The Army-Navy football game is at Gillette. Providence is using it to showcase the city.

For one night only, the Rhode Island Convention Center won't be hosting business functions, but more than 700 midshipmen and midshipwomen who will stay in makeshift barracks before heading off to the 124th Army-Navy football game.

In an atypical turn of events, this year's game on Dec. 9 will be played about a half hour from the Rhode Island border at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, rather than in the mid-Atlantic region. Only twice before has the game ever taken place outside that region – in Chicago in 1926 and in Pasadena, California, in 1983. Massachusetts will have the unique honor of being the third host for an "away" game.

Big win for convention center, and Providence, too

Larry Lepore, general manager of the convention center and the neighboring Amica Mutual Pavilion, said the game's location was decided through a bidding process. This marked the third time that Providence teamed up with Gillette in hopes of securing an event, but it's the first time they've actually won a bid together. In the past, the commute time for the Navy was seen as a negative. (The Army, on the contrary, won't have to stay overnight because of its shorter commute.)

"Of the 10 years that we’ve been trying to do different types of events with Gillette, this is the first one we’ve really been able to get across the goal posts," Lepore said.

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He also said it's a sign to other cities that they "really have to think outside the box" if they want to make a convincing bid. Providence checked all the boxes as a host: sleeping arrangements and showers for its Navy guests, hotel bookings for upperclassmen, and an array of entertainment for everyone. That kicks off with WWE's Friday Night Smackdown at the AMP, which, fittingly, will be a tribute to troops.

The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau is looking to generate excitement for other entertainment offerings in the city, such as "A Christmas Carol" at Trinity Repertory Company and the Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

The bureau is also highlighting the city's pandemic recovery. Hotel bookings are up and growing.

Bureau spokeswoman Alana Cerrone O'Hare said this year's "hotel occupancy and demand is up by 3% over the same time last year, but the market continues to hold strong on rate with growth of 6.1% over the same time last year."

Overall, that's a more than 9% boost in Providence's hotel revenue over 2022 through October 2023.

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A chance for Providence to show off and prove its tourist appeal

The message is clear: Providence's event and tourism centers want to show they're capable of hosting big events and welcoming visitors with a slew of activities. Even with Boston an hour away, little Rhody can compete.

"It is an audition to be on the global stage," said Cerrone O'Hare. "We market Providence as a premier destination because of our restaurants, hotels, attractions and walkability. … But we’re getting people from across the country and the globe who will either be coming here or tuning in.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Army-Navy game at Gillette Stadium a chance for Providence to show off