MILWAUKEE — Tim and Renee Saul, along with their ice cream truck Sweet and Saulty, are a long way from home. The couple drove their vintage Stepvan all the way from Ripon to Downtown Milwaukee. It was a process, considering ice cream trucks and interstate driving don’t mix.
“It was like a three hour ride to get here, we took all back roads!” laughed Tim Saul as he unloads plastic wear from the truck.
The Sauls count themselves lucky to be selling at the RNC’s Convention Fest. With temps set to top 90 degrees during the event, they anticipate strong sales. They ordered over 1,000 three gallon tubs of ice cream.
“We have never, ever ordered this much ice cream before,” said Saul.
Saul said he believes it is about more than sales, it is about getting to represent Ripon at the convention.
Ripon is considered the birthplace of the Republican Party, with a replica of their well known Little White School House on display at the RNC.
“The chamber does a great job, just making sure we put smiles on people’s faces,” said Saul.
While Saul is focused on representing Ripon, Peggy Williams-Smith is focused on promoting Milwaukee. Visit Milwaukee has been working for years to prepare for the RNC. Williams-Smith said they are focused on welcoming guests to the city, but also on shaping the impression of the city that people get through watching the convention play out on television, in newspapers and online.
“The amount of media impressions this has been able to give us is beyond any amount of money my budget could ever handle. The fact that I will be speaking to news outlets across the country, across the world this week to tell them how special Milwaukee is, is exactly what we were hoping for, and we know this is the most journalism credentials they have ever given at a convention,” said Williams-Smith.
Williams-Smith said her team is working with journalists to highlight the city, including places to get the best footage of the area.