entergy has taken a leading role in ensuring the event’s benefits reach deep into the community. “When our customers are successful, then we’re more successful,” Brown explains. “We’re always doing everything we can to drive the economic development, the philanthropy, the volunteerism, all those things that are associated with making the city attractive, livable for its residents.”

This commitment has materialized through Impact 59 Powered by Entergy, the Super Bowl LIX Legacy Grant Program, which has already made significant strides. In partnership with the NFL Foundation, New Orleans Saints, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and other organizations, the initiative has awarded more than $3.5 million in grants to 65 nonprofit organizations across the Greater New Orleans region. These grants, ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, support programs focused on youth development, workforce training, education, health and wellness, and equity and inclusion.

The impact extends well beyond philanthropy. Through NFL Source, the Super Bowl’s supplier diversity program, more than 200 minority, women-owned, disabled, LGBTQ, and veteran-owned businesses have been certified to compete for contracts – not just for the Super Bowl, but for future NFL events nationwide. “Once you are qualified and certified, you can do work for any of the events that the NFL might be involved in, even if it’s the games, the draft,” Brown notes.

Environmental sustainability, which has emerged as a key priority, is being championed by Elizabeth Adams, who leads the sustainability committee working to ensure Super Bowl LIX will be powered by clean energy. Partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank and Force Blue aim to minimize food waste, while initiatives are in place to reduce material waste from the event. The committee has also launched tree planting programs and coastal restoration efforts, addressing environmental concerns specific to the region.

For Brown, whose deep roots in New Orleans inform his leadership of Entergy’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts, the Super Bowl represents an opportunity to showcase not just what New Orleans has been, but what it can become. The city’s track record of hosting major events – from previous Super Bowls to the annual ESSENCE Festival of Culture – demonstrates its capacity to deliver world-class experiences while creating meaningful community impact.

“We want to be clearly the number one Super Bowl destination and large event destination in the country and one of the best in the world,” Brown declares. With careful planning, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to community benefit, Super Bowl LIX appears poised to deliver on that ambitious vision – leaving a legacy that will resonate long after the final touchdown.