By Nyesha Stone
The Milwaukee Press Club hosted its monthly luncheon, which featured the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) CEO Joe Solmonese earlier this week. A four-person panel questioned Solmonese on the progress of the DNC, security, fundraising and other subjects pertaining to the success of the DNC.
Solmonese said the DNC team is committed to staying rooted in the values of why they chose to bring the DNC to Milwaukee.
The DNC has a $70 million goal and it is currently on track to reach it, he said. There’s about $400 million expected to be spent over the four-day convention. Solmonese said the DNC is being very intentional about trying to reach out locally to all demographics to do business with.
“[We have an] effort to make sure the stories of people who live here, that we uplift them,” said Solmonese. And to make sure that the community is involved before and during the convention.
The DNC will be held on July 13-16 at the Fiserv Forum. Although the main events will be at the Fiserv Forum, there will be hundreds of other events going on around the city. According to Solmonese, the DNC wants to expose the entirety of Milwaukee to the world through the DNC.
“I think every inch of this city will have something going on,” he said.
When it comes to security, the team have already begun to meet and plan out safety zones, around downtown where the main convention venues will be.
Solmonese said planning a political convention, or any convention, can be time consuming but he knew what he was taking on when he agreed to the job. He will use his experience from attending every Democratic convention since 1988.
Transportation is another factor that the DNC team must plan out, said Solmonese. Buses will be playing a major role in transporting the 6,000 delegates that will be in town during the convention. There are also about 500 Airbnb units in Milwaukee, he added.
To stay updated with the DNC, visit their site at https://www.milwaukee2020.com/.