VisitPittsburgh officials in New Orleans building momentum for 2026 NFL Draft

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans is deep in preparation for the Super Bowl.

And Visit Pittsburgh is there, already building excitement for the NFL Draft here in 2026.

The group is stationed in the media center, sharing all things Pittsburgh with fans and media members from across the world and building momentum for what’s set to be the biggest event the city has ever hosted.

Visit Pittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar took Channel 11 inside the media center, and the excitement from fans was evident. They were lining up in waves during our interview to get more information.

Bachar says they’re working with Green Bay, who is hosting this year’s draft, as well as Detroit, who hosted last year’s draft, on how to deliver the best experience for fans coming to the Steel City.

We asked Bachar what specifically they’re learning from New Orleans that they can bring back to Pittsburgh.

“What we’ve seen here in New Orleans, something that you feel the moment you landed at the airport all the way through the downtown area, is the exceptional branding that they put into place,” Bachar said. “So when you’re here as a participant, you know that you’re in the Super Bowl. And we’re going to do the same thing in Pittsburgh. We want to make sure that when fans either drive in or they land at the airport, as they move around the city, we want to make sure that they know that they’re at the big event in town.”

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