Buffalo hopes for positive buzz, boost for hospitality industry from Jays games

The arrangement won't have the same economic effect as if fans were allowed to buy tickets and pack Sahlen Field for the games. But it should provide some kind of boost to the region amid a Covid-19 pandemic which has devastated the hospitality industry.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he expects the Jays and opposing teams to fill up two area hotels, generating revenue for an industry that has suffered from the sharp dropoff in visitors this summer.

He also expects restaurants will supply catered meals to the teams, with the expectation that the Jays and visiting teams won't venture much beyond their hotels. Restaurants have faced tough times in the past few months, and still operate under capacity limitations.

Beyond the business boost, observers say Buffalo stands to gain from exposure from hosting televised, big-league games. It's also an opportunity to reinforce Buffalo's connection with Canada, by hosting that nation's only Major League Baseball team at a time when the international border remains closed to most crossings. And there's the local pride element of hosting major league games.

Here are some ways the Jays' short stay might make an impact:

Local spending

Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said she is "thrilled" to see the Blue Jays come to town.

"There are real economic benefits in terms of the hotel room nights, and catering spend for Buffalo and Erie County," she said. "Given that the tourism sector has been one of the hardest hit areas of the economy, it is a bright spot."

The Buffalo Niagara region's leisure and hospitality job count in June was down 36.5% compared to a year ago, according to state labor figures. Hotels' occupancy rates have plunged, with scuttled plans for trips, and conferences and other events.

"You'll have the players traveling here and you'll see an uptick in the [hotel] occupancy rate," said A.J. Baynes, president and CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce.

Jays games in Buffalo also mean Sahlen Field will come back to life, after minor league baseball games were canceled this year. Plus, the stadium will get some rapid-fire improvements to bring the venue up to MLB's expectations. "We get a benefit from the upgrades that are done to the stadium that we do not have to pay for, and that's a city-owned facility," Poloncarz said.

There's also the issue of putting some more people back to work, with unemployment in June soaring to a rate of 13.7% from 4.1% a year ago.

"Although I am not sure how many jobs will be added back for the season, the stadium would have been dark," Gallagher said. "We know people from the region will have work thanks to this decision."

John Cimperman, a sports marketing expert, said it will be important for the players and team officials to have a good experience while they are in town.

"Our hotel scene has really improved over the past few years and, hopefully, the organization can experience that and spread the word," said Cimperman, executive vice president of FuseIdeas.

Regional exposure

Gallagher thinks regional branding could be the biggest benefit that comes out of the Blue Jays playing here.

"It is my hope that when the TV schedule is finalized that we will have some televised games which will carry some beauty shots of the region," she said. "Given the fact that people are sports-starved, the viewership will be high and there is no better time to show off the city than during our incredible summer."

Think about how much the Buffalo Niagara economy typically benefits from Canadian visitors, whether visiting the region, boarding planes at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, or shopping at local stores. That source of revenue has essentially been shut off this summer.

Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, said the exposure Buffalo will get "will be truly beneficial during this time when we aren’t able to advertise, especially in the Toronto/Southern Ontario market."

Kaler said the typical televised cutaways from the games at Sahlen Field will "showcase the city at its best."

"Hopefully it will keep Buffalo top of mind when travel is back to normal, especially for Canadians who make up 40% to 47% of our travelers," he said. Potential tourists in other cities will also get a good look at Buffalo, including people in the New York City area when the Yankees and Mets play here, Kaler said.

Kaler said Visit Buffalo Niagara did not source hotels or restaurants for the Jays, so he couldn't estimate what the dollar impact might be from the games being played here.

Exposure for local companies?

Fans who attend Bisons games are used to seeing ad banners on the outfield wall and beyond promoting a mix of local and national brands.

But these circumstances are different. Fans won't be in the stands, so whatever ads are displayed will be visible only to TV viewers, who could be watching from virtually anywhere. Will local brands be part of the in-stadium advertising for big league games?

"We’re still in the planning stages with the Jays on this but will hopefully get everything settled quickly so the park will be ready," said Anthony Sprague, the Bisons' general manager.

Local buzz

Buffalo chased the dream of Major League Baseball into the early 1990s. And the city hosted a fictional major league team, the New York Knights, for the filming of "The Natural" at War Memorial Stadium in 1983. But who could have imagined major league games in Buffalo all of a sudden this year?

"It's going to be a good thing," Baynes said. "People I never thought I would be talking about baseball with are talking about how great this is for the area."