Earlier today, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission announced that the Cleveland Power of Sports Summit is set to take place during the NFL Draft weekend. The 86th annual NFL draft will take place from April 29th until May 1st. This year, the summit will focus on celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Cleveland Power of Sports Summit will focus on four main learning zones:
• The Equality Lounge will feature national and local panels and keynote discussions on a wide variety of topics associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports. This event will be curated by The Female Quotient, who actively promotes gender economic equality.
• A Digital Learning Lounge will hold a collection of short videos and virtual education pieces examining sports and community change. It will be accessible virtually from Thursday, April 1 to Saturday, May 15.
• Community Corner activities, community-engagement opportunities and educational resources will be provided by local organizations specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion in sports.
• A Workshops, Demos and Exhibits area sponsored by University Hospitals. This learning zone will focus on making attendees think about themselves and their world view in a new light and how sports and activity can play a role in that new vision.
Cleveland Browns Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic released a statement commenting on how “with the NFL Draft coming to Cleveland, we as a community have a great opportunity to further advance important conversations and awareness about diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as social justice, through the Power of Sport Summit.”
Additionally, Tekancic added how the sports summit has the potential to “hopefully spark meaningful dialogue and mindfulness in our city throughout the weekend and beyond for the betterment of all.”
This year, Cleveland has the honor of hosting the 86th annual NFL draft during the weekend of April 29th. The draft will take place across several downtown Cleveland locations, including FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Great Lakes Science Center.
The main event will take place in the central hub for Draft actives, which will be set against the backdrop of Lake Erie. Pick announcements, considered to be the highlight the event, will be made by Commissioner Goodell and other special guests.
“We are thrilled for Cleveland to host this year’s NFL Draft and celebrate the hard-working and inspiring new draft prospects, football’s great history, and our fans,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam, managing and principal partners of the Cleveland Browns, said in the release.
“It is even more special as we commemorate our 75th anniversary and have the opportunity to showcase the wonderful city of Cleveland to an international audience and to a responsible number of fans and visitors during the weekend.”
Cleveland is becoming a budding hub for major sports events to take place in. Cleveland hosted the 2019 MLB All-Star Weekend, will host the 2021 NFL Draft in a few short weeks and is scheduled to host the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend and 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four.
The schedule for the summit is linked here, and registration is required online. The summit is free to attend and will be held at Progressive Field as well as online from noon to 6 p.m. April 29-30, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1.
The Cleveland Power of Sports Summit is sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the Cleveland Browns, KeyBank, and the FirstEnergy Foundation.
