Fiserv Forum Thread - Full (Almost) Capacity Now

[HaroldinGMinor]

Is the DNC any bigger than a Harley rally?

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2018/09/04/150-000-harley-riders-generate-95m-in-impact.html

Look like it was 150k visitors. I bet we get that much from the DNC. Looked like Harly generated 9 figures for the city and you could tell it was a big deal to local businesses.

The big difference is the money and publicity for the city. Most Americans will be able to tell you that the DNC is happening in Milwaukee. The average American had no idea Harley Fest was going on in the fall. The people coming for the DNC also bring a lot more money with big events for donors and networking. Harley fest is a big deal for the city as is, this is even bigger.

Yes, I should add that I was merely talking about the city's hotel room numbers. The DNC is a much bigger deal overall.

[HaroldinGMinor]

As mentioned above the BC area will be used as a staging area and development will begin after.

It actually sets up really well as a "video village" for all the news trucks.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Is the DNC any bigger than a Harley rally?

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2018/09/04/150-000-harley-riders-generate-95m-in-impact.html

Look like it was 150k visitors. I bet we get that much from the DNC. Looked like Harly generated 9 figures for the city and you could tell it was a big deal to local businesses.

The big difference is the money and publicity for the city. Most Americans will be able to tell you that the DNC is happening in Milwaukee. The average American had no idea Harley Fest was going on in the fall. The people coming for the DNC also bring a lot more money with big events for donors and networking. Harley fest is a big deal for the city as is, this is even bigger.

Yes, I should add that I was merely talking about the city's hotel room numbers. The DNC is a much bigger deal overall.

Yeah, I think there will be a bigger impact downtown. I know the stereotype of an average harley rider doesn't match reality, but as MD pointed out, these events were spread out throughout SE Wisconsin and part of the experience is riding thought the area in groups. The DNC on the other hand will be more centered on downtown Milwaukee and there will be a higher premium on nicer hotels right downtown. I feel HD riders were more ok with cheaper hotels off HWY 20 in Racine near a HD dealer location, whereas a lot of people attending the convention need to be within walking distance of the Forum.

[crkone]

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2018/09/04/150-000-harley-riders-generate-95m-in-impact.html

Look like it was 150k visitors. I bet we get that much from the DNC. Looked like Harly generated 9 figures for the city and you could tell it was a big deal to local businesses.

The big difference is the money and publicity for the city. Most Americans will be able to tell you that the DNC is happening in Milwaukee. The average American had no idea Harley Fest was going on in the fall. The people coming for the DNC also bring a lot more money with big events for donors and networking. Harley fest is a big deal for the city as is, this is even bigger.

Yes, I should add that I was merely talking about the city's hotel room numbers. The DNC is a much bigger deal overall.

Yeah, I think there will be a bigger impact downtown. I know the stereotype of an average harley rider doesn't match reality, but as MD pointed out, these events were spread out throughout SE Wisconsin and part of the experience is riding thought the area in groups. The DNC on the other hand will be more centered on downtown Milwaukee and there will be a higher premium on nicer hotels right downtown. I feel HD riders were more ok with cheaper hotels off HWY 20 in Racine near a HD dealer location, whereas a lot of people attending the convention need to be within walking distance of the Forum.

And it's not just the convention itself. But all the separate meetings/conferences/parties that go along with the convention, so space will be needed to host those functions.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Downtown MKE has 4501 hotel rooms. I believe Cleveland has about 5400 rooms (if my math is right).

[Mags FTW]

Looks like it's the same week that Bastille Days is traditionally held. I'm guessing the run gets moved to Friday, if the whole festival itself doesn't get shifted.

[humanrefutation]

I don't get the whining about hotel rooms. Yes, some people will have to book hotels/air bnbs outside of smack dab downtown Milwaukee. Those people can either drive downtown or uber/lyft it downtown if they so choose to. A 20 minute commute isn't dramatically different than booking it in NYC and having to take a cab/subway from one borough to another, or booking in SF and having to commute from a room in the Mission District to a convention downtown.

[HaroldinGMinor]

I don't get the whining about hotel rooms. Yes, some people will have to book hotels/air bnbs outside of smack dab downtown Milwaukee. Those people can either drive downtown or uber/lyft it downtown if they so choose to. A 20 minute commute isn't dramatically different than booking it in NYC and having to take a cab/subway from one borough to another, or booking in SF and having to commute from a room in the Mission District to a convention downtown.

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

[humanrefutation]

I don't get the whining about hotel rooms. Yes, some people will have to book hotels/air bnbs outside of smack dab downtown Milwaukee. Those people can either drive downtown or uber/lyft it downtown if they so choose to. A 20 minute commute isn't dramatically different than booking it in NYC and having to take a cab/subway from one borough to another, or booking in SF and having to commute from a room in the Mission District to a convention downtown.

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

[Mags FTW]

I don't get the whining about hotel rooms. Yes, some people will have to book hotels/air bnbs outside of smack dab downtown Milwaukee. Those people can either drive downtown or uber/lyft it downtown if they so choose to. A 20 minute commute isn't dramatically different than booking it in NYC and having to take a cab/subway from one borough to another, or booking in SF and having to commute from a room in the Mission District to a convention downtown.

