On Saturday night, August 17th, Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier buzzed with energy as thousands of media professionals, including content creators, from around the world gathered for the DNC Media Welcome Party.
This event marked the unofficial start of what is expected to be one of the largest Democratic National Conventions in history.
Back in June, the Democratic National Convention announced that, for the first time in its history, it would be credentialing content creators. This decision led to an overwhelming response from creators across the country, representing a wide range of audiences, interests, and demographics.
“From day one of convention planning, we’ve set out to bring the story of our party to the American people,” said Cayana Mackey-Nance, Director of Digital Strategy for the DNCC.
“Bringing creators to our convention will multiply our reach and ensure that everyone can witness democracy in action. We’re confident that when the world turns to Chicago in August on their phones, tablets, or TVs, they’ll see exactly who Democrats are and the future that we’re fighting for.”
More than 200 content creators were granted access to cover the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with hundreds more receiving remote access to downloadable content and resources to share convention experiences with their audiences.
“Our convention will make history, so we’re giving creators a front row seat to history,” said Matt Hill, Senior Director of Communications for the DNCC.
Influencers like Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, a lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, was among the content creators present at the DNC Media Welcome Party.
Known for his 60-second history videos on Chicago that have garnered over 20 million views on social media, Dilla has been recognized as the 2022 Chicago Tourism Ambassador of the Year by Choose Chicago, awarded the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, and voted as having the best Chicago Twitter and TikTok pages by Chicago Reader magazine in both 2021 and 2022.
Now, this passionate Chicago historian will share Chicago’s rich history with DNC attendees while also giving his audience a glimpse into the convention.
But Dilla wasn’t the only Southsider represented at the event.
The evening saw the presence of numerous media personalities, community leaders, and local businesses, including Brown Sugar Bakery from Chicago’s Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.
This bakery gained national attention when Vice President Kamala Harris visited in 2021, inspiring Baker Stephanie Hart to create the official “Kamala Cake”—a chocolate cake with a coconut, pecan, and walnut filling, finished with a coconut pecan frosting.
This treat was a featured dessert at the DNC Media Welcome Party.
Chicago’s vibrant foodie scene was on full display, with popular offerings such as deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hotdogs, Greek Town Spanakopita, and vegan options from Demera. And no Chicago party would be complete without music; attendees danced the night away as the event culminated in an outdoor fireworks show.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention takes place from Monday, August 19 to Thursday, August 22nd. Democrats will gather to build on the country’s progress, lay out what’s at stake in this election, and unite around the country’s shared values of democracy and freedom to create a future for all Americans, according to the website.
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