FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS & EVENTS OUTLOOK: MAY 2008

(Washington, DC)…DC’s travel and tourism sector is entering one of the busiest months of the year, packed with meetings, trade shows, graduations and other special events. More than 75,000 meeting delegates alone will convene in the nation’s capital for more than 50 meetings and conferences, including 9 citywide conventions, generating 150,000 hotel room nights and roughly $85 million in visitor spending.

May’s convention calendar kicks off next week with the month’s largest show, the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting, which takes place May 3-8 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. With some 19,000 attendees expected, the meeting features hundreds of educational sessions and presentations on the latest research and serves as a symbol of the Association’s commitment to improved patient care through professional education. The show is expected to generate more than $17 million in delegate spending.

Another major medical gathering, the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine/ Doctors for Adults annual meeting, Internal Medicine 2008 takes place May 13-17, also at the convention center. More than 10,000 internal medicine physicians, medical students, and other healthcare professionals will attend Internal Medicine 2008, the largest continuing education meeting for internists and other related subspecialists. During the show, they’ll take part in more than 260 workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and demonstrations. Coinciding with the conference is the annual trade show, showcasing more than 300 exhibitors, including pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, laboratories and other research facilities. “The registration figures are strong. We are expecting well over 10,000 attendees and have added many new events because we are meeting in Washington,” said Bobbie Turner, director of convention and meeting services for the association.

Celebrating 100 years, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) will hold its Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel May 13-16. Heavy on this year’s agenda are programs to help realtors deal with the current adverse market conditions. Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will serve as keynote speaker, offering his opinions on the presidential candidates and what that might mean for the real estate industry. Thousands will also flock to the Trade Expo featuring the newest real estate products and services.

Also commemorating an anniversary, NAFSA, the Association of International Educators will host its 60th Annual Conference & Expo in DC. From May 25-30, more than 8,000 delegates from more than 100 countries will gather at the convention center to network with influential, forward-thinking international educators and administrators. Keynote speaker, former Mexican President Vicente Fox, will address the group on Tuesday, May 27.

Educators will also have their eyes on Washington, DC for the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Washington, DC from May 23-30. This year, 288 spellers will ply their brains in hopes of becoming the next National Champion. Making history, Sriram Hathwar, Speller 165, is the youngest contestant in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He celebrated his eighth birthday in April and is in second grade.

May also means big business for special events, as colleges and universities celebrate commencement for their senior students on most weekends of the month. Other major events taking place in and around the District include National Police Week, May 11-17, and SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, an inaugural microbrew festival, slated for May 16-17 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Thousands of visitors and locals are expected to join in Passport DC, May 3-17, a unique event that gives the public a chance to peek inside 50 foreign embassies and other cultural institutions and enjoy a variety of cultural programming.

The following chart displays meetings and conventions with 1,500 or more attendees taking place in DC during May 2008. For more information on meetings, conventions and special events in the nation’s capital, log on to destinationdc.com or dcconvention.com.

# # #

About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.