Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, Detroit Sports Commission prepares to host 2024 draft
(CBS DETROIT) - The fanfare is high for the 2024 NFL Draft and that energy is felt here in Metro Detroit.
As this year's NFL Draft gets underway Thursday in Kansas City, the Detroit Sports Commission is getting a final glimpse at how things are organized ahead of next year.
The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25, 2024, and organizers are busy laying out their plans for transportation, parking and hotel accommodations.
"Each city's geography is a little bit different," said Detroit Sports Commission Executive Director Dave Beachnau. "Kansas City's footprint will be much different than ours in Detroit, as was Las Vegas last year and Cleveland the year before that, so we can always take away some nuggets from seeing kind of firsthand, and certainly we will regroup post Kansas City."
Fans from across the country are expected to flood Campus Martius and Hart Plaza, which will serve as the event sites for the draft.
Organizers say the 2024 NFL Draft will put the city on the world stage. Last year's event drew more than 300,000 visitors and over 10 million television and digital viewers.
"It's going to be spectacular and again, the compression, which is the people staying in hotels not just in Detroit but all across Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties and even into Canada," said Visit Detroit President and CEO Claude Molinari. "It's going to be incredible how this is going to help the region."
The NFL Draft Experience in Detroit will include an interactive football theme park, games, exhibits and music performances.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-27, 2024, with free events open to the public.