Dallas is set to host a first-of-its-kind midterm political convention this month that city officials anticipate will give its hospitality industry a shot in the arm, although the event’s ripple effects could be contained to the downtown area. 

President Donald Trump will headline the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention on Sept. 9-10 at the American Airlines Center. The unprecedented convention is expected to draw around 20,000 attendees, and Visit Dallas President and CEO Craig Davis said it could help fill more than 5,000 hotel rooms in the city. 

“With our convention center currently under construction, the midterm convention will offer our hotels a much-needed boost,” Davis told Bisnow. “It will also benefit our local economy, including hotels, restaurants, and all other goods and services typically consumed by our visitors.” 

While Dallas hotels received a boost from World Cup visitors this summer, traffic has cooled off since then as work on the $3.7B overhaul and expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center ramped back up.

Hotels, restaurants and bars within walking distance of the American Airlines Center are likely to see the biggest bump from the convention, Marcus & Millichap Executive Managing Director of Investments Chris Gomes said. However, the increase they are likely to experience will be closer to a Dallas Cowboys playoff game than a typical Republican National Convention. 

National conventions held during presidential election years are usually twice as long and attract far more delegates and media members than the midterm event is expected to bring to the metro. Even a Cowboys playoff game isn’t an ideal comparison, as AT&T Stadium in Arlington can hold up to 100,000 people, compared to the roughly 20,000 that can pack the American Airlines Center. 

“The total out-of-city visitors seeking accommodation will be more or less the same, in my opinion,” Gomes told Bisnow. “There will be a concentrated demand surge around the venue and downtown area, but it may not be a citywide ripple effect.”

The Cowboys' most recent playoff game, in January 2024, drew around 93,000 fans, which pushed occupancy at Arlington hotels to nearly 83%, according to CoStar/STR data provided to Bisnow by the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. Those visitors helped propel average daily rates to more than $180 per night and revenue per available room to nearly $150. 

When the metro hosted its final World Cup game in July, Dallas-Fort Worth hotels recorded RevPAR of nearly $97 and ADR of more than $144. Visit Dallas didn’t have projected ADR and RevPAR figures for area hotels during the week of the convention. 

While Dallas hoteliers and downtown restaurants are expected to be the biggest winners from the convention, Davis said it could also help grow the city’s reputation with national and international visitors. That could lead to return trips or new business opportunities for the metro. 

“It’s also worth noting that economic development often begins with a visit,” Davis said. “Today’s visitors are potentially tomorrow’s talent and investment.”