NASCAR Hall of Fame: Atlanta Beyond the Numbers
ATLANTA--July 25, 2005--As NASCAR considers which city will receive an offer to be home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the stock car racing sanctioning body must weigh the various characteristics of each market.Each bid city has its own strengths. Location. Heritage. Financial sustainability. And proposed vision for the Hall of Fame.
"When the NASCAR Hall of Fame opens, its doors must never close," said Scott Wilfong, President of SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, Co-Chair of the bid committee and a NASCAR sponsor. "First and foremost, the Hall of Fame must have a solid financial package, and we've developed that package. But the financial package is irrelevant if the market can't sustain visitation that propels the institution forward. The Hall of Fame is more than a place to pay tribute to NASCAR's heroes. It's a place to consistently bring people together to celebrate one of America's greatest homegrown sports."
When it comes to the numbers, market by market, Atlanta has the resources to consistently deliver more visitors than any other bid city. According to a market analysis study done by Deloitte & Touche, Atlanta comes out on top across the board.
POPULATION (see chart for detailed numbers)
Atlanta has the largest total population as well as the largest African-American and Hispanic populations of all bid cities. While the core NASCAR fans are critical to building and sustaining the Hall of Fame, it also is important to create a venue that attracts new fans to the facility and the sport. Atlanta has a great platform to attract new fans, including African-Americans and Hispanics.
BUYING INCOME (see chart for detailed numbers)
Atlanta has the highest total effective buying income of the bid cities, which suggests that the local market characteristics will support the discretionary income needed by families to make regular visits to the Hall of Fame, the restaurant at the Hall of Fame, and make purchases at the Hall of Fame's retail store.
CONVENTIONS (see chart for detailed numbers)
Atlanta has more convention and meeting delegates (booked through respective Convention & Visitor Bureaus - the most common means for booking events) than all of the other locations combined. These travelers are interested in entertainment and restaurant options, both of which are a natural for the Hall of Fame. Additional opportunities exist when conventioneers discover Atlanta and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and return with their families.
BUSINESS/SPONSOR HEADQUARTERS (see chart for detailed numbers)
Atlanta is home to 14 Fortune 500 company headquarters. These companies are predominately already active in the sport, including The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, The Home Depot, NAPA, Newell-Rubbermaid, Georgia-Pacific, Cingular, Aaron's, and SunTrust. Corporate sponsors are an integral part of NASCAR, and enable drivers and teams to meet and visit with fans through non-race personal appearances.
"Atlanta is a powerhouse market that is passionate about NASCAR," said Mark Lazarus, President of the Turner Entertainment Group, Co-Chair of the bid committee and a NASCAR partner. "More people in Atlanta watch NASCAR races than any other market in the country. The sport is in our blood. Atlanta grew up with NASCAR, and with the Hall of Fame here, we will help grow NASCAR."
Of all NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races broadcast from July 2004 through June 2005, more households in Atlanta watched NASCAR than any other single market among all 56 metered markets. And of the top 15 markets that are metered by Nielsen Media Research, Atlanta was ranked first in ratings, or the percentage of households that tuned in to watch NASCAR.
In addition, Atlanta is a strategic transportation hub. The city's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest in the world and is in the midst of adding a fifth runway. The city is also at the crossroads of I-75, I-85, and I-20, which makes it accessible from the North, South, East, and West, and especially an ideal stopover location for most Northeastern and Midwestern tourists traveling to and from Florida.
Atlanta's NASCAR Hall of Fame Committee is composed of business and civic leaders and has the support of the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia. Atlanta's proposal for the NASCAR Hall of Fame calls for an interactive entertainment attraction that would be part of the Atlanta Downtown Entertainment District and attract an estimated 1 million visitors each year.