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.

When Denver hosted the 1908 Democratic National Convention, the nation’s media were welcomed to Colorado at Elitch Gardens, the Denver amusement park that was in its 19th summer of operation.

At a recent press conference Elbra Wedgeworth, President and Chair of the 2008 DNC Host Committee, and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced that Elitch Gardens, The Denver Post, and The Rocky Mountain News will host the 2008 DNC Media Welcoming Party.

Also speaking at the press conference were Harry Whipple, President of the Denver Newspaper Agency, Joe Martinez, Elitch Gardens General Manager, and Alan Timothy of Molson Coors Brewing Company.

Those invited to this event will include 15,000 members of the media, the more than 6,000 delegates and alternates, and assorted Democratic VIPs.

Elbra Wedgeworth is President and Chair of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Host Committee. As President of the Denver City Council, she led the campaign to bring the DNC to Denver for the first time since 1908.

Wedgeworth points out that “the pathway to the presidency is through the west,” and is confident this will be evident in Denver this August. The city’s state-of-the-art convention facilities, infrastructure, culture, and people will all be on display as Denver welcomes this historic convention to Colorado.