Hosting Mayors Conference Lets Dallas Showcase the City

North Texas mayors are hoping success hosting a national conference will help win positive attention.

Dallas is competing with four other cities, Cleveland, Denver and Kansas City, to host the 2016 Republican National Convention.

However, this weekend, the city is hosting the annual meeting of the US Conference of Mayors at the Omni Hotel.

Mayor Mike Rawlings has called the weekend a chance to showcase the city and the DFW area.

Other local mayors agree.

"We all win if we all work together," said Mayor Robert Cluck of Arlington. "Any time we can show off this Metroplex, we're winners."

Cluck, attending the conference himself, says he's had a chance to show off the booming North Texas economy, as well as hosting an evening at AT&T Stadium in his home city.

While their days are mostly spent in workshops and sessions, the mayors have also taken opportunities to tour Dallas destinations like Klyde Warren Park, the Continental Avenue Bridge, the Perot Museum and more.

"Dallas has been fabulous, you've rolled out the red carpet," said Mary Ann Lutz, mayor of Monrovia, a Southern California city with a population around 38,000 people.

While hundreds of city leaders is a far cry from the tens of thousands of delegates, journalists and others who would attend a political convention, the weekend may still be Dallas' last chance to showcase its city to a national audience before the GOP committee narrows down or makes its decision, possibly as soon as this coming week.

Cluck tells NBC 5 there is "optimism" among his local colleagues that Dallas can make the cut. "I'd be disappointed if they don't get this," he said.

The conference of mayors continues through Monday.

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