#500-14 Background Info/Convention Center/Press Release from Miami Beach News Bureau - April 1968' From Miami Beach News Bureau
CONVENTIONS
Completely unaware of it, Miami Beach took its first step
toward obtaining the 1968 Republican convention in 1941. 'Irhat
was the year the city established its convention bureau.
But like the battleships at Pearl Harbor, the fledgling
bureau was torpedoed at the start of World War II. For the
next four years the city filled most of its 15,000 hotel rooms
with Army Air Corps trainees billeted in the plushest boot camp
in history.
With the return of peace and normal tourist business the
convention bureau received resuscitation and soon was getting
meetings. It became apparent an additional facility was needed
for these gatherings and the city built a 3,600-seat auditorium.
Meanwhile, more construction was adding another 15,000 hotel
rooms that, while filled during the winter season, were half
empty in spring, summer and fall. The answer to this economic
pitfall was air conditioning and more and larger conventions.
So, in 1958, the 16,000-seat Convention hall was built.
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2 - Conventions
With the hall came many of the world's largest meetings --
Rotary International, American Legion, National Education
Association and others.
Conventions by this time had become a substantial factor in
Miami Beach's economy, bringing some 300,000 visitors a year here
between April and December. The small auditorium was given over
primarily to concerts and television productions such as the
Jackie Gleason show, but still is used as an auxiliary for
major meetings such as the Republican convention.
The Republican demand for space to accommodate press,
television and radio news coverage was far greater than both
these buildings provided. Therefore the city at once began more
than doubling the size of Convention hall, cutting through the
north wall and adding the required room.
Before the addition, Convention hall compassed an area of
108,000 square feet. The auditorium made another 71,500 feet
available through combined use of the two buildings, which are
connected by an overhead, covered walkway. The addition to
Convention hall of 131,672 feet brings the total under roof
to 311,172 square feet, or slightly more than seven acres.
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3 - Conventions
Miami Beach's popularity as a convention site is illustrated
not only by the 543 such gatherings held here during the last fiscal
year, but also by the fact a great number of delegates bring their
families and stay over for a vacation. After all, the city primarily
is a holiday resort.
Surveys indicate that during the last fiscal year, conventions
brought 274,000 persons to Miami Beach and they expended a total of
$47,300,000 during their stays here.
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