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

The city does not have a convenient mode of mass transit from downtown to the airport and first ring suburbs where many hotels are located. All of the rental cars will be taken, and taxis/ride shares will be maxed out.

If you don't get one of those downtown rooms, you are probably looking at an extra 2-3 hours added to your workday.

[humanrefutation]

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

The city does not have a convenient mode of mass transit from downtown to the airport and first ring suburbs where many hotels are located. All of the rental cars will be taken, and taxis/ride shares will be maxed out.

If you don't get one of those downtown rooms, you are probably looking at an extra 2-3 hours added to your workday.

I'm not worried about rideshares being maxed out. Not only are you going to see plenty of ubers/lyfts on the street that weekend from locals trying to make a buck, but you are are going to be people swarming in from surrounding cities to provide those rideshares as well (driving up from Chicago or driving in from Madison). Also, there's this:



I know it's a non-starter for some people to use the bus, but its a perfectly adequate way of getting around (especially in the summer) and you're definitely going to see more dedicated routes between downtown and the airport.

Saying that you're going to add 2-3 hours to your workday because of the commute is just exaggerated fear-mongering, IMO.

[doublejman69]

Milwaukee has the hotel rooms but the city has only a few 500-1000 room hotels, most are in the 200 range. large groups are going have to decide if they want to book 3 or 4 different hotels in Milwaukee or stay in one hotel in Kenosha. One thing Milwaukee has going for it that a big chunk of the hotel rooms are going to be new, in 2010 Milwaukee alone had just under 4,000 rooms, today it's just over 5,500 and there's around 1000 more rooms under construction or proposed (this doesn't hotels that are getting renovated like the intercontinental).

[Perishable517]

I'd be curious to know whether it was ever really up for debate given who one of our owners is and his relationship with people who have very strong pull within the Democratic party.

I'm sure there are real concerns about lodging. I wonder if a new large hotel is going to go up within a year on the BC site.

I do know of two in the process of being built...one of them seems to be a good sized one (by fair park) and the other is by Miller Park Way.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Milwaukee area has enough rooms. It'd be better if Downtown had more.

[Mags FTW]

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

The city does not have a convenient mode of mass transit from downtown to the airport and first ring suburbs where many hotels are located. All of the rental cars will be taken, and taxis/ride shares will be maxed out.

If you don't get one of those downtown rooms, you are probably looking at an extra 2-3 hours added to your workday.

I'm not worried about rideshares being maxed out. Not only are you going to see plenty of ubers/lyfts on the street that weekend from locals trying to make a buck, but you are are going to be people swarming in from surrounding cities to provide those rideshares as well (driving up from Chicago or driving in from Madison). Also, there's this:



I know it's a non-starter for some people to use the bus, but its a perfectly adequate way of getting around (especially in the summer) and you're definitely going to see more dedicated routes between downtown and the airport.

Saying that you're going to add 2-3 hours to your workday because of the commute is just exaggerated fear-mongering, IMO.

I meant a journalist, or someone in town to work the convention will likely have a 2-3 hour longer work day when you factor in the time to get from a hotel near the airport to Fiserv, vs. someone who stays downtown.

Settle down with your fear-mongering rhetoric.

[SirChurros]

I don't get the whining about hotel rooms. Yes, some people will have to book hotels/air bnbs outside of smack dab downtown Milwaukee. Those people can either drive downtown or uber/lyft it downtown if they so choose to. A 20 minute commute isn't dramatically different than booking it in NYC and having to take a cab/subway from one borough to another, or booking in SF and having to commute from a room in the Mission District to a convention downtown.

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

You're also operating under the assumption that those 17,000 rooms are going to be available. That's obviously not true.

[buckboy]

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

You're also operating under the assumption that those 17,000 rooms are going to be available. That's obviously not true.

Yep. I wonder if that 16,000 required number takes into account a 'normal ' occupancy percentage and they only actually need 12,000 or whatever. I imagine it does since it's a done deal.

[humanrefutation]

I think the issue is that even counting the metro area there may still not be enough rooms. At the end of the day it doesn't matter because they booked the event.

There are 17,000 hotel rooms in Milwaukee. The DNC requires 16,000. There are enough. They're just not all located in the middle of downtown.

You're also operating under the assumption that those 17,000 rooms are going to be available. That's obviously not true.

I'm not operating under any "assumptions." I'm just stating the guidelines. The DNC isn't going to physically check to see if there are actually 16,000 bookings available. They set a guideline with an understanding that not all of those rooms will be unbooked.

That doesn't account for AirBnBs, either. I'm sure they'll help pick up some of the slack.

[humanrefutation]

By the way, people complain about the commute from the burbs to downtown Milwaukee have obviously not spent any significant time in a major city. A 20-30 minute drive from a hotel in Oak Creek or Wauwatosa or Brookfield to downtown Milwaukee is nothing by comparison. It takes at least 45 minutes to get from one borough to another in New York if you're taking the subway, let alone by car. LA/DC traffic is an abomination.

[Nowak008]

Hopefully with landing the convention... they will finally finish the roof.