DDC Launches Meetings Capitalized at IMEX America 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC, today launched Meetings Capitalized, a new approach to meeting design focused on experiences only available in Washington, DC. User-friendly offerings turn the city's defining institutions, experts, ideas and access into impactful programming and meeting success.

The program meets a critical need for meeting planners as they are increasingly prioritizing the attendee experience when selecting destinations. Research from Future Partners found that 95% of planners say experiential design is important to their events, underscoring the opportunity for destinations to provide added benefits beyond a meeting location.

Meetings Capitalized makes Washington, DC's intellectual capital tangible. Through a collection of flexible experiences, planners can bring the city's universities, associations, think tanks, research centers, museums, cultural institutions, advocacy organizations and global institutions into their existing programs. The integration of DC's unique venues and experiences gives attendees opportunities to engage with experts, explore new perspectives and connect learning to the real world in locations that bring the topic to life.

"Washington, DC has always been home to a concentration of intellectual capital, leadership and ideas that are shaping our world," said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO, Destination DC. "Meetings Capitalized gives planners a way to bring that expertise into their programs, creating experiences that are more relevant and engaging for attendees. By connecting meetings to the people and institutions that define Washington, DC we're helping planners create programs that extend beyond a traditional conference experience."

Three Catalysts Define Washington, DC

Meetings Capitalized is built around three strengths that make Washington, DC particularly relevant for meetings:

• Leadership Experience: Connect with the people and organizations shaping the future. Opportunities explore how leadership is practiced by engaging directly with industry leaders.
• Power & Influence: Access think tanks, research centers, policy organizations and advocacy groups where ideas intersect with decision-making, giving attendees direct perspective from people driving change.
• Global Exchange: Bring international organizations, diplomatic voices, global institutions and diverse perspectives into the meeting experience to deepen understanding of the forces shaping businesses and industries.

Experiences Designed for the Meeting

Meetings Capitalized gives planners flexible, practical experiences that can be integrated into existing agendas and adapted to different audiences and objectives. Examples include:

• Workforce Development Walk & Learn: Attendees explore one of DC's universities with professors and students, examining what the next generation of workers, employers and industries.
• Association Leadership Roundtable: A peer-to-peer conversation with C-suite association leader explores trends, challenges and strategies for building resilient organizations.
• Innovation Through History: A conversation with a Smithsonian expert uses the institution's collections and history to explore how America has evolved through innovation and what today's leaders can learn from successes and failures of the past.

Destination DC's Role

Destination DC serves as the curator, connector and translator behind the program by identifying relevant institutions and experts, facilitating meaningful connections and helping transform relationships into experiences that support each meeting's goals.

Research Beyond the Ballroom

Research from Freeman stresses a growing demand for more experiential, practical and connection-driven approaches to
meetings and events:

• 75% of attendees say demonstrations and hands-on experiences help them learn most effectively.
• 74% value experiences that leave them with something they can put into practice or take away for the future.
• 67% say networking and connections with fellow attendees and experts are key to achieving their learning objectives.

"Meeting organizers are looking for ways to make their programs more relevant and memorable without making them more complicated," said Melissa A. Riley, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Destination DC. "Meetings Capitalized gives them a starting point and complements their core meeting program. We can help identify the right people, places and experiences in DC and connect them to what the meeting is trying to accomplish, ultimately impacting their success in Washington, DC."

Only One DC, Built into the Meeting

Meetings Capitalized is an extension of Destination DC's Only One DC marketing platform, which showcases the people, places and experiences that make Washington, DC unlike any other destination.

"Only One DC is about what makes Washington, DC different than every other destination. Meetings Capitalized brings that difference directly into the meeting experience," said Ferguson.

Meetings Outlook & Impact

The meetings outlook for Washington, DC remains strong, with a robust pipeline of conventions and hotel meetings expected to generate significant room nights and economic impact over the next three years. With continued diversification across market segments and growing demand for the destination, Destination DC is well positioned to contribute additional meetings and conventions in 2027 and beyond.

2027

• Walter E. Washington Convention Center (WEWCC)
  • 514,230 total room nights / 473,000 attendees
  • $481,695,980 estimated economic impact
• Hotel Only
  • 256,895 total room nights / 163,435 attendees

2028

• WEWCC
  • 450,820 total room nights / 344,300 attendees
  • $466,494,960 estimated economic impact
• Hotel Only
  • 157,835 total room nights / 101,060 attendees

2029

• WEWCC
  • 373,820 total room nights / 284,900 attendees
  • $312,593,909 estimated economic impact
• Hotel Only
  o 90,410 total room nights / 50,375 attendees
  

About Destination DC
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC, is a private, nonprofit membership organization committed to marketing the nation's capital as a premier global destination for conventions, tourism and special events. Through its Only One DC brand platform, Destination DC showcases the people, places and experiences that make Washington, DC unlike anywhere else. For more information, visit washington.org.

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