April 29, 2008

Lt. Governor O'Brien, State Senator Morse and Convention CEO Leah Daughtry Answer Questions, Offer Information on Convention for Colorado Springs Residents, Business Community

COLORADO SPRINGS - Just four months before the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today held its seventh in a series of community forums focused on engaging citizens throughout the Rocky Mountain West in the Convention experience. Colorado Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien and State Senator John Morse joined DNCC CEO Leah D. Daughtry to answer questions, offer information and discuss opportunities for Colorado Springs residents to get involved and for business owners to see economic benefits around the four-day event in August.

"The Democratic National Convention wants to focus the world's attention on the New West. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Pikes Peak region to share the spotlight in an historic moment and highlight how important the New West is to our global economy," said Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien.

"The Democratic National Convention promises to be a huge boon to Colorado's economy and I'm excited about potentially bringing some of that business to Colorado Springs," said State Sen. John Morse.

The series - "Convention Conversations: A Traveling Forum Sponsored by the DNCC" - launched in Denver in September and has traveled to Pueblo, Boulder and Lakewood, Colo. in recent months. In addition to forums in Colorado, the series has also traveled to Las Vegas, Nev. and Salt Lake City, Utah. The community forums are designed to provide residents throughout the Denver area and the Rocky Mountain West with opportunities for direct communication with top Convention organizers and a venue to ask questions, share ideas and find out how they can get involved in the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

"If you've seen the news reports, you know we're expecting as many as 50,000 people to be in Denver for this historic event," said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. "After four exciting days at the Convention, many of these attendees will be actively seeking things to do and places to visit beyond Denver over Labor Day weekend. With the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods and the Broadmoor all in the area, Colorado Springs will undoubtedly be a top attraction for the days after our business in Denver is done. I'd encourage all area business owners to keep the three-day weekend in mind while planning outreach to the thousands of guests we'll be hosting for Convention week."

While several Colorado Springs area businesses and attractions have already started to market themselves, Convention organizers said they aim to put forth tools and information to help even more local business owners help themselves in making the most of this Convention. Daughtry pointed to the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee's online vendor directory - available at www.denverconvention2008.com - as one such tool to help business owners connect with opportunities associated with the Convention.  More than 50 Colorado Springs area businesses, including printing shops, transportation services and local hotels, have already registered on the site.

Daughtry also encouraged businesses to engage in direct marketing to organizations that traditionally attend conventions, to include Convention specific information on their websites, to pool with neighboring businesses to provide transportation for Convention visitors to their locations and to share information with the Host Committee about any special Convention deals they will offer.

In addition, Daughtry encouraged residents to get involved in the Convention experience by participating in the DNCC's citizen photo journalism initiative and becoming a regular visitor to DemConvention.com. This site now provides visitors with the ability to sign up for regular updates on Convention news, events and other developments.

In keeping with the goal to engage different types of audiences in new and creative ways, DNCC videographers recorded interviews with Colorado Springs area residents attending the forum asking what having a Convention in the Rocky Mountain West means to them. Organizers will work to incorporate those ideas and vision in their planning during the coming months. Interviews from the event will be posted to www.DemConvention.com under the video section in the coming weeks.

Held from August 25-28, 2008, the Convention is expected to pump an estimated $160 million into the Denver area's economy and draw as many as 50,000 visitors to the region.