Dear Members,
As 2024 wraps up, I thank you for your continued membership and support of Destination DC (DDC). After a successful year that included growth in visitation to the District, major new development and widely attended member events, we couldn’t be more excited for 2025, which offers new pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, a U.S. Presidential Inauguration, WorldPride and much more.
It’s a great time to celebrate the incredible work of our affiliated charity, the American Experience Foundation. Please consider a year-end donation, and know that your gift will help change the lives and careers of DC hospitality students.
Remember to bookmark and share our winter content on washington.org, which highlights the city’s markets, theaters, light displays and exciting events this holiday season.
Kindly,
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Elliott L. Ferguson, II
President & CEO
Destination DC
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DDC's affiliated charity, the American Experience Foundation (AEF) is hosting a holiday raffle and silent auction. Prizes have been donated by DDC members and all proceeds benefit students.
AEF enriches the lives of students through inspirational travel experiences and educational opportunities. This holiday season, you can give back to the DC community while winning prizes for your friends, family or coworkers.
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Join DDC and Miles Partnership at Industrious H Street, where participants will work closely with digital marketing experts from Miles Partnership to learn how to optimize your presence on Google and other internet search engines.
Key Goals of the Workshop:
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- Foster and achieve readiness in your Google business profile
- Promote a positive perception of your business and the destination
- Amplify vibrancy and visibility to destination visitors
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Stop by DDC's offices to meet the team, play games and win prizes – all while learning about our sales and marketing efforts to promote Washington, DC in 2025.
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Applications are open for the 2025 District Sustainability Awards. These awards recognize businesses, individuals and organizations that support the Mayor's Sustainable DC Plan, which aims to make DC the nation's greenest, healthiest, most sustainable city. Winners will be recognized on stage at DDC's annual Sustainability Summit in March 2025.
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Shape the future industry workforce and enhance your organization's talent pipeline through the Career Ready Internship program this summer – all at no cost to your organization. Create opportunities for high school juniors studying hospitality, culinary arts and media marketing as they gain firsthand experience in the industry.
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- Internship Duration: June 23 – Aug. 1, 2025
- Work Hours: Up to 25 hours per week, based on a mutually agreed upon schedule
- Compensation: $17 per hour (no cost incurred by employers)
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Step into a world of serenity and sensory wonder this holiday season with ARTECHOUSE’s Tingle Bells: An ASMR-Inspired Holiday Special. Immerse yourself within the digital exhibition designed to soothe your senses and warm your spirit.
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Industrious is the best provider of on-demand meeting rooms and co-working spaces. Book with us and wow your clients with all-inclusive amenities at one of our 15 DC-area locations.
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Experience the District's must-see theater, arts and entertainment at iconic venues – and save on tickets.
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- More advertising awards: DDC's ad team continues to accumulate awards for its outstanding and creative campaigns. The HSMAI Adrian Awards, which honor excellence in travel marketing, recognized their work with the following accolades:
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- Gold, Best of Category - A Chosen Family: THEM Campaign
- Digital: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Marketing
- Silver, Best of Category - There's Only DC: Overall Brand Campaign
- Advertising: Brand Campaign
- Silver - One Weekend, One DC: New York Times Campaign
- Digital: Video - Single Entry
- Bronze - There's Only One DC: Campaign Videos
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- America's 250th – upcoming press conference and microsite: Along with numerous other organizations across the city, DDC will build anticipation for America's 250th-anniversary events in 2026 with a press conference on Jan. 28, 2025. In tandem with the event, the content team will launch a new microsite that aims to inspire trips to the nation's capital to celebrate the milestone anniversary.
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In November, the team tracked over 56 presentations, virtual client sales calls and in-person meetings.
Recent activities:
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- micebook Ventures (Nov. 4-6, Paris, France)
- City Nation Place Global 2024 and Devil Wears Prada Client Event (Nov. 4-8, London, United Kingdom)
- Professional Convention Management Association Greater Midwest Chapter Bowl-A-Thon (Nov. 13, Chicago, IL)
- Turkish Cultural Night (Nov. 14, Washington, DC)
- Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings World International Trade Show and Client Dinner (Nov. 18-22, Barcelona, Spain)
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This month, DDC’s tourism team continues highlighting travel to Washington, DC by attending trade shows, participating in major sporting events and hosting familiarization tours, including travel agents from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Taiwan. The team also conducted an LA sales mission and business appointments at the International Luxury Travel Market.
Register now for our Inauguration Visitor Information Webinar on Jan. 15.
Top visitor questions last month:
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Make sure to use #Only1DC
Industry Social Channels: @DestinationDC
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Leisure Social Channels: @visitwashingtondc
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