It’s being billed as second only to the Olympics when it comes to press coverage and economic impact. In just a few weeks, the Tampa Bay area will host the Republican National Convention.

But some critics say there’s no evidence that previous political conventions have paid off for local residents and some small businesses have yet to reap any dividends in Tampa.

And, RNC organizers have felt the sting of criticism that small businesses did not benefit when the big political party came to town in previous years.

So, the Tampa Bay Host Committee is working to change that perception and help small businesses get their piece of the pie. The Host Committee is also working with Bloomberg to set up special events during the RNC week that will partner local officials with CEOs and out-of-state business leaders to discuss future business ventures.