We enjoyed hosting our Punchbowl News HQ activation in Chicago Wednesday where we convened DNC attendees for insightful live conversations, coffee, snacks and even ice cream.
Our main stage conversations included a discussion with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) on energy and a fireside chat with Dr. Vijay Swarup, senior director for climate strategy and technology at ExxonMobil.
Swarup called for urgent reforms to the long and complicated U.S. permitting process if the country’s energy industry is to move forward and repurpose its existing assets like natural gas pipelines.
We also held a roundtable of energy executives presented by America’s Energy. CEOs of the American Clean Power Association, Edison Electric Institute, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the American Gas Association shared their views on U.S. energy and the outlook for the industry.
In addition, we had a vibrant discussion with Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) who broke news to us about his political future. Hickenlooper told us he’d be seeking his second and final term in 2026.
We also took our survey, The Canvass, to Chicago. We conducted nightly rapid polling of senior congressional staffers and K Street leaders to bring you immediate responses to DNC speeches and events. On Wednesday, we hosted a live conversation with our polling partners at LSG to share some of the findings from the survey.
The Punchbowl News HQ also included charging stations provided by Duke Energy, a coffee bar by General Motors and Wi-Fi presented by Holland & Knight. We hosted an ice cream social in partnership with Snapchat and drinks provided by Sazerac. Salesforce helped us wrap up the day with a toast and reception.
You can view a gallery of the photos from the Punchbowl News HQ here.
And if you want a trip down recent memory lane, you can check out the photos of our Punchbowl News HQ last month at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
– Team Punchbowl News
