By Amanda Wegner

In July, Milwaukee took to the world stage as the host city of the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). And after the city’s first attempt at a party convention, the Democratic National Convention, was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, local leaders, meetings professionals and organizations were delighted to have their time in the limelight.

“It shows that we are a city on the rise,” says Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales and event experience at VISIT Milwaukee. “It shows that we’re a city that is a great destination to host meetings, events and conventions.”

Three years in the making, the RNC brought more than 50,000 people to Milwaukee, including celebrities, political leaders, delegates and party faithful. With heightened security, risk of protests, media and more, executing an event of this caliber came with a unique set of challenges for industry professionals.

Set Realistic Expectations about Business Lift

From the moment the request for proposal (RFP) was out, Milwaukee-area event professionals worked their connections to ensure local, regional and state leaders were on board with hosting. “It was not one entity,” says Marty Brooks, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Center District (WDC). “It requires all hands on deck within a region to support an event of this magnitude.”

Building this support was also a must for the RNC planning committee.

“Hosting a national event like this in Milwaukee required months of groundwork to build positive relationships with local leaders, businesses and community groups,” says Jon Morgan, an RNC planning committee member, and CEO and editor-in-chief of Venture Smarter. “We understood that the success of the event depended not just on what happened inside the convention hall, but also on how the event was perceived and supported by the local population. We worked to involve the community in various aspects of the planning process. This approach not only helped in mitigating any local opposition, but also created a sense of shared ownership and pride in hosting a national political event.”

However, one criticism is that local business owners outside the event didn’t see the business boom they expected. Despite the emphasis on engagement and communication, Johnson notes that more could have been done to set expectations for nearby businesses about the event schedule and potential impact.

“As much as we tried to communicate, everyone had it in their mind that they were going to be booked, morning, noon and night,” says Johnson. “Then the reality hit that [attendees] were actually here to attend a convention, to do work, and they’re not just here as leisure guests. The lesson here is how we can do a better job, from the convention and visitors bureau (CVB) or planning side, to communicate that information to the community so they have realistic expectations?”

Bring the City to the Event

Because participants’ ability to explore the city was limited, organizers brought the city to the event by featuring local businesses. “Convention Fest” delivered everything from cheese curds, frozen custard and Old Fashioneds to patriotic swag and Packers merchandise.

2024 RNC activities were primarily held in the heart of downtown, near Fiserv Forum and the WCD, which includes the new Baird Center, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theatre. Adds Johnson, “It was all authentic to Wisconsin and I think it was a great addition to the experience for the attendees, especially when they just can’t get out and see the city.”

Support Internal Stakeholders

It’s equally important to understand and meet the needs of employees, especially when an event is high stakes. Brooks explains that, in the months leading up to the convention, he heard concerns from WCD staff, for example, on how they would get to work and park, given the security perimeter. “The last thing you want is your frontline staff feeling uneasy or uncertain,” he says. “There were a lot of details, many of which we didn’t know until six weeks before the convention. But we focused on communicating regularly with staff, telling them what we did know and didn’t know.”

Brooks and his leadership team also focused on how they could support staff during the event, an extension of the culture he’s built at the WCD to support employees. This included free meals for staff for the duration. “It’s the staff at all levels who make the difference and, if you don’t have staff buy-in, you can’t provide that level of service,” says Brooks. “I was so proud of our organization and how everyone delivered. I’m still in awe of how everybody represented and took pride in hosting this event.

Brooks’ key lesson is for other hospitality leaders to check their organizations’ teams to ensure they support their line staff. “If not, then you cannot succeed,” he emphasizes.

Leverage Your Resources

Johnson explains that the committees that plan party conventions are traditionally not made up of meeting professionals, but individuals involved with past conventions. This makes the local CVB a critical resource partner for national conventions — and reiterates the value local CVBs and business chambers can bring to events of all sizes.

“We felt like we were part of their planning team, even though we weren’t doing the actual work for them — we were just that resource point. Oftentimes, meeting planners don’t realize we’re available to them and, regardless of the size of your group, a CVB is here to help. Even if it’s just one simple connection we can make for you to any of our partners, we’re here to help.”

Amanda Wegner is a freelance writer, web designer and communications consultant based in McFarland, Wisconsin.