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.

Ten Observations About Denver During the Convention

Here are ten of my observations, from a vantage point on the east coast, about how the Denver Region came across during the convention and how the region was/will be impacted by this historic event:

1) As a native Coloradan from the Denver Region, I took tremendous pride that Denver was able to successfully host the 2008 Democratic Convention.

2) I am very relieved that there were no major negative surprises which occurred during the event. The tornado in Parker on Monday was in inauspicious beginning.

3) Denver came across very well in the television and print media coverage. I was surprised by how few shots there were of the Rocky Mountains and how many there were of the bustling urban cityscape. I wonder how much of this was planned by city officials and how much was based on organic, independent decisions by the media outlets. There were also numerous mentions of Colorado's sunny weather and natural beauty from Bill Hemmer, Tom Brokaw and other national media figures.

4) I loved the MSNBC set which used day and night views of Union Station and the "Travel by Train" sign and the contextualism of the Gates headquarters building as an exciting urban backdrop.

5) All the public investments in downtown Denver - the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field at Mile High, the light rail, the convention center and the Hyatt hotel, the Hamilton wing of the Denver Art Museum - really paid dividends during the convention week.

6) In addition to the short-term economic bump, there will be a hard to measure but real flow of benefits to the Denver Region and Colorado from this convention. This will happen slowly over time in the years and decades to come in terms of brand awareness and an increase in Denver's global profile, in-migration, job attraction, tourism, capital flows and in other unknown ways.

7) I loved the fact that the football stadium's spiritually true name "Mile High Stadium" rolled off politicians and media members' tongues so much more frequently than "Invesco Field" did.

8) The City of Denver will be forever linked with a great American historic milestone - the nomination of the first African American for the office of President of the United States by a major political party.

9) Colorado's emerging green energy cluster is perfectly poised for rapid growth, particularly if Barack Obama wins the presidential election and channels $150 billion over the next ten years toward alternative energy development.

10) Both the Pepsi Center and particularly Invesco Field at Mile High came across as incredible venues.

National Perceptions of Denver During the Convention: THE DALLSAS MORNING NEWS

The Dallas Morning News emphasizes the similarity between "Big D" and "the Mile High City" and quotes Tom Clark:

"Hosting what's effectively the Democratic Party's Olympics all the more bolsters their hopes of a Barack Obama Rocky Mountain high come November.

Local chamber of commerce types are viewing the 2008 convention as a stage from which to trumpet to the nation that it's no longer a dusty Western outpost but a business-minded metropolis, both urban and urbane, boasting world-class recreational amenities.

Indeed, not everyone here wears cowboy boots. And despite its sports teams' monikers – Broncos, Nuggets – Denver isn't exactly brimming with wild horses and prospectors.

Stereotypes us Dallasites might appreciate, eh?

'The most comments I get about Denver being a cow town is from people in Denver,' said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.

'What's similar about Dallas and Denver is both cities building reputations nationally and internationally as technology hubs with great industries, great airports, cultural venues. We're both very optimistic communities with a hopeful vision for the future.'"

National Perceptions of Denver During the Convention: THE NEW YORK TIMES

The New York Times has had a number of articles about Denver and Colorado in the run up to the convention.

A discussion of the emerging art scene in the mile-high city:

"Denver is hoping to declare its emerging artistic identity to the world next week when the gaze of the global news media and political power turns on the city. Audio tours of public artworks like “The Yearling,” gallery show invitations packed into delegates’ welcome bags, and convention business meetings at the Denver Art Museum are cornerstones of the effort.

With that declaration comes a kind of unveiling of the city itself and its still young culture of antic playfulness, abundant sunshine and active outdoor life. The art that has matured in such a place might well have a message and lots to say, city artists say, but there’s no sense getting all sturm und drang about it."

