The room filled up quickly. When the Charlotte Chamber announced the “DNC 2012: Charlotte’s Kickoff” event — featuring convention executives and local leaders — that was all it took for the community to turn out with questions. What will it mean for my business? Will there be opportunities to volunteer? Are student internships available? Is the fundraising effort on track?

At Central Piedmont Community College on Tuesday, representatives of public relations and marketing firms mingled with caterers and event planners. (About 150 from the region turned out.) Fifteen months out, the DNC team has already moved to town. After this week’s give and take, Steve Kerrigan — the CEO of the 2012 Democratic National Convention — knows that’s a wise move. Kerrigan, who led the host committee for the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, shared the stage with Mayor Anthony Foxx; Dan Murrey, executive director of the host committee; former Mayor Harvey Gantt, who has talked with organizers of past host cities, and the event’s moderator, Charlotte Chamber president Bob Morgan.

All the panelists talked about the “legacy” of the prestige event, what it will mean for the image of the city after 2012. It’s already having an impact with other groups once skeptical but now convinced that Charlotte can handle large conferences, said Murrey.

But before, during and after the event, Colette Forrest of People's Voice Management Group Inc., a small planning and marketing firm, expressed her concern that “these guys play fair with African-American involvement” in convention business opportunities. “I know that Anthony Foxx gets it,” she said. “I don’t know if these other people do.”

After the hour-long presentation, Kerrigan assured her that diversity is a “huge part of what we’re doing.” He told me the DNC’s commitment has been “consistent.” Forrest told me she will wait for more details, as will others looking for opportunities.

Southern hospitality aside, when it comes to business, Charlotte means business.

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter. http://twitter.com/mcurtisnc3.

Will the first question about everything that happens in Charlotte now be, “How will this affect the convention?” Let’s hope not.

After fights that escalated in Uptown over Memorial Day weekend left one man dead, another wounded and 70 under arrest, the city is understandably concerned. (A suspect has turned himself in to police.) Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Rodney Monroe has said the police were in control — though Uptown merchants and visitors are more cautious as they look to the next large gathering — and the city is considering stricter curfews since many in the crowd appeared underage and unaccompanied by adults.

The incident would probably have made national news reports even if the 2012 Democratic Convention weren’t settling in Charlotte for a week. But the fact that Charlotte won that prize means each hometown event — the good, the bad and the violent — will be news. When videotaped crowds fill streets near the Transportation Center, across from Time Warner Cable arena, home base for the convention, expect to see it all splashed on the Drudge Report. There will be reassurances and attacks and political posturing.

Yes, something needs to be done, but unless the city figures out a way to confront and solve its problems without first worrying “what will the neighbors think,” the result could be civic paralysis.

In a conversation last week, Mayor Anthony Foxx said, “I understand why one has to ask the question.” But he went on to say, “Over the next year and a half, there are going to be lots of things that happen — many of them good and occasionally some that we would rather not have. And if every time we have a situation we look over our shoulder and say what does this mean for the Democratic National Convention, it takes our eye off the ball.

“We didn’t sign up to stop improving our public safety or our transportation system or any of the other services we provide to our citizens,” Foxx said. “What we signed up for was focusing the country on a city that figures out ways to solve problems,” he said, “and we will do that. But it doesn’t mean we will stop working on the problems we have.”

Of course, to do that, Charlotte citizens will have to care less about what others think and concentrate on the kind of city they want to have — both before the Democrats arrive and long after they leave.

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter. http://twitter.com/mcurtisnc3.

On Tuesday, President Obama issued a proclamation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month that saluted the “story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law.” His statement said, in part: “Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” The statement listed “significant progress” his administration has made toward that goal, including his signing the repeal of the military’s "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

On Wednesday, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in her statement: “This Pride Month, we recommit to this struggle for equality as we strive to finally make injustice and inequality things of the past.”

Last Wednesday, Mitchell Gold expressed his views on how the two political parties are doing. Gold is not too fond of Republican policy on equality for the LGBT community. But he doesn’t give the Democrats a pass. The North Carolina furniture manufacturer and gay rights activist thinks the Democratic convention in 2012 provides a perfect opportunity for the party to take a stand.

As keynote speaker at the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund 4th Annual Happening, Gold called on Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and President Barack Obama — both Democrats — to say: “’Yes, we are the party of equality.’” Gold acknowledged that last week’s event featuring community and business leaders was not a scene he could have imagined when he was a young, gay man finding his way in middle-class New Jersey. But he said the country and North Carolina have far to go toward LGBT equality.

He called attention to N.C. Senate bill 106/House bill 777 that would amend the state’s constitution to recognize as valid only marriage between a man and a woman and urged the crowd gathered at the Omni hotel to contact Senate leader Phil Berger and House speaker Thom Tillis of Mecklenburg County. Opponents fear the bills would take away rights already available to some couples. Gold noted that his longtime union is recognized in the heartland state of Iowa but not in North Carolina, the home of his business Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams in Taylorsville for more than 20 years.

