Portland to host national governors meeting next summer
Courtesy / Live + Work in Maine
Portland will host the 2020 summer meeting of the National Governors Association, a nonpartisan group more than a century old.
For the first time since 1983, Maine will host the annual summer meeting of the National Governors Association, next year in Portland.
The gathering, scheduled for Aug. 5-7, 2020, was last held in Maine's largest city when Gov. Joseph Brennan was in office. Next year's summer meeting will coincide with Maine's bicentennial and the 100th anniversary of national women's suffrage, and comes on the eve of the 2020 presidential election.
In a statement, Gov. Janet Mills expressed excitement about hosting fellow governors in Maine.
“When I took office, it was important to me that Maine engage with the nation’s governors to demonstrate that they would have a partner in tackling the serious issues confronting us," she said. "Since then, I have joined Democratic and Republican governors from across the country to focus on health care, the opioid crisis, the economy, transportation and National Guard issues."
She added that she looks forward to continuing those important conversations and showcasing the state's "unrivaled beauty" amid bicentennial celebrations.
"I am confident by the time they leave they will know why we say Maine is the way life should be," she said.
Quincy Hentzel, president and CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the news as an "incredible opportunity for our city and state."
"We will not only have the ability to share with our nation's governors all that Portland and Maine have to offer," she told Mainebiz, "but also can demonstrate our desire to be a partner in addressing the multitude of issues facing our country. We look forward to welcoming everyone next summer and sharing in our bicentennial celebration."
Asked about the event's potential economic impact, Visit Portland President and CEO Lynn Tillotson said it's hard to put a price on the exposure that both Portland and Maine will receive from the conference.
But she added that a number of attendees are expected to take the opportunity to extend their trip into a mini-vacation, saying: "Visit Portland is excited to show the U.S. that we can host a world-class conference in our city and state."
NGA in talks with Portland venues
A meeting location has not yet been chosen.
James Nash, a spokesperson for the National Governors Association, told Mainebiz that the group is still in negotiations with a few Portland venues around hosting the meeting and associated events.
He also said that in the past, summer meeting hosts have set up nonprofits to raise funds for costs including security, so that the meeting ends up costing taxpayers nothing "and is a net positive when accounting for economic activity."
The meeting will heat up demand for hotel rooms in what is already Maine's peak tourism season.
Nash estimates the last three summer meetings each showed an average of $1.5 million in economic activity, including room stays and direct spending by attendees and exhibitors. Those meetings were held in Providence, R.I.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and, most recently, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, thanked Mills in advance for hosting duties next year in an event that will bring his term to a close.
“Maine will provide an incredible setting for the NGA and America’s governors to continue working together in a bipartisan way, showing real leadership, making real progress, and finding real solutions to the serious problems facing us," Hogan said.
Monday's announcement highlighted Portland's "vibrant" working waterfront and international marine cargo shipping terminal.
It also mentioned the city's deep-rooted insurance and financial-industry hub with a burgeoning technology and startup sector.
Most Recent
Most Recent
1 Comments