A GOP convention doesn't conjure up the pop-culture glitz of last year's Super Bowl, when Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kim Kardashian descended on Tampa.
But, local restaurateurs, nightclub owners and attractions are already lining up their plans for the Republican National Convention, expecting a surge of visitors and parties. Even leaders of Ybor City's gay-friendly business coalition, GaYBOR, are contacting gay Republican groups about events.
"We're excited just like the rest of Tampa is excited about having a convention of this stature," said Carrie West, president of the GaYBOR District Coalition.
As many as 50,000 people are expected to visit the Tampa Bay area in late August 2012, a mix of politicians, convention delegates, reporters and producers and political junkies. Other cities with recent political conventions give a glimpse into what the Bay area can expect.
During the Democratic convention of 2008, the streets of Denver were overwhelmed with onlookers, street vendors peddling patriotic trinkets and conventioneers. Big attractions around the Denver area including the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Coors Field saw huge parties, said Rich Grant, communications director for Visit Denver, the community's convention and visitors bureau.
"Nothing equals a political convention," Grant said. "For four days, the entire world focuses on it. We had 17,000 members of the media."
Adam Johnson, spokesman for tourist agency Visit St. Paul, said that Minnesota city beamed when NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams - in town for the Republican convention - said, "If You don't like St. Paul, you've got a screw loose."
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart set up shop in St. Paul, and comedy clubs were overrun with comedians slinging political one-liners, according to local media reports.
With tens of thousands of people arriving in the bay area, convention delegates and others likely will seek out hotel rooms from Tampa to St. Petersburg to Clearwater and beyond. Restaurants and attractions all over could see a bump in business.
However, because of their proximity to the St. Pete Times Forum – the convention's home – downtown Tampa, the Channelside area and Ybor City may see throngs of off-time visitors. Businesses there are planning ahead.
At Channelside Bay Plaza, Republican event planners already have contacted the owner of Stump's Supper Club and Splitsville about reserving space for parties in 2012.
"I think it could be worth two Super Bowls for us, and obviously the Super Bowl was huge for us," said Guy Revelle, whose company, Millennium Management Group, owns Splitsville, Stump's and two other Channelside businesses.
Ybor City, a short trolley ride away from the Forum, may profit, too. The historic district's old social clubs, including the L'Unione Italiana, or the Italian Club, and the Cuban Club are likely suspects for convention parties, said Ybor City Chamber of Commerce head Tom Keating.
Richard Gonzmart of the Columbia Restaurant is reaching out to landmark restaurants in Minneapolis-St. Paul, trying to figure out what to expect during the convention. And, while gays and Republicans are not always aligned politically, the GaYBOR District Coalition isn't letting that stop it.
GaYBOR members have been in touch with the Log Cabin Republicans and three other gay-oriented Republican groups about potential functions, West said.
Despite the high hopes, tourist officials in Denver and St. Paul warned that not all restaurants, hotels and attractions will cash in equally. In Denver, most of the events were private functions lined up well in advance. So, restaurants might be disappointed if they expect a surge of walk-in customers among convention-goers and media.
Realizing a convention is a workday for many involved, Denver tourism officials worked hard to encourage local residents to come into the city, even if they couldn't get into the Pepsi Center arena, home of most official convention activities.
The Eagle Street Grille in downtown St. Paul profited when CNN took over the restaurant as an operations center. But, some other St. Paul restaurants complained that convention-goers were bused in from around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Many jumped on their buses and left downtown St. Paul at night, Johnson said.
Of course, convention-goers of all political stripes do more than eat and mingle at parties, so some of the Bay area's more controversial off-time pursuits - strip clubs and gambling - could benefit.
Joe Redner, owner of the Mons Venus adult club in Tampa, told the Tribune last week he's expecting a windfall of business during the GOP convention, although other strip club owners weren't so sure. Meantime, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is expecting strong business, judging by its surge during the Super Bowl.
"Obviously, the Hard Rock is a fun place to party," said Gary Bitner, spokesman for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Tribune researcher Buddy Jaudon contributed to this report.
GOP convention "worth 2 Super Bowls" for some businesses |