If you thought Interstate 41 is busy on Packers game days, wait until the NFL draft arrives in Green Bay April 24-26.
With the prospect of 450,000 unique attendees, the area around Lambeau Field will be incredibly busy, with parking at a premium.
“Parking and traveling to and from the draft will be a big challenge,” says Megan Roberson, a planning specialist with the Green Bay Packers and member of the local NFL draft committee. “The logistics of getting around will not be easy.”
And fans will need to travel since most Green Bay hotels will be filled with personnel from the NFL and its teams. When pitching the NFL on bringing the draft to Green Bay, Fox Cities hotels were part of the equation.
“We’ve been involved in the draft from the get-go. We’re here to make sure visitors have a place to stay and can get to the draft,” says Pam Seidl, executive director of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Preparations underway
The draft is expected to have a $94 million economic impact on Wisconsin, including $20 million in Green Bay. Those projections are based on what happened when the Ryder Cup came to Whistling Straits in 2021 — another global event that put the region in the spotlight.
Roberson says the draft footprint will extend from Titletown to the Resch Center complex, with the enormous draft stage being built from scratch. The draft footprint will also include the “NFL Draft Experience,” where fans can buy merchandise and participate in different activities.
Hotel rooms are beginning to fill across the Fox Cities, with the expectation that all will sell out. “With EAA AirVenture every year, we are used to having big crowds (in our hotels),” Seidl says.
The Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center in Neenah plans to have its north tower addition open in time for the draft, taking the hotel’s total room count to 133, says General Manager Ryan Batley. The addition will also house a fitness center and a meeting room.
“The draft is not only exciting for hospitality businesses like ours, but for the entire state. More people will learn about what we all have to offer,” he says.
The Bridgewood also expanded its restaurant seating.
“We didn’t plan our expansion because of the draft. It was something we had wanted to do for a while, but the draft gave us a finish day to shoot for … it got us moving,” Batley says.
To help fans staying in the Fox Cities get to and from Green Bay for the draft festivities, the FCCVB plans to schedule shuttles. The bureau has already reserved eight shuttle buses.
“The shuttles will help ease traffic congestion and make it easier for travelers to get to and from the draft,” Seidl says.
Parking was a concern when the NFL selected Green Bay as the site of the draft, Roberson says. The draft committee shared with them how many people park on the lawns around Lambeau Field on game days.
“We had them here at a home game and they saw with their own eyes how people park on lawns around the stadium and just how many cars can fit,” says Roberson, adding the committee has reached out to people who usually allow cars to park on their lawns to see if they’re interested in doing the same during the draft.
Attending the draft is free, but there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to spend their money. The NFL One Pass is an app that will include event information and places for people to visit. Discover Green Bay will send out information on how businesses can get listed on the app.
With the draft experience starting at noon on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday, Seidl is advising restaurants to prepare for busy breakfasts and brunches and plan for late suppers or snacks.
“We are planning to launch a marketing campaign to encourage people to extend their stay in the Fox Cities either before or after the draft,” she says. “The goal is to provide a great experience, so travelers come back and visit.”
Airports plan for influx
While Roberson calls it a “driving draft” to which most fans will be coming from Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, there will still be plenty of visitors plus NFL staff and teams flying in. To handle that influx, area airports are adding extra flights and planning to handle the expected higher-than-normal traffic.
Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay has a robust private plane business in addition to its commercial airline business. The airport has two Fixed Based Operators (FBO) — Jet Air Group and Executive Air — that will welcome private jets.
“We are already planning with them about how we’re going to handle the additional traffic,” says Airport Director Marty Piette. “We are looking to accommodate as many planes as we can.”
One big consideration is finding enough room to park all the planes coming in. During a home playoff game, the airport found space to park 150 jets. Piette says it will also work with the FAA to set up landing reservation times.
Commercial airlines have added flights at the Green Bay airport to accommodate extra traffic. (Plus, there’s an extra flight to and back from Orlando for those looking to leave Green Bay during the draft.)
Piette says preparation also includes making sure there are enough rental cars and extra TSA officers to help security lines flow more smoothly.
“We’re used to seeing a lot of traffic here between EAA AirVenture and home playoff games, so we know what to expect and we’ll be ready,” Piette says.
Airlines are also adding additional flights and destinations at the Appleton International Airport in Greenville, says Airport Director Abe Weber.
“Our airline partners recognize the unique demand of this special event,” he says. “We’re excited to be part of this historic occasion, and we can’t wait to welcome draft visitors to Northeast Wisconsin.”
Extra flights are being added on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday the week of the draft, when most people are expected to travel. “We’ll have a total of 70 flights and have 7,000 seats filled going in and out of here,” Weber says. “It’s quite an increase of what we normally see, but we’re prepared.”
While a lot of private planes will park in Green Bay, Weber says the Appleton Airport will host more than 600 aircraft.
The major terminal expansion at Appleton International will be nearly finished in time for the draft. The expansion will bring the total number of gates to 10, with two or three new ones open for the draft.
The expansion project includes updating concessions, the gift shop, restaurants and restrooms. There will also be a quiet/meditation room and a sensory room for those seeking quiet, including those with autism and those dealing with a lot of stress.
“We will also have additional rental cars and ground transportation available for the anticipated increase in travelers for the draft,” Weber says. “We’re working with our vendors to make sure they have enough staff and food for the larger crowds.”
The FCCVB is working to set up shuttles from the airport to hotels, and Weber is working with the rental car businesses to make sure they have enough vehicles on site.
“The good thing is that we have time to prepare for what’s coming,” he says.
Getting draft ready
Discover Green Bay has an entire section of its website dedicated to the NFL draft, filled with information not only for visitors but also area businesses that may be looking to tap into the event’s fun and generate extra income.
There’s a list of dos (offer football‑themed specials) and don’ts (stay away from using any professional logos), social media posting advice, and insight on how businesses can still benefit even if they have no direct correlation or connection to football.
greenbay.com/draft25/business-resource-guide
