The selection means Salt Lake will play host to a team from the Republican National Committee in the spring that will review the site, one of four or five cities the team will visit. The RNC is expected to make its final pick by late April or early May.
"It's going to be exciting. Just to have them come here and give them the big show is very beneficial for Salt Lake," said Jeff Hartley, chairman of the bid committee assembled by Gov. Gary Herbert. "We expect to show them why the world had such a great experience during the Olympic Games and what the greater Salt Lake area has to offer."
Salt Lake's representatives were in Washington in November to express the city's interest in competing to host the convention and was one of about a dozen cities invited to bid. Cities such as Tampa, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Antonio, Houston and Indianapolis were believed to be in the running as well.
As of early Saturday, it was unclear which other cities the selection committee had selected as finalists.
"It's hard to know who else we're competing against, but without question what we have to offer will be unique," Hartley said.
The finalists have a briefing with the site selection committee scheduled for Monday during which they will learn more about the process and competitors.
The city likely will put together a selection host committee made up of Utah dignitaries to host the RNC team when they come to town.
Two weeks ago, Utah Jazz owner Greg Miller and Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau President Scott Beck met with RNC chairman Michael Steele and his staff to formally submit the city's bid.
At the time, Beck was upbeat about the presentation.
Both Democratic mayors of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, Ralph Becker and Peter Corroon, wrote letters endorsing the bid.
An estimated 45,000 people, including 15,000 media, attended the 2008 Republican convention in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., and rented some 16,000 hotel rooms, according to the Minnesota host committee.
The prospect of Mitt Romney -- a Mormon and favorite of Utah Republicans -- again being in the running for the White House likely wouldn't affect the chances of the convention behind held in the city that is the worldwide headquarters of the church, according to one GOP official.
David Norcross, who ran the 2004 GOP Convention in New York City, said earlier this month that the site will be selected long before the party's nominee, so the candidates involved likely won't affect the outcome of the bid.
"We're going to pick the site long before we pick Mitt," said Norcross, who worked on the Romney campaign in 2008.
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