Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Denver vendors capitalize on DNC

By Joyzelle Davis, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 24, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.
Updated August 24, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.

Text size  
Daniel James Hudson, an acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine, presents his product, Altigen, to Scott J. McMullan, of Denver, at the Denver 2008 Convention Marketplace this afternoon.

Photo by Silvia Razgova / Special to the Rocky

Daniel James Hudson, an acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine, presents his product, Altigen, to Scott J. McMullan, of Denver, at the Denver 2008 Convention Marketplace this afternoon.

More Denver Democratic National Convention 2008

More stories »

Is the Mile High City making you a little queasy, headachy and light-headed? Altigen claims it has the antidote.

The Denver-based company sells a Chinese herbal formula that purports to accelerate or altogether eliminate the altitude adjustment process for flatlanders coming to Colorado, or Front Rangers ascending to ski resorts. The tablets sell for $9.99 for a 4-day supply or $29.99 for a “family pack” of 120 pills.

"A lot of people are coming by and saying ‘I’ve been noticing (altitude sickness)’ since I came to Denver," said Daniel Hudson, owner of Altigen maker Yao Company, standing outside his company’s booth at the Denver 2008 Marketplace at Civic Center Park. “We didn't expect to sell anything, we thought we’d be educating people, but sales have been magnificent.”

Altigen was one of dozens of companies at the Sunday Marketplace, displaying everything from Barack Obama plush toys to handmade jewelry. The farmer’s market-style gathering, organized by the city of Denver, is just a slice of the convention-goer commerce expected to take place this week. Denver processed 680 peddler’s licenses as of Saturday for the DNC, compared to 80 for last year’s World Series.

Altigen is the brainchild of Hudson and Caylor Wadlington, both Washington Park Chinese medicine doctors. They came up with the idea after reading that as many as 30 percent of Denver visitors experience altitude sickness, sometimes causing tourist to curtail activities. They recommend taking three pills, two times a day.

The Denver 2008 Marketplace marked the public debut of Altigen, which Hudson hopes to sell at visitor’s centers, hotels, natural food stores and high altitude resort areas. He’s going to the Telluride Film Festival next week, elevation 8,750, to help spread the word.

Altigen wasn’t the only entrepreneur hard at work at the marketplace. Allergic to Cities, a Steamboat Springs maker of hats, t-shirts and stickers, set up shop to sell its “Allergic to Work,” “Allergic to High Heels” and other lighthearted aversion wares. Not surprisingly, the “Allergic to McCain,” “Allergic to War” and “Allergic to Republicans” shirts were best-sellers on Sunday, although they also had a stash of “Allergic to Obama” and “Allergic to Democrats” under the table if you asked.

“We’re equal opportunity offenders,” said Rick Bear, co-president of the company with his wife, Suz.

Across the way, Florida chef Bret Trifler had the current administration firmly in his sights with his self-published “Nutrition Accomplished: Your Recipe Guide to the Last 100 Days of the Bush Presidency.” The $20 book features Gitmo Gazpatcho, Talibuns (heavy on the poppy seeds), Fuzzy Intelligence cocktail and Chicken Che-Ne -- which contains no recipe because it “remains in an undisclosed location.”

As of early afternoon, Trifler had seen a steady stream of browsers but few buyers.

“It says 100 days in the title, so I’ve under a deadline to sell this,” he said.