Written by 
CHICAGO — The city’s first Democratic National Convention since 1996 brought in $371.4 million, exceeding estimates but falling short of other major Chicago events.
Of the larger $371.4 million brought in by the DNC, over $221 million comes from direct spending to produce the convention plus the expenditures from the more than 50,000 who visited Chicago for the convention, according to a study by the business journal Tourism Economics
The rest of the total economic output is accounted for by indirect spending, such as the purchasing of goods and labor costs from businesses serving convention-goers, according to the study.
This year’s DNC also supported 3,211 jobs, including the creation of 2,000 jobs, according to the study.
“Once again we demonstrated that in Chicago, we make no little plans,” Mayor Brandon Johnson, who spoke at the DNC, said in a statement Thursday. “I applaud the efforts of our residents and every worker at our venues, hotels, restaurants, and in the City of Chicago who played a part in making this event a success.”
The DNC — hosted over four days in August at the United Center and McCormick Place — saw visitors from across the country, including celebrities like actress and writer Mindy Kaling, singer John Legend, Chicago native Common and former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.
In April 2023, Chicago was announced as the host city for this year’s DNC. The city later estimated the event would bring in $150 million in economic activity to the city, a forecast that was exceeded by more than double.
The $371 million generated by the DNC beats some major Chicago events in terms of economic activity, but it also falls short of other major gatherings in the city.
This year’s DNC brought in less overall than Lollapalooza 2023, which had a total economic impact of $434 million. And the DNC brought in well below the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which generated a record-breaking $547 million for the city last year.
NASCAR’s 2024 Chicago Street Race series brought in $128 million this year, its second year in existence.
The Chicago convention held this year drew in about $140 million more than the last DNC held fully in person in 2016. That DNC, hosted in Philadelphia, also brought in about $11.1 million in tax revenue, lower than the $28.7 million Chicago taxing bodies took in from this year’s DNC, according to the study.
The 2020 DNC, hosted in Milwaukee, was held largely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DNC in Chicago was pitched as an economic boon for the city, but not all businesses reported a boost from the convention.
During the convention, Block Club reported business owners getting mixed results. Some restaurants, notably closer to the United Center, said business was booming while others said they didn’t notice an impact.
Some business leaders on the South Side reported feeling left out of opportunities to capitalize on the DNC. But DNC organizers said they put in a lot of effort to include a diverse set of Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Those efforts included creating a resource guide highlighting neighborhood activities and deals at local businesses all week, featuring shops such as Taqueria Varitas in Bronzeville and events such as Books and Beats in Englewood’s Hamilton Park.
South Side business owners also got a platform at the convention by participating in the DemPalooza fair in McCormick Place. That includes Peter Gaona, owner of fashion brand Reformed School and an organizer of the Marché Privé market held in Hyde Park.
In August, Gov. JB Pritzker made a soft pitch to bring the DNC back to Chicago in 2028. The governor told Politico’s Jonathan Martin that he “would love to have the convention again, but no, we aren’t starting a bidding process.”
“We knew that when Chicago was chosen to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention it would be a rousing success for the city and the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said in a news release. “The proof is in the numbers, with millions in tax revenue generated and significant support for jobs, this success was made possible by the hard work of everyone involved.”
Block Club reporter Melody Mercado contributed reporting.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: