The 2024 NFL Draft puts a spotlight on Detroit, attracts regional tourism

About 300,000 people are expected to visit Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft. The three-day event will be held April 25-27 in various locations downtown, including Campus Martius, Hart Plaza, Cadillac Square and Monroe Street Midway. In addition to the main NFL Draft Experience areas, there will be satellite locations for residents and visitors to experience the draft day excitement in Grand Circus Park, Harmony Park, Capitol Park, and Beacon Park.

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Beyond the draft, the city will be encouraging visitors to experience what it has to offer, including restaurants, world-class museums and award-winning parks. The 2024 NFL Draft lands in Detroit during a time when the city has also been recognized by USA Today for having the nation’s best riverwalk in the Detroit Riverwalk and the best art museum in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

One Detroit contributor Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal,” sat down with Visit Detroit President and CEO Claude Molinari and Faye Nelson from the Detroit Sports Organizing Corp. at the historic Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum to talk about the preparations being made to get the city ready for this major sporting event.

They talk about the transformation of downtown, including the development of the riverfront over the last two decades. Molinari and Nelson have both played vital roles in attracting tourism to Detroit, developing the riverfront and securing major sporting events like the NFL Draft. They also discussed the Living Legacy Initiative, a program that was launched in coordination with the draft that is focused on literacy for students and encouraging active play.

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