Dallas is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors for President Donald Trump’s Republican rally with sandwich boards at Love Field, banners on downtown street poles and convention-themed signs at participating hotels.
The effort appears limited compared with the city’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, key members of the administration and state and federal officials are expected in Dallas for the first-ever GOP midterm convention Sept. 9-10 at the American Airlines Center.
More than 5,000 hotel rooms have been blocked for the convention’s busiest night, said Craig Davis, CEO of Visit Dallas, the city’s tourism organization. He declined to identify the hotels because of security concerns.
Visit Dallas expects visitors to generate spending on hotels, food, drinks and other tourism-related activities.
“It’s going to be a great shot in the arm for us at a time when we really need the business because we don’t have a functioning full convention center right now,” Davis said.
Some of the preparations for the visitors:
City of Dallas spokesperson Rick Ericson said the city’s main focus for the event is safety coordination. He said Visit Dallas is in charge of leading the city in convention and hospitality planning, including signage.
So far, there are no plans for a parade or similar public event to welcome Trump in Dallas, Davis said.
But protesters are planning their own greeting, with several groups organizing demonstrations near the arena during the two-day gathering.
While organizers and Trump call it a convention, no party business will be conducted, making it different from presidential nominating conventions held every four years.