MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — It's all systems go for next summer's Republican National Convention (RNC), according to Host Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.
“When you plan a convention, there's a lot of detail. It's hotels, it’s venues, it’s parking structures, it’s transportation, and how you're going to make this matrix of hotels from Madison to Milwaukee down to Kenosha all work together, getting people in and out of the city in a safe, reasonable way,” said Priebus.
Questions about bipartisan teamwork drove a big part of the conversation, with Priebus saying the RNC's arrival is much bigger than that.
“This is not a Republican thing or a Democrat thing. This is really about Milwaukee and Wisconsin. This is one of the few things that people in this state should look at as being something that we can unify around,” said Priebus.
Priebus says the focus right now is making sure Milwaukee has everything it needs to have a world-class event.
That includes paying close attention to the other convention team 90 miles away.
“Whether it’s security money, whether it’s the calendars, whether it be the finance or federal election campaign financing. So, when we run these conventions, I've already talked to my counterpart in Chicago multiple times about things that we’ve got to do together,” said Priebus.
Rotary Club member Tom Hughes is the general manager of the Milwaukee Athletic Club.
He hopes for even greater success long after the RNC ends.
“This is a win for the entire community. So, I feel like no matter what side of the aisle you're on if you're working downtown, knowing that 50,000 people are going to be coming into our community, we’re all on the same team,” said Hughes.
Priebus says those companies that have submitted proposals and showed interest in participating in the convention should find out their status by the end of this year and the next phase of planning should begin in early spring.
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