DNC Denver 2008 Podcasts

Less than a week before the start of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to a Denver landmark, the Tattered Cover bookstore in Lower Downtown. Pelosi was in town to promote her new book Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters.

At this event, Pelosi was interviewed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. The two discussed her journey from homemaker to legislator, the great responsibility she feels as the most powerful woman in American politics, and the current economic and diplomatic issues facing our country. This podcast episode features opening remarks from Tattered Cover owner Joyce Meskis.

Pelosi is not the only prominent Democrat to visit the Tattered Cover in recent years. These events have been archived on the Authors on Tour Live! podcast site. To listen to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discuss Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation & Leadership, click here. To listen to then-freshly elected Illinois Senator Barack Obama discuss The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, please click here.

In the culmination of a national call for members of the YouTube community to lend their voices to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Rich Peters of Iowa City, Iowa was announced as the winner of the YouTube Convention video contest answering the question: Why are you a Democrat in 2008?

In his video, Peters explains why he believes Democrats are better-suited to address the issues he cares most about – the Iraq war, the environment, health care and the economy.

“This campaign is history. This is the first time that we – the people – can actually be a part of the conversation; we are not simply listening, we are being listened to,” said Peters, after learning of his selection. “The people have become a party to the conversation, and in a few days, I intend to serve as a bridge for the YouTube community in continuing that historic conversation at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.”

As the winner, Peters is invited to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month and see his winning video played before thousands of delegates, elected officials and other Convention guests. YouTube will also send Peters on the campaign trail for a day, where as a member of the traveling press pool, he will have the opportunity to record a video documenting the daily activities of the Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama.

“We look forward to having Rich join us in Denver for this history-making event,” said Aaron Myers, Director of Online Communications for the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC). “We were very impressed by the number of creative and thoughtful video submissions we received from all across the country. It’s indicative of the enthusiasm and energy behind Senator Barack Obama headed in to our Convention, where we will welcome the voices of Americans coming together for change.”

After receiving hundreds of video submissions, the DNCC announced five finalists last week and invited members of the YouTube community to vote for their favorite. Thousands answered the call in recent days. Each of the five finalists’ videos can be viewed at youtube.com/demconvention.

Representing varied areas of the country, the other finalists were Cathrin Winsor from Temple, Tex.; Timothy McDonald from Traverse City, Mich.; Morgan Harper from Atlanta, Ga.; and Brian Beach from Dayton, Ohio. The videos were selected based on their creativity, originality and persuasiveness. Democrats appearing in these videos include an Iraq war veteran, college students, a first-time voter, and a young boy with a teddy bear.

With the 2008 Democratic National Convention less than one month away, the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee is not only getting the city of Denver ready, but is also preparing the people of Colorado to present the Rocky Mountain Region to an international audience.

This past Saturday, the Wells Fargo Theatre in Denver was packed not once, but twice with future DNC volunteers.

This podcast, the first hour of this volunteer training, features remarks from President and Chair of the 2008 DNC Host Committee Elbra Wedgeworth and Dale Carnegie’s Dawn Lehman, who shared her tips for offering World Class Customer Service.

In this podcast, part two of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee’s volunteer training event, Josh Davies of Sage Hospitality Resources pumps up the crowd, explaining what it means to go the EXTRA mile to make visitors feel welcome.

Candice Brandt, Training Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, followed up by prepping the crowd on proper techniques to best welcome DNC delegates with disabilities.

If you’re interested in being a volunteer for the 2008 DNC, but have not yet registered, you can click here to register.

Still have some questions? Check out our Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions.

Residents across the Rocky Mountain Region will be able to experience Washington, D.C. up close and personal when the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee brings the American Presidential Experience, the largest traveling exhibit of presidential memorabilia, into the Mile High City as part of the events and activities associated with Denver’s hosting of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Appearing for the first time in the Rocky Mountain Region, the spectacular 150,000-square-foot, non-partisan exhibit invites everyone to learn more about democracy in action through educational exhibits celebrating three centuries of presidential history.

