National Governors Assoc. to host summer meetings in Milwaukee



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- In August, Milwaukee will be the host of a major convention -- the National Governors Association plans to hold its summer meetings in downtown Milwaukee, and area businesses hope to benefit.

"This isn't a Republican event, a Democrat event. This is an event where everybody's getting together in good spirit and that's a great way to show off this city. You'll have governors, media, business people from all over the country coming here to Milwaukee to see what a great city this is," Steve Baas with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce said.

Gov. Scott Walker, a member of the NGA Executive Committee will serve as the meeting's host.

In a news release, Gov. Walker said: "These meetings are an important bipartisan forum for sharing state experiences and discussing the critical issues of the day. I look forward to showcasing Wisconsin to my colleagues."

Baas says his organization has been preparing for this event since it was booked.

"We've ramped up trying to build enthusiasm, build awareness of this event and it's really going to ramp up sharply in the next month as we prepare for the event itself," Baas said.

While businesses can prosper, so can things like the growing freshwater sciences industry in Milwaukee.

"There are a lot of things for us to show off. This is a bipartisan group of folks that are getting together to really exchange best practices and that's a nice atmosphere to show off the city in too," Baas said.

The event begins on August 2nd and runs through the 4th.