Twenty years ago, Carolyn Walker started Great Impressions Graphics & Printing in the basement of her home on Milwaukee’s Northwest side. She now has five employees and is looking to hire more, purchase new equipment and grow her business from its current niche market in serving funerals. When she learned about Milwaukee being one of three cities competing to host the Democratic Party National Convention in 2020, Walker got excited and prepared by becoming a union-certified shop. “I have plans to grow, and this would be a real game changer for me,” she says. “I’m praying it happens—it’s in my prayers, that’s how important it is.”
The convention, at which Democrats will nominate their presidential ticket, will take place July 13-16, 2020. Aside from media coverage, the four-plus days would bring an estimated 50,000 people to the city for 1,500 unique events with a $200 million impact, according to VISIT Milwaukee. The other finalists are Houston, Texas, and Miami Beach, Fla., and a decision will be announced by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez, likely next month.
There is a lot of money to be made and spent in hosting a major party’s national convention; the economic story helps not only the hospitality and entertainment realms but all sizes of businesses. It’s also a political story, although that aspect is low in the current focus. Top in the mind of the many planners is the Milwaukee story: A Midwestern, rust-belt, cool-and-most-underrated city on the rise, as a 2018 Vogue article dubbed it. “It’s an opportunity to showcase progress we’ve made,” says Mayor Tom Barrett. “The renaissance in the heart of our city.”
Telling Milwaukee’s Story
The crown jewel of this bid is the new Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks. At the center for planning “Milwaukee 2020” is Alex Lasry, senior vice president of the Milwaukee Bucks. As he watched Amazon look to locate its second headquarters, he was frustrated Milwaukee wasn’t even on the early map of dozens of cities. “Milwaukee should be on par with cities on that list, but it was never mentioned,” he says with a sigh of frustration. “It’s the best-kept secret, and this is our way of changing that. It’s time for Milwaukee to come out of the shadows.”
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Media coverage is lavished on the host city similar to levels of the Final Four or the Super Bowl, notes Lasry. Even once TV satellite trucks head out of town, the impact for a city lingers. Groups think of a city that played host to a major national event for future conventions, tourism or even as a place to relocate. Wisconsin DNC member Martha Love wants to make sure the local story shows Milwaukee as a city of neighborhoods. “We are making sure that our diverse neighborhoods can be presented in showing our city’s entertainment, arts and culture.”
The DNC city selection committee has visited Milwaukee twice; the second trip in December included Perez, who has strong family ties to Wisconsin. Restaurateur Joe Bartolotta, who sits on the board of VISIT Milwaukee, hosted the groups and says they left with a favorable impression. “They were surprised, I think, by how beautiful Milwaukee is from our stunning mix of architecture to our own little ocean.” He hopes hosting might even jumpstart other civic projects like the convention center. “If our secret gets out, that’s not a bad thing. This would be a real feather in our cap.”
Milwaukee’s Progressive History
The event’s political nature is being downplayed by many organizers who want to keep the focus on Milwaukee. Indeed, Lasry says they’d be doing the same to lure a Republican Party convention. The process thus far has had virtually no detractors. But Milwaukee is a city steeped in Democratic politics, and Wisconsin has been at the center of the political universe during the last decade—from the uprising against Scott Walker’s Act 10 to being a state that gave the presidential victory to Donald Trump by a very narrow margin. Now, it’s also known for electing Democrats to every statewide seat last November.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore sees this as a chance for redemption: “Our state is the birthplace of the Progressive movement. It’s clear we started our return to those values in the recent midterms, but now, it is time to bring Wisconsin principles to the White House. The Midwest is key to the 2020 election and hosting the convention in our neighborhood is the perfect way to help us cross the finish line.”
And Love, who has attended conventions going back to the 1980s, is eager to showcase the deep African American political role in state politics going back to trailblazer Vel Phillips, elected as Wisconsin Secretary of State, and up to the most recent election of Mandela Barnes as Wisconsin’s first black lieutenant governor and Kalan Haywood, age 19, as the youngest legislator in the country.
Mayor Barrett says it’s good for Democrats to see “Milwaukee challenges in education, poverty and housing” and talk about addressing them here and nationwide. “Business leaders I talk to see it as rebranding Milwaukee. The fact that we’re in the final three tells you how far Milwaukee has come. Yes, we have our challenges, but we’re fighting back.”
What’s in it for Local Business?
Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, is raising money for the bid. He says businesspeople view this through an economic lens: A big “M” for Milwaukee and a little “p” for politics. “Their view is we are spending for Milwaukee, and I represent the green party.” He elaborates that green (as in money) will come in two forms. One is the spending that occurs during the convention—a surge revenue stream. And two is the “green that comes from the exposure being the center of attention of the world, arguably. Both make it valuable.” It’s a chance for businesses to pitch their products, make money and recruit new talent, including the many young professionals sure to attend the convention.
But what’s in it for the average Milwaukee citizen or a mom-and-pop store? The team is already working towards ensuring that any Milwaukee small business—and particularly diverse businesses—see a boon. Love and the Milwaukee Urban League has hosted a number of “2020 Supplier Diversity Registration Sessions,” and more are planned for 2019. The league talks with women’s groups, minority chambers of commerce, BIDs (Business Improvement Districts), LGBTQ groups, veterans’ groups and neighborhood groups. The DNC requires that a local vendor directory from these groups be set up within 90 days of signing the contract. It adds the list should include “office furniture rental, office supplies, technology support and rental, floral services, messengers, transportation support and rental, security services, communications providers, exhibition services, food and catering, childcare, etc.”
Bartolotta knows the hospitality industry—especially restaurants, cabs, Uber, Lyft and hotels—would see a huge spike in business. “The spending that occurs is great for our economy, and it does have a trickle-down effect. July tends to slow down. I have 1,000 employees, and the waitresses will get good tips, and the cooks will get good hours.”
It can benefit startups and entrepreneurs, too, says Gener8tor’s Maggie Brickerman: “The convention relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors and places a priority on engaging with local and diverse businesses, so startups could gain significant business. Even those that aren’t direct vendors will benefit from the spotlight on the city.”
‘We’re the City That Will Host the Best Event’
Wisconsin weather actually works in its favor given the mid-July dates. The two competitors are hotter and subject to hurricane season. “Every sign points to Milwaukee,” says Barrett, noting there has also not been a Democratic National Convention anywhere in the Midwest outside of Chicago since it was held in St. Louis, Mo., in 1916.
The first DNC delegation visited at the perfect time to answer the criticism of Milwaukee being too small for such a large crowd. They arrived 48 hours after the ribbon was cut on the new stadium and 48 hours before 100,000 people rallied for Harley-Davidson’s 115th anniversary. On the plus side, getting around is less time-consuming, and the city is affordable.
The DNC convention would not even be on the table were not for the Bucks’ new stadium. It adds another big advantage in that it is the newest state-of-the-art stadium venue in the nation right now, and the Bucks are certainly doing their part right now with a winning record and a spotlight on superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
So, where does all this leave Milwaukee? Ask the Buck’s Lasry about Milwaukee’s chances of being picked from the three finalists, and he starts off cautiously: “33%.” But, after a pause, he adds, “If we are able to tell our story and let everyone know about Milwaukee, then we’ll get it. We’re the city that will host the best event.”
