Two key city offices work to bring business to Jacksonville
Powerboat races draw visitors to City, crowds to river banks –
Coming on the heels of sporting successes with the recent Powerboat P1 races on the St. John’s River and the U.S. vs Nigeria Soccer match at EverBank Field, followed by the popular Florida Country Superfest, you may well wonder “what’s next for Jacksonville?”
The Powerboat P1 race is one of several events that help the Office of Economic Development pitch Jacksonville to companies outside Northeast Florida, by putting Jacksonville on the map and showing a broader, more creative view of the City, according to Ted Carter, executive director of the OED. “So many visitors comment ‘I didn’t know all this was here,’” said Carter. “This will create an impression that advances our cause to attract more companies to Jacksonville.”
After meeting last year in London with Powerboat P1 Management Ltd, that team visited Jacksonville to explore the opportunity to race on the St. John’s. Touted as the “Grand Prix of the Sea” and first powerboat race on the river in nearly 30 years, Carter said “It was a huge success. We are pleased with the number of people who were in attendance and who were out on the river enjoying it.”
As for what’s next, Carter emphasized that he and Mayor Alvin Brown are committed to identifying events that will be attractive and sustainable for the City. Along that vein, Mayor Brown announced late last month that Jacksonville will host another huge event at EverBank Field on July 26. The sports and entertainment spectacular includes a Major League Soccer match and a concert featuring Carrie Underwood, a country music superstar – as well as the unveiling of the world’s largest video boards at EverBank Field.
Concurrent with the Mayor’s announcement was the news that the City’s Office of Sports and Entertainment will report directly to the Mayor, with a key role in public-private partnerships that are focused on attracting top-tier events. Jacksonville was recently awarded the Southeastern Conference 2016 Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will be played at Veterans Memorial Arena.
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