Teamwork and Persistence Get Credit For Bringing NFL Draft To Green Bay

Written By: Aaron Popkey, Director of Public Affairs, Green Bay Packers

When the NFL first began hosting the Draft in a different city each year, it didn’t take long for the Packers, led by President and CEO Mark Murphy and our local partners, to imagine the league’s premier offseason event here in Green Bay.

We’ve always been incredibly proud of what our region has to offer visitors and residents alike. Our community is special, and we’re constantly looking for ways to share it with the world.

As the scope of the Draft has grown into an even larger, more fan-focused event as it’s traveled from city to city, the expectations for each host city have grown, too. But as we continued developing our vision over the last several years, we only became more certain that the NFL Draft and Green Bay are a wonderful match.

Bringing the Draft to Green Bay has been a decade-long exercise in teamwork and persistence. We are so proud of how our community has delivered so far. As we approach the home stretch, we’re even more excited to share northeastern Wisconsin with the world.

Our vision for the Draft in Green Bay, of course, centers around our home, Lambeau Field, and our development to the west, Titletown.

In many ways, this event is a culmination of the countless enhancements made to Lambeau Field and the community as a whole in the last 20-plus years. Since the Lambeau Field redevelopment in 2003, events on non-gamedays have become an increasingly important part of our business and our economic impact. While Lambeau Field has maintained its aura and reputation as a historic venue for sports, it’s also become a legendary location for unique event offerings, serving as the backdrop for weddings, parties, banquets, meetings and gatherings of all sizes.

Though Green Bay is still the smallest market in the NFL, it’s no stranger to hosting significant stadium events. Since the redevelopment, Lambeau Field has become a prime location for more than just Packers games, playing host to a bevy of substantial in-stadium events in the last decade alone, including a Wisconsin-LSU college football game, Kenny Chesney, Billy Joel and Paul McCartney concerts, and a soccer friendly between Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Each event provided the excellent experience fans have come to expect from Lambeau Field, benefiting the local economy and providing us with the opportunity to showcase historic Lambeau Field to nontraditional audiences and have it serve as a gateway to Greater Green Bay.

Building on the transformative impact of the stadium’s redevelopment, we were proud to introduce Titletown in 2017, aimed at attracting visitors, creating community for residents and spurring economic growth and opportunity. The 45-acre development has exceeded our expectations, growing exponentially and becoming a place for friends and neighbors to work, live, create and play, no matter the season. Situated just west of Lambeau Field, Titletown’s success was instrumental in our successful bid to bring the Draft to Green Bay.

Titletown has complemented and catalyzed other development in the area within the last eight years, as well, with our region primed for more multi-use developments and future growth. One key piece of the puzzle is TitletownTech, our partnership with

Microsoft that includes a venture capital firm and innovation hub.

TitletownTech is getting involved in the Draft, too, with its “Startup Draft” nationwide pitch competition awarding a $1 million investment to the winning startup in conjunction with the Draft.

We’ve also been exceptionally pleased with the mix of businesses, residences and offerings at Titletown, including anchor tenants Hinterland Brewery, Lodge Kohler and Bellin Health Sports Medicine and Orthopedics.

TitletownFlats and TitletownHomes, along with Associated Bank, The Turn, the U.S. Venture Center, BelAir Cantina and the Packers Athletic Club, have also helped this dynamic community flourish. Titletown’s year-round daily programming and activities also have allowed us to create a vibrant setting for gathering, whether for formal events at Rockwood Terrace or for happy hour at the night market.

Along with daily offerings, Titletown’s success has sparked more opportunities for entertainment in tandem with Lambeau Field, with concerts held in the Lambeau Field parking lot and Titletown drawing tens of thousands of people to the campus, featuring national touring artists such as Kid Rock, Steve Miller Band, Train, Jason Derulo and Flo Rida.

And now during the Draft, Titletown will host the NFL Draft Experience, the NFL’s free football festival and one of the highlights of the Draft. Fans of all ages will be able to enjoy games, interactive exhibits, player appearances, sponsor experiences and opportunities to test their football skills.

The Draft campus will stretch from Titletown, down Lombardi Avenue and through the Lambeau Field parking lots, to the Draft Theater, the stage where picks are announced, which will be located on Oneida Street. The theater will face Lambeau Field, with much of the backstage and media area in the Resch Expo. The Resch complex has also been instrumental in bringing the Draft to Lambeau Field, with its flexible spaces and hospitality excellence serving as an invaluable piece of the landscape. Lambeau Field’s Atrium businesses will operate with special hours during the Draft, providing event attendees the opportunity to visit the iconic stadium.

The 2025 NFL Draft will be a statewide event with its impact spanning miles. Our hospitality partners throughout Wisconsin are ready to shine on one of the most significant stages the region will see. Food and beverage, lodging, entertainment and transportation providers across the state will come together to serve the hundreds of thousands of expected attendees.

We anticipate the economic impact of the 2025 NFL Draft itself to exceed $94 million statewide, including $20 million in Brown County. Throughout the Draft, we will share Green Bay and Wisconsin’s unique offerings and culture with in-person attendees and millions of television viewers across the country and world. We are confident that people will be inspired to return to the state or plan a trip in the future, positively impacting Wisconsin communities and their economies well beyond the three-day event.

None of this would be possible without the collaborative partnership between the Green Bay Packers, Discover Green Bay and PMI Entertainment Group, working hand in hand with the NFL to ensure this once-in-a-generation event is a success. Green Bay, Ashwaubenon, Brown County, and Travel Wisconsin, as well as countless other organizations have also played key roles and we are endlessly appreciative of the energy and resources being devoted to the Draft.

Since the NFL first announced that Green Bay had been chosen as the 2025 host city back in 2023, I’ve been constantly reminded how fortunate we are to live and work in such a supportive community. The NFL’s smallest market is ready to put on the league’s largest offseason event, thanks to the overwhelming support of the Green Bay community and entire state of Wisconsin.

We are incredibly excited for the world’s eyes to be on our home in just a few short weeks. While the Packers’ success on the field has made Green Bay a bucket list stop for football fans, the 2025 NFL Draft will showcase to a global audience what we’ve always known: the city’s attractions, culinary scene, recreation opportunities and arts and entertainment offerings position Green Bay as a year-round destination as well as an attractive place to call home.

To put it in football terms: We’ve been training for this. We’ve been drafted. Now it’s time to show the world what we’ve got.