Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/32575
Dark sunglasses. Cropped military-style hair. Suits. Earpiece wires trailing into the shirt. Furtive sweeping glances. Sometimes it’s that obvious and sometimes it’s as subtle as requiring guests to check in at the front gate. The Broadmoor has a long his- tory of discreetly handling high-profile, high-security events and pulling them off without a hitch. In fact, the resort’s history of hosting internationally signifi- cant gatherings began its opening week, over Independence Day in 1918, with a major celebrity golf tournament ben- efiting the war efforts by the Red Cross. Since that prestigious beginning, The Broadmoor has quietly catered to elite gatherings in need of secrecy and security. Events on such a grand scale require unfathomable coordination and security measures, much of which must remain secret. For the ability to pull off presidential visits and host lead- ers from around the globe has set The Broadmoor apart for the last 93 years and counting. Stately Gatherings In June 1929, President Hoover participated in the National Oil Conser- vation Convention at The Broadmoor, involving governors of 12 western states. In 1932, Democratic presidential nomi- nee and future U.S. Pesident Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to a crowd of 3,000 supporters from the east balcony of The Broadmoor. Seventeen years later, 10,000 people, including 40 of the nation’s state and territorial governors and their official parties, arrived at The Broad- moor for the four-day 41st annual Governor’s Conference. The Spencer Penrose stadium came alive with music by the Denver Symphony and the U.S. Air Force Band during the event. And another exciting event occurred right after Spencer Penrose built the Will Rogers Stadium in 1938, where Broadmoor West sits today. According to archivist Beth Davis, “The stadium was inaugurated on November 11 by hosting a [professional football] game between the L.A. Bulldogs and Pitts- burgh Pirates—now the Steelers—with 12,000 in attendance, and a crowd of 5,000 in the lobby alone!” Davis adds, “We are fortunate that someone had the foresight to save a handwritten notebook recording the conferences, conventions and meetings from 1918 to 1940. Even during those early days The Broadmoor was known for its flawless execution of meetings of all sizes since its 1918 opening.” In the beginning, security was handled by an in-house security force, says Davis. “The hotel provided ‘house detectives’ to protect guests. In our original list of employees from 1918, Tom Gavin is listed as the Chief House Officer of The Broadmoor Hotel.” However, security isn’t simply about protection for big groups or heads of states, according to Davis. “Broad- moor guests also included prominent, influential people from communities throughout the U.S. These guests would spend the entire summer season, two or three months, at The Broadmoor. They’d bring their trunks, maids and butlers for an extended stay. To them, security was much more than the issue of safety. They wanted to feel at home, and sometimes anonymous, inside The Broadmoor’s expansive grounds.” Whether a guest is a celebrity, top po- litical figure, corporate group or business tycoon, privacy and personal security continue to be a priority at the resort. A Coordinated Effort Security begins with the physical layout of The Broadmoor grounds. As expansive as the property is—all 3,000 acres—it’s a fully fenced, campus setting with only two main entrances, provid- ing the basics for a secure environment. Opposite, clockwise: President Kennedy, while touring NORAD; The 1949 Governor’s Conference; Margaret Thatcher arriving on property. Above, left to right: New Governors Conference, 2010; NATO Ministerial meeting at The Broadmoor, 2003. 43 broadmoor.com