Marketing Highlights and Media Coverage

Media Coverage

Domestic

Food & Wine declares DC a top 10 foodie city in the US and more than 25 members are mentioned in TripAdvisor’s LGBTQ+ guide to the city. The Boston Globe raves about eight members in its chronicle of a family trip to DC. Fodor’s lists DC’s 10 best historic hotels and Elle Décor includes a member hotel in its list of luxurious rooms to feel refreshed. Business Insider offers a first-hand account of visiting the cherry blossoms (syndicated on Yahoo!). Elliott appears in-studio on DC News Now and shares his personal story on a local podcast.

International

International media featured the National Cherry Blossom Festival in India’s Vistara, News 18 and CurlyTales and the new SWISS flight to Dulles in Swiss publications Travel Inside and Travel News. Outlook Traveller (India) named the city one of the 10 best places visit this spring. Correio Brazilense highlighted female empowerment in DC’s cultural scene. Canada’s NUVO Magazine covered spies and scandals in the city, mentioning five members. Forbes Mexico featured Washington, DC as an experience-rich destination.

Trade

Sustainability continues to be a hot topic with Convention Center coverage in Meetings Today and the Marriott Marquis's new sustainability concierge in USAE News and Smart Meetings. Business Events Industry Week was picked up in Skift Meetings and Conference and Meetings World. DC’s Connected Capital and dining scene took center stage in Meetings Today (p.40).

Marketing Highlights

Awards season for M&C
The American Advertising Association’s ADDY’s honored DDC’s in-house creative team with awards for its “There’s Only One DC” commercials and campaign photography. DDC was pitted against the area’s top advertising agencies and was one of only two in-house teams awarded. The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International also awarded DDC an “Adrian” for its takeover of Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in partnership with MMGY Global, which included more than 140 print and digital placements.

Summer content update
With summer advertising set to launch on April 1, the content team has updated and added a wide range of summer content to washington.org. Users can discover things to do Memorial Day weekend, during July 4th (including where to watch fireworks) and over Labor Day weekend as well as seasonal events and festivals, free things to do, outdoor recreation, off-the-Mall and kid-friendly museums, waterfront revelry and national parks in the area.

Macy Dolton is a 30-Under-30 Honoree
Content Marketing Specialist Macy Dolton has been selected to Destinations International's 30-Under-30 Class of 2024. Macy, who's been with DDC since 2019, elevates the organization's brand voice on its industry social media accounts and inspires travel to DC through compelling advertising, web and email content. Macy also co-leads DDC's Employee Action Committee to balance the needs of the staff and organization. "I'm so appreciative of this honor from Destinations International," Macy said. "I'm passionate about my work at DDC and to be recognized in this way is an absolute joy."
 
Travel Rally 2024
DDC, along with the U.S. Travel Association, hosts this annual event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) to discuss the economic importance of tourism to DC. Mayor Bowser and several local and national leaders will provide remarks as DDC shares the latest statistics on domestic visitation, visitor spending and local jobs. Attendees can also hear how the organization plans to grow visitation across domestic and international markets. After the program, guests are invited to an exclusive preview of NMAI’s new exhibition, Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains, which opens June 1. See how Great Plains artists depict family life, battles and pop culture on hides, muslins and accounting ledgers through historic and contemporary works from the National Museum of the American Indian’s collection.

Social Highlights

Leisure Social
In April, DDC's leisure channels buzzed with highlights of the Washington Nationals' opening day and National Pet Day. Popular posts showcased the Lincoln Memorial surrounded by cherry blossoms as well as blossom-themed goodies. A reel detailing spring things to do in the District also performed well. DDC also partnered with local creators to spotlight sustainability in the District, including As Told By Dom, Wonderpunkthrift and Emily Goes Places, who provided insights into the city's green spaces and initiatives. The team also hosted a group of seven content creators from New York City, Atlanta and Chicago to experience spring in DC. Their coverage featured more than 30 members including the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Nationals, and highlighted DC as an LGBTQ+-friendly destination.

Industry Social

Industry channels welcomed the Oncology Nursing Society Congress and celebrated International Day of Pink, Global Meetings Industry Day, DC Emancipation Day and Earth Day. Staff highlights included the announcement of DDC’s Employee of the Quarter, Newaye Beyene as well as acknowledgement of Destinations International 30 Under 30 honoree, Macy Dolton (more on that in our Marketing Highlights). DDC channels also showcased April staff milestone anniversaries, Administrative Professionals Day and DDC’s award-winning creative team. There were also recaps of Member Speed Networking, museum outings and a promotional trip for NATO’s 75th anniversary. Member Spotlights included The Escape Game, Rocklands BBQ, See DC Today, DC Sweet Potato Cake, Skin Beauty Bar, Spirited Tours, District Sitter and Elfegne.