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Cleveland and The Republican National Convention: Where the Eyes of the World will Focus

The election of a United States president reverberates beyond the shores of the nation and the Republican National Committee (RNC) is making a special effort to conduct an exemplary convention in Cleveland, Ohio to nominate and introduce its candidate and platform for the 2016 election.
    The choice of Cleveland may seem surprising, but the road to revitalization was foreseen by one very prominent personage: John D. Rockefeller himself chose to be buried, not in New York, but in Cleveland’s Lakeview Cemetery. With such a ringing endorsement of a great place to reside for eternity, it is understandable that the RNC chose Cleveland not only for its world class amenities but also for the grace and warmth of its heartland citizenry.
    Eight U.S. presidents have called Ohio their home, including James A. Garfield, who notably conducted much of his campaign from his front porch in 1880. His home, now a presidential museum, was named “Lawnfield” by the reporters who gathered on Garfield’s front lawn to hear him speak.
   Today’s reporters will have highly sophisticated technology at their disposal through the Convention Center which will house TV broadcast suites, radio broadcast booths along with a host of other workspace options for journalists and photojournalists. The Republican Convention will be held at Quicken Loans Arena, with a robust shuttle system to transport media personnel between the two locations.
With 50,000 people expected to convene in Cleveland, including delegates, RNC personnel, the media among others, the election of a party’s candidate is clearly serious business, yet Cleveland also provides an abundance of leisure activities designed to enhance and renew the spirit.
   From the sweet strains of classical music performed by The Cleveland Orchestra to the riotous energy found at the Rock and Roll Hall of fame as well as art ranging from antiquities to the abstract at The Cleveland Museum of Art, visitors with a wide array of interests will come way not only feeling entertained and informed, but by enriched by their experience in Cleveland. The United States’ largest concentration of cultural arts and educational institutions within one square mile is found at Cleveland’s University Circle. Performing arts, major league sports, acres of parkland along with the unique West Side Market, an indoor/outdoor market in operation since 1912 catering to a variety of ethnicities, the character of Cleveland is sure to charm its visitors.
   From its founding in 1796, Cleveland, along with the Northeast Ohio region as a whole, now can claim $195 billion in gross regional product as well as being the 12th largest economic region in the nation. Biomedical entrepreneurship, innovative health care and manufacturing along with close to $3 billion invested in hospitality and other visitor related infrastructure provide employment to residents while creating an admirably livable city.
   Jeff Larsen, Chief Executive Officer of the 2016 Republican National Convention gives much credit to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and his team for insight and understanding the modernization and infrastructure requisite to host a convention which will have the eyes of the world upon it.
   Credit is due also to the inimitable David Gilbert, who serves as president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission as well as The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee for the RNC. Such a compendium of knowledge and prodigious energy packed into one person is rare to find, and both Cleveland and the RNC benefit from Mr. Gilbert’s expertise.
    Len Komoroski, CEO of the Quicken Loans Arena and the Cleveland Cavaliers played a significant role along with other Cleveland area leaders to secure Cleveland as the host city for the 2016 Republican National Convention.
   Recently, media from across the nation and around the world were invited to tour Quicken Loans Arena and the Convention Center. This author was honored to attend in the company of Pu Ying, publisher of the Erie Chinese Journal. From these Cleveland locations, the global media will be reporting from July 18 through July 21, 2016, where the eyes of the world will focus. The Republican candidate will then face the Democrat candidate in November of 2016, culminating in a peaceful transition of power, with the winner destined to face a less than peaceful world.