Dear Mobile Chamber Members,

Tomorrow, Mobile takes center stage once again as we host the Panini Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama. For more than 75 years, Mobile has been the proud home of this premier college football all-star game, making it the longest continually running all-star game in football.

And it’s not just a game; it’s a celebration of our city and a tremendous economic driver for our community.

The numbers tell an impressive story. The Senior Bowl brings tens of thousands of visitors to Mobile, generating significant economic impact for local businesses. In recent years, more than 900 NFL personnel, including decision-makers from all 32 teams, and more than 1,100 media members have descended on our city for this event. That’s not counting the fans who travel here to see future NFL stars in action.

Just as important is the television audience. Millions of viewers across the country will be watching on NFL Network, and they’ll be seeing Mobile. They’ll see our stadium, our city and our enthusiasm. That kind of national exposure is invaluable, and it happens because we show up and fill those seats.

If you have tickets to tomorrow’s game, I encourage you to be in your seats. A packed stadium sends a powerful message to everyone watching that Mobile is a vibrant, energetic city that takes pride in hosting premier events. When the cameras pan across a full stadium, that’s great for Mobile.

The Senior Bowl is more than just football. It’s a showcase for what makes Mobile special, and it’s an important part of our economic ecosystem. Let’s make sure we represent our city well this Saturday.

And speaking of traditions that showcase Mobile, Mardi Gras season is now upon us, and I wanted to share a piece of history you may not know and how the Chamber is tied directly to the celebration we all enjoy today.

In the years following the Civil War, Mobile was struggling financially during Reconstruction. But even as the city faced economic hardship, Mardi Gras was still alive and growing. Chamber leaders at the time recognized something important: Carnival wasn’t just a party – it was a tremendous promotional vehicle that could drive tourism and investment to help Mobile recover.

So in 1872, they did something remarkable. They formed a subcommittee within the Mobile Chamber and officially created the Mobile Carnival Association. This was a strategic business decision to use Mardi Gras as a catalyst for economic growth.

The Mobile Carnival Association founders were incredibly creative in their approach. They hired lithographers from Mobile, Baltimore and Cincinnati to create beautiful broadsides, essentially promotional posters, depicting the floats and themes of mystic society parades.

These weren’t just artistic renderings; they were sophisticated marketing tools. Eleven of these historic broadsides are now proudly displayed at the Mobile Carnival Museum, serving as a testament to that early vision.

These lithographs were displayed in ports and train stations along river and rail systems throughout Alabama and beyond. On the back, they featured elaborate descriptions of parade themes alongside advertisements for local businesses. They promoted not just Mardi Gras, but Mobile itself – our amenities, our favorable winter climate, where visitors could stay and eat. It was strategic promotion at its finest.

More than 150 years later, the Mobile Carnival Association continues to nourish and promote Mardi Gras, working with numerous parading and non-parading mystic societies throughout our community. That partnership between business and culture that our predecessors established remains as vital today as it was during Reconstruction.

At its core, the Chamber’s mission has always been to further the interests of businesses in our area. That’s exactly why the Chamber took it upon itself to promote Mardi Gras across the region and throughout the country all those years ago.

For weeks each year, downtown Mobile fills with marching bands, floats, and most importantly, parade-goers. The multiplier effect of the goods produced, jobs provided and services rendered means Mardi Gras is, and has always been, big business for Mobile.

Whether it’s the Senior Bowl this weekend or the Mardi Gras festivities in the weeks to come, these events represent more than just entertainment. They’re economic engines that bring visitors to our city, showcase Mobile to the world, and create opportunities for our businesses and our people.

See you tomorrow at the Senior Bowl, and happy Mardi Gras!

Until next week,

Originally published Friday, January 30, 2026.