RNC Convention 'Failure' As Milwaukee Venues Likely To Sit Empty

The Republican National Committee's (RNC) upcoming convention is set to be a "failure" for local businesses in the area, according to a theater group owner.

The Republican National Convention is set to take place in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18 and it is where former President Donald Trump is expected to be formally chosen as the party's nominee for the 2024 election.

When the convention was announced, it raised expectations that it will benefit the local economy.

In an April 2024 blog post, Alison Prange, the chief operating officer for the Milwaukee-based RNC Host Committee, said, "The 2024 RNC is expected to deliver a direct and indirect economic impact of around $200 million this year," adding that "additional economic impact is expected for years to come."

Around 50,000 delegates are expected to gather in the area around the Fiserv Forum, where the event will be held, during the convention.

However, a business owner raised concerns that there has been a lack of event bookings in the area during the period.

Speaking to online publication The Recombobulation Area toward the end of June, Gary Witt, president and CEO of the Pabst Theatre Group, which runs venues in the area, said four of its sites, the Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, the Vivarium and the Fitzgerald will likely sit empty during the convention.

He said the RNC planning was "underwhelming" and a "failure."

"It's 100 percent a case of 'overpromise, underdeliver,' on all parts, by everybody," he said.

"We were told it was going to be one way over and over and over and over again when [the RNC] was confirmed, and it has turned out to be almost anything but the way that we were told it was going to turn out," he said. "We were sold a storyline of how this is going to go, and basically it didn't go anything at all like the storyline that we were sold."

He added his group is in "constant contact with everyone else in town that does what we do, and I'm hearing the same thing from them."

"This business that we own operates only in the city of Milwaukee, and for us to succeed, the city of Milwaukee has to succeed, and at this point in time, I don't see the RNC delivering that kind of success," he said.

"That kind of anticipated economic impact that everyone was high-fiving and champagne-popping and press conferencing about. At this point in time, none of that really has come true, for the most part."

In June, Donald Trump attracted criticism amid reports he had called Milwaukee "a horrible city."

Newsweek has contacted the RNC via its website form to comment on this story.

Meanwhile, Lupis & Iris, a restaurant in the downtown area also said the convention was "a disappointment" in terms of bookings.

"From an events standpoint—dining, private events, parties, shut-down-the-restaurant, etc.—the convention has absolutely been a disappointment," Cindi McLeod, spokesperson for Lupi & Iris told The Recombobulation.

"There are not as many inquiries as hoped, and in general terms, there is not a lot of excitement around the convention. I'm sad for Milwaukee. We really wanted this. We really wanted to shine. We were really excited to host these events."

Gregory Leon, chef and owner of Amilinda, also said his restaurant had received no bookings in the week of the convention.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a business killer," he told the publication. "If the [reservation] book stays the way it is, we're not going to make enough money to cover costs."

When Newsweek checked whether reservations were still available at the venues, it found that Lupis & Iris and Amilinda were accepting reservations during the convention. The Pabst Theater, Fitzgerald, Riverside Theater and the Vivarium had no scheduled events during the period at the time of publication.