Community and Economic Development Committee
October 27, 2025
Item (d)2
Major Events
Status Report
Tommy O’Hare, 2026 Sports & Special Events Director, City Manager’s Office Kerry Adams-Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs,
City Manager’s Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs Ray Riordan, Director, City Manager’s Office of Emergency Management John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports Authority Strategic Plan
Objectives:
• Host a series of unique
experiences for residents and
visitors that positions the City
and Downtown as premier
sports and entertainment
destinations
• Maximize local economic impact
of tourism and event spending,
while creating lasting value for
the community
Work Streams:
1. Branding
2. Marketing
3. Sponsorship
4. Event/Programming
5. Policy Work
6. Public Rights-of-Way
Management
7. Public Safety/Emergency
Operations
2 Branding
3 Marketing Activations
4 STREET POLE BANNERS
⚬ Branding
￭ SJ26
￭ Possibly split w/ NWSL, NFL, NCAA,
and FIFA
⚬ Timeline
￭ Aug: Street Pole Banners Reserved
￭ Sept: Design and Printing
￭ November: Install
⚬ Budget
￭ Print + install
￭ 200 banners, 100 locations
5 WAYFINDING
• Wayfinding Signs
⚬ In partnership with Downtown
Association and Team San José
• Sidewalk Stencils
• Transit Banners
• Stitching Districts
• SJ26.org
6 SPORTS MERCHANDISE & VISITORS CENTER
• SJ26 Sports Merchandise Super Store
⚬ Selling licensed apparel for our San José and South Bay Teams ⚬ Selling SJ26 Branded Merchandise
• Boost Local Businesses
⚬ The visitor's center will partner with the San José Downtown Association, Chamber of Commerce and Visit San José
• Power Up Zone
⚬ Amenities for visitors will include charging stations, and wi-fi, to help improve the overall experience
93 E. San Carolos Street
7 WHAT WE’RE LEARNING
• Wednesday, September 17, 2025
• Flexed marketing muscle across owned and earned
channels
• Hosted Watch Party in San Pedro Square
Valkyrie’s First Playoff Game
8 San José Rock ‘N’ Roll
• October 4 & 5, 2025
• Bands and performances all along the route
throughout the race
• Held a festival with a band, drinks, and more after
the 10k and half marathon on Sunday
WHAT WE’RE LEARNING
9 San José Sharks Pre-game Festival &
Unveiling of Sharks Way
• Unveiling of Sharks Way
• Announcement of the 25-year partnership
between the City of San José and the
San José Sharks
• Tabling for NWSL Championship Week
WHAT WE’RE LEARNING
10 2025 NWSL
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK
• Nov 19 - NWSL Awards Show @
Montgomery Theater
• Nov 20 - NWSL Media Day @ San José Civic
• Nov 21 - NWSL Skills Contest @ San José
State
• Nov 22- NWSL Fan Fest @ Creekside Socials
• Nov 22 - NWSL Championship Game @
PayPal Park (Kickoff at 5pm)
COMING UP
11 Bay Area Sports Legends in San José:
• Inspiring the next generation of leaders
• Building excitement for SJ26
• Trying to layer into existing programs with
San Sports Teams
• Speaking to schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc.
• In person and over Zoom
NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMMING
12 San José Gamechangers App
Gamification: Engage, Educate, Reward
Quizzes Predictions Leveling Rewards
NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMMING
13 ART INSTALLATIONS & NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVATIONS
• City Hall Exhibit featuring sports-themed artwork
by local artists: January – July 2026
• Elizabeth Turk Projects’ Invisible Skies – City Hall
Plaza, January 31, 2026
• SJSU CADRE program art project and projection
mapping
• CityDance – genres curated based on FIFA
competing teams
• Partnership with Director’s Alliance for activations
in neighborhood business districts: soccer clinics,
concert series, watch parties
14 San Jose is hosting
the world’s best sports
events.
SJ26.ORG
Get in on the
sports action.
• Team San José
⚬ SJ26 Table Toppers + Flyers
⚬ Industry Email Newsletter of event related
business opportunities
⚬ Creative Industries & Business Hospitality Bash
on Nov. 13
• SJDA + The Chamber
⚬ Business Toolkit
⚬ Webinars
⚬ Door to Door Outreach
⚬ Premium Hospitality Marketing
LOCAL BUSINESS PREPARATIONS
15 PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
MANAGEMENT
• Inter-departmental Working Group
established
• Assessments and mapping
• Proactive work on infrastructure
improvements
• Proactive support to unsheltered residents
16 PUBLIC SAFETY
• Super Bowl and World Cup public safety planning and
coordination meetings with federal, state, county, local government, and private companies
• Office of Emergency Management, Police and Fire
Departments regularly engage with Federal Bureau of
Investigations, NFL, and FIFA
• Human Trafficking Task Forces managed by Santa Clara
County District Attorney’s Office and Police Department.
Airport training staff and vendors.
• Extended series of trainings and exercises to develop plans for large scale events; includes partners such as Valley Transportation Authority
17 • Concerts with National Headlining Artists
Feb 2, 6, 7, 8; March 26, 27, 28 and June 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and July 1
• + 100 Watch Partices
Dec. 5 , Feb. 8; March 26, 27, 28, 29 and June 11 to July 19 • Drone Shows
Feb. 2 and 6, March 26 and 28, and 5 during the World Cup • Projection Mapping
Feb 2, 6, 7, 8; March 26, 27, 28 and June 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and July 1
2026
West
SAN JOSE FANFESTS
18 Community and Economic Development Committee
October 27, 2025
Item (d)2
Major Events
Status Report
Tommy O’Hare, 2026 Sports & Special Events Director, City Manager’s Office Kerry Adams-Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs,
City Manager’s Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs Ray Riordan, Director, City Manager’s Office of Emergency Management John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports Authority 19