The Daniel L. Ritchie Center is a special place and home to some of Denver metro's most signature events.  The building boasts magnificent venues for all event types, entertainment needs, and group sizes.  In the past couple of weeks, in reflecting on a terrific 2019-2020 event season before the Coronavirus pandemic halted it short, our events team shares some of their favorite moments.  

Jill Mareck, Assistant Director of Ritchie Center Events, highlights the annual Denver Holiday Mart with the Junior League (JLL) of Denver.  Gates Fieldhouse, located in the Ritchie Center is transformed into a boutique shopping experience for early Holiday shoppers.  Mareck describes working with the JLL as "rewarding" and that as an organization they are "down to earth and willing to roll with the punches (and we've had a few of those in the past couple of years!)".   

Assistant Director of Scheduling, Facility Rentals & Retail, Ali Houlis, shares a memorable experience from July 2019 when the Ritchie Center hosted the World Series of Youth Lacrosse at Peter Barton Stadium.  The event featured 24 of the best U13 teams in the country, representing thirteen states and bringing thousands of fans.  Houlis, who had a hand in the acquisition and delivery of the event recalls it as "so sweet to see all of the youth lacrosse players, who worked so hard throughout their tournament, walk the field proudly when each team was announced before the big game".   

Trevor Taft, Ritchie Center Events Manager, has been with the team for under a year but has already been impressed by the various DU Athletic events and NCAA competitions hosted at the Ritchie Center, Home of the Pioneers.  As a key ingredient in ensuring the success of Game Day, Taft knows the pressure, details and magic that go into executing games or meets from start to end.  Taft highlights the importance of being willing to adapt on the fly explaining, "There's a number of things that can go wrong during an event and I believe it's important to have the mindset that not everything will be perfect. You have to find a way to make things work and it's vital to follow your policies and procedures because they will aid in your decision-making."   

Although the coming months are unclear for events around the Denver region and across the country, we know this for certain: our team is so grateful for all the memories made in 2019-2020 and we can't wait to be together again!