Convention preparations gather steam

Penn and Philadelphia are getting ready for this summer's Republican National Convention. As the Republican National Convention rapidly approaches, the City of Brotherly Love is getting ready to welcome an anticipated 45,000 visitors. With the convention scheduled to run from July 29 to August 4, GOP Convention Committee spokesman Tom Fitzpatrick said preparations for the event will soon kick into high gear. "We're really starting to branch out and expand," he explained. "Until now, our planning had really been based on working out the nuts and bolts." Hosting the convention, Fitzpatrick said, is expected to generate approximately $125 million in direct revenue for Philadelphia, and another $200 million in ancillary benefits. "But the biggest prize in bringing a national political convention to a city is the publicity and national media attention you get," he said. Penn officials said they too are excited about the national publicity the convention will bring to the University. "Because there's going to be so many media included, that's going to be a priority for the University," Executive Director of the Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol de Fries explained. "This is a prime opportunity to showcase the University to these media." The University is offering dormitory and meeting facilities to the convention committee. According to de Fries, 1,500 Penn dorm rooms will be contracted for use by different groups attending the convention. Fitzpatrick said the planning committee's recent undertakings have largely focused on developing transportation for visitors and outfitting the First Union Center -- the site of this summer's convention -- for the 15,000 members of the media expected to arrive in July. The convention committee recently outlined plans for a shuttle service of 150 vehicles to transport visitors to dozens of destinations, including hotels and tourist sites along 21 routes. And with all the major news networks planning to attend, Fitzpatrick said the coordinating committee will build 350,000 square feet of temporary office space outside the First Union Center and convert about 60 of the building's skyboxes into broadcast studios. "We're basically creating a 26-story office building with furniture, air conditioning and wiring," he said. The convention committee will take full possession of the First Union Center on June 17 to start the construction necessary to prepare the facilities for the event. City officials estimated last fall that hosting the event will cost $50 million, a third of which will come from the local and state governments of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The remaining cost will be paid by private companies. But Philadelphia needs to be ready for more than Republican delegates and members of the national press. Already anticipating protests during the convention, police announced plans last Thursday to allocate areas of Roosevelt Park for demonstrators. Sue Schwenderman, spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said approximately 18,000 volunteers are being recruited in a program called "Make the Convention Connection" to run errands, staff welcome booths and help the press during the event. "Within one month of announcing the volunteer jobs, we had 9,000 people signed up," Schwenderman said. "That's a strong indication of the high level of enthusiasm for the event." Penn students are among those being recruited to volunteer. De Fries said students will have access to "everything from the mundane to the very plush, sexy volunteer opportunities."

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