The Democratic National Convention convenes at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia.
Wells Fargo Center is no stranger to political conventions. In 2000, the arena hosted the Republican National Convention (RNC). Now it’s the Democrats turn to take over the building. The Democratic National Convention (DNC) rolled into historic Philadelphia July 25, wrapping July 28.
Work on the area started over a year ago. In total, $84 million was raised to get Wells Fargo Center, its entertainment district Xfinity Live! and surrounding areas up to state-of-play standards to host the DNC.
The inside of Wells Fargo Center is unrecognizable. Several thousand seats were removed to accommodate a stage. Team banners and retired sports jerseys that usually hang from the rafters were removed and taken to a secure, undisclosed location. Display cases were covered up. Temporary walls went up to create space for the individual caucuses. The backstage area was gutted to make way for VIP safe spaces. A huge stage lectern, television screens and an electronic voting system for delegates were installed. The upper-level suites were pulled apart to make way for the TV networks.
Hargrove Inc., based in Washington, is the general contractor for the building. The company handled the DNC at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C. in 2012. Perryman Building & Construction, a local contracting company, is the primary subcontractor.
John Page, president, Wells Fargo Complex for Comcast Spectacor, said that discussions about the center hosting the DNC started almost two years ago. “There was a bid process, and at the end of the day, we were fortunate enough to be selected,” said Page. “The contract was finalized in February 2105.” The arena factored the money it would have received from hosting concerts and events in July into the contract negotiations with the DNC.
The DNC sent their Venue Operating Group to Wells Fargo Center last April. “The Venue Operating Group established the operating procedure,” said Page. “We met with them on a weekly basis from early April until May 28 when we handed over the building, and on a daily basis ever since.”
Page and several of his senior staff were on hand for the RNC convention 16 years ago. “Because we were the host of the RNC in 2000, we were able to bring a wealth of experience to the table,” said Page. “Construction, network involvement, use of labor, we were really able to dig into it and share what worked and what didn’t work. We were able to highlight the positive attributes of the venue so the DNC was able to hit the ground running. Still, it’s been a pretty intense journey from contract negotiations to now.”
Page said that security is the major difference from the 2000 RNC to the 2016 DNC. “Today’s climate is very different from 2000,” said Page. “The RNC here was before 9/11. There was sensitivity before, but nothing compared to the current climate. It’s a much more security-focused event than we saw in 2000.” Background checks were part of the process. An eight-foot barrier was built in front of the center, and airport-style entry systems were put in place.
Twenty-year-old Wells Fargo Center is taking advantage of the tear-down and is using the opportunity to renovate 40 of their luxury suites. Right now the suites are being used for the media as mini-TV studios. “We’re going to spend $18 million to expand the suites, give them open-air viewing and outfit them with new carpeting and tile,” said Page. “The challenge for us was how to take advantage of being essentially out of business for all this time and get a jump-start on our renovation project. It’s been a very complementary process, the DNC got what it needed and we are able to get what we needed.”
Twenty of the new luxury suites, the ones in the front of the stage, are expected to be in place by the time Barbra Streisand takes the stage Aug. 20. The rest behind the stage will be completed for the arrival of Adele on Sept. 8.
Key operations personnel stayed with the venue since the DNC takeover, and about 150 staffers are working off-site since the start of the convention. Some staff were sent to the temporary box office created at Xfinity Live!, and others are working from home. “There was much less disruption to our operation this time,” said Page. “In 2000, the majority of our staff were sent home to work for the majority of the time the RNC was here. Since then, we built a new adjacent building next to the center, and a lot of the staff work from there and will continue to work from there.”
The most significant difference between the 2000 convention and the 2016 version, other than tightened security, has been an advent of technology. “In 2000, the podium was built out of wood. This time there’s stage decking and LED lighting, it’s almost like a big rock-and-roll show has been moved in here,” said Page. “And the omnipresence of social media, social networking and nonstop communication between constituents is all new. The DNC is also using mobile technology and messaging to get info out to the folks.”
Page said that the WiFi network is holding up thanks to his parent company Comcast-Spectacor. “Comcast made a significant investment a year and a half ago in the building's network, so the WiFi has been working great.”
The DNC will move out starting Friday, July 28, and Page said he’ll get his building back sometime between then and Aug. 20.
“The studios and networks are the first to get out and I’m told that they’ll all be loaded and ready to go no later than next Tuesday. Then we get our stuff out of storage and back into the facility, get our seats put back in, reinstall all of our storage areas and get concert chairs put back in the basketball court.
Page said communication and coordination were the key to gearing up for the convention, running the building while the DNC is live and getting the building back to normal shape.
“It’s been great, the national attention has been great, it’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding to do something of this magnitude,” said Page. “Not many people can say they did one, we got to do two.”
Interviewed for this story: John Page, (215) 389-9558