How the 2024 NFL Draft helped highlight Detroit's diversity
(CBS DETROIT) - The 2024 NFL Draft may be over, but its impact on the City of Detroit and the people living in the area is still being felt nearly a month later, especially by a group hand-selected to announce this year's 198th Draft pick.
Visit Detroit first asked Kai Bowman, COO of Metro-Detroit Black Business Alliance, to announce the pick.
When he accepted the offer, he asked if a diverse group of community leaders could join him on stage.
Visit Detroit agreed, and when the day came, Laura Chavez, President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association, doubled down on showcasing Detroit's diversity by suggesting the group greet the audience in their native language.
"It was truly, truly something that you'll say; I will cherish this for the rest of my life," Chavez said.
But opportunities afforded during the Draft and the event's overall impact doesn't end with Chavez and the people who took the stage with her.
The Anderson Economic Group, an East Lansing-based firm, projected the Draft's net economic footprint to exceed $165 million with a direct impact of $100 million on the City of Detroit.
"We want people to come to Detroit," Chavez said. "We want more events to come to Detroit."
And that's something the NFL Draft really set a precedence for with people flocking to Detroit in droves setting the attendance record with over 700,000 fans at the event.
Detroit also set the record for the highest attendance on day one of the Draft, with 275,000 fans in attendance. However, before making Detroit your next destination, Chavez said to add stopping by the city's southwest side to your itinerary.
"I say this, and I say this wholeheartedly, we're definitely more than tacos and tequila; We have a lot to offer," Chavez said.