MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee’s chances of hosting an NBA All-Star Game – something promised by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during the opening ceremony of Fiserv Forum in 2018 – could now be in jeopardy. Visit Milwaukee President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith joined Wis. Afternoon News and she said she remains hopeful
“I think that there’s still a chance. I would never rule Milwaukee out,” Williams-Smith said.
Our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal are reporting that the Bucks are seeking an exemption to remain eligible to host the All-Star Game, with Milwaukee not meeting several of the new requirements.
Those requirements include at least three five-star hotels, a convention center with at least 650,000 square feet of exhibition space and an airport offering 75 nonstop domestic flights and at least 20 international flights – none of which Milwaukee has.
Williams-Smith said that despite the lack of five-star hotels, that doesn’t mean there’s no luxury properties to stay at in Milwaukee.
“Five-star and five-diamond hotels are incredibly hard to find,” she said. “It is an incredibly hard list to make and most of the cities, even the big cities that have the big exhibition floors, three five-star hotels is a lot.”
Williams-Smith highlighted the Trade, which has an entire floor specifically designed for NBA players, as well as the Pfister and Saint Kate the Arts, both four-star hotels.
The Business Journal also reporting that Bucks did recently submit a bid to host the 2027 or 2028 NBA All-Star game.
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