How Denver Presented During the Convention: One Attendee's Opinion

A friend and colleague of mine was in Denver for the Democratic Convention as part of a corporate sponsorship. He is a well-traveled, highly energetic and intelligent middle management marketing executive for a technology-driven Fortune 50 Company who lives and works in Manhattan. I interviewed him on his impression of Denver and the region based on his experiences at the convention.

What follows are only one person's reactions, but I found them insightful in understanding how the city presented to visitors during the convention. Much of the information below is not new or groundbreaking but it does confirm commonly held assumptions about the Denver Metro Area and help highlight regions' strengths and weaknesses. Sentences in italics below are my thoughts/extensions based on my friend's feedback.

1) Freewheeling/Bikes Belong Partnership: The free bike-sharing program during the convention helped highlight the excellent bike paths and recreational opportunities (such as kayaking in the South Platte at Confluence Park) in and around downtown Denver. This program was very successful and reinforced Denver's reputation as an outdoor friendly city that promotes healthy lifestyles. The city should explore how to make this type of bike sharing program a permanent addition to the transportation landscape.

2) Downtown Walkability: Downtown Denver is very compact and walkable. Way finding signage directed at visitors was "pretty good" and "probably better than New York" but had room for improvement.

3) Restaurants: There were lots of steakhouses and brew pubs but the food was average and it was not that easy to find outstanding places to eat. The Metro Denver Convention and Visitor's bureau should consider handing out restaurant guides at DIA when big conventions are in town.

4) Infrastructure: Although Denver was very crowded with convention related people and activities, it felt like the city had a well developed, "modern" infrastructure capable of appropriately supporting the convention. Invesco Field at Mile High and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House stood out as particularly beautiful venues.

5) Light rail: My friend stayed in Centennial in a hotel which was a 15 minute walk to a light rail stop. He found the light rail provided a good connection to downtown although was slower than driving during off peak times. It was impressive that the light rail trains stayed on schedule despite the extra large crowds, something the New York subway does not manage to do. However, the walk within Centennial from the light rail station to the hotel crossed many busy streets and did not provide a pedestrian friendly environment. Remaking the wider Denver Region into a more transit friendly, walkable, bikable place will be an enormous undertaking. FasTracks is an important piece of this effort. However, the broader changes required, to streetscapes, the built environment and socio-cultural habits will not come quickly or easily but they are critically important to the region's long-term economic health.

6) Physical Geography and Climate: Denver was flatter than expected and the sun was really hot but the mountains provided a scenic backdrop and the light at dusk was particularly beautiful.

7) Hospitality of Local Residents: Denver is a friendly city. Locals regularly asked where visitors were coming from and suggested that they come back for another visit.

8) Convention Logistics: Overall the city and region did a "great job" with security and logistics. My friend was able to bypass the long lines at Invesco for the Obama acceptance speech because he had special visitor passes which provided expedited access. On Friday morning the security screening at DIA was smooth and efficient in spite of the large crowds.

9) Overall Impression: Denver came across as a well-developed, nice, livable, healthy city which did a very successful job of hosting the convention. The historic nature of the convention and the related activities exerted such a strong magnetic pull, that they drew much of the attention away from the city. Although he enjoyed his experiences in Denver, my Friend does not feel compelled to return as a tourist.