2008 Republican National Convention Hosts Media Walk-Through at Xcel Energy Center
Media Coverage Will Present the Convention, Minneapolis-Saint Paul to the World
St. Paul, MN. The 2008 Republican National Convention today welcomed hundreds of news media representatives to the Xcel Energy Center for an informational briefing and tour of the convention complex. The Committee on Arrangements, the MSP 2008 Host Committee, and other local officials are rapidly preparing to accommodate the 15,000 members of the media expected in Minneapolis-Saint Paul for the nominating convention.
"We appreciate the critical role the news media will play in bringing the 2008 Republican National Convention - a showcase for our party's strong principles and hopeful message - into the homes of millions around the world," said convention President and CEO Maria Cino. "We are working hard to anticipate and attend to the media's needs."
The walk-through addressed a wide range of topics, including the media credentialing process, administrative and logistics needs, work space requests, and housing requirements. Media representatives were also given the opportunity to tour the full convention complex, including the Xcel Energy Center and media workspace that will be developed in the neighboring Saint Paul RiverCentre convention center and Roy Wilkins Auditorium. In the coming months, convention staff will work closely with members of the media to prepare each organization's credentials, on-site workspace, and other operational needs.
"Ten months from now, Republicans will be gathering here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul to nominate the next President and Vice President of the United States," RNC Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan said. "And when we do, we will be taking advantage of new technologies and new methods of communicating and interacting, so that reporters from around the country, in both new and traditional media, will have every opportunity to bring this convention to the country and the world in ways we've never seen before. This will be an exciting convention, and an exciting time for our Party and our nation."
"The media walk-through is another example of the profound economic impact the convention will have on the host cities," said RNC Co-Chairman and Committee on Arrangements Chairman Jo Ann Davidson. "Preparations are underway long before the gavel drops and local communities are already beginning to benefit from the convention being here."
The anticipated 45,000 convention participants, of which the media is expected to number 15,000, will dine, shop, and overnight throughout the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area next September. The host cities are projected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the convention.
Many visitors are already traveling to the host cities in advance of next year's event. These pre-convention guests, including attendees of the fall media walk-through, have logged about 1,000 nights in area hotels. Pre-convention visits, which also mean increased business for local restaurants, shops, and area attractions, will continue through next fall.
"We are thrilled to welcome members of the media this week - and it is an honor to introduce them to the people and places of Minneapolis-Saint Paul," said Host Committee Chairman Douglas Leatherdale. "The Xcel Energy Center is a world-class venue and the entire metropolitan area is full of exciting possibilities."
Walk-through attendees also got an up-close look at one of Saint Paul's other fine venues, as the Host Committee hosted an evening reception at the Science Museum of Minnesota for the media representatives.
There are currently more than 20 convention staffers in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area who are living, dining and shopping locally, and that number will eventually grow to nearly 150. The Committee on Arrangements and Host Committee continue to work closely with Governor Pawlenty, Senators Coleman and Klobuchar, Mayors Rybak (Minneapolis), Coleman (Saint Paul), and Winstead (Bloomington), and many others at the Convention and Visitors' Bureaus to plan every aspect of the convention.
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from September 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to participate in the convention.
