COLUMBUS, Ohio – Having failed in a bid to attract the 2016 Republican National Convention to the city, Columbus tourism officials say they will now turn their full attention – and the remainder of their money – to luring the Democrats.
Officials said they’ll try to capitalize on the national media exposure garnered for the city during its bid for the GOP event. Last week, the GOP eliminated Columbus while keeping Cincinnati and Cleveland alive as possible convention sites.
The city had pledged a total of $250,000 toward efforts to bring either convention to town in 2016 and the Dispatch reports that the money left over will now be used to compete for the Democratic convention.
Brian Ross, CEO of the tourism bureau Experience Columbus, says a political convention would bring $150 million to $200 million and 45,000 people to central Ohio.