Convention-goers will spend $1600 according to this story, and friends of delegates ("unofficial guests") will spend $1700 on parties, restaurants, theater, hotels and other things while here in the Twin Cities. These numbers suggest, and I agree, that the convention will only be good for Minnesota's economy. There are a few skeptics however, but I don't think there cynicism will hold up this year:

Such estimates, however, don't always pan out. One analysis of the Democrats' 2004 convention in Boston found that the economic benefit was mostly eaten away by security costs, closed roads and lost business.

Larson said St. Paul won't shut down for security the way Boston did four years ago.

"If the Republicans have a contested primary and it goes all the way to the convention, I think you'll see the economic impact double," he said. "There's a potential to have a huge upside."

The Minnesota calculation is in line with estimates for the Aug. 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Spokesman Chris Lopez said the event is expected to bring an economic benefit of $160 million to $200 million. No comparable figures for convention-goers' expenses have been calculated there.