This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee.
She discusses the impact of the Republican National Convention, which wrapped up last night after four days of political speeches, delegate parties, business meetings, protests and more.
“It is something to see,” she said. “People are here, they’re loving the city, they’re experiencing the city … after the convention lets out, people just flood the streets. And we’ve heard so many great comments about Milwaukee.”
Williams-Smith said local hotels have been busy as the city accommodates tens of thousands of visitors, and touted the flurry of business activity she observed after a bit of slow start on Monday.
“Obviously, we all know what happened this past weekend,” she said, referring to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. “And it made the convention a little different, because people were anticipating that maybe President Trump would show up, so no one left the convention show floor on Monday … but last night, everywhere I went when I walked back from Fiserv Forum to the Pfister was jamming.”
She touted the work of the Visit Milwaukee team, which has been directing visitors at nearby hotels to spend their money at local bars, restaurants and retailers.
The interview also touches on the influence of the heightened security presence at the RNC following Saturday’s shooting in Pennylvania.
“It became a different ballgame, and I don’t think any of us could have anticipated that would have happened literally one day before the convention kicked off,” she said. “So you know, it’s ongoing. There’s challenges at times with getting people in and out of the perimeter, and vehicle checks, but it’s to be expected.”
She also says the opportunity presented by the convention is “so much more than an economic impact number.”
“We have so many people who have never seen this city, and they are able to see us at our best,” she said. “And that may change minds and perceptions, it may make someone choose to move here, to live here, to move a business here. All of which goes way beyond the four days of the convention.”
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