September 11,
2008 | | 
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| FROM THE PRESIDENT
Fall convention business in DC
remains strong this month with the upcoming National Black MBA Association's 30th
Annual Conference Exposition, bringing approximately 15,000 prominent business
leaders to DC. Read on for industry updates, special offers, recent DC media coverage
and more. 
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| INDUSTRY TRENDS & PERFORMANCE | MEMBER UPDATES & DEADLINES
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| OFFERS
& HIGHLIGHTS | | 
| | | "Good Morning America's" Whistle-Stop '08 Tour Stops by Washington,
DC "Good Morning America" will
end is week-long train trip in DC on Friday, Sept. 19. The show will broadcast
from the Newseum (www.newseum.org) with a live performance from American Idol's Jennifer
Hudson. Destination DC members are invited to attend! The program runs 6:30am-9am.
| Discounted
D.C. United tickets. Destination DC members and friends can purchase discounted
tickets for D.C. United's regular season home finale against the New England Revolution
on Thursday, Oct. 16. Email Chris
Insolera for more information or click here. | American Express® Cardmembers can
help bring more trees to Washington DC's streets. DC is competing for the largest
portion of the American Express $1 million tree-planting grant. To help, pay with
any American Express Card when you see the ROOT FOR DC tree icon displayed at
participating businesses from Sept. 22 through Oct. 31. The city with the most
votes gets the most funding for trees. For more information, click here. | Let CSI Handle
Your Production Needs. Get a 22" x 28" poster printed for just $25 throughout
the month of August. Email Brian Lee for more
information. |
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| MEDIA COVERAGE | WHAT'S IN TOWN |
| AT HOME & ON THE ROAD | INDUSTRY
BUZZ |
| |
| | INDUSTRY
TRENDS AND PERFORMANCE | |
|
Performance
Measures
| Current Month | Year-to-Date | July 2008 | % Change from 2007 | Through July 2008 | % Change from 2007 | LODGING | Number of Rooms
Used | 693,040 | 7% | 4,301,220 | 4% | Hotel Occupancy
(%) | 84.8 | 7% | 76.7 | 4% | Hotel Average
Daily Rate ($) | 183.26 | 5% | 204.96 | 6% | Hotel RevPar
(Occupancy x ADR) ($) | 155.43 | 13% | 157.17 | 10% | TRANSPORTATION | Combined
Domestic Arrivals (DCA, IAD) | 1,632,595 | -2% | 10,555,789 | -5% | Combined International
Arrivals (DCA, IAD) | 337,784 | 3% | 1,917,498 | 7% | WMATA Metro Ridership
(Rail) | 21,015,400 | 9% | 129,111,791 | 3% | WMATA Metro Ridership
(Bus) | 12,133,893 | 8% | 78,973,193 | 4% | Circulator Ridership | 283,170 | 15% | 1,619,451 | 20% | VISITATION | National Park
Service (Mall Locations) | 2,402,344 | 6% | 14,916,832 | 8% | National Park
Service (All Metro Locations) | 5,222,963 | 5% | 26,363,775 | 4% | Smithsonian (Mall
Locations) | 2,369,652 | -9% | 12,510,668 | 1% | Smithsonian (All
Locations) | 2,975,157 | -9% | 15,458,932 | -2% |
Fiscal year runs October 1, 2008
- September 30, 2009
* Destination DC
calculations using the following data sources. Website
Visitation: Google Analytics, Livestats Website Revenue:
Ares, TravelHero Convention: Destination DC internal
database Domestic Earned Media: Burelle's Luce
Insight Inquiries and Brochure Distribution: Destination
DC internal database
For
historical performance indicators and measures, please click here.
DC on Travel Leaders Survey
A Travel Leaders
(formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates) survey ranked DC
as the tenth most popular domestic vacation spot. The annual survey, conducted
this summer, polled 415 Travel Leaders agents, managers and owners. DC Ranks on Priceline's Top 50 Labor Day Destinations List
Washington,
DC earned a spot in Priceline's 6th annual list of the Top 50 Labor Day Travel Destinations.
To determine rankings, priceline.com looked at a sampling of hotel room booking
requests made by priceline.com customers for Labor Day weekend. | |
| | MEMBER UPDATES & DEADLINES | |
| Reach the International Market with CRUSA
International arrivals to Washington, DC, Virginia
and Maryland grew by 7% in 2007 and spending in the region increased 15% to $1.05
billion. Learn how you can benefit from this lucrative market by checking out
the cooperative international marketing opportunities from the Capital Region
USA (CRUSA). Opportunities begin at just $250. For details, visit the CRUSA website. October Breakfast with
Bill Join Destination DC's President and CEO, Bill Hanbury, for breakfast
at 15 Squares Restaurant in the Renaissance Washington, DC hotel. Space is limited
and RSVPs are required. For more information, contact Ashley Richards at ashley.richards@destinationdc.com or 202-789-7009.
September Monthly Forum
The next Monthly Forum will
take place Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Newseum. If you are interested in hosting a Monthly Forum or have
questions, contact Ashley Richards at ashley.richards@destinationdc.com or 202-789-7009.
October Business Exchange
Save the date! Destination
DC will host a Business Exchange on Oct. 7 at 6:30pm at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. Invitations will be sent
out shortly. For more information, contact Ashley Richards at ashley.richards@destinationdc.com or 202-789-7009. Member Orientation
New members: Make plans to attend
the next Member Orientation on Oct. 8 from 2-4pm in the Destination DC boardroom.
For more information, contact Ashley Richards at ashley.richards@destinationdc.com or 202-789-7009. Interested in hosting a Destination
DC Business Exchange or Monthly Forum? Contact Ashley Richards at 202-789-7009
or ashley.richards@destinationdc.com. | |
| |
September 6, 2008
Jaunted: "48
Hours in Washington, DC"
By Victor Ozols, Jaunted Weekend Editor |
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| |
September 10-18: Air Force Association
Annual Meeting 2008
Marriott Wardman Park
Attendance:
1,200; Peak Rooms: 966
September 11-13: T.D. Jakes Ministries
Pastors and Leadership Conference
Walter
E. Washington Convention Center
Attendance: 10,000; Peak Rooms: 650 September
17-20: National Black MBA Association
Annual Conference
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Attendance:
15,000 Peak Rooms: 4,810 September 24-27: Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation, Inc.
Annual Legislative
Conference
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Attendance: 18,000;
Peak Rooms: 1,260 | |
Destination DC's Elliott Ferguson, joined by Walter E. Washington Convention
Center staff, will be conducting one-on-one sales calls in Chicago the week of
Sept. 14 as a part of the Disneyland Adventure event. Nearly 20 meeting planners
and their families will join the Destination DC and Walter E. Washington Convention
Center teams. During the event, teams will highlight all the family friendly attractions
and activities Washington, DC has to offer meeting planners and their attendees.
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Power
List: Who's New & Notable
Internationally-acclaimed
chef and restaurateur Michael Mina will
open Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, scheduled to open
this winter. Antonio Price is
the new "lobbyist" at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.
If you know of
a new hire or promotion, please email Koelling Borneman at koelling.borneman@destinationdc.com. Looking for new
talent or a new opportunity? Visit Destination DC's new online job bank, featuring open hospitality positions
throughout the city. To
view past editions of Destination DC's member e-newsletter, click here. | |
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