The newspaper also had an earlier, slightly snarky, travel article about top things for visitors to do in Denver:

"THE shifting political landscape of the American West, where Democrats hope to make significant gains in several battleground states this fall, helped sell Denver as the site of the party’s national convention, Aug. 25 to 28. But as easy as this city may be to navigate — you can practically see from one end to the other, it’s that flat — Denver’s political and social landscapes can still be tough for outsiders to read. With a convention that has already been beset by cost overruns and a severe cutback on pomp, some delegates may find it hard to see the gold here without first striking the surface. Still, as Molly Brown would attest, it’s worth packing a pickax."

National Perceptions of Denver During the Convention: THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE & AP

AP's take on Denver in the run up to the convention as published in The San Francisco Chronicle:

"Like a Cinderella deciding to pass up the ball, Denver said no thanks to an invitation in 1976 to host the Olympic Games. Now the Mile High City is off to the dance of the Democrats, a party pooper no more.

Nervous about the logistics, short on money, excited to show its sophisticated side, proud but a little touchy about its Western past, Denver is as ready as it's going to be for the Democratic National Convention...

...Denver is determined to drive home the Mountain West's importance in the presidential election and show off its stature as a cosmopolitan area of 2.4 million — one riding an oil and gas boom and strong in telecommunications, aerospace, agriculture and renewable energy."

DNC Welcome Statements from Ritter and Hickenlooper

See excerpts below of the DNC Welcome Statements, loaded with economic development significance, from two key Colorado political leaders:

Governor Ritter

"We are attracting new companies, adding new jobs and creating new economic opportunities in every corner of Colorado as we become a global leader in renewable energy. New companies from places like Denmark and Spain are opening major facilities in Colorado. Startup businesses are spinning off from our research hubs, and existing companies are expanding.

We are marrying our traditional energy resources - including our vast supplies of natural gas - with alternative sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. Last year alone, we quadrupled the amount of wind power on our electric grid, providing enough new and clean electricity for 250,000 homes.

Colorado is guiding America toward a more secure and a more diverse energy future thanks to research giants like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden and the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory. The New Energy Economy, along with our overall business-friendly climate, is a key reason that Colorado is considered one of the best states in America to do business.

The New Energy Economy also is just one example of how Colorado and the New West are leading America and creating opportunities out of today's challenges. We are making similar advances in aerospace, bioscience and other knowledge-based industries of the future.

Colorado's tech sector was recently ranked No. 3 in the country thanks to our high concentration of tech workers, scientists and college-educated residents. We're home to the second-highest percentage of residents with college degrees in the United States.

We also boast the second-highest number of aerospace workers in the country, thanks in part to companies like Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance and many of the defense contractors that do work with our myriad military installations. Colorado is a foundation for our national security and home to six major military installations. More than 50,000 military personnel and their families live and work in Colorado.

Our bioscience and medical research community also is thriving in places like Aurora, Boulder and Fort Collins, with new discoveries, new hope and new possibilities emerging almost daily."

Mayor Hickenlooper.

"The energy and opportunities of the New West will be visible on the world stage - affirming the Rocky Mountain region's importance to America's political, economic and cultural landscape.

From sustainability to inclusiveness, geography to technology, regional synergy to our Mile High energy - this convention in Denver will be like no other....

...already, metro Denver has received more national and international media exposure in the first seven months of this year than in any full year in our history - invaluable both for our tourism industry and economic development prospects...

...For Denver as a city, this is not about partisanship. We would make the exact same efforts had the Republicans chosen to host their convention here. Regardless of political affiliation, we can all embrace the opportunity that his convention affords our city, our region and our country."

Both men hit the nail squarely on the head in my opinion.

National Perceptions of Denver During the Convention: THE LA TIMES

A few weeks ago The Los Angeles Times had this story about Denver's plans for the convention.
See excerpt below:

"In the last decade, Denver has built an immense airport, now the world's 11th busiest. It revived its faded downtown, now speckled with clubs, restaurants and condos, with a new wing on its art museum designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. It has invested in a $6-billion project to build 119 miles of light rail."

From July 28, 2008 article, "Democratic Convention Brings Challenges to Denver," in The LA Times on Denver's preparations for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

After reading the whole story, do I detect a note of envy that Denver will be hosting this historic event?

