MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association submitted its bid last week to host the Democratic National Convention in 2000. Its bid for the GOP National Convention is due Friday.
Although such conventions bring outside spending to their host cities, the public and private sectors typically commit tens of millions of dollars in goods, services and cash to bring the delegates and their entourage to town.
Leaders of a city’s host committee — usually high-ranking business executives — call on their peers for cash, materials, services and volunteers.
In San Diego, where the Republicans nominated Bob Dole in 1996, the city and its host committee offered a package worth about $25 million, said Bruce Herring, deputy city manager.
National corporations with branches in San Diego were asked for amounts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000.
Millions of public dollars also are involved.
“The amount of work and resources, the effort that the city has to put in was severely underestimated” in San Diego, Herring said. “It’s a major, major effort for the entire civic structure.”
Minneapolis officials think a convention would generate spending of more than $100 million, much of it from media representatives.
Minneapolis convention officials currently estimate that it would cost $18.88 million to put on the Republican convention and $22.08 million for the Democrats, who would draw more delegates.
Each estimate includes $7.28 million from city, county and state governments in public services for such things as increased security, motorcades and sprucing up. The private sector would be asked initially to chip in $11.6 million for the Republicans and $14.8 million for the Democrats.
Host cities won’t be announced until late this year or early 1999.
The only time a national political party convened in Minneapolis was in June 1892.