Former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who will serve as the Super Bowl LIII brand ambassador for On Location Experiences, was the MVP of the first Super Bowl played in Atlanta, Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994.
Super Bowl hospitality packages – the pricey combinations of game tickets, pregame entertainment and other premium perks -- are being sold by the NFL's official hospitality partner.
“First and foremost, I’m extremely excited about being the ambassador for On Location Experiences,” Smith said in a recent phone interview. “That’s what the Super Bowl is all about. It’s about the fan experience. It’s about the player experience on the field as well as off the field. It’s about the city experience itself being able to host such a tremendous atmosphere and environment for all fans alike.”
Sales for Super Bowl LIII are up about 17 percent from last season’s event in Minneapolis, according to Sam Soni, the Atlanta-based chief revenue officer of On Location Experiences.
The Atlanta Super Bowl is Feb. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Rams play at the Saints at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday in the NFC championship game. The Patriots play at the Chiefs at 6:40 p.m. on Sunday in the AFC game. The winners advance to the Super Bowl.
“So, there will a number of people descending on to the ATL coming the week of the Super Bowl,” Smith said. “I know it’s going to be a great time. For me, it brings back fond memories because I became the MVP right there in our second Super Bowl there in the ATL. I’m excited to come back.”
Smith is looking forward to serving as host in his role.
“They are going to take away a lot,” Smith said. “One thing about On Location Experiences, they are going to have a lot to choose from, a lot of different activities. There are going to three different pre-game parties. Jesse Palmer will be at one, Marcus Allen will be at one of the parties. Akbar (Gbaja-Biamila) of Ninja Warriors will be at one of the parties. I’m going to try to crash all three of them.”
Several NFL players live in the metro area and most have tickets to the game at their disposal.
“The beautiful thing about Super Bowls, if you’re not playing in it, which can be disappointing if you’re a player,” Smith said. “But if you’re a fan or just a participate around Super Bowl activities, there is a lot of energy, a lot of action, a lot of things going on.
“When you look at some of these On Location Experiences, you’re talking about Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Migos and Ludacris and so many other talented individuals. It’s like all of the talent in the country and around the world is going to descend on Atlanta around the same time.”
