Why Denver?
According to Michael Strott, director of communications for Mayor Michael Hancock's office, the decision to hold the inaugural Cities Summit here was made by President Joe Biden, and the reason was simple.
"President Biden selected Denver to host the Cities Summit due to our growing connections to the region, thriving and resilient business and cultural communities, [and] our commitment to sustainability," Strott says. "Denver and Colorado exemplify the unique potential for innovation at the city and state level that the Cities Summit will highlight."
FloraJane DiRienzo, executive director of the Biennial of the Americas — an organization launched in 2010 by Denver civic leaders, which puts on big events every two years, smaller events in the intervening months and organized the Cities Summit — says that the competition for being the first host city was something local leaders and officials took very seriously.
"Denver put in a very competitive bid on why we would make the perfect host for the 2022 Summit of the Americas," DiRienzo says. "Through that process, we made ourselves and our interest in demonstrating the commitment in Denver and Colorado to the Americas really well known. That put us on the map."
In addition to having a good track record on paper, Colorado stood out for its "central location on the north-south axis," which made it a potential "hub for connectivity in the Americas," DiRienzo notes.
Denver International Airport's status as "a key airport with so many international and domestic flights" played a major role as well, she adds, along with the city's "world-class convention center."
Official Cities Summit of the Americas events will take place at the Colorado Convention Center on April 27 and April 28, preceded by a welcome reception at the Denver Art Museum on Wednesday, April 26. There will be panels with politicians and experts on topics affecting cities across the Americas, including migration, housing, pollution, inequality and homelessness. Partner events will be going on all week, starting April 24.
Registration for the summit is already at capacity, with nearly 4,000 delegates set to attend, including 250 leaders from countries such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Mexico and Belize, and mayors from Toronto, Phoenix, Mexico City, Tijuana, Rio de Janeiro and other major cities.
The Big Blue Bear oversees the action at the Colorado Convention Center.
Jeff Turner at Flickr
The Biennial of the Americas will also host events and public art to complement the Cities Summit. The nonprofit is set to launch Fábrica de Arte Américas, a four-day event with live music, electric DJ sets, dance performances, fashion shows, visual arts and food trucks set up at the Slate Denver Warehouses, 1250 Welton Street. Much of the warehouse space will be free to roam (visitors are asked to RSVP online), but the nighttime performances will require tickets. The Slate Denver Warehouses were part of the former Emily Griffith Opportunity School, one of the first schools in the city for immigrants, which DiRienzo calls "especially fitting."
Caravana America, an exhibition highlighting the work of 25 fashion and interior designers from across Latin America, will be part of the Fábrica activities. The show, which opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, is free and open to the public.
The Museo de las Americas will host a Colombian brunch on April 24 at its location in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe. The museum's current exhibit, Colombia: the Corn, the River and the Grave, which comprises the work of fifteen Colombian artists, will be on display.
Two events open to the public will close out the week. The first will be the official closing block party from 5 to 7 p.m. April 28 at the Fábrica de Arte Américas (which will remain open until Sunday); the party is free to both Summit attendees and the public, so it's a good opportunity for mingling. And a concert by Colombian band Bomba Estéreo and Mexican singer Gabito Ballesteros will take place at Mission Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 30; tickets can be booked online.
The Cities Summit is an offshoot of the triennial Summit of the Americas, an international summit of leaders of countries in the Organization of American States. In contrast, the Cities Summit puts the spotlight on local elected officials.
"Denver will be welcoming delegates from across the Americas for these critical conversations," Strott says on behalf of the city. "Strengthening democracy and public health, fostering clean energy transitions, meeting environmental challenges, increasing access to critical digital technologies, ensuring the safety and dignity of all migrants, and combating the spread and influence of disinformation — these are all issues where cities are leading the way, and throughout the week Denver will be at the epicenter of those vital discussions and collaborations. And in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Biennial of the Americas, there will be a host of arts and cultural events that attendees and residents alike will be able to visit and enjoy."
Mayor Hancock and Governor Jared Polis announced last summer that they had successfully nabbed the first hosting gig for the Cities Summit. Denver had bid to host the 2022 Summit of the Americas, and while the city missed out on that, it was able to get on the radar for the Cities Summit, DiRienzo says.
"The work that the Biennial has been doing for the last decade, and our partnership and leadership in terms of convening mayors, convening leaders, being a supportive partner to grow this kind energy certainly was a big factor," DiRienzo concludes. "It was a very competitive bid process to host the Summit of the Americas, and we put a lot of effort into that work."
The Cities Summit of the Americas will take place April 26-28, with partner events open to the public April 24-30. Find more information here.
