City leaders hire consultants to help Charlotte prepare for visit from party's site selection team.
Charlotte leaders ramped up their push for the 2012 Democratic National Convention on Thursday, bringing on two consultants, launching a website and laying out a vision of "an Olympic village" for up to 35,000 delegates.
"It's a tremendous honor for our community to be among the four cities selected for this process," Mayor Anthony Foxx told reporters. "It would be an even greater honor to win."
Last month, the Democratic National Committee named Charlotte a finalist for the convention along with Cleveland, Minneapolis and St. Louis.
A site selection committee is expected to visit the city later this month. A decision could come by the end of the year.
Foxx said the convention would put Charlotte on an international stage and mean an economic impact of up to $200 million.
Foxx and Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, who co-chairs the effort, spoke to reporters at the Charlotte Chamber. They stood before a backdrop adorned with a logo for "Charlotte in 2012" and the slogan "Reaching for Tomorrow."
The organizing group has hired Tom McMahon, a former executive director of the DNC, and Karen Finney, a former spokeswoman for the DNC. McMahon led the effort that chose Denver, Colo., to host the 2008 convention.
The Charlotte group has also hired the marketing firm Luquire George Andrews.
Foxx said no public money is going to the organizing effort.
Rogers said his job "is about the money." He offered no details of how much has been raised or spent so far. If Charlotte wins the convention, it would be expected to raise at least $40 million.
Rogers touted the relatively compact center city, where hotels and venues such as Time Warner Cable Arena and the convention center are within walking distance.
"We can make Charlotte an Olympic village for a political convention," he said.
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