Business owners call it a one-time opportunity. The mayor has called it an economic infusion. Milwaukee is buzzing about the RNC, which is expected to bring the city an economic boost to the tune of $200 million.
Fiserv Forum will become the center of the political world when Milwaukee welcomes the RNC. It will bring big crowds and big money so TMJ4’s Lighthouse team is going 360 to examine how that money will be spent.
We're tracking the economic impact all the way to Lake Geneva where a resort general manager says they're fully booked for delegates. In Milwaukee, you'll hear from a business owner about the private parties he's hosting and we'll visit with the Shorewood Village president to find out why they opted out of extending bar hours during the RNC.
TMJ4 has learned private bookings will take over several downtown businesses including Central Standard, which will be closed to the public all four days of the convention, from 11:00am to 10:00pm Monday through Wednesday and from 11:00am to 1:00am on Thursday. The owners wouldn't reveal who they're hosting.
“My staff will have an extra three or four days of income, we'll do very well, a lot of the private bookings have built-in gratuities," explained Jake Dehne. The owner of RWB on Old World Third will host state delegations, including Illinois and Kansas. "Kansas is booked on Tuesday so they have the whole space of RWB," he added. "Breakfast, lunch, meetings — it's just a home zone because a lot of them are staying in hotels far away."
Hotels like Lake Geneva's Abbey Resort, where RNC delegates have booked all 340 rooms. "We're anticipating here at the Abbey about a 12.5% increase in revenues year over year for that month," said General Manager Dan Dolan. "It's really going to be an exciting time for us and it is a one-time opportunity that we don't want to squander."
The Abbey is one of over 100 regional hotels the RNC has secured to host out-of-state attendees. "We're trying to give them the Wisconsin lake experience, the dining experience," added Dolan. "We do an amazing old-fashioned here."
It's why the Abbey plans to provide entertainment, food, and drinks well past normal operating hours.
Wisconsin's governor is allowing 14 counties to push back bar time during the RNC but some communities, like Shorewood, are opting out.
"It was really a consideration of whether our business owners would actually take advantage of the additional hours," said Ann McKaig, village of Shorewood board president.
The board polled Shorewood businesses and found staffing would be an issue. "Our three largest late-night kitchens, they actually have locations that are closer to Fiserv so they're going to need that staff down there," continued McKaig. Still, they hope convention visitors spend time and money in Shorewood. "We are open for business, and you'll love it," said McKaig with a smile.
Visit Milwaukee says the economic impact of the RNC has been building for nearly two years and will be felt long after the convention is gone. "We're booking conventions out until 2034 right now," said Claire Koenig, VP of Communication and Advocacy. "So there's this long tail of economic benefit that is really hard to quantify at any point, but we know it's real."
Real — but not yet tangible. So for now Jake Dehne and his staff remain ready for the RNC. "It's 4 days of intense focus," he said. "I think everyone's excited that so many cameras are going to be on Milwaukee."
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