By Dan Shannon – Vice President | Phoenix, AZ

This past March and April, all eyes were on Phoenix, AZ, for the NCAA Men’s Final Four Tournament at State Farm Stadium. While teams competed for the coveted championship title, Commonwealth Electric Company of the Midwest’s Exposition and Trade Services (Expo) team was working behind the scenes to provide utilities to the stadium.

The tournament was a massive event, with 149,143 fans in attendance and approximately 33 million viewers worldwide. The Expo team provided over 1,000 services to accommodate courtside power, multiple press rooms, locker rooms, and concessions and merchandising—both inside and outside the Stadium. Upwards of 50,000 feet of cabling and cords were used to effectively do so.

Foreman Josh Castro did a fantastic job constantly adjusting labor and equipment with changes made every day and providing exceptional service to our customers. Account Manager Jennifer Sutherland was in constant communication with the staff at State Farm Stadium, coordinating new services and staying on top of new estimates and billing. While plans were in the works since early 2023, actual production began in mid-March of 2024; it took the Expo team 24 days to install equipment and three days to remove everything.

In addition to the tournament itself, the Expo team also provided services to the NCAA Men’s Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One. This event, held at the Phoenix Convention Center, had an attendance of 52,283. Fans of all ages played games, met with players, watched slam-dunk contests, and enjoyed a pep rally.

As a part of Fan Fest, Commonwealth’s Expo team donated services for the NCAA Final Four Dribble Presented by Buick, at which over 3,000 young fans dribbled basketballs through a one-mile course outside the convention center and into the main event. Commonwealth also donated services for the NCAA Community Bike Build, where over 120 bicycles were built and donated back to the community.

Account Manager Cathee Cooper spent many months of planning for the event, and she was a key player in ensuring its success. Foreman Dave Perrault led our onsite crew. His experience in similar past events made for an efficient outcome; it took the Expo team two weeks to install and two days to remove over 20,000 feet of cabling and cords. Between Cathee, Dave, and the rest of the Expo crew, Commonwealth was able to provide impeccable service.

Great job to the entire Expo team for all their hard work these past several months. We are extremely proud to have been part of such a prominent event, and we look forward to working with State Farm Stadium on future events.