National Perceptions of Denver During the Convention: THE ECONOMIST

During the Democratic Convention (and the countdown period before the event), I am going to post excerpts of and links to articles in national publications about Denver and Colorado. My goal is to help understand how the convention coverage portrays and shapes the Denver Region's global brand and reputation. Here is a piece from the August 7th issue of The Economist, a weekly news magazine published out of the United Kingdom, titled "Beer and Snowballs."


"This year will be even better—and greener. Delegates can cruise around on 1,000 bicycles. A fleet of convention cars will run on 'waste-beer' ethanol provided by a local brewery. And the city centre will be covered with recycling bins and reusable water bottles. Organisers promise 'an historic event'."

Best Foot Forward at DIA

At DIA they are doing a good job of putting Colorado's best foot forward for the Convention as detailed in yesterday's Post.

Anticipating Wild Card Events in Planning for the 2008 Denver Democratic National Convention

As everyone knows, Metro Denver is preparing to host the Democratic National Convention (http://www.demconvention.com/) from August 25 to 28 2008. Back in July 2007 I blogged about the opportunities and risks for Metro Denver of hosting this event (http://aviewoftherockies.blogspot.com/2007/07/con.html).

Since my blog entry back then, as the campaign season has evolved, several ideas have come into clearer focus for me. The convention will be a historic and exciting event and, for the reasons discussed below, is likely to attract more than a normal convention's share of global attention. With the certainty that the Democrats will nominate either the first female or first African American major party candidate for President of the United States, the campaign season is shaping up to have a landmark, historic atmosphere. Voter turnout in Democratic primaries and caucuses has been tremendously high.

The competition between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the nomination is intense and is very likely to be closely fought until late into the primary season. There is a strong chance that neither candidate will have enough pledged delegates from primary and caucus results to obtain a majority of total delegates and decide the nomination. This means that votes from super delegates, party officials and grandees who are not chosen by the primary voters, would be required for either candidate to achieve a majority of total delegates and secure the nomination. This could lead to a tense and acrimonious convention. There is even the remote possibility of a brokered convention where neither candidate has enough support to clinch the nomination in the first round of voting. These types of scenarios would drive interest in the convention even higher and could lead thousands more people to descend on Denver than are currently being planned for.

Already there are large contingents of anarchists, antiglobalization advocates and other similar groups with names like "Recreate 68" and "Unconventional Action" who are planning to stage protests, demonstrations and disruptions in Denver. See for example this article in Westword (http://www.westword.com/2008-01-24/news/anarchists-stalk-democratic-convention).

Given the very high profile nature of this convention and the likely accompanying street level theatrics surrounding the event, the stakes and risks are unbelievably high and growing for Metro Denver. The region has to "thread the needle" by staging a safe, secure and exciting convention that allows the Democratic Nominee to shine and that showcases Metro Denver to the world in positive light while at the same time making sure that security enforcement and police action are not too heavy-handed and do not trample legitimate free speech. This excellent blog entry from Colorado Confidential (http://coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=05CFFC53FD194861C44651A13BFC01FC?diaryId=3338) discusses the approaches taken by Boston and New York for the 2004 Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Denver clearly has less historical experience than New York or Boston in hosting these types of high profile events.

I understand that the City of Denver is reaching out to near-by police jurisdictions for help providing extra police officers during the convention. (http://cbs4denver.com/local/police.denver.convention.2.560924.html). Securing extra police is a great first step. But the city needs to make sure that it adequately forecasts all possible risks and contingencies by engaging top level law enforcement officials, intelligence agencies, security experts and risk planners. In addition to high probability scenarios, officials need to brainstorm possible wild cards which can be defined as "low probability high-impact events which happen quickly" (See Out of the Blue How to Anticipate Big Future Surprises by John L Peterson, p. 4). Examples of possible wild cards include acts of nature, civil unrest, infrastructure sabotage or terrorist attacks. By their very nature, wild cards are extremely difficult to anticipate and plan for.

