Volunteers learn the art of selling the city

Excerpts from the article:

Katie Lorenz, who hails from Plymouth, was among nearly 300 volunteers at a Super Bowl training session last week, as two "Super Captains" attempted to teach them the art of selling a city excited about hosting a world-class event but plagued with an image of violence, segregation and unemployment. The women are upbeat, as two giant screens project tips such as "please be positive in all remarks to the media" and, occasionally, the volunteers are asked to shout, "Get in the game! The world is coming!"

"We want to change the image for our visitors, to the media and even to our own residents," Super Captain Benita Beckles told the volunteers at the Yazaki Learning Center in Canton Township. Super Captains are seasoned volunteers who lead volunteer groups.

When Feb. 5 rolls around, about 8,000 Metro Detroit residents will have undergone similar pep rally-esque training sessions that include mini-quizzes about Detroit and end with six breakout sessions for volunteers who will staff Detroit Metropolitan Airport, area hotels, the volunteer command center, the media airport shuttle and two key events -- the NFL Experience at Cobo Center and the Motown Winter Blast.

All of the volunteer positions were filled in June, and they will staff about 50 Metro Detroit hotels where sponsors, journalists and teams are booked, to provide information on the area's quirks -- there's a whole page in the training manual devoted to the ubiquitous Michigan left turn -- and hot spots. Volunteers also will help with the NFL Experience, which is the biggest event the NFL runs in each city that hosts the Super Bowl. Cobo Center will be transformed into a giant football theme park with 50 interactive games that are all run by the volunteers.

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