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Dear Members,
The year is off to a strong start for Destination DC (DDC). On Jan. 24, we hosted the annual Global Marketplace, our flagship program about international leisure and business event travel to the District. Representatives from DDC’s offices in Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Mexico and the UK shared our strategies and advised members on how to grow their market share.
Along with all my colleagues, I had a fantastic time engaging with many of you at Member Open House on Feb. 8. It was an afternoon connecting members to staff in each department, ensuring quality face time and opportunities to benefit from our marketing and sales efforts as we promote the District.
Remember that our website is your one-stop shop for all things cherry blossoms, including festival and parade information. We’ve also got some great date ideas for Valentine’s Day and numerous options for celebrating Black History Month, Lunar New Year and Women’s History Month in DC.
Kind regards,
Elliott L. Ferguson, II
President & CEO
Destination DC
Registration Now Open for Member Volleyball Tournament | Feb. 16, 4-8 p.m.
Join us for an evening of volleyball, food and fun at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on the Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic courts. All proceeds benefit the American Experience Foundation.
Register as a team or as an individual player. Tournament winners will receive bragging rights and exciting prizes.
DC in Bloom Webinar Featuring the National Cherry Blossom Festival | Feb. 22, 11:30 a.m. - Noon
DDC invites all hotel and restaurant staff, tour operators, transportation service providers and customer service staff to learn more about the vibrant spring tourism season.
Sustainability Summit | March 13, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Join DDC as we showcase the strength of collaborative partnerships during an inaugural Sustainability Summit.
Where: Capital Turnaround, 700 M Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Speed Networking Event
Register today for Speed Networking on April 9. Connect with other DDC Members and expand your network.
Sponsor AEF July 4th Celebration
Become an official sponsor and help raise money for the American Experience Foundation. Email aef@washington.org to become a sponsor.
Targeted advertising matters because getting the right message in front of the right audience, at the right time, is essential. This might sound simple, but implementing targeting strategies to meet your campaign goals can be complex. To help, we’ll map how targeting capabilities can align with your digital marketing plans.
Join the National Cherry Blossom Festival on March 15 for an evening filled with entertainment, iconic fashion and international bites at the dazzling Pink Tie Party, presented by Union Station Washington, DC and Design Cuisine.
- Earned media: National Geographic lists DC as a cultural hot spot and Good Housekeeping ranks the city as the number one destination to visit in the world in March 2024. Internationally, Golf and Spa Magazine (Mexico) showcases DC as a travel treasure, while DNA Magazine (Australia) emphasizes DC as the "Party Capitol" for World Pride 2025. NorthStar lists innovation locations in DC for meetings in its Destination Guide. USAE features Elliot and the cover with new members of the DEI Business Fellows.
- Spring/Summer Official Visitors Guide: The spring/summer 2024 edition of the Official Visitors Guide will be in-market on March 1. For this edition, 250,000 guides have been printed. The guide will also be available for download online. It features member listings, free things to do, spring and summer events and extensive information on all there is to do in DC’s neighborhoods, including outdoor recreation and dining.
- New content on washington.org: As winter turns to spring, users on washington.org can discover brand new pieces on local bakeries, where to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks and spots that offer hot chocolate. Additional timely content highlights Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Women's History Month, the National Cherry Blossom Festival and other spring events.
- The social media team started the year with a showcase of underrated museums and curated a DC winter bucket list with must-do activities and sights for the season. Leisure channels also spotlighted Binge Bar, DC's first alcohol-free establishment on H Street. Other popular posts included the first snow of 2024, winter strolls and a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Industry channels promoted the 2025 ISTH World Congress, Raising Cane’s opening, Global Marketplace and DDC’s 2024 DEI Business Fellows.
In January, the team tracked over 44 presentations, virtual client sales calls and in-person meetings.
Recent activities:
- Professional Convention Management Association's Convening Leaders (Jan. 7-10, San Francisco, CA)
- BestCities Global Forum (Jan. 18-21, Melbourne, Australia)
- Global Marketplace Week (Jan. 22-26, Washington, DC)
- Micebook Expo (Jan. 29-30, London, UK)
- Washington International Association Forum (Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Washington, DC)
DDC’s tourism team is traveling domestically and internationally to meet with clients focused on bringing travel to DC. This month, DDC hosted travel agents from Australia in partnership with Delta Airlines. The visitor experience team has a big month of training and presentations throughout the DMV. The global sales and media team will travel to India for a sales mission hosting client events and meetings with travel trade accounts.
What were visitors asking about last month?
- When is the best time to visit DC for peak cherry blossom viewing?
- Are there any special plans for the 250th Celebration of the USA's Independence?
- What are the events happening at the National Museum of African American History & Culture for Black History Month?
Make sure to use #Only1DC
Industry Social Channels: @DestinationDC
Leisure Social Channels: @visitwashingtondc
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