In February, Florida will host its third Super Bowl in four years at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens. The week before, the stadium will be the test site for the National Football League’s Pro Bowl in its first mainland U.S. appearance in 35 years. The Pro Bowl is set to return to Hawaii in 2011 and 2012. South Florida’s Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee is led by Barreto Group CEO Rodney Barreto.

Rodney Barreto heads up the Super Bowl Host Committee. ? [Photo: IN FOCUS magazine]

Florida Trend: What is the committee working on now?

Rodney Barreto: "We’re still working on our private sponsorships, working with all our government partners to make sure that we have all three counties looking right. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes things that people really have no clue of, from making sure road construction is out of the way and certain public projects are buttoned up, streets are opened up, landscaping is in place."

FT: What kind of economic impact do you anticipate from the Super Bowl?

RB: "We estimate it will be north of $400 million. The Super Bowl will draw an additional 40,000 people who have no intention of going to the game, (plus) the stadium holds 75,000."

FT: How much does the host committee expect to spend this year?

RB: "We will probably spend $15 million on a Super Bowl, between the in-kind and the cash that we will raise. The host committee provides the hotels of the two visiting teams. It provides the media center. It provides the evening media party that we put on. We provide a sponsors party. We work on signage throughout the communities. We then host local parties to get everybody into the spirit."

FT: Has the economy affected getting sponsors?

RB: "We have certain sponsors who want to keep a lower profile, and we understand. They’re absolutely involved, but they’ve said, ‘You don’t need to put our name out there as much.’ "

FT: What’s next after the two big games?

RB: "We just submitted a bid for 2014. We can’t fall on our laurels. That would be the biggest mistake. We’re now competing against bigger and prettier and more comfortable stadiums."