The excitement surrounding the 2027 NFL Draft, which will be held in D.C., isn’t just about which player will end up with which team \u2014 local businesses in the region can now apply to become suppliers during the three-day event.<\/p>\n
The excitement surrounding the 2027 NFL Draft, which will be held in D.C.<\/a>, isn\u2019t just about which player will end up with which team \u2014 local businesses in the region can now apply to become suppliers during the three-day event.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2027 NFL Draft represents more than a major sporting event coming to Washington, D.C. \u2014 it represents access, visibility and real economic opportunity,\u201d said Chanelle Reynolds, who heads diversity, equity and inclusion for the Washington Commanders, during a Thursday news conference with the NFL and Events D.C. to announce the launch of the 2027 NFL Draft Source Program.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEssentially, this is a supplier development program,\u201d NFL Source Lead Myisha Boyce said. \u201cFor the next year plus, we\u2019re going to be working with local suppliers to get them exposure to networking, capacity-building and exposure to our buyers directly.\u201d<\/p>\n Boyce said the kind of businesses they want to apply should be \u201csmall and underrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n Businesses selected for the program will be profiled in a directory, which primary contractors and event producers with the NFL will use to identify and select local suppliers to fulfill their subcontracting needs.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything from professional services so we\u2019re looking for consultants that understand the D.C. region very well and can help some of our professionals here at the NFL navigate,\u201d Boyce said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for people that do laundry services, golf carts, tenting, linens, floral, large format printing. Essentially anything that touches a large-scale event, we\u2019re looking for local suppliers.\u201d<\/p>\n Belynda Gardner, senior director of inclusion and development for the NFL, said, \u201cWe do not guarantee contracts, but we can ensure members of the program will have direct access to buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n A lot of money will be spent in the District during the NFL Draft festivities, said Lawrence Hamm, vice president of business development for Events D.C.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect to see a million people in D.C., and we are totaling the estimated economic impact around $250 million,\u201d Hamm said.<\/p>\n