By Cecilia Chan
Independent Newsmedia

Cash registers are expected to ring nonstop at Dave & Busters in the Westgate Entertainment District as thousands of college baskeball fans pour in for the Final Four.

The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament is playing at University of Phoenix Stadium, which means big bucks for businesses in Glendale.

"We are going to be packed. We could potentially see 10,000 for the entire tournament," said Mark Medina, Dave & Buster general manager. "And that’s a conservative number."

Although the Glendale location of the restaurant-and-entertainment chain can hold 2,000 customers and already has a sizable staff, 20 more employees have been added to handle the tournament crowd and spring training fans, Mr. Medina said.

"The main draw for us is our sports lounge," he said. "They come in and watch all the pregames on our TVs. Really there are no other venues in the area that compare with what we have in terms of TV viewing. We have dozens of large TVs and three projectors and outside of the building we have four very large TVs."

Glendale anticipates around 100,000 fans in attendance over the multi-day tournament, according to Jean Moreno, executive officer for Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects. Two semi-final games play on April 1 and the national final on April 3.

Ms. Moreno said the city does not do an economic impact analyst because it is too difficult to isolate the figures, especially with spring training in full swing.

"From a local perspective we don’t pay a lot of attention to the economic impact analyst because it’s not actual revenue for the city," she said. "From our perspective its more of a tourism perspective, what does it do for our community. The tourism industry is huge for Arizona. According to an economic impact report, it supports over 180,000 jobs."

From the tourism end, Glendale Visitor Center partnered with the Arizona Office of Tourism for a multi-level digital advertising campaign promoting pre- and post-game activities to promoting tourism in Glendale and the West Valley, according to Manager Lorraine Zomok.

The cost was $4,999, she said.

"We are connecting with incoming sports fans utilizing our bureau assets including online, social, digital programs and in-person services at the Glendale Visitor Center," she said. "This first-time event will bring a new sports audience to our community to not only enjoy all the action on the court, but take in the local flavors of our region. From shopping and dining, to cultural attractions and outdoor adventure, the tourism amenities of Glendale and the state of Arizona will be showcased to a worldwide audience."

When the tournament ends and the fans go home, Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business will conduct an economic impact study of the 2017 Final Four, according to Kristen Pflipsen, spokeswoman for the Phoenix Local Organizing Committee, a nonprofit hosting the Final Four.

She said the event is expected to attract tens of thousands of out-of-state visitors and produce hundreds of millions of dollars for the state’s economy. She cited W.P.Carey’s study of the last mega event, the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship, which generated $274 million in economic impact. That championship playoff also played at the Glendale stadium.

Merchants are not the only one prepared for the mega event.

Glendale budgeted $1.1 million for staffing and equipment, mostly for public safety, according to Ms. Moreno. However, with the Department of Public Safety now taking point with security, the city will likely not spend that much, she said.

"It will be way less than $1.1 million, but we won’t know until six to eight weeks after the event," she added.

Glendale Police Sgt. Scott Waite said the department has been preparing for the event since last year.

"We’ve been getting staffing for the event to make sure there is complete coverage," he said.

DPS will provide security inside the stadium, which seats about 65,000, and Glendale and a coalition of public safety officers from 13 to 17 Valley agencies will be tasked with monitoring the outside, directing traffic and making a visible presence in the Westgate area, Sgt. Waite said.

"Obviously one of the concerns people have is when a mega event happens, what happens with service throughout the city," he said. "We never go short in staffing levels in other areas when we have mega events."

Police does not expect to encounter problems with fans in Glendale, which is no stranger to hosting big events such as the Super Bowl twice.

"We have been very blessed in the fact the visitors we get, the tourists we get are extremely friendly people," he said. "These people pay a lot of money to come and they travel here not looking for trouble."

Glendale last week was finalizing its game plan on handling the onslaught of traffic, according to Allan Galicia, an analyst for the city transportation department.

"We do have a great plan set and we are ready to handle any traffic that comes to us," he said. "We done it for the Super Bowl twice and the national championship game last year."

The department is working closely with Arizona Department of Transportation and police.

Event traffic is expected to be heavy on Interstate 10, Loop 101, Northern Avenue, Camelback Road, Bethany Home Road and Maryland and Glendale avenues, according to Mr. Galicia, who noted many Valley hotels will offer shuttle services for their guests.

"We expect a lot of shuttle buses from hotels," he said. "So the more buses we get, the more people who use shuttles, the better it is for us."

Mr. Galicia said no problems are anticipated if people heed the advice to head out early for the games, especially on April 3, which is Monday, a workday. The game starts at 5:30 p.m., which coincides with rush-hour traffic.

"I10 is busy normally, so if fans attend on Monday they need to be aware to arrive early, four to five hours prior to tip-off," he said. "Treat it like you are going to the airport. You never know how long the lines are at the airport.

"If they do that, if they leave and arrive here early it will give them plenty of time and a lot better fan experience."

Fans arriving early do not have to worry about standing around waiting because there will be plenty of activities on hand to keep them occupied until the game, he said. The stadium opens at 2 p.m. on April 3.

He also suggested fans driving in from north Phoenix and Scottsdale take Loop 101 instead of I 10 to get to the stadium.

"It should be quicker to get into the stadium and vice versa," he said. And going back to the hotels if they drove to the stadium, going north after the game is also quicker, head north on Loop 101 to the East Side rather than south on I 10."

As for workday commuters, they should expect delays on I 10 and Loop 101, he added.

"Luckily it’s a going home type-of-deal so at least they are not in the rush to get to work," he said.

And, if a crash happens to occur, there is a quick clearance policy with ADOT.

"They will do a quick clearance of vehicles if there is a stalled vehicle or minor fender-bender," he said. "Get it out of the way quickly and put it on the shoulder. Normally within five minutes they are out of the roadways."

Final Four Friday

• Friday, March 31 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Beginning at 11 a.m., each of the Final Four teams will have one-hour open practices at the stadium, with free admission to the public. Fans will also enjoy special basketball-themed programming.

Final Four Dribble

Downtown Phoenix will be the site of the Final Four Dribble, a unique event that takes place on Sunday, April 2. Thousands of children who registered online will be given their own basketballs to dribble along a route ending at the entrance of Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One. This free event includes a complimentary ticket to Fan Fest.

A clear bag policy will be in effect for entry into University of Phoenix Stadium, NCAA March Madness Music Festival, and Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One®. Go to PhoenixFinalFour.com for further information.

Check CAA.com/FinalFour for event updates.