He said there are “two kinds of Republicans,” those who emphasize lower taxes and national security and those who focus on social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage. When a Republican friend assured Gold that he stood in the first camp, Gold said he replied, “Don’t do me any favors.” His advice? “Go change your party.”

In 2005, Gold founded Faith in America to fight the “religion-based bigotry” that he said particularly harms vulnerable teens. He also edited the 2008 book Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America.

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcurtisnc3.

Away we go!

It seemed so far away, when the Democratic National Committee in February named Charlotte as the site of the party’s 2012 convention. Well, it turns out September 2012 is closer than you think. If you live in Charlotte and just started making plans, you’re already behind — unless, that is, you’ve decided to leave town and make some money renting out to visitors.

I think I’ll stay, maybe because after covering the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver, I know the political theater will be irresistible. I’m starting out early, with regular reports for Creative Loafing — from Washington, the region and Charlotte — on the important and the quirky. I’ll have some opinions, too.

Kevin Monroe will leave Mayor Anthony Foxx’s office to serve as deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach. Former County Commissioner Dan Murrey had previously been named executive director of the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee. Charlotte architect and former Mayor Harvey Gantt had been asked by current Mayor Foxx to research "best practices" of previous national conventions in preparation for Charlotte’s turn in the international spotlight.

And, of course, you will be hearing a lot more from Foxx, whose efforts helped bring the convention to Charlotte. At the same time, he faces other challenges. "As mayor of this city, I've still got to lead it," he told me just after the DNC chose Charlotte. "It's a matter of not getting seduced by the flashbulbs and staying true to the things I got into this office to do.”

The 2008 event transformed Denver. Political and entertainment celebrities gathered for seminars, parties and face time. I attended a very serious reading of historical documents featuring Josh Brolin and Rosario Dawson, a not-so-serious party where Sean Penn was the most famous and most casually dressed (it always works out that way), and interviewed future First Lady Michelle Obama the day after her speech to the convention crowd.

Now, Charlotte, the ultimate put-on-a-show city, gets a world-class chance. It’s exactly what it wished for, and — if nothing else — it will be a wild ride. Stay tuned ...

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter. http://twitter.com/mcurtisnc3

For those of you who purchase domain names on the Internet or design websites, this news will probably make you laugh. For everyone else, this is exactly why hosting companies encourage you to buy .org, .info, .biz, etc.

The host committee for the Democratic National Committee's upcoming convention probably fielded the same decision. They could have bought Charlottein2012.org, but they didn't. Larry Bumgarner did. So, while Charlottein2012.com is the DNC's cheerleader site, Bumgarner's .org site is, ummm ... definitely not.

Bumgarner, by the way, also runs CharlotteLightRail.com, MintHill.org (which redirects from LarryBumgarner.com) ... and who knows what else. He classifies himself as an unaffiliated independent voter and he recently lost a bid for county council.

And, apparently, he's none too thrilled about the DNC coming to town.

At Charlottein2012.org (where the tag line is "Charlotte, the remnants of a fine place to live."), there are pages like "The NAACP doesn't want you," "Light Rail Facts" and even a place where you can "make arrangements to join others for your protests here and book early."

You can check out the rest for yourself.

Now, has everyone learned their lesson about buying domain names?

Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.

The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte is celebrating the 2012 Democratic National Convention by letting you sample drinks and giving you parking for your hybrid car. Yesterday, the swanky hotel announced its Red, White, Blue and Green package.

According to a company release, from now up until the Democratic National Convention, couples can come stay, sample drinks and munchies at Urban Sip (the hotel's wine and scotch bar) and more.

Underlining the LEED® Gold-certified hotel’s commitment to sustainability in travel, Red, White, Blue and Green will feature overnight accommodations and a deluxe wine and cheese experience in the hotel’s popular new Urban Sip Wine and Scotch Bar. Located on the AAA Five Diamond property’s 15^th floor and providing spectacular views of Charlotte, the new Urban Sip serves the Carolinas’ largest selection of premium wines by the glass, as well as the city’s largest menu of Scotches.

Flights for two of both red and white wines and a flight of artisanal bleu cheeses will highlight the Urban Sip portion of the Red, White, Blue and Green package. Adding a touch of green to the experience, package guests driving an electric or hybrid car will receive included overnight hotel parking.

Offered Thursday through Saturday evenings from today until the Convention, and based upon availability, Red, White, Blue and Green at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is priced from $269 per couple per night and includes:

• Deluxe weekend accommodations for one night
• Red, White and Blue wine and cheese flight for two at Urban Sip
• Overnight parking for a hybrid or electric car

Reservations may be made at 800-241-3333, at http://www.ritzcarlton.com, or through a travel professional.