GOP convention hosts seek more businesses for incentive program

A plan to entice participants at the 2008 Republican National Convention to shop more, and shop often, was announced Thursday by the Minneapolis-St. Paul host committee.

All 45,000 convention-goers will be mailed a wallet-size card this summer, inscribed with the logo "More to Minnesota, GOParty." It will entitle them to discounts of at least 20 percent at participating businesses, whose names will be included in the packet.

About 100 businesses from around the state have already signed up for the incentive program, ranging from restaurants to Brainerd resorts to entertainment.

The host committee is encouraging more businesses to step forward.

"In 192 days, we'll have 50,000 people descend upon our communities," said Cynthia Lesher, president of the host committee, at a news conference at O'Gara's Restaurant in St. Paul. "This is our time to shine."

Lesher said the discount cards have been used successfully in other cities hosting party conventions, but that she didn't have any numbers to quantify their success.

The convention, which runs from Sept. 1-4, is expected to generate $150 million. The committee hopes the discount cards could generate even more. The card is good for discounts from Aug. 23 until Sept. 7.

About a dozen local business owners attended the news conference announcing the plan. Among them was Lisa Cotter-Metwaly, owner of The Q Kindness Cafe, just blocks from the convention site.

Cotter-Metwaly thought the discount book was a smart idea. It gives convention-goers some good deals, she said, and is excellent publicity for local businesses.

"I can't give 20 percent off everything in the restaurant: I don't have that kind of a profit margin," she said. "But you could have 20 percent off dessert or something. Seems like a good way to welcome people here."

Businesses with questions about the GOParty program can e-mail discount@meet minneapolis.com.