Mitchell International on Mission to Shore Up for Democratic National Convention

Mitchell International Airport is preparing for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Milwaukee next July 13 to July 16 at the Fiserv Forum — from promoting a fresh marketing plan to contend with competing airports to refining its retail and dining offerings. Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) surmised that many of the estimated 50,000 DNC participants are planning to travel by plane, so their first impression of Milwaukee may well be the airport.

“Construction has been underway since April to remodel or replace 22 restaurants and retail shops at the airport. New retailers include jewelry store Brighton, sports store No Boundaries and Wisconsin’s first Spanx store. Work is expected to be complete by June,” according to WPR.

Ground transportation is going to be one of the biggest obstacles for Mitchell to overcome, however. Harold Mester, Mitchell International Airport director of public affairs and marketing, said approximately 50 percent of the airport’s typical day-to-day customers either have someone drop them off and pick them up, or use the available parking structure. Yet according to WPR, most DNC delegates are going to call a service, like a bus or Lyft, in contrast.

Passengers, therefore, may have issues locating their ride in the modest area allocated to pickups and drop-offs. Mitchell is developing a staging area to curb the issue, though, to better serve its average of 12,000 daily passengers, which Mester doesn’t expect to increase during the DNC.

Fortunately, this isn’t the first rodeo for Milwaukee hosting a large event. And the airport regularly serves big events, including PGA championships, Green Bay Packers games and more.

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