With Independence Day upon us, there's no better place to be than the nation's capital. Enjoy all the wonderful events, activities and specials that our members have to offer during this holiday weekend, and have a safe and happy 4th of July.

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

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Chris Matthews to Deliver Keynote Address at Marketing Outlook Meeting
As host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, NBC News’ The Chris Matthews Show and as a frequent commentator and expert analyst on NBC’s Today, Matthews is as entertaining as he is insightful. Matthews learned the political game while working on the frontlines as a speechwriter for President Carter and as top aide to the legendary House Speaker Tip O’Neill. (Provided by the Washington Speakers Bureau)
Register here for the 2009 Marketing Outlook Meeting on July 23. For more information, contact Ashley Richards at 202-789-7009.

Restaurant Week Participation
The "Call for Participation" for the Summer Restaurant Week to take place August 24 – 30th is now available. View and print out the participation form here. The deadline to submit participation is Friday, July 10th. Participating in this extremely popular promotion is one of the many benefits of your membership with Destination DC. RAMW members are also eligible to participate.

Terra Cotta Warriors Cultural Programming
Washington, DC and the Capital Region will celebrate a citywide promotion from November 19, 2009 through February 14, 2010 in honor of the upcoming exhibition Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardian’s of China’s First Emperor at the National Geographic Museum. Cultural institutions and hospitality partners are encouraged to participate through organizing related programs and content including exhibitions, film series, concerts, dance, lectures, and special restaurant and hotel offerings. Please contact Valerie Hillman at Cultural Tourism DC at 202-626-1148 if you will have, or would like to have, China-related programming during this time frame.

Host a Business Exchange
Interested in hosting a Business Exchange? Please contact Ashley Richards at 202-789-7009 for more information.

Upcoming Member Events
View our Member Events Calendar. It lists all upcoming events and has a direct link to the invites.

Advertise in Official Destination DC Publications
Interested in sending your message out to 50,000 meeting planners? Advertise in the Meetings & Destination Planning Guide, printed in mid-September. To purchase advertising space, please contact Troy Barton at Essential Media Partners.

Advertise in the Newly Expanded DC Circulator Bus
The DC Circulator has built a loyal following for its existing routes. With new routes, the Circulator now reaches Woodley Park, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights and the U Street Corridor. The bus also serves the Capitol Hill, Barracks Row and Capitol Riverfront areas. The bus has carried over 8 million passengers since its inception in 2005. For interior bus advertising, please contact Bela Saini at 202-789-7088.

Member Information Correction
In the 2009 Destination DC GLBT Travelers Guide, the web address for the DC GuestHouse was listed incorrectly. We regret the error. Please visit their newly redesigned website at dcguesthouse.com.

Southern Living: "America's Frontyard"
April, 2009

Independent.ie (Ireland): "DC Dines Out on the New Taste for Obama"
June 21, 2009

Orbitz Blog: "Top 10 Fourth of July Travel Destinations"
June 23, 2009

ABC News: "July 4th Getaways on the Cheap"
June 24, 2009

Holiday & Lifestyle (Germany): "Washington Pure America"
June-Aug., 2009

July 3-6: Islamic Society of North America
46th Annual ISNA Convention
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Attendance: 15,000         Peak rooms: 2,300

July 3 – 13: Servpro Industries, Inc.
Servpro Annual National 2009 Convention
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
Attendance: 800              Peak rooms: 750

July 4: Independence Day
Celebrations in the nation’s capital start with a morning parade and continue throughout the day, featuring concerts on the National Mall and the West Lawn of the Capitol Building and the final weekend of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This annual patriotic party wouldn’t be complete without the huge fireworks display set against the backdrop of the Washington Monument. For information on events near you, visit the Destination DC events calendar.

July 10-15: American Federation of Teachers
AFT QuEST Conference
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
Attendance: 2,000           Peak rooms: 1,020

July 17-20: Points of Light Foundation
National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Attendance: 3,000           Peak rooms: 1,250

CRUSA Sales Mission to New York City
June 16-18, Destination DC’s Chirs Gieckel, Letizia Sirtori, and Theresa Belpulsi and several other Capital Region USA, Inc. (CRUSA) representatives visited New York City to host a reception for 65 receptive tours operators who send international visitors to Washington, DC and the capital region. The team also completed 19 tour operator sales calls to drive business to DC.
Partners: The Dupont Hotel, Washington Plaza Hotel, Amtrak, Madame Tussauds

Meeting Planners International World Education Conference
Justin Page and Laura Gardner of Destination DC’s Sales team will be attending MPI’s World Education Conference in Salt Lake City July 11 – 14.  Nearly 2,000 attendees are expected at this event. Destination DC will be exhibiting during a tradeshow with CSI co-exhibiting, and will also be partnering with Jetblue and The Dupont Hotel for a DC getaway to be given out during the tradeshow. 

Destination DC Tweet Up Meet Up
Destination DC’s marketing team uses a variety of social media tools to get the word out about DC, including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. This evening, Destination DC will host its first ever “Tweet Up” , a meetup arranged and promoted via Twitter, from 5-7pm at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Poste Moderne Brasserie at Hotel Monaco. Scavenger hunts and other activities have been organized for participants, as well as drink specials at Poste Moderne Brasserie.

Power List

• Destination DC recently acquired its 100,000th fan on Facebook, and the numbers continue to grow. Social media intitiaves are also in play on YouTube and Twitter, where more than 1,600 fans follow daily District updates and happenings.
• Travis Timberlake, who has been with Art and Soul as Chef De Cuisine since its opening, will now head the kitchen as the new Executive Chef.