Beltline Business Breakfast: Preparing for the FIFA World Cup™

The summer of 2026 will be one to remember as the City of Atlanta prepares to host the FIFA World Cup™. The Atlanta Beltline Business Solutions Office welcomed local business owners and entrepreneurs to its first quarterly Business Breakfast of the year at Plywood Place featuring a panel discussion about the soccer tournament. Moderated by Natalie Jones (Atlanta Beltline, Inc.) and joined by Kelvin Collins (Atlanta Beltline, Inc.), Norelie Garcia (Showcase Atlanta), Lamar Stewart (City of Atlanta), and Aaron Szarowicz (Invest Atlanta), the panel provided attendees with information on how to best prepare and make the most of the estimated $5 million impact that the world’s most watched sporting event will bring to the city.  

“This is an exciting time. The World Cup is an opportunity to bring sports leaders together to activate the city and discuss what’s next.”  – Dr. Jeremy Hudson (Canvas Sports and Athletics Firm)  

It’s crucial for businesses to start now when it comes to strategizing a plan for the sporting events. The panel of leaders emphasized the importance of staying up to date with the newest information on the World Cup™ and made it easy by outlining these actionable steps: 

1. Ensure that your business has a valid business license. 

2. Register your business with Atlanta’s Procurement Department. 

3. “Get Involved” with Showcase Atlanta by registering online.  

4. Familiarize yourself with FIFA’s IP Guidelines and plan accordingly. 

Business leaders should also actively connect with local business associations and networks to share the latest updates about the opportunities leading up to the Tournament.  

The guests in attendance walked away with action items to better prepare themselves for the World Cup™. Though the Tournament is still over a year away, businesses should do what they can now to ensure that they receive all the proper information as soon as it’s dispensed.  

“My biggest takeaway was to become a vendor with Showcase Atlanta. Before today, I never knew of it. The City of Atlanta has a lot of activations coming. Start planning now.” – Alicia Gibbons (Fruity Ice & Treats; Food Truck Association of Georgia)  

If you missed this Business Breakfast, you can view the full recording here.

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