City report
DC: Developing for Conferences
THE US CAPITAL IS TURNING UP THE GAS WITH A WIDE RANGE
OF VENUE IMPROVEMENTS. CMW REPORTS
ashington, DC is the
number three city in the US
for international association
meetings, according to the
2018 ICCA Statistics Report.
As well as being the centre of political
decision-making and lobbying,
Washington offers many free-to-enter
museums, historic neighbourhoods and
revered universities and colleges.
Washington, DC is a top city for social
entrepreneurs, and claims to be the most
educated city in the US. These factors
and more have helped establish the
nation’s capital as a leader in key
industries such as tech, biotech/pharma,
education and medical.
The venue inventory is growing and
evolving in some exciting directions,
with the conventions jewel in the crown,
the Walter E. Washington Convention
Center’s Phase II development opening
in spring 2019. There is also a $250m,
360-room Herzog & de
Meuron-designed Conrad Hotel.
When the World Gas Conference
came to the Walter E. Washington CC
Right: The REACH
at the John F.
Kennedy Center
Below: Spy
Museum exterior
• Washington, DC
captured over
10% of overseas
convention
visitors to the US
in 2017 (Source:
US Department of
Commerce)
• Overseas
convention
visitor numbers to
Washington, DC
in 2017 were up
26% (Source: U.S.
Department of
Commerce)
in 2018 it took up 40,000sqm of
exhibition space and attracted 12,000
attendees, and organisers reckoned the
event impacted the local economy to the
tune of $11.4m.
“We welcome more international
association business and hope new
non-stop air service, unique hotel
inventory and DC’s thriving restaurant
scene help make it easy to choose
Washington, DC for your meeting,” says
Elliott L. Ferguson II, President and
CEO of Destination DC. “Business
travellers can access lawmakers relevant
to their cause, find a delegate base that
helps grow their bottom line and meet in
incredible new venues, such as the
International Spy Museum, which boasts
a rooftop terrace with views of the city.”
Jay Copan, Executive Director, 27th
WGC Special Advisor to the President,
International Gas Union, has some big
praise for DC as a convention
destination: “There are daily, non-stop
flights into Dulles International Airport
from all over the world. From the Walter
E. Washington Convention Center and
hotels where most people are staying,
you can walk to every museum and every
major monument in the city and our
delegates benefitted from that.”
Copan adds: “Our goal for this year’s
World Gas Conference was to put on a
world-class event in a world-class city
and we exceeded that goal.”
The convention centre also boasts the
largest digital signage network in the US
and this year will continue developing a
series of renovations with a streetscape
plan, grand lobby refresh and mamava
pods for nursing mothers.
The National Conference Center,
located in Leesburg, Virginia, is Green
Seal™ GS-33 Silver and Virginia
ISSUE 102
Green™ certified and hosts many
eco-friendly events. A member of the
International Association of Conference
Centers (IACC), the centre boasts
23,225sqm of meeting space and 250
meeting rooms. It also has the largest
ballroom in Northern Virginia,
accommodating up to 1,800 guests.
In terms of new venue developments,
the highly anticipated REACH
expansion at the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts opened on 7
September 2019.
A $175m expansion project, REACH,
offers 6,689sqm of performance and
events space, spacious gardens and
terrace seating for up to 1,600 people.
The Hilton Washington DC National
Mall located at L’Enfant Plaza between
The Wharf and the National Mall,
re-opened in April 2019 after renovation
with 367 rooms, 2,136sqm of meeting
and event space and a Grand Ballroom
accommodating 600 guests.
The International Spy Museum
opened in DC in May 2019 and has new
indoor and outdoor event space, while
the National Air and Space Museum is
re-opening in phases 2022-2025.
Visitors can still enjoy The Anthem at
The Wharf, a 14,000sqm music venue
that also serves as a convention facility,
with flexible capacity up to 6,000.
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