Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee Anticipates DNC To Have Significant Economic Impact

With the Democratic National Convention less than a year away convention officials are preparing Milwaukee and Wisconsin for the number of visitors and the amount of business the area is anticipating to see.

The convention is estimated to have 50,000 visitors over the four-day long event July 13-16 and is expected to have a $200 million economic impact.

The Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee announced their initial process to ensure all parts of the community share the success of the convention Wednesday during the Waukesha County Business Alliance meeting.

The committee said they want to have the most inclusive, diverse, and meaningful convention in history. One way they want to do that is by engaging minority communities, such as people with disabilities, veterans, and the LGBTQ community. The committee is starting to prepare vendors and suppliers for the numerous opportunities the convention will bring.

Liz Gilbert was appointed president of the Milwaukee 2020 host committee earlier this month. She’s worked at the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. during President Barack Obama’s second term.

She said the last convention isn’t a model they can follow. She said the committee is also working to improve security, social media strategy, and the vendor mix.

“You think you can look at the model from the last convention and kind of replicate that,” Gilbert explained. “Not only did the cities, states, and communities change, but the times change so security, digital, community engagement, vendor diversity, these are all really brand new things.”

Gilbert continued to say that right now one of the main goals is to raise funds in a timely manner. She told WPR that they are right on schedule.

“Fundraising is such a key piece of this convention experience and we know we have to get that right to get everything else right,” she said. “So we’ll keep marching along to make sure we do just that.”