RNC Host Says Visitors, Locals Need To Spread Across Downtown
"It's quieter than I would like it to be," says host committee COO. MMAC encourages long-term view.
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.
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.”
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.”
“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.
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 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.
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More about the 2024 RNC
- Council members seeking information on fatal shooting during RNC, details on convention-related arrests, economic impact - Milwaukee Common Council - Jul 23rd, 2024
- Photo Gallery: Scenes from the RNC - Urban Milwaukee - Jul 19th, 2024
- Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock and Donald Trump, Final Day of RNC Veered All Over - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 19th, 2024
- Trump to Wisconsin – ‘I Am Trying To Buy Your Vote’ - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
- ‘Everyday American’ Diane Hendricks Touts Trump, Her Life Story in RNC Speech - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
- Bars and Restaurants See Dramatically Mixed Results For RNC Traffic - Sophie Bolich - Jul 18th, 2024
- Young Republicans Say They’re Ready To Lead Wisconsin GOP - Rich Kremer - Jul 18th, 2024
- RNC Preview – Day 4, Thursday July 18 - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
- JD Vance Plays Up Working Class Roots, Populist Politics in RNC Speech - Graham Kilmer - Jul 17th, 2024
- RNC Host Says Visitors, Locals Need To Spread Across Downtown - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 17th, 2024
Read more about 2024 RNC here
My 2 cents (or 4). 1: the City of Milwaukee literally told its employees, and other local businesses, that it would be safer to stay home this week; 2: with all of the publicity about security zones and barriers and road closures and moved bus routes and no parking, RNC organizers sure made us seem unwelcome downtown, and 3: I am NOT a prop to make Republican tourists think my city is vibrant. 4: Everything literally shut down because they came to town and they are having Chicago companies cater to inside their convention halls, so let’s stop pretending this was supposed to be a big boon for local retailers and restaurants. Let’s be clear: we’d have enough tourists and locals to fill the streets if the RNC people weren’t there! They displaced us!
Absolutely. There has never been a counter-narrative from the host committee or Visit Milwaukee saying that locals should come on down, and starting to say it two days into a four-day convention doesn’t really help. For weeks, the dominant message has been to stay away. I mean, even on a normal (non fest) day in downtown Milwaukee, the sidewalks and Riverwalk are pretty dead. (Thus the push for more downtown residents.)
I still have confidence that there will be a positive long-term impact. I think the city has presented really well on TV to the extent people see it. But, like others here, I’d sure would like to hear more concrete proof ant some point and less hyperbole and year-old+ factoids.
If you want people to hang out in the city, don’t invite trigger-happy cops from shithole cities to patrol our streets.
Yes, LittleFrog17 and Franklin Furter! The messages went out to NOT come downtown and who wants to undergo intrusive security checks– or the fear of increased hassles? And why undergo all of this for right wing visitors who’s politics are vastly opposed to my own? In there little world view, I should go back into my closet, change my religion and values.Sorry downtown– we’ll be back next week!
The streets were quieter the two times I drove down Water Street. There were loads of police vehicles to balance that out? I understand the need for this, but it was creepy.
This was all expected. I was on a call (with many other Milwaukee folks) with a representative from Cleveland in preparations for the DNC four years ago, as Cleveland had recently hosted the RNC. They said the week of the RNC was the quietest they’d ever seen their downtown because all the locals were told to stay away and all the convention attendees rarely left the secure zone. They told us that most of the bars and restaurants had their slowest weeks ever. To act surprised at this stage is just . . . dishonest.
one really didn’t have to be told to stay home. that is the inclination with republicans in town. the outside police seem to be encamped on st. paul. who wants to be walking over there.
No one likes recreating near an occupied zone full of trigger-happy zealots. Not much fun.