Milwaukee 2020 DNC Convention Committee
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December 17, 2018
CONTACT:
Thad Nation

Milwaukee 2020 DNC Convention Bid Committee: Announces co-chairs of Host Committee

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee 2020 Democratic National Committee Convention Bid Committee announced today the Co-Chairs of the Milwaukee DNC 2020 Host Committee – Senator Tammy Baldwin, Governor-elect Tony Evers, Lt. Governor-elect Mandela Barnes, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, County Executive Chris Abele and Mayor Tom Barrett.

Milwaukee is currently a finalist, along with Houston and Miami, for hosting the convention to be held July 13-16, 2020.

“There is no better place to showcase the Democratic Party’s vision for the future than in Wisconsin,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “The Midwest is a critical battleground and will be key to securing a better future for America.”

“The convention represents an immense opportunity for Milwaukee and Wisconsin to be showcased on the world stage,” said Governor-elect Tony Evers. “This is the chance to show off Wisconsin in a way that’s never been done before as a great place to live, work and visit.”

“The DNC Convention presents a tremendous opportunity to build on Milwaukee’s rich history of diversity, inclusion, and innovation,” said Lt. Governor-elect Mandela Barnes. “Our local entrepreneurs and strong neighborhoods are among Milwaukee’s greatest strengths, and a successful Convention that includes these diverse partners will help communities throughout southeast Wisconsin thrive.”

“Milwaukee does not view the Convention as just a four-day event, we view this as a year and a half long opportunity to promote our wonderful city,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore. “When the eyes of the world are on Milwaukee, we will shine.”

“More people should know that Milwaukee County is an incredible place to live, work and play, and I’m excited for any opportunity to highlight the strength of our people, facilities and community,” said Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. “When it’s also an opportunity to feature Milwaukee as a place that respects and values all people, a core belief of the Democratic Party – that’s an event I’d be thrilled for us to host.”

“We want the world to know that the leadership in Wisconsin is committed to doing everything we can to bring the Democratic National Convention to Milwaukee in 2020,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “Milwaukee has so much to offer and this would be a great opportunity to highlight our city to the nation.”

Representatives from the DNC recently conducted a second site visit to the City of Milwaukee. A decision is expected to be made in the first quarter of 2019.
June 20, 2018

Milwaukee Named Finalist for the 2020 Democratic National Convention

"Milwaukee has everything the DNC needs to put on a great convention..." -Alex Lasry

Milwaukee – This morning, the Democratic National Committee named four finalists for the location of the 2020 DNC Convention: Milwaukee, Denver, Houston and Miami Beach.

Right after the DNC’s announcement, Denver withdrew their bid citing scheduling conflicts.

Statement from Alex Lasry, Chairman of the Milwaukee 2020 DNC Convention Bid Committee:

“Milwaukee is very excited to be chosen as a finalist for the Democratic National Convention in 2020.

Milwaukee has everything the DNC needs to put on a great convention: a brand-new arena, co-located convention space, and plenty of hotel rooms.

Milwaukee knows how to handle big events and we know how to put on a great party. There is no place that will be more affordable for delegates and has better weather in July than Milwaukee.”

June 18, 2018

Milwaukee Submits Bid for the 2020 Democratic National Convention

Last week, the DNC announced that the convention will be held from July 13th–16th, 2020.

MILWAUKEE—The Milwaukee 2020 DNC Convention committee today formally submitted its bid for the city of Milwaukee to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

In the cover letter for the bid, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wrote:
“Milwaukee is prepared to provide a first-class delegate experience and turn the National spotlight on America’s ‘fresh coast’. Milwaukee is an affordable and easily accessible city, known for our hospitality and our actively engaged corporate community. We have what it takes to make the DNC shine.
On behalf of the City of Milwaukee, I am proud to submit our response to your RFP to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. You and your team have my personal commitment to do everything possible to make the Convention your best ever.”
In a letter of support also included in the bid, Congresswoman Gwen Moore wrote:
“From our booming downtown, to our incredible diversity, to our beautiful beaches, to our wonderful restaurants, to our unbeatable hospitality, Milwaukee is the perfect place for the Democratic Party to host our Convention.
Milwaukee is the perfect place to host a Convention in July and August. With our temperate weather and great sunshine, there is no other place in America that will be more welcoming and more enjoyable for convention attendees. Our hospitality is unmatched, as is our ability to put on large events. Milwaukee knows how to put on a party and how to make sure every guest is welcomed and well cared for in a safe, yet engaging environment.”
Last week, the DNC announced that the convention will be held from July 13th–16th, 2020.
National party conventions are among the largest events that happen in the United States every four years. While the event is only four days long, the work to put on the convention takes years of planning and hundreds of workers, volunteers, and vendors. The exposure that a host city gets on both the national and international scene for the better part of a week is invaluable for exposing the region to the world.

Bidding for a national convention is a rigorous process designed to ensure host cities have the infrastructure and capacity to accommodate this large of an event. Since Milwaukee announced its intention to bid in February, intense work has been ongoing behind the scenes to gather information and prepare the 149-page submission.

The DNC has previously announced that Milwaukee was one of eight cities invited to submit proposals. So far, Houston and Milwaukee have publicly announced that they have submitted their proposals by the DNC’s deadline. There is no word yet on the remaining six cities.

The anticipated next steps for the DNC will be to select finalist cities and have the DNC Site Selection Committee make site visits later this summer. The selection and announcement of the host city is anticipated in Winter 2018/Spring 2019.
https://www.milwaukee2020.com/why-milwaukee/

Why Milwaukee?

In addition to being a key city in a battle ground state, Milwaukee and the region have a dynamic story to tell.

Milwaukee is the economic driver in Wisconsin and the Midwest, ranking 4th for the number of Fortune 500 headquarters per capita. 

With a history of successful large events in the city, there isn't a better place than Milwaukee to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

HISTORY OF LARGE-SCALE EVENTS
Milwaukee has a history of large-scale events and has continually demonstrated its ability to accommodate and support huge crowds in the downtown area.

One of the largest companies in Milwaukee - Northwestern Mutual - hosts their annual meeting every summer in Milwaukee, which draws over 10,000 participants to downtown and utilizes many of the City's venues and hotels.

Each summer, Milwaukee hosts Summerfest, an annual two week long music festival that drew 831,769 concertgoers in 2017, 804,116 in 2016, and 772,000 in 2015.

Milwaukee plays host to the anniversary celebrations of Harley Davidson, a Milwaukee staple, which draws tens of thousands of participants every few years.

LOCATION AND INFRASTRUCTRE
Milwaukee is in the top five cities by population in the Midwest and is located within a single day’s drive of one-third of the U.S. population.

General Mitchell Airport is only 8 miles (19 minutes) from the city center and is ranked one of the top five business airports from Conde Nast. Often described as “Chicago’s third airport,” there are 8 domestic airlines operating out of Milwaukee with 200 daily departures.  Amtrak is less than one mile from city center (7 minutes), with service running between Chicago and Milwaukee several times daily.

In addition to having Uber and Lyft available in the city, Milwaukee is currently constructing a streetcar route in downtown Milwaukee.

MULTIPLE LARGE VENUES IN DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE
Construction is currently under way for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks. This state-of-the -art facility would serve as the site for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

In addition, Milwaukee features multiple other large venues in the downtown area, including the UWM Panther Arena, Wisconsin Center, Miller High Life Theatre, The Pabst, Marquette’s Al McGuire Center and the Marcus Center for Performing Arts. All of these venues are within a short walking distance of the new arena.