August 15, 2008

Event Organizers Prepare for Largest-Ever Online Convention Audience at DemConvention.com

DENVER - Continuing its commitment to making this year’s Convention the most open and technologically-savvy event of its kind, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today named Verizon the Official Web Hosting Provider for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, to be held August 25-28, in Denver. As the Official Web Hosting Provider, Verizon will supply Web hosting services for the DNCC’s official website, www.DemConvention.com.

“The way Americans use the Internet has changed dramatically since the last Presidential election cycle.  We’re now taking advantage of the most cutting-edge tools available to ‘bring down the walls’ and open up the Convention to more people than ever before,” said Aaron Myers, Director of Online Communications at the DNCC. “Verizon’s dependable hosting services will help ensure the sight and sounds of this historic Convention can be shared with people around the world.”

The DNCC is breaking new ground with the online experience offered to its Web site visitors in the lead-up to and during this year’s Convention. For the first time ever, the entire Convention will be streamed live, gavel to gavel, in HD-quality video on DemConvention.com. In addition, a live, Spanish-language simulcast will also be available, building on the Web site’s extensive Spanish-language content.

“As the DNCC expands its visibility to Internet users across the globe, Verizon is pleased to apply its world class hosting, Data Center management and security capabilities to help make this historic Convention a success,” said Verizon’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility Kathryn C. Brown.

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, more than 240,000 viewers visited the Official Convention website in the first 24 hours.  Convention organizers expect visits to the Web site to increase significantly during this year’s Convention due in part to the increased content and resources that will be made available, including the full text of speeches and video highlights from each night of the Convention.

The role of the Internet in the political process increases with each election cycle. According to a 2008 Pew Internet and the American Life Project poll, nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the Internet, almost double the percentage from a comparable point in the 2004 campaign (13%). Those numbers are much higher among young people – 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly learn about the campaign from the Internet, the highest percentage for any news source. In January 2004, just 20% of young people said they routinely got campaign news from the Internet.