The notion that every vote matters is certainly true, but perhaps a bit more in a major swing state, which Ohio is often considered.
The blog FiveThirtyEight.com, edited by go-to statistician Nate Silver, at press time ranked Ohio high under two measures that show the importance of a state and its voters in determining the next president. Under “Tipping-point chance,” or the probability that a state will provide the decisive vote in the Electoral College, it ranked second, and under “Voter power index,” Ohio ranked fourth.
Due to those and other similar stats, the nation, not to mention Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, will be focused on the Buckeye State next month.
And an especially keen eye will be on how the residents in its most populous cities, including Cleveland, cast their votes.
Lucky for Cleveland, it’s poised for more fanfare after a busy year of taking center stage. In a matter of months this year, the city celebrated the NBA Championship and hosted the widely televised Republican National Convention (RNC).
With the RNC came expedited infrastructure improvements, including a spiffed up meetings portfolio.
Its enhanced group-friendliness plus intriguing attractions, a delectable restaurant lineup, exciting sporting events and so much more make Cleveland a Midwest destination that will continue to attract the attention of groups way beyond November 8.
Convention-Ready
Before Cleveland bid on the 2016 RNC, the city was already undergoing more than $3 billion in visitor-related infrastructure development, including the opening of a new convention center and multiple new hotel properties, according to Mike Burns, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Destination Cleveland.
“Landing the convention helped accelerate the construction timeline of certain projects by providing a new deadline for completion,” he said, citing the $50 million renovation of Public Square, Cleveland’s city center, the opening of the 600-room Hilton Cleveland Downtown and the $36 million renovation at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. “All of these developments will continue to help position Cleveland as a leading leisure and business travel destination.”
The two primary venues used during the RNC were Quicken Loans Arena, which served as the convention hall, and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, which served as the media center.
With an estimated 1,000 ancillary events scheduled throughout the week of the RNC, including receptions, meal functions and concerts, a Destination Cleveland convention services staff member worked with the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee and the RNC’s Committee on Arrangements to line up a portfolio of off-site venues.
Music clubs, restaurants and attractions, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Botanical Garden, were among the venues booked.
While the RNC’s economic impact report won’t be available until Q1 2017, according to Burns, the long-term benefits of having hosted a national political convention, including awareness- and relationship-building, are priceless for the city.
Burns added that after hosting a convention of the size and scope of the RNC, the city is better prepared to accommodate successful events in the future.
He explained that welcoming community involvement in order to provide a seamless experience for visitors, better understanding the importance of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft during a convention, and utilizing social media and digital marketing in order to monitor the conversation and act as a concierge for visitors are all important factors to consider.
“As much as possible, the host city needs to collaborate with meeting planners on their social media plans,” Burns said. “These plans should be integrated to give consumers the best visitor experience. And having a destination app that can integrate information about the convention provides a one-stop-shop for attendees—they can see important information related to their primary reason for visiting while also learning about places to explore in the host city.”
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In short, Cleveland is prepared for future RNC-caliber conventions as well as meetings of various types and sizes.
Since the RNC, the city has hosted Hilton Worldwide Sales and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority events, among others on deck for this fall, and in January 2017, the American Bus Association Marketplace will bring approximately 3,000 delegates to town.
“We’ll continue to take advantage of the positive energy created before and during the RNC, and leverage all of the new meetings-related assets that have been added to our community over the past five years,” Burns said.
We Are the Champions
The NBA Championship win for the Cleveland Cavaliers also brought a positive energy that won’t be wearing off anytime soon.
“The big win was history-making for Cleveland fans, as they waited 52 years for a championship,” said Phyllis Salem, senior director, corporate communications, for the Cleveland Cavaliers. “The pure joy of this victory has been transforming for our city, and the community pride is palpable.”
The Cavaliers NBA Championship victory parade, Salem added, drew 1.3 million people to downtown Cleveland for a celebration that is on record as the largest championship parade in NBA history and the sixth-largest sports celebration ever.
Visiting groups may want to consider jumping on the bandwagon and checking out a Cavs game. According to Salem, Fan Experience Packages for groups of 10 or more are available and can be customized to fit the interests and needs of each group.
Among the sporty opportunities to get groups off the sidelines in Cleveland are stand-up paddleboarding at Whiskey Island, kayaking on the Cuyahoga River, taking a fishing charter on Lake Erie, hiking the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and playing in a tournament at an area golf course.
“For a little healthy competition, groups can also get behind the wheel and race go-karts to the finish line at the new Boss Pro-Karting track,” said Emily Lauer, senior director of public relations at Destination Cleveland. “Or a group could host a private event at the Cleveland Velodrome’s Olympic-style track.”
Keeping Busy
Beyond its sporting events and active pursuits, Cleveland has oodles of other fun options for groups to choose from.
Top among them is an outing to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a must-visit attraction that enjoyed record-breaking attendance during the RNC.
Other ideas include taking in a show at Playhouse Square, the largest performing arts center outside of New York City, visiting Cleveland’s University Circle, an arts and culture neighborhood featuring the Cleveland Museum of Art, or attending a concert at Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Attendees might also enjoy an evening outing for cocktails and games at JACK Cleveland Casino, which has 1,600 slot machines, nearly 100 table games and a food court full of local flavor, according to Lauer.
And if the group wants to experience a variety of Cleveland dining options, they can book an outing with Taste Cleveland Food Tours, which includes a stop at the historic West Side Market, where more than 180 vendors serve up pierogi, falafel and many other delicious dishes.
