More than 400 members of the media came to the Spectrum Center on Tuesday for a walkthrough for the 2020 Republican National Convention.
The Spectrum Center will host the RNC in August, just as the arena hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2012.
But there will be some differences this time.
The biggest will be that the floor of the arena will be raised by 10 feet – taking up much of the lower bowl, eliminating the seats below Row L. The Republican National Committee wants to have room for delegates on the floor.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles has said she won’t give a welcoming address at the convention, but she greeted the media Tuesday.
"So you do your job, and I’ll do my job to entertain and inform about this city," Lyles said. "And I just want you to know: Have fun. And you know what, when you decide to move here, just call me. I’ve got that welcome package ready for you."
The RNC says it believes the security zone will be similar to the 2012 DNC, though there might be some changes because the city has grown considerably in the last eight years.
For the DNC, a two- or three-block area around the arena was cordoned off, as was the Charlotte Convention Center.
The convention center will again host the media, just as it did in 2012.
