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Convention Center Expected To Play A Big Role During 2016 DNC

By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The 2016 Democratic National Convention will be held in the Wells Fargo Center, but city officials expect the Pennsylvania Convention Center to get a lot of use.

Jack Ferguson with the Pennsylvania Convention and Vistors Bureau says while the sports arena will be center-stage, the Convention Center will play a big role.

"It's the networking and all of the politicking that goes on in and around the venues in center city. So it's the ideal logistical location for everybody," he says.

Ferguson says he doesn't expect moving attendees between the convention center or downtown hotels to be an issue.

"We can turn Broad Street going south and move everybody from Center City to the venue in about 5-7 minutes," he says.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center nearly doubled its usable space with the expansion in 2011, says CEO John McNichol.

"We imagine that we're going to have several caucus meetings in the center, we also -- if Gov. Rendell has his way -- we'll have this enormous political fan fest which will be opened to the public," he says.

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