UPDATE: Check out this video from our forum in Colorado Springs

At a community forum last night in Colorado Springs, local residents and business people turned out to hear from Convention organizers about the historic regional opportunities presented by Denver’s hosting of the Convention. 

“Given the level of interest in this Convention, we’re expecting a larger turnout than previously anticipated. That means cities and towns beyond Denver have even more opportunities to benefit,” said DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry. “And since Labor Day weekend immediately follows the Convention, many Convention-goers will be looking to places like Colorado Springs to get some R&R.”

The event was the seventh in a series of ten community forums – “Convention Conversations: A Traveling Forum Sponsored by the DNCC” – which launched in Denver in September and has traveled to Pueblo, Boulder and Lakewood, Colorado; Las Vegas and Salt Lake City in recent months.

VIDEO: See coverage of the event from KOAA, the NBC affiliate in Colorado Springs.

After hitting the road and heading to Salt Lake City, Utah earlier this month, the DNCC’s traveling community forum series is back in Colorado. On Tuesday, April 29th at 5:30 pm MT at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs, DNCC CEO Leah D. Daughtry and Colorado State Senator John Morse (invited) will provide local residents and business people with the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and find out how they can take advantage of the historic regional opportunities presented by Denver’s hosting of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Last week, our Convention team headed west from Denver – to the “Crossroads of the West” otherwise known as Utah – for the sixth in our series of Convention Conversations forums in Salt Lake City. This week, we bring you the highlights in video. Enjoy!

It was just the greeting we had come to hear: "Welcome to the Rocky Mountains - the new frontier for the Democratic Party," said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker this morning from the stage at Memorial House, site of our sixth "Convention Conversations" forum. After DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry opened with an invitation for Salt Lake residents to participate in this historic Convention - through any number of avenues - Mayor Becker talked about the leadership that Democratic officials are offering at the federal, state and local levels across the region. He said he looked forward to the arrival of Democrats to Salt Lake's "sister city" of Denver and talked about the West's unique sense of place -- not felt in other parts of the country. After a series of thoughtful questions covering topics from the role of youth in the Convention to how we'll showcase leaders of the West and bring in others through technology to the best way to defeat "Senator 100 Years in Iraq," Mayor Becker presented Leah with a book on Salt Lake City and closed with some friendly words of city rivalry. "Be sure to remind your friends in Denver that once they're done there, they can come see a REAL mountain city." We'll do that, Mayor -- although no chance we're taking sides in this one. And thanks again for hosting us today!

UPDATE: Check out these articles about our visit to Salt Lake City!

As the enthusiasm continues to grow in the lead-up to the Convention in August, the DNCC’s traveling community forum series is hitting the road once again. On Friday, April 4th at 11:00 am MT, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon will join DNCC CEO Leah D. Daughtry at the Memorial House in Salt Lake City to provide Utahns with the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and find out how they can take advantage of the historic regional opportunities presented to local residents as the eyes of the world turn toward the Rocky Mountain West.

The local CBS affiliate in Denver trailed DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry last week for a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes in to preparations for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

We posted earlier this week about the fifth “Convention Conversations” community forum in Lakewood, Colorado.  If you couldn’t make it out on Monday, you can catch up on everything you missed right here at DemConvention.com, with video from DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry, U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter and the Q&A session that followed.

DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry talks about planning for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver and the ways in which the residents of Lakewood and surrounding communities can get involved.

U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter (CO-7) discusses his experiences at past Conventions and what Denver and Lakewood can expect from the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry and U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter answer Lakewood residents’ questions about the 2008 Democratic National Convention.  Topics include Convention speakers, housing, surrounding events and super delegates.

At our fifth community forum, DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry joined U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy and a great crowd of local Democrats and business owners in Lakewood, Colorado.  The speakers discussed the opportunities for economic benefit that the City of Lakewood faces in the run up to and during the 2008 Democratic National Convention and also outlined the many ways that Lakewood residents can become involved.  The forum took place in the new downtown Belmar area, a modern and attractive array of residences, restaurants and boutiques in Lakewood.  Leah and Congressman Perlmutter discussed the opportunities for the city as a destination for delegates and other guests during the Convention.  Click the video below to see a quick teaser of the “Convention Conversations” in Lakewood.  Additional video from the event will be available soon.  You can also see what the Associated Press had to say about the event here.



The “Convention Conversations” series was launched in Denver last September and has travelled to Pueblo, Boulder and Las Vegas in the past few months.  Blog entries and videos from past community forums can be found here.

On Monday, the “Convention Conversations” series returns to the Denver Metro area – featuring the DNCC’s own Leah Daughtry and 7th District Congressman Ed Perlmutter, who joins us today with a guest blog post...

I just want to take the time to invite people to come out to the DNCC Convention Conversation on Monday in Lakewood.   As the Representative from the 7th Congressional District, I want to encourage everyone to participate in this democratic process.  The Convention will be a way for our community to be a part of history, and to share our values and history with the world.  At the forum on Monday, we will talk about ways you can be involved with events surrounding the Convention, talk about the benefits to businesses and surrounding communities, learn more about who is going to be here and when they will be arriving, opportunities for students, and much more.  It’s a chance to ask questions and get them answered.  I’m excited our state and region has the chance to host this historic Convention.

Mark your calendar:

What: “Convention Conversations” Community Forum
Who:  DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry & U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter
Where: The Belmar Center in Lakewood - Map it
When: 11:30 a.m., Monday, March 3, 2008

Please RSVP to rsvp@demconvention.com, as space is limited.

After several months out on the road – traveling to Pueblo, Boulder and even over the state line to Las Vegas – the “Convention Conversations” community forum series returns to the Denver metro area on March 3rd, when 7th District Congressman Ed Perlmutter joins DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry at the Belmar Center in Lakewood.

After unprecedented turnout and enthusiasm around Colorado’s early caucuses, this latest “Convention Conversations” community forum will provide an opportunity to find out how you can get engaged in the next step of the political process: the 2008 Democratic National Convention right here in Denver. We welcome your questions and ideas on making the 2008 Convention the most exciting and successful yet.

Mark your calendar:

What: “Convention Conversations” Community Forum
Who:  DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry & U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter
Where: The Belmar Center in Lakewood - Map it
When: 11:30 a.m., Monday, March 3, 2008

Please RSVP to rsvp@demconvention.com, as space is limited.