Individual brings outreach skills to sixth convention stint

TAMPA, Fla. – Jason Osborne, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been named director of external affairs for the 2012 Republican National Convention to be held in Tampa, Fla., August 27-30.

Osborne’s experience prior to this position includes working for the late Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the National Rifle Association and, most recently, the MITA Group.

Osborne developed and ran special operations within the Sergeant-at-Arms program for the 2004 and 2008 conventions. He also served as a caucus team director in 2008, as well as a senior advisor on Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.

He says working on conventions is unique and rewarding.

“There is nothing like being a part of this monumental event. Despite having worked at a half a dozen conventions, I learn something new each time.”

CEO William Harris says Osborne’s comprehensive understanding of the event’s structure is an asset to the team.

“[Osborne] is a convention veteran in every sense of the phrase—he knows the ins and outs of this production and has the know-how to build successful relationships within the community. I am glad he is on board for the 2012 Republican National Convention.”

The external affairs department of the convention serves as the primary point of contact for everyone who falls outside the categories of delegate, media and security operations. This includes all Federal, state, and local elected officials, the international community, political organizations, businesses and affiliated groups.
Osborne graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He holds a Masters degree from Catholic University.

2012 Republican National Convention Names PR Newswire Official Newswire Service

PR Newswire brings even wider distribution network in third convention stint

TAMPA, Fla. – The 2012 Republican National Convention today announced that PR Newswire will serve as the Official Newswire for the Republican Party’s 40th presidential nominating convention, to be held in the Tampa Bay area August 27-30, 2012.

PR Newswire will distribute news and information released by the 2012 Republican National Convention to its worldwide network of over 27,000 news outlets and 6,000 web sites, increasing the visibility of the convention in online media. Additionally, PR Newswire will provide simultaneous, electronic distribution of materials during the convention to the estimated 15,000-member press corps that will be on site covering the event.

“We are pleased to welcome PR Newswire back to the convention team,” said 2012 Republican National Convention Chief Executive Officer William Harris. “They are a strong partner in our strategic communications efforts. Their unparalleled distribution network to both traditional and new media audiences, as well as innovative social media tools, will strengthen our ability to engage the news media and online audiences like never before.”

PR Newswire will offer a Breaking-News-On-Demand service for registered media, providing customized delivery of convention news releases, media advisories and other materials directly to their computers, smartphones and tablets.  Releases and announcements will also be delivered to print, broadcast and online news outlets nationwide via direct wire feed, as well as via PR Newswire for Journalists, a media-only website at http://media.prnewswire.com.

“We welcome the opportunity to again work with the Republican National Convention.” said Brian Taylor, Vice President of PR Newswire’s Public Interest Markets.

“We look forward to building upon our successful experiences in 2004 and 2008, and putting our new and expanded resources to work to help provide greater accessibility, community and engagement for people across the country and around the world.”

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

2012 Republican National Convention Media Walk-Through Scheduled for December 6, 2011

WHO/WHAT
The Committee on Arrangements (COA) for the 2012 Republican National Convention will host a media walk- through at the St. Pete Times Forum and the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. Members of the media are invited to attend an informational briefing, a tour of the convention complex and an evening reception.

The walk-through will address a range of topics, including the media credentialing process, administrative and logistics needs, work space requests and housing requirements. The walk-through will also give media representatives the opportunity to tour the full convention complex, including the St. Pete Times Forum and media workspace planned for the neighboring Tampa Convention Center.

2012 Republican National Convention Logo Unveiled

Committee on Arrangements takes important step toward building a successful and memorable convention

TAMPA, Fla. –The Committee on Arrangements (COA) for the 2012 Republican National Convention today unveiled the official convention logo on Phase One of its website. The emblem’s design pays tribute to the Tampa Bay area as host of the 2012 Republican National Convention and recognizes the nation by incorporating the flag.

Republican National Convention Selects SP Plus Gameday to Manage Transportation Services

Orlando-based firm returns to Tampa Bay area with years of global transportation management experience

TAMPA, Fla. – The Committee on Arrangements (COA) for the 2012 Republican National Convention today announced that the selection of Orlando-based SP Plus Gameday to manage transportation services for the Republican Party’s 40th presidential nominating convention to be held in the Tampa Bay area August 27-30, 2012.