NEW YORK CITY WINS BID FOR 2004 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

RNC Site Selection Committee Recommends New York City to Host Presidential Convention

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today expressed his enthusiasm for the Republican National Convention (RNC) Site Selection Committee's recommendation of New York City to host the 2004 Republican National Convention. After months of bidding led by Mayor Bloomberg, the RNC selected New York City for the first time in its history. The Convention, which will take place in Madison Square Garden, is expected to generate over $150 million in economic activity and put New York City firmly at the center of the world's stage. Nearly 50,000 people are expected to attend the convention including over 15,000 members of the media.

"The Republican National Committee will make history by coming to New York City for the 2004 National Convention," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This is an incredible boost for New York City and the Republican National Committee's decision shows that if you want to promote your ideas and vision for the country, there's no place better in the world to do it than New York City. I can't thank President Bush and the Republican National Committee enough for their faith in New York."

Mayor Bloomberg hand delivered New York City's bid to RNC Chairman Governor Marc Racicot and National Site Selection Committee Chairperson Ellen Williams in Washington, D.C. on June 17^th, kicking off over six months of intense lobbying. Mayor Bloomberg reached agreements with the City's labor unions to sign "no strike" agreements that would ensure all work during and around the Convention proceeds smoothly, and signed agreements that secure more than 22,000 hotel rooms for the Convention from nearly fifty hotels, with nearly 17,000 rooms located within one mile of Madison Square Garden. Almost 9,000 hotel rooms will be available to the delegates and attendees at an average rate of $156 a night.

New York City secured the convention through a number of innovative measures, including submitting the only bid to the RNC that was entirely privately financed and included no publicly appropriated funds. The Host Committee's budget totals $80 million, which will be guaranteed by a line of credit to be purchased by the Host Committee next week. The Federal Election Commission also provides some public financing for the presidential conventions, generally in the range of $10-$15 million per convention.

Mayor Bloomberg put together a "Dream Team" of top New York City Republicans to lobby the RNC, including Roland W. Betts, Chairman and Founder of Chelsea Piers, LP, Marie-Josée Kravis, Senior Fellow of the Hudson Institute, Inc., Jack M. Hennessy, Senior Advisor of Credit Suisse First Boston, and RNC and Host Committee Liaison Andi Bernstein, Vice President of Oxygen Media. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki are the Host Committee's honorary chairs for the Convention; former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani serves as committee chairman.

Mayor Bloomberg and the Host Committee also reached an agreement with the United States Postal Service to use the Farley Post Office Building, which is located directly across the street from Madison Square Garden, as a 330,000 square foot media center during the Convention. The Farley Building also includes the largest loading dock in Manhattan. A secure, dedicated pedestrian bridge will be constructed across Eighth Avenue, allowing delegates and members of the media to swiftly move from the Convention floor to the Farley Building (please see attached sketch).

"Creating a state of the art media facility right across the street from Madison Square Garden and making it all accessible through a pedestrian bridge over 8th Avenue ensures that this will be one of the most innovative and media-friendly conventions in history," said Mayor Bloomberg. "New York City is already the media capital of the world. Now, all the networks will have to do is move their equipment a few blocks downtown and they'll be poised and ready to capture every moment of the Convention and everything this city has to offer."

"The Republican National Committee's decision to hold the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City for the first time in history is of tremendous importance to the city," said Cristyne L. Nicholas, President & CEO of NYC & Company, the city's official tourism marketing organization. "The convention represents 100,000 hotel room nights in typically slow late August. It represents priceless worldwide television, radio and print coverage at a time when it is of supreme economic importance to communicate images of a resurgent New York City. And it emphasizes the fact that New York continues to be the world capital of major events and conventions."

"We salute the Republican Site Selection Committee for their choice of New York and Madison Square Garden and we congratulate the Mayor and Governor for their tireless and successful efforts," said Charles F. Dolan, Chairman, Cablevision Systems Corporation. "We are thrilled to host such a prestigious and important event and will do everything possible to make it a resounding success for New York."

Among the reasons the RNC selected New York City include:

• Madison Square Garden: Madison Square Garden is the world's most famous arena. The Garden offers state-of-the art technical capability, optimal for television coverage, and is conveniently located next to transit hubs, hotels, restaurants, stores, theatres, and a variety of other attractions.
• Transportation: New York City has the most extensive and efficient mass transit system in the world. The City also offers an array of transportation alternatives, including taxis, private cars, ferries, and buses. Unlike most American cities, New York City is also a walking town where streets are alive and inviting, and destinations are pedestrian-accessible. Passenger rail transportation and three major airports in the metropolitan area also serve the City.
• Communications: New York City is the technology and media center of the nation and offers one of the world's most extensive communications infrastructures. With the innovative use of the Farley Building as a media center, New York City became a natural choice for both the RNC and the easiest and most convenient option for the media itself.
• Safety and Security: New York City's experience in hosting large, security-intensive events is unparalleled, as demonstrated at this year's World Economic Forum. The New York Police Department is the largest police force in the nation and New York City is far and away the nation's safest big city. Under Mayor Bloomberg's leadership, crime has declined by an additional 6% in 2002, placing New York City between Provo, Utah, and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. in terms of its crime rate per 100,000 people (neither Provo nor Rancho Cucamonga bid for the 2004 Republican National Convention).
• Diversity: New York City is the world's most diverse city, with residents from over 170 nations, and over 160 languages spoken. Over 40% of the city's residents are foreign born.
• Hotels, Restaurants, Theater and Entertainment: New York City welcomed over 38 million visitors from around the globe in 2000. New York City is the nation's (if not the world's) unparalleled leader in restaurants, theater, hotel accommodations, excitement and entertainment, offering the Convention's delegates a plethora of ways to spend their time and money.

Over 45,000 people attended the 2000 Republican National Convention, held at the First Union Center in Philadelphia. In addition to the $100 million in direct revenue created by the Convention, an additional $200-$300 million in indirect revenue was also produced. Over 15,000 members of the media attended the Convention, including 1,500 news organizations, 440 daily press outlets, 330 television outlets, and 217 radio outlets.

The Republican National Convention is the latest major event New York City has set its sights on; New York City was designated as the United States Candidate City for the 2012 Olympic Games and is also bidding to host the Super Bowl. Last year the City hosted the World Economic Forum and the NFL's kick off rally in Times Square and will host the 2003 WNBA All-Star game. Mayor Bloomberg has been working hard to bring as many major events to New York City as possible to generate revenue and promote tourism.

"Getting the Convention shows just how much this City can accomplish," Mayor Bloomberg concluded. "From Governor Pataki's strong and unyielding leadership to our Dream Team Host Committee's unparalleled lobbying efforts to Chuck Dolan and everyone at Madison Square Garden's commitment to providing the ideal venue to Brian McLaughlin and the entire labor community's willingness to come together and ensure the Convention proceeds smoothly and efficiently, we were able to offer everything the Republican National Committee could possibly want. As a result, we got exactly what we wanted: the Convention, the profound economic activity it generates, and all of good publicity for our City that comes with it."