The Nuggets don’t yet know who they’ll face in the NBA Finals, although it’s likely to be Miami. If so, the first two games of the series will be in Denver on June 1 and 4.
An event that will, as usual, attract a lot of people in downtown Denver…
“Other cities that have hosted the NBA Finals estimate that between the last round of the playoffs and the final, the economic activity of the city increases in the range between 50 and 60 million dollars”, explains Chelsea RostyDenver Economic Development and Opportunity Manager.
It is logically the restaurants, bars, hotels and transport services which recover the bulk of the boost, which the city already experienced last year, when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup (NHL).
“I was looking at the sales tax numbers (an indirect consumption tax levied at the point of purchase for certain goods and services) of last year, when we had the Stanley Cup. It had increased by $68 million over the previous year”explains Chelsea Rosty.
300,000 more people in the city center
And even if she admits that part of this increase is linked to the rebound of the economy after the Covid-19, Chelsea Rosty recalls that the matches of the Finals, whether in hockey or basketball, attract a lot of people in the downtown. Last year, for the Stanley Cup, 300,000 additional people were present in Denver on match days, a 30% increase compared to the same day the previous year.
“So you have to imagine 300,000 more people in the city center, what that means and how that really helps our economy”continues Chelsea Rosty.
For the city of Denver, it is therefore necessary to help local merchants and workers to take advantage of this influx of tourists and consumers, but also to put in place the necessary means to avoid problems.
“We are working with all businesses to make sure we are doing our job to put them in the spotlight enough, making sure they get good exposure and trying to anticipate the crowds, so we can be there. prepared and to have the necessary staff”concludes Kourtny Garrett, president of the “Downtown Denver Partnership”, which works for the economic development of downtown Denver. “Denver is a city that has given itself a brand image and has really integrated sport into its DNA. »
