The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held in downtown Chicago’s McCormick Place and United Center in mid-August and brought nearly 50,000 visitors to the city, including nearly 15,000 members of national and international media organizations—in addition to the millions of viewers from around the world that watched on TVs from home. The event is administered by the Democratic National Committee every four years to formally put forth a presidential candidate for the upcoming election, with this year’s ticket being Vice President Kamala Harris (presidential nominee) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (vice presidential nominee).
To get the full scope on how the convention showcased successful event planning and production—and why planners should keep the Windy City in their minds as a host city for their own events—we spoke with Choose Chicago’s Dustin Arnheim, senior vice president of sales and services, to speak on the event and its impact on Chicago.
M+E: What impact did hosting the 2024 DNC have on the city of Chicago?
DA: While the results of a comprehensive economic impact study won’t be available until later this year, we are confident that the DNC had a significant direct economic impact on Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industry.
But beyond the direct economic impact, the greater value of the DNC lay in the national and international exposure it brought for our city. Tens of thousands of attendees and tens of millions of viewers around the world saw a beautiful, vibrant city that knows how to manage large events of the highest profile. We are confident that the logistical and operational successes we witnessed at the DNC will lead to even more meetings, events, and leisure travelers choosing Chicago as their next destination.
M+E: Why was being the host important for Chicago?
DA: For Chicago, hosting political conventions is a time-honored tradition. The 2024 DNC was Chicago’s 26th presidential nominating convention for a major political party—far more than any other city has hosted.
Beyond that, we take pride in our ability to bring our city’s civic, hospitality, tourism, and events communities together to host successful events that generate significant economic impact, tax revenues, and long-term changes in perception of our city. Hosting the DNC will have a profound and long-lasting impact on our continued ability to fulfill our mission to attract meetings, events, and leisure travelers to Chicago.
M+E: How did this event showcase Chicago’s ability to host large-scale events?
DA: Through our work on the 2024 DNC, we were able to show that Chicagoans know how to organize and come together to make big things happen. Our team has been working closely with both the Chicago 2024 Host Committee and the Democratic National Convention Committee for well over a year in the lead-up to the historic event.
Collectively, we were successful in engaging our partners across the city to put on a smooth and successful convention for all DNC attendees as well as Chicago residents. The city shone brightly in national media, and locally—the City of Chicago and our public safety leaders coordinated with their federal and state counterparts to ensure a safe week free from major incidents.
The DNC shows that we have the meeting space, venues, accommodations, and transportation infrastructure to handle complex, large-scale events seamlessly and effectively.
M+E: What role did Choose Chicago play in the planning and production of this event?
DA: Choose Chicago was involved in the planning and execution of the DNC at every step of the journey, from mounting the initial bid effort and coordinating logistics with stakeholder and civic groups to serving as the liaison between the event planners and the local community and engaging with local, national, and international media to tell our city’s story to the world.
M+E: How did the city’s public and private sectors come together to produce the event?
DA: The success of the 2024 DNC would not have been possible without the close coordination of thousands of people and organizations across the public and private sectors.
The administrations of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker were instrumental to the success of the DNC, particularly the efforts of the Chicago Police Department and other public safety officials.
Additionally, the Choose Chicago team worked hard to engage our local business partners in efforts around the DNC, including hotels, restaurants, venues, retail establishments, event planners, caterers, and other service providers. We also engaged with key membership-based organizations like the Magnificent Mile Association, the Chicago Loop Alliance, and neighborhood chambers of commerce across our city to ensure alignment on support efforts and to facilitate information sharing. We were also pleased to see dozens of local businesses and cultural institutions collectively donate thousands of items to fill welcome bags for DNC delegates and visiting media personnel.
M+E: What other venues were activated in the city for other DNC-associated events?
DA: DNC-related events took place at dozens of restaurants and venues across the city during convention week. But notably, both Wrigley Field and the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier were venues for large welcome parties for DNC volunteers, delegates, and visiting media.
M+E: How was the DNC used to promote Chicago as a destination for business and leisure tourism alike?
DA: Thanks to the high-profile nature of the DNC, millions of potential travelers from around the country were tuned into Chicago and had no choice but to be impressed by our city. Political and cultural luminaries like Oprah, Stephen Colbert, and the Obamas were singing the praises of our city to an audience of millions, and visiting delegates are now returning to their friends and families boasting about the beauty and vibrancy of Chicago.
For leisure travelers, the DNC showcased the natural beauty of our lakefront juxtaposed with one of the world’s most iconic skylines. But it also showcased the neighborhoods, local businesses, cultural institutions, and people that make Chicago such an attractive destination for leisure travelers from around the world. We know that when people come here and really experience our city, they find so much to love. They become our ambassadors. And they tend to come back.
For business travelers and meeting planners, the DNC showcased all that and our city’s ability to successfully execute major events. This summer has been packed—with the first-of-its-kind Sundance Institute x Chicago film event, the return of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, and the DNC on top of our usual summer staples like Lollapalooza and the Chicago Air and Water Show, which both draw hundreds of thousands of attendees.
M+E: What sort of future do you see/want for large-scale conventions and events in Chicago?
DA: We at Choose Chicago see a future where Chicago is the premier venue for events of every kind, from mega concerts to conventions to festivals to sporting events to business meetings, and more—and not just for the United States but for the entire world. We’ve demonstrated that we can bring our city together to organize these events, and that we have the infrastructure, skilled labor, and logistical expertise to execute them successfully. And we are going to continue to work hard every day to bring new business to our city for the benefit of all our communities.
