Super Bowl LI: Digital Marketing, Major Event Communications & Media Experience
Supporting Houston's digital marketing and destination-promotion efforts during Super Bowl LI, while experiencing the NFL's media operations, celebrity events, and citywide entertainment firsthand.
Project focus: Digital marketing · Website content · SEO · Social media · Graphic design · Cross-promotion · Destination marketing · Major event communications
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The Event
Houston Takes Center Stage
In February 2017, Houston, Texas hosted Super Bowl LI, bringing together professional football, international media, entertainment, celebrities, sponsors, and visitors from around the world.
Although the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons faced off at NRG Stadium, the event extended throughout downtown Houston. The George R. Brown Convention Center became a major gathering point for the NFL Experience, Super Bowl Media Center, and Radio Row, bringing together broadcasters, journalists, podcasters, NFL players, and sports personalities.
The surrounding city hosted concerts, fan festivals, sponsor activations, celebrity appearances, exclusive parties, and entertainment events. From Super Bowl LIVE at Discovery Green to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Festival, Houston became a destination for much more than football. Working with Houston First Corporation in Marketing and Communications, I contributed to the digital promotion of the event and Houston's broader visitor experience, while also experiencing the scale of the event firsthand.
The challenge
Connecting a Global Sporting Event with an Entire City
Promoting a major sporting event involves more than advertising the game. Houston needed to connect visitors with an extensive network of venues, attractions, tourism resources, entertainment, and event programming.
HoustonFirst played an important role in promoting the city as a destination and operating the George R. Brown Convention Center, one of the central venues supporting Super Bowl activities.
The digital communications challenge was to connect event-related information with Houston's wider tourism ecosystem, helping audiences discover relevant experiences across multiple websites and promotional channels.
The digital experience needed to support:
☑ Event and destination website content
☑ Social media and promotional campaigns
☑ Digital graphics and marketing materials
☑ SEO and online discoverability
☑ Cross-linking between event and tourism resources
☑ Visitor information and destination promotion
☑ Event news and promotional updates
Digital Marketing & Promotion
Connecting the Event to Houston's Digital Ecosystem
Working within HoustonFirst's Marketing and Communications department, I supported digital marketing and promotional efforts surrounding Super Bowl LI. A key part of the work involved connecting event-related content with Houston's broader collection of tourism, venue, and visitor resources.
Key Contributions
Developed and maintained website content supporting event and destination communications.
Supported SEO and content organization to improve online discoverability.
Created digital graphics and promotional materials for marketing communications.
Contributed social media content and digital promotional campaigns.
Supported cross-promotion between event-related websites and Houston tourism resources.
Coordinated digital content across multiple communications channels to support a connected visitor experience.
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Left to Right: Mallory Welch (self, center right) with a colleague and the Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders ; with Freddie Falcon - mascot of The Atlanta Falcons ; with Ashley Graham at the Sports Illustrated's inaugural VIBES Swimsuit Festival ; Lady Gaga's Halftime Show Press Conference at the George R Brown Convention Center.
Photo credit: Mallory Welch (self)
Convention Center MEDIA TAKEOVER
The George R. Brown Convention Center became one of the busiest locations during Super Bowl Week, hosting an extraordinary concentration of international sports media, broadcasting networks, corporate sponsors, NFL activities, and entertainment events. HoustonFirst's role as the convention center operator helped provide the venue infrastructure supporting this activity, while its destination-marketing responsibilities connected the event with Houston's wider visitor experience. The Super Bowl LI Media Center and Radio Row brought together major national and international media organizations, including ESPN, FOX Sports, NFL Network, SiriusXM, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, E! News, iHeartRadio, ABC, NBC, CBS, and The Associated Press, alongside television stars, journalists, radio personalities, digital publishers, podcasters, and independent media outlets. Production booths, interview studios, press conference areas, branded installations, sponsor activations, and live broadcast sets transformed the convention center into a major media production environment. The event attracted an extraordinary range of professional athletes, NFL legends, entertainment personalities, and internationally recognized public figures.
The entertainment and celebrity presence extended beyond professional sports. Supermodels and internationally recognized personalities, including Ashley Graham, were among the notable figures attending Super Bowl Week activities. The convention center's media environment also included celebrity interviews and appearances involving entertainers, television personalities, musicians, and public figures.
Major corporate brands and commercial partners were also represented throughout the broader event environment, including Pepsi, Microsoft, Visa, Papa John's, Campbell's, New Era, Nationwide, and other NFL-affiliated sponsors and partners. Their activations and branded experiences contributed to the extensive marketing, communications, and media-production operation surrounding the championship.
Takeaway & Project Reflection
Working on Super Bowl LI with Houston First brought together digital marketing, website content, SEO, graphic design, social media, and destination promotion during one of Houston's most significant international events.
The experience extended beyond digital communications into the actual environment those campaigns supported.
From credentialed access to the George R. Brown Convention Center's media operations to interactions with news media podcasters, DJ's and journalists, NFL personalities, celebrity appearances, and major entertainment events, I gained firsthand insight into the coordination behind large-scale sporting and cultural experiences. It demonstrated how digital marketing connects with physical destinations, live audiences, commercial partners, and the many organizations that bring a global event to life.
WHAT THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATES
This project brought together digital marketing, website content management, SEO, graphic design, social media, destination marketing, cross-channel communications, and firsthand major-event experience. My work with Superbowl 51 for VisitHouston and HoustonFirst Corporation showcases my ability to connect digital promotional work with real-world audiences, complex event environments, and large-scale marketing initiatives.