MILWAUKEE — With the first GOP presidential primary debate just days away, businesses in Milwaukee are gearing up for visitors from around the country.

What You Need To Know

  • Businesses are excited to have the GOP primary debate in Milwaukee

  • Milwaukee Food and City Tours has fielded calls in anticipation of debate to help show off Milwaukee

  • Visit Milwaukee prepared to welcome GOP debate visitors to the city

One of those businesses is Milwaukee Food and City Tours.

Theresa Nemetz is the company's owner. Nemetz said she has received a number of phone calls in anticipation of the debate.

“We are hearing from individuals that they need transportation, so we are providing vehicles to get them from the airport to the hotels and from the hotels to the restaurants and then meetings," said Nemetz. "We are also hearing from different groups that are coming in from the RNC that they want to be able to show off Milwaukee to their clients and so being about to put tours together for them and also offering gift boxes.”

Nemetz said she is excited to have visitors from around the country see the city she loves to call home.

“Whether we are showing the city to just regular tourists or just being able to show it off to the RNC, it’s really talking about the great city that we’ve become," said Nemetz. "It’s talking about the ethnic history and the cuisine that we have and it’s also about infusing money into the community.”

Michelle Hader, the director of event experience for VISIT Milwaukee, said there will be volunteers ready to welcome GOP debate visitors.

She said VISIT Milwaukee is providing other opportunities that local businesses can take advantage of during the event.

“Part of the RNC summer meeting that we have next week is a convention partner fair so we will have hundreds of businesses coming to the Baird Center to be able to showcase what they can offer to the RNC for the convention next year,” said Hader.

For Nemetz, the GOP presidential primary debate is an example of why she started Milwaukee Food and City Tours 16 years ago.

“We love to highlight local businesses, small businesses and business owners that you may have not ever heard of before, but we are taking you right to their front door on our tours and that’s the beauty of what we do at the Milwaukee Food and City Tours,” said Nemetz.

She said she is confident that after these visitors see the city they will definitely want to come back, and this presidential primary debate is just a warmup for bigger things.

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