Most politicians will tell you the national political party conventions are just that: a party.

It's a party of thousands of campaign and political committee workers, volunteers, arena staff, law enforcement on every level and some of the most powerful and influential people in the country.

Backstage on the ground level of the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, staff members bustled, trying to get things finished before the delegates arrived. That includes organizing signs such as the placards delegates wave from time to time that say candidates' names and other slogans such as "Stronger Together" and "Love Trumps Hate."

Those signs are sorted into big bins and then wheeled around for distribution to the delegates.

There are cable lines everywhere. They're easy to catch, because there's usually a bit of carpet over them, or gaffer's tape or special plastic covers.

Every empty chair is occupied by a volunteer or member of the security staff — or a journalist trying to file a story or send a tweet.

If you are lucky, you can get a floor pass and watch what's going on on the floor of the convention. Down at this lowest level, rehearsals for a musical number go on could be spied.

If you go up a couple of levels, things get interesting. On the suite level are special boxes for the big press organizations. There's Fox, PBS, CNN, CSPAN and others, as well as Bright House and TWC. If you sit in that hallway outside long enough, you're bound to see a major political figure, a celebrity or a network anchor.

Just outside the Wells Fargo Center, there's a little media village — a series of white tents filled with news organizations from small to big international networks such as the BBC.

Media rooms are loaded with network systems, camera bags, tripods and other equipment. But it's the photographers who carry the big load — Chief Photographer Tony Rojek says each cameraman probably carries about 100 pounds of equipment each.

Take a look at some interesting numbers we got from the Democratic National Convention.

  • 400 buses from the region will be used
  • 95 contracted hotels with more than 15,000 rooms; including 27 hotels specifically for state and territory delegations
  • Around 6,000 convention participants (delegates, alternates, committee members, pages and speakers)
  • 18,000 volunteers around the city
  • 30,000 – 50,000 expected people coming to Philadelphia for the convention
  • 15,000 – 20,000 members of the media
  • We’ve engaged nearly 400 national allied organizations, NGOs, and labor unions regarding convention participation

Wells Fargo Center by the numbers

  • Wells Fargo Center is a 750,000 square foot facility
  • 2170 seats will be taken out for the Stage
  • 1324 seats will be on the Convention floor for the delegates
  • 1090 signs will be added to the arena complex
  • 120,000 square feet of space was created in media pavilions
  • 38 media suites and 5 locker rooms will be changed into office space
  • About 475 staff per day will be working
  • 750 miles of cable run and 125 miles of fiber
  • 1,250 desk and cell phones will be deployed for staff and vendor use
  • 310 TVs will be assembled and displayed
  • We will create over 300 wireless access points to boost communications
  • 1500 media parking spots