Kogod Courtyard
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DMOs have relationships with local hotels, venues and services across the city that allow your organization to truly experience the culture of a location while hosting a top-tier conference and providing a local feel to a meeting that will leave attendees with an unforgettable experience.
Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization of the nation’s capital, holds a wealth of resources for planning your next convention or meeting. DDC’s expertise gives your organization the confidence to explore beyond the National Mall and dive deeper into the culture and roots of the city.
“Whether your meeting is large or small, domestic or international, our Convention Sales and Services team has extensive knowledge of the best venues, restaurants and hotels to make your conference a success,” said Melissa Riley, Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services. “Planning and organizing meetings can be stressful, but our diverse staff is equipped to prioritize your needs and wants to fit with DC's meeting landscape.”
The DDC staff has extensive local knowledge built by years in the nation’s capital and working in the DMO space. Riley has been with the DDC team for over 21 years and has worked in the Convention Sales and Services (CSS) department during her entire tenure. The remaining CSS team is made up of 36 experts with extensive experience working with meeting planners and organizations from around the globe.
For example, in June 2024 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) hosted over 15,000 attendees at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, heavily supported by DDC’s CSS team. AIA activated the entire city with in-depth architecture tours of the Wharf and DC’s historic neighborhoods, a Go-Go music welcome at the Convention Center and a lively reception in the glass-enclosed Kogod Courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery.
“I’ve done a lot of these types of conferences across the country, and I have to say that Washington, DC has been my favorite experience because of the community here, and the locations, the restaurants, [and] the architecture in DC itself,” said Melvin Wallace, AIA attendee and digital transformation strategist at Voyansi.
Attendees were able to dive into DC’s eclectic culture because of DDC’s connections across the community, giving the meeting a unique local flavor and sense of place.
With transportation tips, hotel recommendations and meeting space suggestions, DMOs serve as a one-stop-shop and make scheduling events in an unfamiliar city much easier, saving you time.
DDC will be with you every step of the way: facilitating bookings, organizing plans and coordinating venue spaces. The CSS team makes the process as easy and painless as possible.
“Think of the Destination DC team as trusted support on the ground looking out for your organization’s best interest,” Riley said. “We want to build a relationship with you to allow you to succeed in planning the best possible conference easily.”
DDC provides a single point of contact to give you in-depth knowledge of not only the historical experience of Washington but also its rich culture. By submitting a request for proposal (RFP), any organization can connect with a DDC destination expert to create a meeting itinerary that is unique and successful.
DMO expertise is free.
DMOs are non-profits and largely funded by hotel taxes. Their goal is to help meeting professionals and leisure travelers promote the destination at no cost to the client. Their goal is to strategize with customers about the best way to grow attendance – free of charge.
With over 1,000 member businesses and organizations, DDC has strong relationships around the city to best support you when navigating pricing, particularly with flexible timing during the city’s lower visitation months. Washington, DC can be an expensive city, but with DDC’s relationships, pricing can be affordable, and large events economical.
Meeting planners can tailor their conference to reflect their organization’s values with the help of a DMO. Goals such as sustainability, accessibility, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are becoming increasingly relevant when booking meeting spaces.
The 2022 Smart Meetings and Destination International case study found that more than half (59%) of planners said that DEI is absolutely a priority for their organization. DMO experts have extensive knowledge of local suppliers and venues and can simplify the process of finding vendors with the right fit.
Through the Sustainability District, the DEI District and the DEI Business Fellowship initiatives, DDC makes it turnkey. The programs highlight businesses, suppliers and organizations that are unique to DC and align with the city’s sustainability and DEI efforts.
Emphasizing sustainability in conferences could lead a planner to hold their meeting in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a LEED Platinum-certified venue, or to stay at the Eaton DC, a hotel committed to “reducing waste [and] employing sustainable design.” Furthermore, it could steer the planner to reserve a meal at the Ambar in Shaw or Capitol Hill. These are only four of the 50+ members in DDC’s Sustainability District.
Similar to the Sustainability District, the DEI District holds a wealth of additions to any itinerary with women-owned restaurants such as Centrolia, Piccolina or Uncle Chip’s, black-owned businesses such as Mahogany Books or unique museums such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Incorporating these types of unique venues and restaurants into your meeting experience connects your attendees to DC and its communities with a greater sense of place.
DMOs want your meeting or conference to be a success. DDC wants to partner with you to create a gathering that works best for your organization and fully displays the uniqueness of the nation’s capital. With DDC, not only will your conference be memorable but also attendees will fall in love with Washington, DC. The hope is that visitors will have experiences that last a lifetime and will return to DC again and again.
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