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B M & T ••• March/April 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 40 AREA GUIDES WA S H I N G T O N D C EXPERIENCE THE DC DIFFERENCE BY HOLDING YOUR NEXT MEETING HERE BY BUCK SAMUELS Host your next event in the nation's capital and wow attendees with national landmarks, unique venues and meetings. DC's exciting food scene will fuel your gatherings, and the local, national and international cultures of the city will inspire. With a variety of meeting spaces, convention halls and plenty of things to do after hours in DC, you can meet on your terms. In DC, your clients will enjoy access to leaders in politics, media, research and industry, plus dozens of colleges and uni- versities with the potential to boost atten- dance. Tap in to these DC resources to tempt your clients with an experience they can't find anywhere else. The cornerstone of downtown DC's renaissance, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is as functional as it is artistically impressive. The 2.3-million-sq. ft. space hosts meetings, conventions and events of every kind, from medical industry annual meetings to comic book- inspired expos and board retreats. Planners can book anything from small intimate occasions to large corporate events. The venue contains more than 700,000 sq. ft. of prime exhibit space, complemented by 198,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 77 meeting rooms. You can mold all 703,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space inside the convention center into whatever shape you need. Within its two levels and five exhibit halls is a 473,000 square-foot exhibit hall that can be subdivided into three rooms, 198,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a 52,000 square-foot ballroom and 77 breakout rooms. The space is ver- satile enough to accommodate events of all sizes, such as the world's largest sit- down dinner (16,2016 people!). DC's award-winning hotels are as well known for their attentive service as for their must-have amenities. With nearly 30,000 hotel rooms in the city, there's a style and price point for every visitor. From the founding fathers to Martin Luther King, Jr. to today's president, Washington, DC is a city steeped in his- tory – and history in the making. Explore the city's museums and memorials, and discover the history of a nation. The National Museum of African American History and Culture along the National Mall, which opened in 2016, is a must see. The stunning new building, which prominently sits between The Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, features three tiers of inverted half-pyramids, sheathed in a shimmering bronze-hue screen cut in an abstract pat- tern based on the intricate ironwork cre- ated by freed slaves in New Orleans and Charleston, S.C. Approximately 37,000 artifacts have been acquired by the museum's 18 cura- tors, including Nat Turner's Bible; Emmet Till's original casket; Harriet Tubman's shawl; and a vintage open-cockpit biplane used to train Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Other options for history and culture buffs include the Anacostia Historic District and Prince George's African American Museum & Cultural Center. W a s h i n g t o n , DC also boasts the presence of Elliott Ferguson as the President/- CEO of Destina- tion DC, the city's official convention and tourism corpo- ration, and Gregory A. O'Dell as the president and CEO of Events DC, the official convention and sports authori- ty for the District of Columbia. Definitely a dynamic duo! The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and the Washington Dulles International Airport all provide both national and inter- national flights to the Washington DC/Baltimore area. • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Marriott Marquis Washington, DC 1,175 Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill 834 Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel 807 The Capital Hilton 544 Embassy Suites Washington, DC Convention Center 384 Hamilton Crowne Plaza 318 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Walter E. Washington Convention Center Exhibit Space 198,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 77 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Destination DC – 800-635-MEET www.washington.org The National Black Chamber of Commerce – (202) 466-6888 Photo Credit Washington CC Smithsonian National Museum Of African American History & Culture copy