2012 Site Selection Guidelines

NOTICE: 

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is accepting applications to host a 2012 presidential debate. The deadline to submit a proposal to host a debate is March 31, 2011.

Below is an overview of the requirements:

• A debate hall of at least 17,000 square feet that is air conditioned.
• A large parking area close to the debate hall for up to 30 television remote trucks, trailers and/or satellite trucks up to 53 feet in length.
• A media filing center, located either in the same facility as the debate hall or extremely close to the debate hall, that is a minimum of 20,000 square feet; this space must be air conditioned.
• A media parking lot, located approximately one-half to one mile away from the media filing center. The space should include parking for approximately 500 passenger vehicles.
• An accreditation center of at least 3,000 square feet, located approximately one-half to one mile away from the debate hall, with parking for up to 75 vehicles.
• A ticket distribution center, located approximately one-half to two miles away from the debate hall. The facility’s parking should allow for up to 600 vehicles.
• Availability of approximately 3,000 hotel rooms for the event, preferably located in a minimum of three hotels, with a maximum of seven hotels, within 30 minutes by car from the facilities.
• The event requires that host sites be located near adequate air and ground transportation networks.
• The CPD will need the host’s guarantee of complete city services, including public safety personnel.

Sites interested in applying to host a debate should contact the CPD at (202)872-1020 for complete site selection guidelines and an application.

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