CNN And Politico Partner To Return Pop Up Eatery And Event Grill To Republican And Democratic Conventions

Ted Johnson
·2 min read

CNN and Politico are partnering on pop up eatery and event spaces at this year’s Republican and Democratic conventions, returning the popular meeting spot the Grill to both events.

The locales will feature exclusive events, dining and entertainment, along with coverage from CNN and Politico journalists. The grills drew about 10,000 guests in the 2016 cycle, according to the network, including a mix of media, political and entertainment personalities.

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Stephen Colbert at the CNN Grill in 2016.
Stephen Colbert at the CNN Grill in 2016.

The CNN Politico Grill will be featured at the RNC in Milwaukee from July 15-18, and at the DNC in Chicago from Aug. 19-22. The eateries will feature a curated menu specific to each city.

The conventions are typically a prime spot for media outlets to showcase their top personalities and brands, even if the events themselves lack the suspense of yesteryear. CNN has featured a pop up eatery and event space for the past few cycles, save for 2020, when Covid forced both conventions to go to a nearly all-virtual format.

This will be the first time that Politico will partner with another news brand for the conventions. They had news hubs at the 2016, 2012 and 2008 conventions, drawing more than 5,000 attendees to newsmaker discussions and even an Alicia Keys performance.

David Leavy, chief operating officer of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement that the grills “attract the most consequential decision makers, policymakers and leaders from across government, journalism and politics to one central location at both parties national conventions.”

Goli Sheikholeslami, CEO of Politico, said, “The policy outcomes that will be determined by this election will have a generational impact, and we look forward to hosting important conversations with elected officials, campaign staff, and potential members of the next Administration at the CNN-Politico Grill.”

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