While a convention of this scale would be good for the city and state, they need to make sure the contracts are firm. These conventions can be expensive for local taxpayers.
The meeting Monday afternoon at the Wisconsin Center focused on the growth Milwaukee’s tourism economy continues to show, and leaders who attended agree that landing the 2020 Democratic National Convention would only further that growth.
Following Visit Milwaukee’s annual meeting, the president/CEO and board chairman of Visit Milwaukee, Paul Upchurch and Omar Shaikh, respectively, and their counterparts at the Wisconsin Center, president and CEO Marty Brooks and board chair Ellen Nowak, expressed enthusiasm about not only the potential impact of hosting the 2020 convention in Milwaukee, but the city’s chances of securing the quadrennial event. Late last week, Milwaukee was named one of eight finalists to host the DNC in two years, along with cities like New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Houston, according to reports from CNN and NBC News.
Even Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who sought the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in the 2016 election, said he hoped Milwaukee would win the right to host his rival party’s convention when asked following his introductory remarks at Monday’s meeting.
“I think it would be huge,” Walker said. “I think any convention here of that magnitude is a big deal.”
Great idea! Host an in debt organization and spend a bunch of money on them. They can all ride around in circles on Barret’s new 1940s trolley to show the world just how advanced Milwaukee is! Toot! Toot!