University officials said high profile 2008 presidential campaign stops at UW-Madison this week have been successful, but required much behind-the-scenes preparation.
Todd Nelson, assistant athletic director for event operations, said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s, D-Ill., campaign notified the university five days in advance that he wanted to come to campus. Originally, the campaign sought Feb. 11, which was too short of a notice for the university to pull it all together. The UW Athletic Department is in charge of all events at the Kohl Center.
Nelson said the university offered Feb. 18 as a possibility—Obama’s campaign said the date was too late. The Wisconsin primary is Feb. 19.
“We wanted it as close to campus as possible, with as many people as possible,” Bryon Eagon, director of Wisconsin Students for Obama, said of the location.
According to Nelson, the university worked around scheduled practices of Badgers sports teams to have Obama at the Kohl Center. The men’s basketball team practiced at the Kohl Center until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Marc Kennedy, communications director for Wisconsin Unions, said each political candidate could host one event on campus.
“Every legitimate political candidate, according to policy, can receive a one-time shot at a venue, something that would be free to the public,” he said. “Barack Obama has had his … Hillary Clinton hasn’t been here so she still would get [her shot].”
The University of Wisconsin Police Department worked with the Madison Police Department and U.S. Secret Service for Obama’s rally. Expenditures for the event cost nearly $32,000 to the Obama campaign, according to Nelson.
Nelson said the crowd control and security measures Tuesday were similar to UW men’s basketball games.
“We just had some extra, unique things because of the person involved,” he said. “We did end up confiscating a number of items that police and law enforcement did not want in the building.”
Nelson said event staff followed strict procedures to allow attendees into the building, such as limiting entrance to Gate B. After the doors were open for 30 minutes, Nelson said officials determined the crowd was not moving fast enough and opened Gate A as well.
Procedures similar to airport security were necessary for the 2,000 students Secret Service allowed on the Kohl Center floor for an up-close look at Obama.
The whole event kept security busy, but UWPD Sgt. Jason Whitney said the Kohl Center is “the best building on campus to hold a large crowd.”
“The Kohl Center worked out great for us,” he said. “We work large crowds there weekly, so everybody is familiar with the venue and it went really smoothly.”
