FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 12, 2024
CONTACT:
Press@Chicago2024.com
Chicago 2024 Host Committee Successfully Engages All 77 Community Areas, Unveils Neighborhood Tour Program
A week before the Democratic National Convention, the Chicago 2024 Host Committee announced it has positively impacted all 77 of Chicago’s community areas
Chicago, IL –– Today, one week before the official start of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the Chicago 2024 Host Committee announced the successful engagement of all 77 community areas in Chicago. This moment signifies a major milestone in the Host Committee’s years-long effort to ensure that the 2024 Democratic National Convention is inclusive, impactful, and beneficial for every corner of the city.
In celebration of this milestone, the Host Committee also announced a first-of-its-kind initiative for delegates and convention visitors to tour historic community areas in Chicago, including Bronzeville, Woodlawn, Pilsen, Little Village, North Lawndale, Garfield Park, Roseland, and Pullman. Co-sponsored by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and led by Chicago Urban Historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, these tours will explore underrepresented neighborhoods in Chicago, allowing participants to engage with, and discuss the effects of, policymaking decisions in real-time.
“Showing off and supporting the vibrant neighborhoods that make up Chicago––with their diverse and rich histories––is at the core of what we hoped to achieve by bringing the Democratic National Convention to our city,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said. “I’m proud to support the Host Committee’s efforts, and I look forward to bringing delegates and guests into these communities to get a deeper understanding of Chicago.”
“Making a positive impact in all 77 neighborhoods is one of the core goals of the Host Committee,” said Chicago 2024 Host Committee Executive Director Christy George. “With the support of strong community leaders, we have worked to make good on the promise that all of Chicago would feel the benefits of hosting this convention, and that we would show off the vibrancy of our neighborhoods to delegates from across the country. Our city is better equipped to host large-scale events in the future, and we are stronger when all of our communities participate in the process.”
In addition to the tours, delegates and credentialed guests will also be able to watch Choose Chicago’s video series “The 77: A City of Neighborhoods” while they travel on convention shuttles. This wide-ranging neighborhood travel show tells the stories of residents and small business owners in five neighborhoods: Pullman and Roseland, Humboldt Park, Bronzeville, Uptown, and Little Village.
The Host Committee defines engagement as any activity that leaves a positive impact on the local community, including, but not limited to, spending or contracting with local vendors, media or hospitality events, civic engagement events or community briefings, volunteer recruitment events, beautification and community service activities, hiring local workers for the convention, or participation in advisory council activities. Over the last year, the Host Committee held 81 unique events across 31 Chicago neighborhoods––and have utilized more than 200 local vendors to date.
“From day one we have worked to put residents at the center of this experience,” said Chicago 2024 Host Committee Senior Advisor Keiana Barrett. “We’ve been very thoughtful about not just spreading the wealth of convention opportunities around, but also growing a bench of talent that is competitive for future large-scale event opportunities.”
The Host Committee and Democratic National Convention Committee released seventeen public bid solicitations for prime contracting opportunities. Following a highly competitive bid process, eight contracts were awarded to Minority and Women-owned Businesses. Eight contracts were also awarded to teaming agreements that included Minority and Women-owned Business firms. Among these contracts was Show Strategy, the first Black-owned firm to serve as the convention’s prime exposition services contractor.
Significant efforts were also made to ensure small and Minority-owned vendors understood what was needed to competitively bid on contracting opportunities. The Host Committee circulated a comprehensive contracting plan, leveraged our Business Diversity Advisory Council and held eight outreach sessions––both virtually and on the South and West sides––as well as a vendor summit to socialize available bid opportunities and facilitate teaming agreements.
To continue cultivating a deep bench of emerging talent and expose local students to career opportunities in hospitality, sustainability, and construction, many prime contractors also offered internships and mentorship opportunities to local students. Show Strategy, K&P Advisory, Hargrove, Juan & Only, Bright Beat, PURPOSE, & McHugh x Powers all sponsored internship and mentorship programs for local students to gain hands-on experience in large-scale events.
In addition to this work, the Host Committee regularly spotlights local vendors and different neighborhoods on social media and through a newsletter with more than 70,000 subscribers. The Host Committee’s vendor directory and venue map, which include more than 2,400 vendors located in the City of Chicago, have led to hundreds of bookings during convention week. In order to continue to encourage the use of diverse, local vendors for large-scale events, the Host Committee will gift the vendor directory and venue map to local chambers of commerce, Choose Chicago, and Enjoy Illinois.
To date, Host Committee staff has worked hand in hand with community members across the city to complete more than 1,650 individual hours of community service. Hyde Park, Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park, Back of the Yards, Woodlawn, Avalon Park, Greater Grand Crossing, North Lawndale, Pullman, and Pilsen were among the neighborhoods positively impacted by Host Committee services projects.
The Host Committee sought the advice of regional business diversity experts and local chambers of commerce to create this engagement strategy. The Business Diversity Advisory Council, composed of more than 20+ Illinois-based organizations that focus on creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, provided recommendations on best practices for diverse business enterprise involvement and participation in the activities during and surrounding the Democratic National Convention.
The Host Committee recruited Neighborhood Ambassadors from all 77 community areas and surrounding suburbs. These ambassadors successfully recruited volunteers from every zip code in Chicago, further demonstrating the power of community-focused engagement. Moreover, the construction prime contractors thoughtfully developed a workforce representing over two-thirds of all Chicago zip codes, 20% of which come from the South and West sides of the city.
The Host Committee will publish a full economic impact assessment in collaboration with Choose Chicago upon the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. This assessment will be published in the fall and provide members of the contracting community and future large-scale event architects a blueprint for how to engage diverse communities.
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