The American Presidential Experience will be open to the public and located at Invesco Field at Mile High (Parking Lot D) from Aug. 22 – 29. The exhibit is managed by Political Americana.

This press conference features Elbra Wedgeworth, President and Chair of the 2008 DNC Host Committee; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; James Warlick, exhibit curator for Political Americana; Will Seippel, CEO of Worthpoint; and Randy Herbstreit, a social studies teacher at Aspen Creek K-8.

In a commitment to DNC attendees, Colorado residents, and our planet, the Denver 2008 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention has promised to make the DNC the “greenest” national political convention to date.

Leading this charge is longtime Colorado environmental advocate and Host Committee Director of Greening Parry Burnap.

In this podcast episode, Burnap discusses the work that is already underway to reduce the convention’s environmental footprint, including a free bike program, a water conservation plan, and waste minimization systems.

Amid the buzz of national Bike to Work Week, the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, Humana Inc. and Bikes Belong took steps with – or better yet, pedaled – a new initiative today to encourage bike use as an alternative mode of transportation during the Democratic National Convention, placing the city of Denver on the cusp of an emerging global municipal trend promising to improve the health of residents and the environment.

Denver Host Committee President Elbra Wedgeworth, along with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper unveiled plans for a new city-wide bike-sharing program called Freewheelin, part of Denver’s ongoing efforts to support healthy living and environmental sustainability during and after the Democratic National Convention.

The Freewheelin program was developed by Humana in partnership with bike industry leaders. As part of the multi-pronged initiative, Humana and the not-for-profit Bikes Belong will bring nearly 1,000 bikes to Denver during the Democratic National Convention in August. The bikes can be used free of charge by anyone looking for an alternative to automobiles while the convention is in town.

To download a free map of Denver area bike trails, please click here.

In an ongoing effort to connect the Denver arts and cultural community with the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has announced Dialog:City: An Event Converging Art, Democracy and Digital Media.

Dialog:City is an official public program of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee organized by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs. Ten site-specific art installations catalyzing public discourse in neighborhoods throughout Denver will take place August 21-29.

Leading the way will be D.J. Spooky, a.k.a. Paul Miller, a conceptual artist, writer, and musician working in New York. In keeping with the Convention’s green theme, D.J. Spooky will perform Terra Nova: The Antarctic Suite, a multimedia experience sampling from his recordings of the sights and sounds of ice breaking and melting in Antarctica at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

A trailer for Terra Nova, which was shown by DJ Spooky at the press conference announcing this event, can be seen below:

As part of an ongoing effort to make the 2008 Democratic National Convention the most environmentally-sustainable Democratic Convention in history, House Speaker and Permanent Convention Chair Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Convention organizers have announced the “Green Delegate Challenge,” offering special rewards for the delegation or delegations that demonstrate the highest level of commitment to offsetting their carbon footprint from attending the Convention.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) CEO Leah D. Daughtry joined Pelosi at the Pepsi Center in Denver to unveil the challenge and mark the first in a series of greening announcements the DNCC will make throughout April in recognition of Earth Day.

The 2008 Democratic National Convention will bring Rocky Mountain Region businesses, from souvenir shops to construction companies, a rare chance to boost their bottom line. Before, during, and after the DNC, millions of dollars will be pumped into the Colorado economy as a direct result of this historic event.

As with any opportunity, positioning your business to take advantage of the convention will take planning – and the right connections. The 2008 DNC Host Committee has set up the first-ever online vendor directory – a place where convention organizers and attendees can search out services they need while at the DNC.

The Host Committee recently held an event for potential vendors which included a chance for business owners to learn more about the opportunities that will abound over the next several months.

This podcast, taken from that event, was moderated by Helena Haynes-Carter, Manager of Supplier Diversity for Xcel Energy and Chairman for the Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council.