20140721-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_--
7/18/2014
4:38 PM
Page 1
$2.00/JULY 21 - 27, 2014
BLUE-COLLAR CLEVELAND EMBRACES PROGRESSIVE EVENT, WHICH COULD CHANGE AREA’S IMAGE By TIMOTHY MAGAW tmagaw@crain.com
ortheast Ohio was certainly an intriguing choice to host the 2014 Gay Games. A Rust Belt city on the Great Lakes — the heartland, some would call it — where change can be a tough sell and gritty, bluecollar values still drive conversation at the dinner table. Cleveland and Akron aren’t like San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Sydney or some of the other larger — and some would say more glamorous and progressive — locales that have hosted the games. Some in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community questioned whether Northeast Ohio could pull off the games to be held Aug. 9-16. It was, after all, just 10 years ago when Ohioans signed off on a constitutional amendment that barred the state from recognizing or performing same-sex marriages or civil unions. And while not a single pitch has been thrown nor a race run, success already is evi-
N
dent, game organizers say. “The goal for bringing the Gay Games to what they call the heartland is to change hearts and minds,” said Rob Smitherman, the associate executive director of Gay Games 9, who has worked on the last three games. “That’s already happened.” Gay Games 9 already has raised almost $2.9 million through sponsorships and donations, shattering the organization’s original goal of $2.1 million. For instance, Eaton, Forest City Enterprises, Sherwin-Williams, Lubrizol, Ernst & Young and others have financially backed the games. Plus, the Cleveland Foundation pumped $250,000 into the event, making it the first presenting sponsor of the Gay Games in its 31-year history. Participants from almost every state and 45 countries have registered, and more than 20,000 people are expected to attend. Opposition from conservative groups in the area has been nil aside from a slight dustup when a few cab drivers were upset with Gay Games ads on their vehicles — a headline that faded overnight. Also, roughly 2,000 people have
taken cultural competency classes offered by the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio to prep for an influx in LGBT consumers — a group viewed as willing to spend and incredibly loyal to “ally” businesses. “We hope people will have a positive impression of the region,” said Thomas Nobbe, executive director for the games. “When they come here, they’ll be amazed at the Midwest embrace they get. Every sign says — based on support we’ve got so far — they’ll be welcomed with open arms. They will take that back with them.”
The lasting legacy? The $40 million in estimated economic impact that could be generated as part of the games has been a major talking point since it was revealed in 2009 that Cleveland had beat out Boston and Washington, D.C. to host the event. While the cash infusion certainly is welcome for a region still climbing out of the pits of the Great Recession, supporters say the games’ lasting legacy will go beyond a slight
uptick in economic activity. “We don’t want people to think we’re putting on window dressing just for the Gay Games,” said Christen DuVernay, director of programs for the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio. “We want folks to carry this on in their interactions going forward and create sustainable change in their organizations.” The center’s sensitivity training serves as a crash course of sorts on LGBT culture. It includes a primer on LGBT terminology — for one, the difference between “transgender” and “transsexual.” How to handle sensitive issues, such as bathroom usage, and how to cope with the unconscious biases many people hold and display unknowingly, also is addressed. Hotels, law enforcement, small businesses and dozens of others have taken part in the training. While Smitherman has worked for three Gay Games, he’s been a part of five total. He said the games typically bring people to locales they normally wouldn’t go. Take Cologne, Germany — the last site to hold the See GAMES Page 17
RNC to spark big digital upgrade downtown Telecoms could spend hundreds of millions preparing for GOP selfies; broadband advocates see opportunity By JAY MILLER jmiller@crain.com
29
The local planners for the Republican National Committee were comfortable that the city would have the venues, hotel rooms and even the cabs and buses to handle the needs of 40,000 visitors when they arrive
for the party’s nominating convention in the summer of 2016 But what if half of the people coming to Cleveland two summers from now are sending selfies of themselves in Quicken Loans Arena back home at the same time? And what about the texts back and forth between convention visitors making plans to meet for lunch or dinner?
After the 2012 Republican convention, Verizon Wireless reported that it handled nearly 48 million connections — seven times the amount of data connections in a normal three-day span. Local convention planners believe Cleveland will be ready for such an unprecedented digital blitz at Quicken Loans Arena, the convention site and around downtown, where
it’s likely that hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent. Much of the cost for adding capacity will fall on the telecommunications companies. A report on the economic impact of the 2012 Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., pegged spending by AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless and other digital and telecommunications firms in See DIGITAL Page 10
0
NEWSPAPER
74470 83781
7
SPECIAL SECTION
THE LEBRON EFFECT From attendance rates to ticket prices, how James’ return will impact bottom lines ■ Page 5 PLUS: ADVISER ■ MARKETPLACE EVENTS ■ & MORE
Entire contents © 2014 by Crain Communications Inc. Vol. 35, No. 29