GOP gathering was a 50-50 exposition for this crowd

Two weeks after the Republican National Convention ended, it was time for St. Paul business leaders to debrief and share stories.

More than 70 business representatives attended an early morning meeting Wednesday sponsored by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.

For nearly an hour and a half, people vented, complimented and questioned. Why? To hear others' experiences and see what could be learned for future big events in the city.

Positive and negative comments were about equal, with several people adding observations.

The biggest complaint was that delegates were shuttled from their buses to the Xcel Energy Center and back to their buses to go elsewhere without getting any time to explore St. Paul beyond the black security fences. Some businesses felt completely cut off.

Kathryn Severance, who owns the European Table, a small retail shop in the skyway, said traffic was nearly nonexistent.

The reason, she said, is that many downtown workers simply stayed away.

Security costs borne by businesses should be factored into the final accounting, said Patrick Skinner, general manager of Zeller Realty Group. His company spent more than $20,000 on extra security during the week to protect Wells Fargo Place, he said.

Russell Klein, owner of the downtown Meritage restaurant, said he would have liked more information beforehand on the delegates' itineraries or other schedules that would have helped in planning. That said, "It really was a fantastic week for us," he said.

The convention and the people it drew -- about 45,000 -- was expected to bring $148 million worth of new spending, according to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Although its value is more difficult to calculate -- estimates say it's the equivalent of a $330 million ad campaign -- media exposure was another benefit touted by city and business leaders. Not all of it was positive, as there has been pointed criticism of the way police reacted to protesters.

It was never about four days of gangbusters business, said Karolyn Kirchgesler, president and CEO of the St. Paul Convention and Visitors Authority. It was about getting St. Paul some publicity so it can draw future conventions. She noted that the GOP convention was used in the pitch to draw four new conventions to St. Paul in the next few years.

Deputy Mayor Ann Mulholland was on hand to listen Wednesday. "We needed to hear it," she said. "Would we do it again? Yes, with all the pain, challenges and benefits, we'd do this."

Asked after the meeting how long it will take before St. Paul sees the post-convention benefit: "I can't put a time frame on how long it will take to pay off," she said. "But it has started to."

David Miller, general manager of the St. Paul Hotel, didn't have much to complain about: "I'm gonna say it: I had a great week."