How to tap the buzz of mega-events to grow your business
Whether a sports tournament, arts festival or a concert by a popular performer, major happenings spur billions in additional economic activity that benefit communities and businesses of all sizes. Here are ways you can use the excitement around a large event to help your company grow.
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On the table: A big bump in local spending
The visibility, buzz and influx of visitors that come with a major event can be harnessed to aid companies big and small. Here are ideas for getting started.
Key takeaways:
- Large events are not only fun and exciting — they are also major drivers of economic activity for businesses in their host cities.
- A high-profile event in your area can bring new clients to your market and boost your business’s sales and growth.
- The benefits can be financial, of course, but can also include reputational enhancements with clients, employees and community partners.
WHETHER YOUR CITY IS ONE OF THE MANY that will host the FIFA World Cup 2026™ tournament, is home to a giant annual festival like South by Southwest or is looking forward to a visit by a popular entertainer, local excitement paired with the potential for a large influx of visitors can be leveraged to grow your business.
Big events have a measurable economic impact. Bank of America proprietary data show that happenings like the Super Bowl, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, or the Chicago or Boston Marathons spur very real lifts to spending and economic activity in the cities that host them.6
Some businesses, such as a bar or restaurant in the same neighborhood as a stadium or other venue, have obvious opportunities to benefit directly. But certain kinds of events with broad appeal or awareness can be leveraged by a wide range of businesses. For example, FIFA World Cup 2026™ coming to U.S. cities in 2026 will be of interest not only to global football fans but also to parents of student soccer players, general sports enthusiasts and those who are simply intrigued to be part of the most popular sporting event in the world. And since each host city will be home to three to nine games over a few weeks, even, say, a local auto dealership could market effectively around the event.
Given the size and length of this event and its long history, the impacts on the local economies of host cities will likely be even larger than 2025’s Club World CupTM, which according to Bank of America credit and debit card data, drove a 7% year-over-year rise in consumer spending in host zip codes, mainly on food and drink. Regular season Major League Baseball games show a similar positive impact.7
A major event can benefit your business in several ways, says Sharon Miller, President of Business Banking at Bank of America. It might:
- Generate incremental revenue. Those in town for the event might need the product or service your business offers. “Aligning your marketing with whatever is drawing them to your city could help them choose you over a competitor,” Miller says.
- Help you attract new local customers. Locals who have never sampled your business can be pulled in — perhaps they have friends visiting, hear about a special offer or are nearby to attend the event — and potentially converted to regular customers afterward.
- Foster one-on-one or small-group interactions. Your ability to bring together key personnel — or meet with one critical contact — through a popular sporting event could help you close a deal. At the very least, it can build camaraderie with sales prospects.
- Make your marketing dollars go further. “Attaching your business to the excitement and enthusiasm that these events can generate can immediately energize and magnify your marketing messages, enabling them to work harder for the same spend,” Miller says.
- Enhance your reputation in the community. By demonstrating support for an event important to your area, Miller says, you can show community spirit and participate with customers and prospects who share your support.
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1 Inside FIFA, “FIFA-WTO study estimates USD 47 billion economic output from FIFA Club World Cup™ and FIFA World Cup™ in the US,” April 4, 2025
2 Data collected by MeetBoston, The Boston Athletic Association, and UMass Donahue Institute via participant and spectator surveys.
3 Bank of America Institute, Consumer Morsel, “Sparks fly on local spending during live events,” January 30, 2024
4 QuestionPro, Taylor Swift The Eras Tour, 2023
5 US Travel Organization, “The Taylor Swift Impact – 5 Months and $5+ Billion,” September 19, 2023
6 Bank of America Institute, Consumer Morsel, “Sparks fly on local spending during live events,” January 30, 2024
7 Bank of America Institute, “On the Ball: Local economies score when sports kick off,” August 05, 2025.
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