Letters: Philly shines brightly on national stage
Now that we've said goodbye to the 50,000 guests who descended on Philadelphia for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, we wanted to reflect on its spectacular success and thank the many Philadelphians who enabled us to host it so well.
ISSUE | CAMPAIGN 2016
Philly shines on national stage
Now that we've said goodbye to the 50,000 guests who descended on Philadelphia for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, we wanted to reflect on its spectacular success and thank the many Philadelphians who enabled us to host it so well.
We had the opportunity to mingle and talk with thousands of delegates, journalists, elected officials, and visitors. Their near-unanimous verdict: Philadelphia was a great host. Some of their comments and our observations:
The police, led by Commissioner Richard Ross, did a tremendous job. More than a dozen protected dignitaries traveled around town, and the police handled that duty and normal traffic flawlessly. There was an unprecedented number of demonstrators, all professionally managed by the police. Individual officers also became ambassadors - politely giving directions and taking visitors' photos.
Visitors loved our restaurants and venues.
People loved the walkability of the city.
The convention at the Wells Fargo Center was the most technologically advanced ever.
PoliticalFest and the Home Away From Home living room in the Pennsylvania Convention Center were favorites.
Everyone loved our donkeys around the city.
The friendliness of thousands of volunteers and citizens generated significant positive comments.
Such an undertaking doesn't happen easily. Philadelphia has been graced with extraordinary leadership, from U.S. Rep. Robert Brady's initial passion for hosting, to former Mayor Michael Nutter's leadership through the bid phase, to Mayor Kenney's commitment to making this the best political convention in the history of the Democratic Party. And we benefited from a fantastic host committee and volunteer working groups that helped produce a nearly flawless convention.
In the weeks ahead, we will have much to report, including our successful fund-raising and a positive economic impact.
On behalf of a grateful host committee staff and volunteers, we thank all of Philadelphia and say "Bravo" for a job extraordinarily well done.
Edward G. Rendell, chair, and David L. Cohen, special adviser, DNC host committee, Philadelphia