Republican National Convention Welcome Event

About This Project

A first in the history of the Republican National Convention: a combined welcome event for delegates and media – a total of more than 20,000 people.  The event to be held at St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field. Deemed a National Special Security Event, this required Secret Service to be involved in all aspects of the planning, as well as on-site during the event.

Creative Solution

Corporate Magic and 200 of it’s team had less than 24 hours to load-in, set up and rehearse for the Republican National Convention Welcome Event.  This was due to the fact that the venue was hosting a home game for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Before the crew could begin, Secret Service had to sweep the stadium, taking precious time from the already tight deadline.

In order to streamline the process, Corporate Magic had twelve 18-wheels staged at the stadium, which contained catering, decor, lighting and scenic pieces.  Load-in was well choreographed down to the minute.

Guests travelled down a 150-foot corridor that went under the stadium seating, leading to the artificial turf field.

The corridor brought guests onto center field where there was a three-dimensional structure, approximately 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide, used as a backdrop for photos.

Inside the dome, elaborate lighting, digital signage, and red, white, and blue tension structures were used to delineate the three areas of the party: blue representing Clearwater, known for its beaches; white representing the artistic community of St. Petersburg; and red to symbolize the Latin culture of Tampa. Organizers are also creating videos that were displayed on the field’s huge LED board and ribbon screens that wrap around the field.

The main stage was located behind home plate and two smaller stages were on the field, elevated 16 feet off the ground. At the base of those platforms were lighted bars and food stations, so guests could get their food and drinks as they saw entertainment above.