Destination DC staff have been busy this week making deliveries on behalf of Operation Cherry Pie to spread the word about all of the wonderful things going on in DC in the Spring.

Read on for industry updates, special offers, recent DC media coverage and more.

April Monthly Forum
The next Monthly Forum will take place on Tuesday, April 28, from 9-11am at the Dumbarton House. Be on the lookout for an invitation, coming soon. For more information, please contact Ashley Richards at 202-789-7009.

Save the Date: 2009 Marketing Outlook Meeting
Destination DC's 2009 Marketing Outlook Meeting is scheduled for July 23 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Stay tuned for more details.

Host or Sponsor a Membership Event
Are you interested in hosting/sponsoring a Monthly Forum or Business Exchange? Please contact Ashley Richards at 202-789-7009 for more details.

When is the next Destination DC Member Event?
View our Member Events Calendar here. It lists all upcoming events and has a direct link to the invite.

Unique Spaces Guide
Don’t forget to update your listing for the Unique Spaces Guide on the Membership Extranet by this Thursday, April 9. For more information contact Bela Saini at 202-789-7088.

We are now accepting display ads for the 2009/2010 Unique Spaces guide. The guide is our premier resource publication for the special event planner. This publication features the non-traditional venue spaces that are uniquely DC – museums, galleries, historic homes, embassies, yachts, mansions and restaurants – and all the services that go along with planning a one of a kind event.
Total Circulation: 20,000
Ad close: May 22, 2009
Materials Due: 1 week after space reservation
Publication Date: June 2009
To purchase ads please contact Troy Barton, Essential Media Partners, at (866) 698-1108

233.11

21%

New York Times: Could It Really Be Him? Yeah, Probably
March 25, 2009

Scanorama (SAS Airlines inflight magazine): DC Marvels
March 26, 2009

Guardian (UK): I Love DC in the Springtime
April 4, 2009

CNN: Cherry Blossom Festival in Bloom in Nation’s Capital
April 2, 2009

The Washington Post: Day-Trippers Keep D.C. Tourist Sites Hoping
April 6, 2009

CEO Bill Hanbury to Depart for United Way of the National Capital Area
William A. Hanbury has announced that he will be departing as President & CEO of Destination DC to become President & CEO of the United Way of the National Capital Area effective July 1. Destination DC’s Executive Committee convened on Tuesday, April 7 to discuss transition plans to replace Hanbury, who has been CEO of the organization for the past 8 years. The Executive Committee will act as the search committee for a new CEO and plans to have a search firm approved by the Board of Directors at the end of April.

Destination DC has thrived under Hanbury’s leadership during the last eight years and he has been a seminal leader on the national tourism scene, serving as chairman of Destination Marketing Association International and board member of the U.S. Travel Association. Destination DC has a seasoned senior management team in place and will utilize its remaining time with Hanbury to ensure a flawless transition.

SATW Editors Council Meeting
Destination DC entertained more than 60 leading travel and lifestyle editors and staff writers March 26-29 for the Society of American Travel Writers Editors Council meeting. The group’s business meetings took place at the Willard InterContinental Washington, and the participants also enjoyed tours of locations like U Street, Adams Morgan, the National Museum of American History, Ford’s Theatre, the Capitol Visitor Center and the Library of Congress. 

Sponsors and partners:  Willard InterContinental Washington, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Newseum, Capital Restaurant Concepts, Bike and Roll, The Textile Museum, Washington National Cathedral, Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, Ritz-Carlton, PassionFood  Hospitality, The Source, Equinox, Georgia Brown’s, Art and Soul, Zola Wine + Kitchen, Busboys and Poets, Anecdotal History Tours and Washington Walks.

CBI Pharmaceutical Meeting Planner Forum
The 5th Annual Pharmaceutical Meeting Management Forum was held in Baltimore, March 29-31.  Attendance was down this year, but more than 700 participants still attended, a third of whom were pharmaceutical industry planners.  Destination DC participated as an exhibiting sponsor, attending the programs workshops, roundtables, networking events, and educational sessions. 

Access DC: DC
On March 31 and April 2 Destination DC hosted “power lunches” for nearly 25 customers at one of DC’s coolest new hot spots, Zola Wine & Kitchen - a distinctive wine shop combined with a chef's test kitchen where cooking classes are also offered.  Executive Chef Bryan Moscatello and his culinary team treated customers to a cherry-inspired menu honoring the National Cherry Blossom Festival, as well as a taste of the new Italian restaurant Potenza, which recently opened downtown.

Partners: Continental Airlines, CSI, JetBlue Airways, Stir Food Group, Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Operation Cherry Pie
To celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the coming of spring in DC, Destination DC and our hotel partners have been busy this week delivering more than 1,200 cherry pies to our top local customers in DC and Chicago. 

Partners: Amtrak, Capitol Hill Suites, Centerplate/NBSE, Continental Airlines, Donovan House- a Thompson Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center,  Grand Hyatt Washington, Marriott International, National 4-H Youth Conference Center, Omni Shoreham, Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, St. Gregory Hotel, Walter E. Washington Convention Center

VISIT USA Brazil
Destination DC International Sales Manager Letizia Sirtori will be traveling to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to represent Washington, DC and the Capital Region USA at several seminars and travel exhibitions organized by the Brazilian VISIT USA Committee. During the April 13-16 visit, Sirtori will also be conducting sales calls in both cities.

Power List

• Carla Harris is the new Creative Director for Encore Décor at their new Washington, DC office located at Connecticut Avenue and Woodley Road, NW.
• Dennis Marron has been named Executive Chef at Jackson 20.
• American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts for North America selected the St. Regis, Washington D.C. as their 2008 Hotel Partner of the Year.
• Megabus is the winner of a Travelzoo Award in the “leading provider of outstanding car rental and bus deals” category.
• Destination DC has welcomed two new staff members: E-marketing Manager Daniel Kleiner and Vice President of Finance & Administration John Kim.

U.S. Travel Association Launches Grassroots Campaign “Faces of Travel”
The U.S. Travel Association has launched a new viral initiative, “Faces of Travel,” to search for industry employees who best represent the vitality and importance of travel in America. USTA is inviting employees to submit 45-60 second videos detailing why travel is vital to them, their company and their community and how they help to build a stronger American economy.  The winner (or winners) will be a spokesperson for the campaign, and interact with the media, policymakers and other stakeholders.
From now through April 24, submitted videos will be screened and then made public on a live YouTube channel.  A winner or winners will then be selected as the “face of travel.”  Find out more here.