NEW YORK — The Republican National Convention host committee said fashion and retail will be the theme of off-site activities on the first day of the gathering on Monday, Aug. 30.
Each day of the convention, to be held at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, will have a theme tied to recreational activities for the expected 47,000 visitors. There will be fashion shows at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, discount shopping at several local retailers and cocktails at Barneys New York with the store’s creative director, Simon Doonan, and former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik.
For those looking to get a New York look but not pay full retail price, discount shopping will be available at retailers including Club Monaco and Brooks Brothers. There will also be tours of downtown neighborhoods, including Greenwich Village, SoHo, the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Little Italy.
The host committee has estimated the convention and visitors will bring $265 million in additional revenue to the city for the week, including $166 million in direct spending. Visitors are expected to shell out about $5.5 million on retail merchandise.
Tuesday through Thursday’s themes will focus on other aspects of the city’s culture, featuring trips to Shea Stadium, the Bronx Zoo and Ellis Island.
Many of the people attending the convention are first-time visitors to New York, and the theme days are a way of exposing them to the city’s cultural diversity — as well as to encourage future tourism, a spokesman for the host committee said.
— Scott Malone