By Kristine Hansen | Photo © Visit Milwaukee

Not since 1972 have two major political-party conventions taken place so geographically close in the same year.

In July, Milwaukee hosted delegates, politicians and party nominees for the Republican National Convention (RNC). Then, in August, there was the Democratic National Convention (DNC ) in Chicago.

Because these cities are only 90 miles apart, viewers from around the country — and throughout the world — got to see the magic in what two metropolitan areas in the Midwest can host in terms of meetings and events.

THE VENUES

Ground central for the RNC was downtown Milwaukee at the Baird Center, which just wrapped up a $456 million expansion in the spring, doubling its convention center space to more than 1.3 million square feet (read more here) and Fiserv Forum (home to the Milwaukee Bucks and an entertainment venue for touring musicians and bands).

The RNC also used Potawatomi Casino Hotel’s new outdoor venue for its closing night, and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hosted an afternoon talk at the Miller High Life Theatre.

The UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee is where local vendors set up booths and activations as a place for attendees to go during breaks and do a little shopping. Multiple stages through the Wisconsin Center District hosted speakers throughout the week.

Events spilled over into smaller venues, too. “Convention attendees enjoyed
that authentic Wisconsin experience at Lakefront Brewery,” says Leslie Johnson, the vice president of sales and event experience at Visit Milwaukee, alluding to the craft beer, fried cheese curds and fish fry, “and the Harley Davidson Museum was of interest to a number of groups.”

Attendees also utilized American Family Field, where the Milwaukee Brewers hold home games and there’s a retractable roof in case of rain, and The Brewery District, where historic buildings once used by Pabst Brewing Company remain.

Chicago’s DNC events mostly took place at the United Center (on the near West Side) and the McCormick Place (south of downtown Chicago). The Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks play their home games at the United Center, while the McCormick Place is America’s largest convention center, with 2.6 million square feet of meeting space.

During the day, events were held at McCormick Place, whereas evening speeches dominated at the United Center. DNC organizers also hosted DemPalooza — a series of trainings, panels and briefings — one day at the McCormick Place, while various state delegates met at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.

Chicago has hosted more major party- nominating conventions than any other city in the U.S. One main reason is its central location. “We have two airports and multiple highways, so traveling is easy whether you’re flying or driving,” says Larita Clark, CEO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which includes McCormick Place. “We have an amazing hotel inventory. All of our hotels and the two major venues (the McCormick Place and United Center) are all within a 5-mile radius. It’s not too spread out.”

Eric Kincaid, vice president of sales at Choose Chicago, agrees. “One of the
key factors to hosting was our hotel capabilities. All of our hotels are within the central business district,” he says. Another perk is that Chicago last hosted the DNC in 1996.

“There are many individuals who worked at the United Center then who still work there,” he says.

“Accessibility is another thing that made us stand out,” chimes in Clark. Four convention centers and five hotels — the Marriott Marquis Chicago, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place, Hampton Inn Chicago McCormick Place and Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Place — are connected.

“Together, those are almost 3,000 rooms just on our campus. They were very impressed that you can walk our entire campus without going outside. Our campus is near restaurants, the South Loop and Bronzeville.”

“One of their biggest requests was flexibility,” says Clark about the DNC organizers. “We were able to prove to them we host groups of all sizes. We can facilitate small groups of 10 and large groups of 2,500 or more. Our entire campus can accommodate 100,000 people at one time if we use all of our convention center buildings. Being able to offer something to everyone has always put us ahead of our competitors.”

Also attached to McCormick Place is WinTrust Arena, a more than 10,000-seat venue. “A lot of our trade shows and conventions will use the arena for private events,” says Clark. “Not having to go off campus is a draw for attendees.”

THE INSPIRATION

What makes the RNC and DNC different than conventions in most other industries is that the people planning them change every four years. It’s not just navigating a new destination or a new candidate, but also a new host committee. “You learn a lot as you go,” says Johnson. “It is a collective group of individuals putting together a convention, many for the first time ever.”

For that reason, local meeting and event planners like to observe the ways these conventions use venues as ideas for future events. “What it gives planners is a fresh insight into our destination (and how to) think a little bit more creatively,” says Johnson. “They learn more about our city. For example, ‘I never thought about using the Summerfest grounds as an opening reception. What does that look like?’

“They can see the blueprint of how the RNC utilized our city: How do you mobilize that many people and collaborate with transportation companies? Where does everyone stay? It really helped put us on the map with meeting planner because they had the perception that a destination of our size could not host an event like this.”

While Milwaukee doesn’t rank among the top 10 U.S. cities in population, one reason the RNC chose to host its convention there is because of the pre-existing infrastructure from the 2020 DNC. With an already established security perimeter, and previous scouting trips that yielded solutions for hotels, venues and more, much of the work was already done.

And even beyond the recently expanded Baird Center, another new entertainment center — the Fiserv Forum — was a draw as well. “They really enjoyed all the suites,” says Johnson. “They could use them for different parties and receptions. It’s more of a relaxed environment.”

That the city hugs the Lake Michigan shoreline also inspired planners, especially as a summertime crowd- pleaser. “When you fly into Milwaukee, you notice it, but when you’re at a convention or event, you don’t necessarily see it,” says Johnson. That is why the RNC hosted its opening reception at Henry Maier Festival Park, more colloquially known as the Summerfest grounds. Houston representatives were on site to witness the reception as they will be hosting the 2028 RNC. Johnson recalls the representatives worrying about where they were going to host a reception at a destination as unique as this park.

