DOMESTIC CONVENTION SALES: Promotions, Sales Calls, Trade Shows and Events
The team’s proactive efforts resulted in 149 presentations, virtual client sales calls and in-person meetings throughout the month of April. Highlights include:
- AMC Institute
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- American Academy of Neurology
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- American Academy of Optometry
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- American Bankers Association
- American Bar Association
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- American Hotel & Lodging Association
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
- American Trucking Associations
- American Urological Association
- Cervical Spine Research Society
- ETC Network
- Event Services Professionals Association
- HelmsBriscoe
- HPN Global
- Krewe of Pyros Foundation, Inc.
- IMN Solutions
- Informa Tech
- International Association of Privacy Professionals
- International Municipal Lawyers Association
- Lamont Associates
- Legal Marketing Association
- Marine Military Expositions
- Maritz
- Meetings A La Carte Inc.
- National 4-H Council
- National Council for the Social Studies
- Smithbucklin
- Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
- Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers
- Society of Government Meeting Professionals
- Society Simulation in Healthcare
- Talley Events
- TANA
Operation Cherry Pie DMV (March 31 – April 4, Washington, DC)
DDC Staff: Convention Sales & Services Teams
Co-Op: The Watergate Hotel, Capital Hilton, Washington Nationals, Freeman, AKA White House, Remington Hotels, Convene, Revolution
Destination DC (DDC) once again sweetened the season with its beloved annual client appreciation initiative, Operation Cherry Pie. The team hand-delivered 400 cherry pies to clients and partners throughout the DMV region, celebrating spring and strengthening key relationships during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
This year, 92 Convention Sales & Services clients received pies, with additional deliveries made to partners across all of DDC’s departments. Pies were provided by Cake-Wich Craft Bake Shop, a local small business.
DDC also hosted a client lunch at Flight Club, one of our valued member businesses.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- Agricultural Retailers Association
- American Council on Education
- American Public Health Association
- American Public Transportation Association
- American Society of Nephrology
- Association for Psychological Science
- Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
- Mortgage Bankers Association
- National Medical Association
- Orthopaedic Research Society
Operation Cherry Pie (OCP) Chicago (April 1-3, Chicago)
DDC Staff: Murray Ryan, Katherine Russo, Kate Anaya
Co-op: Capital Hilton, United Airlines, Washington Nationals, The Hilton at The Wharf
This OCP event was a huge success in Chicago. We combined face-to-face pie drop-offs with more structured outreach efforts, often sparking 20–30 minute conversations and warm introductions. In addition, we hosted targeted lunch-and-learn sessions with select clients to deepen relationships and share insights.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Surgeons
- American Hospital Association
- American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- BCD Meetings and Events
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Bostrom
- Congress of Neurological Surgeons
- Executive Administration Incorporated
- International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
- National Commission on Correctional Health Care
- NHS Global – Presentation
- Smithbucklin
Destinations International Convention Sales & Services Summit (April 9-10, Alexandria, VA)
DDC Staff: Melissa Riley, Bill Adams, Dianna Waldroup, Tara Miller
This annual event is tailored for professionals in the destination marketing and management industry. It serves as a platform for sales and services leaders to collaborate, share insights and develop strategies to enhance their effectiveness in the evolving landscape of meetings and events. Melissa Riley spoke about navigating market shifts and the impact of group travel and events in the U.S. and Dianna Waldroup participated in a services panel on navigating budget constraints.
HelmsBriscoe Florida Roadshow (April 14-18, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, FL)
DDC Staff: Megan Fariel and Priscilla Alvarez
DDC organized five client-facing meal events to connect with HelmsBriscoe associates and their top accounts. The team also attended a Florida Society of Association Executives meet-up in Fort Lauderdale. Florida is one of HelmsBriscoe’s highest-performing regions, and many of their clients frequently bring meetings to Washington, DC, making this a valuable opportunity for face-to-face engagement.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- AMC Source
- American Network of Community Options and Resources
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
- Gases and Welding Distributors Association
- HelmsBriscoe
- Ronald McDonald House of South Florida
- South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Destination Celebration/Destination Reps (April 16, Minneapolis, MN)
DDC Staff: Murray Ryan, Katherine Russo
This event offered a vibrant evening of networking, bringing together over 90 local meeting planners. It served as an excellent opportunity for DDC to spotlight recent developments in the nation’s capital, while showcasing the city's growing appeal as a premier destination for future meetings and events.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- American Academy of Neurology
- Cru
- Global Business Travel Association
- Maritz
- Society for Simulation in Healthcare
- Sapphyre Group
- The Harrington Company
Prestige Partner Conference (April 16-18, Phoenix, AZ)
DDC Staff: Jenna Wiese
DDC attended the annual Prestige Partner Conference, connecting with 80 Prestige associates, including account directors and the sourcing team. This valuable opportunity allowed us to showcase Washington, DC’s offerings and reinforce our commitment to the partnership.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- American Association of Orthopaedic Executives
- Anderson Windows
- Hashicorp
- Medtronic
- National Federation of the Blind
Event Service Professional Association (ESPA) Leadership Retreat (April 23-24, 2025, Grapevine, TX)
DDC Staff: Dianna Waldroup
The ESPA Leadership Retreat brought together industry leaders for two days of education and networking. The agenda included a plenary session with Shelly Green, fireside chats and open discussions. It allowed us to exchange ideas, discuss leadership challenges and build relationships with peers across the industry.
Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) & Meeting Planner International Greater New York (MPI GNY) Executive Leadership Summit (April 30, New York, NY)
DDC Staff: John Sklencar
Co-op: The Doyle Collection
The Executive Leadership Summit is a joint effort between MPI GNY & FICP to bring together industry leaders to an open forum education day. This exclusive summit is designed for leaders who are seeking to expand their knowledge and contribute to impactful industry discussions. It highlights topics in a recent article by North Star Meetings focused on the recent trends and challenges that our industry faces.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- First Eagle Investments
- KPMG
- Liberty Mutual
- MetLife
- SIFMA
- Wells Fargo
Association of Meeting Professionals (AMPS) Golf Tournament (April 30, Alexandria, VA)
DDC Staff: Shirley Del Carpio, Brandon Murray, Chris Li
This powerful business development opportunity is designed for meeting planners, CEOs and executives. DDC sponsored a hole, which provided a unique setting to connect with new clients, strengthen relationships with existing partners and engage in meaningful, face-to-face conversations.
DDC targeted the following customers:
- American Physical Society
- American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics
- National Industries for the Blind
- National Defense Industrial Association
Definite Site Visits
Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (Sept. 28-30, 2025)
- 2,905 peak rooms; 10,462 total rooms; 11,000 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
National Council for the Social Studies (Dec. 4-6, 2025)
- 1,393 peak rooms, 4,641 total rooms, 4,500 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (April 9-12, 2026)
- 6,000 peak rooms, 26,940 total rooms, 12,000 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
American Urological Association PrePromote (May 14-17, 2026)
- 9,000 peak rooms, 38,700 total rooms, 10,000 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
Council for State Retail Associations (Sept. 2-3, 2026)
- 90 peak rooms, 253 total rooms, 150 attendees
- Multiple venues
Society for Neuro-Oncology (Nov. 15-18, 2028)
- 1,500 peak rooms, 6,230 total rooms, 2,600 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
Tentative Site Visits
Elanco (Aug. 19-20, 2025)
- 31 peak rooms, 78 total rooms, 40 attendees
- Multiple venues
Ingredion Incorporated (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2025)
- 200 peak rooms; 600 total rooms; 200 attendees
- Multiple venues
Center for Resource Solutions (Sept. 15-16, 2026)
- 170 peak rooms, 465 total rooms, 400 show attendees
- Multiple venues
American Society of Retina Specialists (June 5-7, 2028)
- 750 peak rooms, 3,043 total rooms, 1,200 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Employee Assistance Professionals Association (Sept. 22-24, 2028)
- 314 peak rooms, 983 total rooms, 500 attendees
- Multiple venues
GLOBAL CONVENTION SALES: Sales Calls, Bid Development, Strategic Programming, Familiarization Tours, Site Visits and Tradeshows
With a continued focus on proactive client outreach, personalized touchpoints and international bid development, the team engaged prospective accounts and tentative leads throughout the month of April. Highlights included:
- Alzheimer's Association
- Astellas
- Bard Ltd
- Broadsword
- Cascadia Motivation
- Clarion Events
- Event Industry News
- Exis Global
- Honeysweet Creative
- Innova Travel
- International Corporate Governance Network
- International Society for Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Diseases
- International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis
- Kenes Group
- Mundo Ski LLC
- One Trust
- Organization of American States
- Origin Hospitality
- PAC Events
- Shore Events Limited
- Spark Events
- TAG (The Appointment Group)
- Terrapinn
- The Collective BCD M&E
- U.S. Department of State
- World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations
- XSEM
PAC Events Familiarization Tour (April 2-4, Washington, DC)
DDC Staff: Tara Miller, Emma Stubblefield
DDC hosted United Kingdom based Stephen Caldaralo, PAC Event’s Director of Sales, for a whirlwind two-day city site visit, showcasing Washington, DC as a premier destination for incentive travel programs and other business events.
Definite Site Visits
International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (Aug. 23-25, 2025)
- 500 peak rooms; 2,420 total room nights; 1,200 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
Tentative Site Visits
International Society for Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Diseases (Aug. 29 – Sept. 2, 2026)
- 500 peak rooms; 2,075 total room nights; 1,500 attendees
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center and multiple venues
Upcoming Activities:
Domestic Convention Sales
- Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) Annual (May 6-8, St. Louis, MO)
- Afternoon Tea and Hillwood Mansion Tour (May 7, Washington, DC)
- Professional Convention Management Association Philadelphia Phillies Event (May 14, Philadelphia, PA)
- Association of Talent Development Conference (May 18-23, Washington, DC)
- Unique Venue Familiarization Tour (May 21, Washington, DC)
- Prestige Networking Event (May 22, Seattle, WA)
- Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (May 28, Washington, DC)
Global Convention Sales
- IMEX Frankfurt (May 20-22, Frankfurt, Germany)
- Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) ACCESSE Leadership Conference (June 23-25, Philadelphia, PA)
- The Meeting Show (June 25-26, London, United Kingdom)
- Associations World Congress (June 29 - July 1, Hamburg, Germany)
- United Kingdom Sales Mission (July 21-25, multiple cities, United Kingdom)
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Convene (Aug. 1-2, Lisbon, Portugal)
- Canadian Meetings + Events Expo (Aug. 12-13, Toronto, Canada)
- IBTM Americas (Aug. 20-21, Mexico City, Mexico)
Check out the full Destination DC Member News to learn more about what's going on this month.
