SCOTTSDALE, AZ — It’s the calm before the storm in Old Town Scottsdale.
“I haven't heard who's not going to be here,” says Gem Ray.
Ray with Scottsdale Nights has been behind the nightlife scene in the Valley since 2008. He knows the week leading up to the Super Bowl will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before in Arizona.
“All the years of doing Waste Management Open shows us how big it will be, but it’s been escalating. The city does a really good job of producing that,” according to Ray. “However, then you're adding Super Bowl, which will be much bigger this year than it was in 2015 or in 2008, so I can’t even imagine how big it’s going to be.”
So how is Scottsdale transforming what is already known as a weekend party place into the biggest bash in the country for the big game?
“We look at it as we want to create something that's more elevated — an immersive experience that people walk away from saying, 'wow,'” Jason Adler from Riot Hospitality and Spellbound Entertainment says.
Adler is in charge of bringing in the entertainment for some of the top spots throughout Scottsdale. But instead of building the party scene from the bottom, his company has partnered with some of the biggest national promoters to boost the events big time.
“They're one of the biggest brands in the country and so are we,” says Adler. “We decided and started talking about eight months ago, this would be an excellent party.”
They booked big-name acts like Cardi B., Ludacris, Kaskade, and Rick Ross to kick things off with Phoenix Fashion Week’s “Suits & Sneakers.”
Adler says getting those big celebs to perform at their events is all about relationships.
“We have excellent relationships. We do a lot of bookings with our local partners and another group out of Las Vegas,” according to Adler. “It's a collaborative effort where we all look at each other and say, 'what would be the best?'”
However, partying will play out across the entire Valley.
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“You have Cityscape in downtown (Phoenix) where Bud Light is behind the really massive party including what’s taking place at The Footprint Center,” says Ray. “Downtown is definitely going to explode.”
They are all trying to make Super Bowl 57, the most fun fan experience.
“Most people are going to be at very high capacities,” says Ray. “Definitely plan on being out early and plan right.”
