Saints Triumph on Super Bowl Sunday
Jerry Anderson, from Populous, took charge of his 25th Super Bowl last Sunday, as the New Orleans Saints marked their first appearance in the NFL’s spectacular finale with a tight 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
© 2010 Christy Radecic All Rights Reserved
Tom Jones and Maria Villar Canovas, from the Populous office in London, had the opportunity to fly out to Miami and join the Event team for the preparations leading up to the big game. They are currently working on the London 2012 Olympics, so it was interesting for them to work and observe behind the scenes of an event that is almost on the same scale as an Olympic opening ceremony!
© 2010 Christy Radecic All Rights Reserved
In addition to the sporting spectacle, the other feature of a Super Bowl is the ‘Halftime Show’, which can often be more eagerly anticipated by some viewers than the football itself! In 28 minutes a full concert set, including speakers and additional special effects, is wheeled out onto the middle of the field, set up for the main act – who then play a 15-minute set – and then removed from the field to allow play to resume! The main act this year was The Who, who delivered a punchy set of classics amidst a sea of lights, lasers, smoke and fireworks, as well as a cleverly-designed stage set which contained embedded LEDs that provided a wide range of visual backdrops for the group.
The final part of the Populous responsibilities for the Super Bowl is the formation and management of the Post-game presentation area in the middle of the field. At the end of the game, a caravan of golf carts makes their way onto the field, carefully avoiding the advancing players, stewards and temporary staging, to set up the zone for the presentation of the Vince Lombardi trophy to the winning team. The confetti canons ensure that the entire arena is filled with colour as the celebrations begin!
© 2010 Christy Radecic All Rights Reserved
On the Monday after the game, there was a brief opportunity to head down to the Art Deco District of South Beach, where the classic Deco buildings had provided a wonderful backdrop to the Live sites that the NFL had set up to provide entertainment to visiting fans, away from the Stadium. The tranquility of the facades belied the ‘cajun’ celebrations from the night before, although the 50% discount on Colts memorabilia told its own story…!
Tags: Colts, Indianapolis, Jerry Anderson, Maria Villar Canovas, New Orleans, NFL, Saints, Super Bowl, Tom Jones
