The after-party: DNC organizers reflect and clean up

The party's over, the painted donkeys are headed home, and all that remains is an arena to put back together, some bookkeeping, and a few hundred thank-you notes to be written.

The week after the Democratic National Convention, local organizers were still basking in kudos while closing down the pop-up organization they created to run the show.

"You work so hard for something, you put your heart and soul into it, and you wonder how's it going to be received," said Kevin Washo, 35, executive director of the city's host committee. "Will people want to come back? I think we showed Philadelphia is a great destination city."

Washo, known for his stylish suits, was dressed down in a white button-up and slacks on Tuesday, as he reflected on the week in an office the host committee occupied at 19th and Market.

Down the hall, Jason O'Malley, the committee's chief financial officer, pen in hand, was writing thank-you notes to some of the biggest donors.

"It's a lost art in this world," O'Malley said. "But when we put together the kind of money we did, there's a lot of people to thank. It's insane."

The host committee is less than $1 million away from its $60 million cash goal, which Washo promised would be reached. The committee brought in $16 million in in-kind contributions.

He said the host committee will be the first in more than a decade to meet its fund-raising goal.

Both Charlotte and Denver fell millions short of their goals in 2012 and 2008.

Beyond an appreciative message from O'Malley, donors will receive leftover delegate giftbags with C-SPAN water bottles, Philadelphia trinkets, and other DNC swag, like a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon with a special blue seal and Philadelphia DNC 2016 label.

Who those donors are is still a mystery. The committee is not releasing details on its finances until 60 days after the convention, as required under federal law, despite multiple media requests that the information be released immediately.

Washo said the committee wants to honor its promise to donors to stick to the timeline.

Washo and a handful of members of his team will stay on until early October. They have to make sure the Wells Fargo Center is ready for Barbra Streisand on Aug. 20.

Then there's the rented 55,000-square-feet of office space at 19th and Market to clear out.

"Our goal is to get the shutdown completed as quickly as humanly possible," he said.

Fifty-three fiberglass donkeys need to be shipped to their home states while four others, unclaimed, will be auctioned off.

Washo, who has worked on the convention for the last three years, says he will stay in Philadelphia, though he is not sure what he will do. The Scranton native formerly headed the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and, before that, worked as a senior strategist on President Obama's campaign in Pennsylvania.

"The next place I know I'll be for sure is my cottage in northern Michigan," he said.

Washo credited the city with the success of the convention.

"SEPTA and the police force, they just knew what to do," he said, "And half the issues for these conventions are having a city that works."

One of the host committee's goals was to help restaurants and businesses prepare and encourage Philadelphians, who left the city in hordes ahead of last year's papal visit, to stick around.

Apparently it worked.

Early numbers showed hotels were at 95 to 100 percent capacity during the convention.

A happy hour at Dilworth Park on Wednesday during convention week drew 1,800 people, according to the Center City District. Similar events usually draw about 325 people.

Pedestrian volume at Dilworth Plaza was up 48 percent and café sales there were up 160 percent, according to the Center City District.

The Rev. Leah Daughtry, CEO of the Democratic Party's convention committee and overseer of much of what went on inside the hall, has done this before. She was CEO in Denver in 2008.

She said Philadelphia broke records for diversity in the contracts awarded and the delegates sitting in the seats.

Daughtry said her biggest headache was coordinating the Secret Service drop-offs for so many high-profile attendees and keeping Hillary Clinton's surprise Wednesday night appearance a secret.

Luckily, Clinton kept a low profile in the lead-up and mostly spent the time readying her speech, Daughtry said. "That was major, but we pulled it off. The looks on delegates' faces when she came out, you could see it."

Despite all the celebrities who spoke or performed, from Meryl Streep to Katy Perry to Paul Simon, Daughtry was pleasantly surprised by the "lack of divas."

"They all understood our limited budget so everyone showed up for rehearsal on time and it was very easy to work with all of them," she said.

She viewed complaints about confusing bus logistics and lines at the subway as a sign people were taking advantage of the city.

"I take that as a positive that people were trying to get around, see things," Daughtry said. She also noted the convention's 450-bus fleet was larger than most municipal bus systems.

For now, Daughtry will stay in Philadelphia through mid-September and then head back to D.C., where she will hang her convention credentials and customized convention license plates beside those she took home in 2008.

"Those are my two big souvenirs," she said. "Something to remind me of this moment in history."

jterruso@phillynews.com

215-854-5506@juliaterruso