A March 22 event hosted by the Meadowlands Chamber and Conventions Visitors Bureau reflected the acceleration of planning underway following last month’s landmark announcement the FIFA World Cup 26 Final (and seven other matches) will take place at MetLife Stadium.

The annual Mdest24! summit featured a focused agenda for members and stakeholders about how to prepare and capitalize off the largest sporting event in the world, as well as how businesses can best serve visitors, avoid potential liabilities and more.

“Today’s topic and the areas that we’ll cover are – just a little to wet your whistle. This is to kick off the excitement about World Cup 2026 that it will bring for us to this region,” said Meadowlands Chamber President and CEO Jim Kirkos at the open of the packed event, held at the organization’s headquarters in Lyndhurst. “We feel our obligation is to make sure you, our stakeholders, are aware of everything that’s going on. And that’s what today is all about.”

Preparing local businesses

“I’d like to thank the Meadowlands Chamber for organizing this great event – and preparing local businesses to maximize profits during the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Paul Juliano, president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. “I would also like to give a special thanks to the New York New Jersey 2026 World Cup Host Committee. The Host Committee is leading the way in ensuring that the region is prepared to deliver an amazing experience to the more than one million guests expected to visit.”

Juliano noted that the NJSEA has worked with the Chamber over the past few years in preparation for this event in the region. Of course, an added major dimension is the region’s selection not just as a Host City – but to host the Final.

“Since that time, the Chamber has been working hand-in-hand with the State of New Jersey and the Host Committee on the critical tasks of securing sufficient hotel accommodations for the tournament, making connections, and working tirelessly to help market and promote FIFA World Cup 2026 in New Jersey,” said Juliano. “I am thrilled that our region is hosting the biggest sporting event in the world’s history. The World Cup brings momentous economic benefits for the state’s travel and tourism industry – and, as well, for restaurants and shopping destinations for small businesses. The World Cup will also leave a lasting legacy by highlighting the region’s unparalleled diversity. I am proud to be part of this process – and we’ll see our region shine on the world stage.”

Setting the stage

The event included three panel discussions on different aspects of the World Cup preparation effort. Speakers’ talking points appear in parenthesis.

• Mobility is a Must! – Moderated by Ron Simoncini, vice president, Axiom Communications; featuring Kevin Corbett, president and CEO of NJ Transit (lessons from Super Bowl, efforts for World Cup/other NJ Transit initiatives for overall mobility); Michelle Petelicki, president and partner of Panorama Tours (how private/public partnerships can assist with World Cup); and Avnish Gupta, chief operating officer and general counsel, Meadowlink/EZ Ride (services available to the region)
• Welcoming the International Market! – Moderated by Judy Ross, senior director of operations for the Meadowlands Chamber; featuring William Heller, of counsel, Genova Burns (international business practices); and Lilian Petrova, CEO and founder, The Petrova Experience (importance of customer experience)
• The Hosts with the Most! – Moderated by Kirkos (a convention center in our future); featuring Bruce Revman, co-host city manager of NYNJFWC26 Host Committee (World Cup updates); Jeff Vasser, executive director of the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism (how New Jersey is marketing the state); and Stephen Sansonese, senior director of facility operations and events, MetLife Stadium (facility preparations)

An ongoing conversation

The panels featured wide-ranging discussions on those topics and so much more – which NJBIZ will further analyze and dive into coming up in next week’s issue.

Kirkos noted that this was merely a jumping off point – and that these discussions and dialogue will be ongoing.

“We need to continue to collaborate with you. We need your engagement with us,” said Kirkos. “We will make sure that we have that close connection and collaboration to the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism, to the Host Committee, to the stadium – as we have in the past,” said Kirkos. “And as I said before, we will be that conduit of information to you.”

Work underway

Click here to find out what MetLife Stadium itself must undergo to get ready for FIFA World Cup 2026.