The NFL Draft Theater is fully raised in the parking lot of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, April 9, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With just days to go before the first picks are made, crews are hard at work putting on the finishing touches at the NFL Draft campus.
But in true Wisconsin fashion, the weather has been putting those crews to the test since the beginning.
So far, crews have seen just about every season possible, but it hasn’t stopped them from getting the job done. On Friday, crews worked to finish up bringing in production equipment, like lighting and audio, into the main theater.
When crews started rolling in equipment, tents, and other materials for the draft starting last month, they were prepared for whatever Mother Nature would throw at them.
“We’ve had snow and ice and winds and rain and some blue-sky beautiful days,” C3 Presents Event Producer Ben Blocker said. “This team’s very prepared. There’s contingency plans in place and we’re ready to pivot if we need to.”
C3 Presents is the production partner of the NFL for the draft. Despite the various weather conditions, it hasn’t stopped crews.
Blocker said the weather can — and has — changed their plans at times, because worker safety is their top priority, especially if the weather becomes severe.
“It just means we pivot, right? So, if we’ve got climbers and riggers in the air and we get into a high-wind situation or something like that, then we call a work stop and we just shift to other areas,” Blocker said.
Flexibility has been key to their production. That may mean shifting to more work on the ground outside, or getting things ready inside the Resch Center.
Much of the campus has tents and temporary coverings being set up — with the draft stage 90 feet in the air. Crews are confident their set-up can withstand anything, but say everything is fluid.
“Really, we’re ready for all of it. You know, the kinds of things that can stop the show are lightning and real severe weather like that, not unlike any other event,” Blocker said.
Blocker said their vision is coming to life for the set-up of the Draft campus. So far, everything is moving along smoothly and production is on time.
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