Planning miscalculations, lack of contingency options or failures to respond with nimbleness to rapidly evolving events during the convention could have catastrophic consequences for the perception of Denver by people around the world. This convention is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Denver Metro Area and planners have to ensure that it has a positive impact on the global perception of the region.

A National Media Triple Play for Denver in 2007

The Metro Denver Area has achieved a national media triple play in 2007 with three big media events each showcasing a different dimension of the Mile High City's character:

• The year started out with a bang when Denver was chosen over New York to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention 100 years after the last time the city hosted a national political convention (see my July 18, 2007 blog entry on the opportunities and risks of the hosting the Democratic Nation Convention http://aviewoftherockies.blogspot.com/2007/07/con.html).
• Then in the early Summer, Georgia resident, Andrew Speaker, who was infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis (TB), was brought to Denver's world-famous National Jewish hospital for treatment.
• Finally, the Rockies are in the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Denver's selection as host city for 2008 Democratic Nation Convention helps solidify the "Queen City of the Plains' " role as the "Capital of the Rocky Mountain Empire," the eight interior western states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Nevada. In 2004 these states, which represent 44 electoral votes, all voted for George Bush but they are emerging as potentially key swing states which could help decide future presidential elections. This convention, the resulting media attention and the anticipated competitiveness of the Rocky Mountain Region in the 2008 Presidential Election are likely to dramatically raise the Metro Area's national and international profile, increase the region's national political influence, and showcase the exciting changes and new construction which have come to downtown Denver in recent times.

When Andrew Speaker was sent to Denver's National Jewish Hospital (http://www.njc.org/), it helped profile Denver's role as a center for high tech research and innovation and world class scientific resources. For several weeks there were regular reports on the national broadcast and cable networks live from National Jewish Hospital with press conferences being held by National Jewish Hospital Doctors on Mr. Speaker's condition. Hospital Doctors even corrected the diagnosis, originally provided by the Centers for Disease Control, of the precise strand of TB Mr. Speaker was suffering from. The fact that National Jewish Hospital was widely reported to be the best respiratory hospital in the world and the preferred location for treating the worst forms of TB was a tremendous prestige boost for the Denver Metro Area.

Finally, the Rockies surge to the World Series highlights Denver's position as a sports town par excellence and a very exciting place to live and do business in. The metro area is one of only 13 such areas to have a professional sports “grand slam” with teams in each of the four major leagues. Metro Denver has the smallest population of any metro area with a grand slam. Additionally, the Mile High City is one of only four cities which have a team from each league located within the city’s municipal border. The three main sports venues in Denver --Invesco Field at Mile High, the Pepsi Center, and Coors Field are all located within a few miles of each other in a compact area near the Central Business District. The Rockies and their home venue Coors Field symbolize Denver's emergence as a "major league city" and the provided an economic catalyst for the redevelopment and revitalization of Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo).

Consider for a moment the professional sports contests being hosted over a five day period in Denver starting this Saturday October 27:

• Saturday October 27, Game 3 of the World Series, Rocks v. Sox, (national TV Fox);
• Sunday October 28, Game 4 of the World Series, Rocks v Sox, (national TV Fox) and Colorado Avalanche v. Minnesota Wild (local TV);
• Monday October 29, Game 5 of the World Series, if required (national TV Fox), & Denver Broncos v. Green Bay Packers (national TV ESPN Monday Night Football);
• Tuesday October 30, no games in Denver
• Wednesday October 31, Denver Nuggets v. Seattle Supersonics (national TV ESPN).

Over the five days between October 27 and October 31, there are six different games occuring in Denver, featuring all four Denver major professional sports teams, of which 5 are being shown on national telecasts. The highlight, Monday October 28, could see downtown Denver filled with more than 126,500 ticket holders and countless thousands of partying fans as the Rockies and the Red Socks and the Broncos and Packers play simultaneous nationally televised World Series and Monday Night Football games. This could turn out to be the single greatest night of live sports ever in Denver and the greatest five day stretch. Thank goodness for the breather on Tuesday October 30 before the Nuggets complete the stretch.