When the GOP candidates for president debate in Myrtle Beach on January 16th, many of them will be attending another event as well.

The South Carolina Tea Party Convention will take place at the Springmaid Resort on January 15th and 16th.

Candidates Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann have agreed to speak, as well as South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Jim Demint among many others.

Convention organizer Joe Dugan who heads the Myrtle Beach Tea Party says it's a great opportunity to get various Tea Parties around the state together to share ideas.

Dugan says, "the Tea Parties were so successful in 2010 electing the great people we sent to Congress, that we're preparing now and we want to work even closer together, sharing resources for the 2012 election."

The event is not open to the public. However Dugan says around 500 Tea Party members from around the Palmetto State are expected to attend.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for these people who write back and forth and correspond on Facebook to meet each other face to face and place faces with names."