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Dear Members,
There's an abundance of summer fun left to enjoy in the District. Summer Restaurant Week lasts several more days and the signature DC JazzFest is just around the corner, with performances happening Aug. 28 – Sept. 1.
Take full advantage of your membership with us and upload your deals for the rest of summer and into fall on washington.org. Position your business with enticing offers and discounts to welcome customers on their last (or first) trips of the season. Deals are featured on seasonal landing pages, providing you with great exposure to potential visitors (the summer landing page has been the website’s most-viewed page since May 1).
Make sure to register for the Marketing Outlook Meeting, Destination DC’s (DDC) largest annual member event, on Aug. 27 at the Washington Hilton. You’ll hear about our plans to continue increasing visitation, industry updates and travel forecasts for 2025. Sharing the podium with me will be Mayor Bowser and Amanda Hite, President of STR. Ticket proceeds benefit our affiliated nonprofit, the American Experience Foundation (AEF).
Kind regards,
Elliott L. Ferguson, II
President & CEO
Destination DC
Member Pickelball Tournament | Friday, Sept. 6 3:30-7 p.m.
Join DDC members and staff for a friendly pickelball tournament. All skill levels are welcome. Proceeds benefit the AEF, DDC’s 501(c)(3) that inspires, educates and trains the next generation of hospitality professionals in Washington, DC and beyond.
Update Your Event Planning Guide Listing
Preparations for the 2025 edition of the official Washington, DC Event Planning Guide are underway. Members can now update their 150-character listing through the Member Extranet. Locate your listing by logging into the Member Extranet, selecting "Collateral," selecting "Listings," finding the "Event Planning Guide" listing row and selecting the pencil icon to the left.
Fall Webinar Hosted by DDC's Tourism Services and Visitor Experiences Team
All customer-facing professionals in Washington, DC’s hospitality and tourism industry should join speaker Josh Brown and DDC's Visitor Experience team for the Fall Fun in DC webinar, covering essential information about DC JazzFest and other fall events.
Cvent Report
Check out the 2024 Cvent North America Travel Managers Report. This is Cvent's annual corporate travel pulse-check.
You don't want to miss the 20th anniversary of DC JazzFest this Labor Day weekend! Enjoy performances by rising stars and world-renowned artists. Get tickets now before they sell out.
Inspired by the ISEKAI genre of anime, ARTECHOUSE DC's latest exhibition features six unique worlds, infused with different artistic styles and characters. A timeless adventure story awaits you at DC's original home for digital art.
- washington.org Update: The website generated record traffic on the Fourth of July, which accounted for the busiest day on the site all year with 147,934 views and 103,956 sessions. While consumers primarily came to the site from organic search, promoted content about Independence Day through the paid media seasonal strategy began in April. The results speak to the importance of DDC’s full-funnel marketing strategy in providing dynamic content that can serve as travel inspiration, as well as assist with travel planning while in market.
- Fall Advertising: Launched on Aug. 1, "There's Only One DC" advertising for the fall season includes a wide range of mediums such as displays, videos, podcasts and custom content with premium publishers like Travel + Leisure. Audience targeting includes fly markets (Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles) and drive markets (New York, Richmond and Philadelphia). The campaign also features placements that push local events such as DC JazzFest, Summer Restaurant Week and Theatre Week in publications including Washingtonian.
- The social media team celebrated Independence Day by sharing a guide on where to see fireworks, featuring some of DC’s most iconic views, and expressed an appreciation for the city with a "Love Letter to DC." Influencer partnerships played a key role as well: Ale Gutierrez explored DC with her son, Rix, to showcase its accessibility for neurodiverse travelers, while other influencers highlighted Instagrammable spots, LGBTQ+ friendly experiences and shared their reflections on celebrating Pride in DC. Industry channels welcomed the NATO Summit and Otakon to Washington, DC and staff highlights included celebrating Zoe Roberts as the NAF Alumni of the Year and July milestone anniversaries.
In July, the team tracked over 49 presentations, virtual client sales calls and in-person meetings.
Recent activities:
- Washington Nationals Client Event (July 13, Washington, DC)
- Passport to Flavor: A Culinary Journey Across Border Client Event (July 23, Washington, DC)
- Chicago Sales Mission (July 23-24, Chicago, IL)
- Destination Discovery: A Capitol Fourth Client Familiarization Trip (July 2-5, Washington, DC)
- United Kingdom Sales Mission (July 22-26, London, UK)
DDC’s tourism team continues to travel around the world to highlight travel to DC. This month, the team will meet with travel agents and tour operators in student and youth travel, sports and luxury markets in trade shows around the country. The team will also travel to Mexico for its first sales and media mission. Plus, there is still time to register for the Fall Fun in DC webinar.
Top visitor questions last month:
- Where is the best place to get a 360 view of DC and Virginia?
- What is the fastest way to get from DC to Old Town Alexandria?
- Where are the best spas in or near DC?
Make sure to use #Only1DC
Industry Social Channels: @DestinationDC
Leisure Social Channels: @visitwashingtondc
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