As soon as Philadelphia was announced as the home of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, faculty members in Temple’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) began making appearances in the regional media to share expertise and analysis.

STHM Associate Dean and Associate Professor Elizabeth H. Barber joined the Fox29 set near Independence Mall for an extended live conversation with anchor Lucy Noland about the convention. The cascading benefits to the city and the hospitality industry will extend far beyond economic opportunity, Barber said, noting that nearly 5,000 new jobs were created in Charlotte when that city hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

“And when people come to Philadelphia and see what a wonderful city this is, they’ll tell their friends—and they’ll come back,” said Barber, who also spoke with NBC10 reporter Cydney Long in Mitten Hall.

CBS3 reporter David Spunt sat in on a class discussion about the convention and its impact on the hospitality industry led by STHM Assistant Professor Ira Rosen. Rosen also provided visitation projections to The Philadelphia Daily News, shared his thoughts on the next mayor’s role in the city’s ascent in the hospitality industry with WHYY/NewsWorks and discussed the social impact of the convention with The Delaware County Daily Times.

Rosen said that Philadelphia’s reputation for planning and executing blockbuster events, from the Made in America concerts to the Philadelphia Flower Show, has grown since 2000, when the city hosted the Republican National Convention.

"The RNC was a huge crapshoot. It was a big roll of the dice," Rosen told WHYY/NewsWorks. "And the city has done great on every major event since."

STHM Professor Wesley Roehl spoke with PhillyVoice.com—a new player in the Philadelphia media market—underscoring the 2000 convention’s role in setting the stage for 2016.

“There had been a lot of investment in the hotel sector and in Center City,” Roehl said. “The 2000 RNC was the city’s coming out party.”