Novi Highlighted by Michigan Presidential Primary

The eyes of the nation turned to Novi on the evening of Feb. 28 as those following the GOP presidential race watched Gov. Mitt Romney celebrate winning the Michigan primary. 

Romney held his at in Novi, making it the first presidential primary event the showplace has hosted.

Showplace owner Blair Bowman said that hosting the event was a great opportunity.

“It really spotlighted Novi and Oakland County and Southeastern Michigan and even captured national interest there for a while,” he said.

With just a few weeks to prepare, Bowman said it was a challenge to organize, but was happy that the event went smoothly. 

“The organization of things from the media, all of the people coming in from all over the country, was kind of a spectacular thing to see,” he said. “I looked at my parking lot and I harken back to the scene from ET where all the tents are set up and all the big trucks and lights. It was really very surreal.”

Novi Mayor Bob Gatt said that hosting the rally at the Showplace was a big feather in Novi’s cap.

“Regardless of your politics … it’s great to know that a large gathering like those can take place in Novi and that we are prepared for anything that is a result of having that many people in our city,” Gatt said.

Gatt said he was also awed by the amount of attention the rally drew to Novi.

“When I pulled in to that Showplace the day of the Romney event, I was just flabbergasted to see – what was there, seriously, over a hundred TV trucks? – and everywhere I saw on television, it made me very, very proud and happy to be the mayor of such a great and important city,” he said.

The Showplace has had other political events throughout the years for all different parties and purposes, Bowman said. The Showplace also hosted the on Feb. 16, which quickly grew to 1,400 attendees, including Gov. Rick Snyder and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

Gatt attended both the Romney rally and the Lincoln Day Dinner. He said he spoke to both Snyder and Santorum, who both raved about Novi and the facility.

“Novi is becoming an important player in all these events and we should all be very proud and very happy about that fact,” Gatt said.