Further south, by hosting the DNC, Chicago event venues could show off their efforts in sustainability and inclusion. The DNC relayed this information through 12 guides published by Choose Chicago, such as the DNC Guide: Accessible Chicago, DNC Guide: Black Culture and DNC Guide: LGBTQ+.

“They’ve been saying this will be the most sustainable and inclusive nominating convention in U.S. history,” says Rose Horcher, Choose Chicago’s vice president of client services, adding that the organization helped introduce DNC organizers to women- and minority- owned venues.

The DNC also hired both a sustainability expert and an accessibility expert to more deeply assess efforts and advise hotels on how to be more sustainable and accessible during the event. But those initiatives don’t just have to be for one convention: They can also be put into practice for future guests.

“They liked the fact that we produce a lot of the food we use on our campus,” says Clark about McCormick Place. A rooftop garden grows 8,000 pounds of food and vegetables each year, and a third of the food purchased on campus is local, organic or environmentally preferred. And with 14 unique dining options, “there’s something for every palate, and we offer menus for every dietary need, including halal, kosher and gluten-free,” she stresses.

Just in time for the DNC, McCormick Place rolled out Oscar, an AI-empowered waste receptacle. “You just hold trash and food waste up to Oscar and Oscar will say, ‘That goes in the recycling bin,’” according to Clark.

What planners for the DNC strove to promote about Chicago are its many neighborhoods, cultural attractions and affordability as a traveler.

“Our cultural venues — the museums, the historical auditoriums — were of great interest, along with the variety of restaurants. We’ve got everything from Michelin-star and James Beard Award- winning restaurants to Italian beef. From a Chicago hot dog to a gourmet meal, they can have it all here,” says Horcher. “They can see a Broadway play, or go to Navy Pier and experience the new Flyover attraction, or the Museum of Science and Industry or Shedd Aquarium, or The Second City for comedy.”

“They also wanted it to be family friendly,” reveals Horcher. “Delegates pay their own way, but there are so many free things to do in Chicago. Family members and friends need something to do outside of the security perimeter.”

Clark of McCormick Place could not agree more: “We have this rich culture through our 77 different neighborhoods, our beautiful landscape and architecture.”

Organizers also look for a city’s tie-in to the topics that are of interest to speakers and attendees. “The history of labor unions in Chicago is one reason they chose Chicago for 2024,” says Horcher. “We have a rich history of labor activism here, so it aligned really well with the Democratic Party.”

THE LOGISTICS

What makes a destination ace it in terms of satisfaction for the DNC and the RNC are two items: transportation (not just public transportation, but short travel times between venues) and security. While much of this is handled by convention organizers, any city that wants to be considered needs to address these issues. In Milwaukee, everything was downtown and, in Chicago, everything was within close proximity. Larger groups of DNC attendees and delegates had access to a busway (exclusive to buses) from downtown Chicago to McCormick Place that takes only seven minutes.

“There’s always a need for added levels of security for any major event,” says Clark. “Safety should always be the first priority, but it definitely takes time, commitment and resources.”

For mid-sized cities like Milwaukee, “You really own that city,” says Johnson. “Visitors are able to come in and have access to all of the amenities because they’re not up against another convention. In Milwaukee, attendees took over the hotel rooms and the venues. When you look at a Tier 1 city like Chicago, they don’t have the ability to own the city. From our standpoint, it was great.”

Another factor for hosting a political convention is establishing media headquarters. Outlets from all over the world send their reporters and editors. They need to have work stations and quick access to the events, too. In Milwaukee, a media center was established at the Baird Center and Fiserv Forum, where speeches and voting also took place each night. Members of the media enjoyed the suites.

With all the moving parts, keeping everyone involved on track — and in alignment with their goals — should be top of mind for any city that hosts. “There has to be communication coordination,” says Kinkaid. “You have to coordinate with the hospitality community, which includes restaurants, venues and cultural sectors. You have to be really collaborative and create high standards across the board.” One thing is for sure: The 2024 RNC and DNC thrust Milwaukee and Chicago, two Midwest heavyweights, into the limelight when hosting these big-name events.

After earning planners’ trust that big things can be done in the Midwest, more will follow.

Measuring National Political Conventions in Dollars

From nationally televised events to word of mouth to friends and family back home, not to mention the potential for attendees’ future visits, the economic impact of hosting national political conventions like these are huge. There’s no doubt local businesses benefit.

In fact, even with a very scaled-down version due to the pandemic, Milwaukee reported $3 million in economic impact as a result of hosting the 2020 DNC. (Economic impact numbers for this year’s RNC are still being compiled, but was forecasted to be $205 million.) Choose Chicago reported the economic impact of the DNC to be $371.4 million.

“We heard so much fantastic feedback from attendees that they’d never been to Milwuakee before and loved it,” says Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales and event experience at Visit Milwaukee.

Even if their time to explore these cities is limited, it’s about “giving them a taste of Chicago,” says Larita Clark, chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority in Chicago, one that’s so appetizing they want to plan a second trip to the Midwest.