CLEVELAND (April 11, 2016) – The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee will hold a casting call for area residents interested in being considered to appear on temporary signage that will welcome visitors to Cleveland for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Global Center for Health Innovation, only 200 tickets will be available, beginning at 8:45 a.m., for those interested in being photographed that day.

Participants will be asked to sign a waiver agreeing to the terms of the photo shoot:

• Participants must be 18 years or older and a resident of Cuyahoga or the contiguous counties (Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage, Geauga, Lake).
• Participants will not be allowed to select the image they would like us to use.
• There are no guarantees that the participant will be selected for the campaign.

In addition, participants should note the following:

• Participants will be photographed in the order in which they arrive. Please come prepared to stand in line until your ticket number is called; consider bringing light refreshments.
• Only one person will appear in each image.
• Participants will be asked to provide their name, home address, email address and their career/profession/favorite role in life for possible inclusion on the signage. Participants should wear an outfit that is consistent with that role.
• Participants are not permitted to wear logos, branding or messages of any kind. Solid colors other than white are best; please avoid patterns or bright colors.
• Participants must agree to a background check if selected for final use (consistent with any Host Committee recruitment effort).
• Parking is available throughout the area – including meters and paid lots and garages.

The resident images will be featured in the Host Committee's recently released signage campaign dubbed "We the people welcome you to Cleveland." The intent is to highlight one of the many strengths of Cleveland – its people – by including the faces of everyday Clevelanders as a way to personify the city and the welcoming nature of the community.

"We are really excited to invite the community to take part in welcoming the thousands of visitors who will attend the Convention," said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. "Hosting this event presents us with the unique opportunity to showcase our community to the world, and it cannot be done correctly without highlighting the city's greatest asset, our people."

The Host Committee will review the images of all 200 participants and select the headshots of approximately 50 residents to be used on 200 of the 500 street pole banners in both Downtown Cleveland and University Circle. Images selected will be representative of the diversity of the Cleveland community.

Those who are selected for the campaign will be notified in late April. Signage will be installed in the weeks leading up to the Convention and will be removed following the event. 

To learn more about Cleveland 2016 Host Committee or to keep up-to-date on new developments and information, please visit www.2016cle.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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ABOUT CLEVELAND 2016 HOST COMMITTEE
The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee, Inc. is an Ohio nonprofit corporation with no political affiliation that is responsible for organizing, hosting and funding the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Their mission is to promote Northeast Ohio and ensure Cleveland is best represented in addition to lessening the burden of local governments in hosting the 2016 Republican National Convention.  For more information visit www.2016cle.com.