Chick-fil-A Bowl events drive nearly $100M in economic impact

by CU Athletic Communications - Fri Feb 22 10:48:03 GMT-04:00 2013

ATLANTA (Feb. 22, 2013) – The Chick-fil-A Bowl and its family of events delivered $95.8 million in economic impact for Atlanta in 2012, nearly eclipsing the $100 million mark.

The study by Georgia State University Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Bruce Seaman also showed cumulative direct tax revenue of $4.59 million for the Bowl’s three major events last year – the first year the Chick-fil-A Bowl hosted three major college football games in one season.

The three games drew fans from across the southeast to Atlanta and had a combined attendance of 198,767.

Chick-fil-A Bowl Impact

The 45th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl, featuring No. 8 LSU and No. 14 Clemson, generated a total economic impact of $28.1 million and direct governmental tax revenue of $1.49 million, according to the study.

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games Impact

The pair of Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games, which opened the 2012 college football season in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend, combined to produce the largest economic impact from sports in the city since Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. Together, the Tennessee-NC State game and the Clemson-Auburn game accounted for an additional $67.7 million in economic impact and $3.1 million in direct tax revenue.

“With three of the top 10 events and conventions in Atlanta, you really get a sense of just how important college football is to Atlanta,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “Cumulatively, these numbers are significant and critical to Atlanta’s hospitality community and making sure we annually deliver this level of impact in our community is one of our primary goals.”

“The impact of these events, along with the SEC Championship and the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, prove Atlanta is undoubtedly the ‘College Football Capital,’” Stokan added.

The top-10 list of Atlanta events and conventions from 2012 includes five college football games. Those five games drew 315,433 fans to downtown Atlanta contributing more than $150 million in cumulative economic impact.

EVENT: ATTENDANCE:

1. AmericasMart January Gift & Home Furnishings Market 93,000

2. AmericasMart July Gift & Home Furnishings Market 93,000

3. Sec Football Championship 75.624

4. Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (Auburn-Clemson) 75,211

5. Cheersport 75,000

6. Chick-fil-A Bowl (Clemson-LSU) 68,027

7. Tampa Bay Volleyball Big South Qualifier 58,000

8. Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (Tennessee-NC State) 55,529

9. Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic 41,042

10. Bronner Brothers International Beauty Show 35,133

“The Chick-fil-A Kickoff and Bowl games are a significant part of Atlanta’s events portfolio, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and amplifying our reputation as a city that hosts championship caliber events,” William Pate, president and CEO, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau said.

Cumulative Impact

Since the Chick-fil-A Bowl began tracking annual economic impact in 1999, the Bowl alone has accounted for an estimated total impact of $432.9 million and direct tax revenue of $18.4 million. Additionally, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game has generated $195.4 million in economic impact and $8.4 million in direct tax revenue since its creation in 2008.

Thus, the organization’s combined cumulative impact on Atlanta since 1999 is $628.3 million – well over half a billion dollars – with total governmental tax revenues of $26.79 million.