RNC Convention 'Failure' As Milwaukee Venues Likely To Sit Empty [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jul 09, 2024 at 6:36 AM EDT | Updated Jul 09, 2024 at 11:07 AM EDT


The Republican National Committee's (RNC) upcoming convention is set to be a "failure" for local businesses in the area, according to a theater group owner. The Republican National Convention is set to take place in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18 and it is where former President Donald Trump is expected to be formally chosen as the party's nominee for the 2024 election.

When the convention was announced, it raised expectations that it will benefit the local economy. In an April 2024 blog post, Alison Prange, the chief operating officer for the Milwaukee-based RNC Host Committee, said, "The 2024 RNC is expected to deliver a direct and indirect economic impact of around $200 million this year," adding that "additional economic impact is expected for years to come."

Around 50,000 delegates are expected to gather in the area around the Fiserv Forum, where the event will be held, during the convention. However, a business owner raised concerns that there has been a lack of event bookings in the area during the period.

Speaking to online publication The Recombobulation Area toward the end of June, Gary Witt, president and CEO of the Pabst Theatre Group, which runs venues in the area, said four of its sites, the Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, the Vivarium and the Fitzgerald will likely sit empty during the convention. He said the RNC planning was "underwhelming" and a "failure."


Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/rnc-convention-milwaukee-venues-1922616