Jul 8, 2008 11:59 am US/Mountain
Hotel, Restaurant Staff Become Denver Ambassadors
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Frontline hotel and food service industry workers in downtown Denver spent Tuesday learning more about the mile high city ahead of next month's Democratic National Convention.
The Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau gave the workers special training on being ambassadors of the city. Bureau official pointed out that these workers are the first people visitors to the city often see.
As soon as visitors get into Denver, their experience begins. The hope is that if it's a good one, then the visitors will return, said Jayne Buck, the group's vice president of tourism.
The bureau wants to make sure the employees on the frontlines know everything about the city, especially the hidden gems many visitors may not know about.
The training started at the ESPN Zone on the 16th Street Mall where there was a motivational breakfast.
The group of about 50 was loaded with facts about Denver before getting on a tour bus for a 3 hour ride.
The first stop was the Museum of Contemporary Art that is just a few blocks from Pepsi Center and has been open for 8 months.
The tour also visited some of the city's historic neighborhoods like Highlands.
Some of the workers said they've lived in Denver for decades but learned something new about the city Tuesday.
"There's a lot I didn't know about the Highlands," said Chantai Pride, one participant. "There are parks, lakes, everything."
The tour also visited the Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Art Museum before returning downtown for more sessions on the city.
The bureau said it plans more training sessions in hopes of helping visitors and residents learn about the city.
Additional Resources
• For complete coverage of the planning for the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver, as well as information about how to volunteer and for a list of helpful links, visit the
Denver 2008 DNC Convention Section.
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