More than a year and a half before the 2008 Democratic National Convention comes to Denver, the first major gathering of the many committees charged with staging the event has been set, officials said Thursday.
Roughly 175 chairs and members who will make up 15 to 20 committees plan to converge at the Colorado Convention Center on March 19 to “talk about our first next steps,” said Katherine Archuleta, the mayor’s office liaison to the host committee.
The volunteers will hear from members of Boston’s local government, who are to discuss their experiences from the 2004 Democratic convention.
“Now that we’ve gotten it, we have so many things to do,” said Willie Shepherd, a prominent Denver lawyer and a current co-chairman of the finance committee.
Until now, the most prominent action taken by the host committee has been fundraising. Denver officials are trying to raise $55 million in cash and donated equipment and services.
But many issues, such as security, transportation and the coordination of volunteers and hospitality events, also must be addressed.
The convention is scheduled for Aug. 25-28, 2008, at the Pepsi Center.
