RNC Host Says Visitors, Locals Need To Spread Across Downtown

Two days in, the nonpartisan Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee is happy with how the convention is going. But there are concerns.

Chief operating officer Alison Prange, in an interview Wednesday morning, said that the reaction from the approximately 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee has been positive.

“What we had hoped would play out of people having a great first experience and a great first impression of Milwaukee is happening,” she said.

But she said Milwaukee residents need to come Downtown too.

“It’s quieter than I would like it to be with locals,” said Prange. Locals have a two-fold importance, supporting businesses and showing a vibrant city to visitors.

“We’re trying,” said Prange of messaging. She said she’s discussed the issue with Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Visit Milwaukee CEO Peggy Williams-Smith. “We’ve got to encourage people not only that are here to spread, but people should be coming down and checking this out.”

“We talked about this going into the convention. Don’t leave Milwaukee because the convention is coming, come to Milwaukee because it’s another way people experience the city… so people should come down to the Third Ward, go get their coffee, hit the stores also and check out things going on here. You can still go to the hotels and kind of get a feel for the convention. That’s what I would encourage people to do.”

Traffic at many businesses outside of the security zone has been notably down. A large part of that is because the baseline of office workers is dramatically down, with places like Northwestern Mutual and Baird encouraging remote work.

One real estate expert Urban Milwaukee discussed the issue with described the situation as 50,000 visitors arriving, but the 80,000 downtown workers departing.

Economic Impact is Long-Term Play Says MMAC

Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce CEO Dale Kooyenga is taking a long-term view of the economic impact of the convention.

“We had an event yesterday at American Family Field and it was with the 70 ambassadors that are here,” said Kooyenga. He noted that foreign investment, with companies like Milwaukee Tool and Komatsu, is now key to Milwaukee’s regional economy. “The Milwaukee brand is strong, for many different reasons right now, we want to introduce that brand in further detail for economic development to this group and the feedback we heard from the ambassadors is very good.”

He said follow up starts with the exchange of business cards. “I think relationships will form,” said Kooyenga.

“Don’t look at just the economics of this week, this is a larger marketing effort for Milwaukee,” said Kooyenga. “It’s a larger Milwaukee exercise than ‘we thought we were really going to crush it this week and it’s not happening.'”

Kooyenga said Visit Milwaukee’s increase in convention interest as evidence that strategy is working.

Visit told Urban Milwaukee that it saw its lead volume more than double after the convention was announced.

Inquiries are up 23% year-over-year in the one-year period ending May 2024.

Additionally, the size of interested events has gone up, particularly events where more than 750 room nights, and multiple hotels, are needed.

The increase in bookings also comes as the Baird Center, which is serving as the media filing center during the convention, was expanded as part of a $456 million project.

According to convention advocates from Mayor Cavalier Johnson to the host committee, the RNC was expected to have a direct and indirect economic impact of $200 million. That includes a $75 million federal grant used to pay for public safety costs, including the salaries of thousands of outside officers.

But what that final number will take time to calculate. More detailed data on the economic impact of the convention is expected to come several weeks after the convention concludes said Visit Milwaukee.

The Host Committee’s Role

The host committee plays an unusual role in the convention. Legally nonpartisan, it brings the convention to the city, but doesn’t operate the convention itself. Its role included raising $85 million, a political convention record, and recruiting thousands of volunteers.

The Republican National Committee oversees convention programming inside Fiserv Forum, but the host committee organized the daytime market known as Convention Fest and the Red, White and Brew welcome party.

The nonprofit organization will host a closing party Friday, after the convention itself is over, for donors and other supporters at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino’s new outdoor concert venue.

During the convention its addressed logistical issues as they arise, like a Monday water shortage at Convention Fest. The host committee, said Prange, worked with Wisconsin Center District CEO Marty Brooks and concessionaire Levy to quickly have more water delivered. “He worked with my team to distribute water up and down Vel Phillips [avenue] that night and put thousands of bottles of water to keep people hydrated,” she said in appreciation of Brooks.