Events DC recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on March 14th with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmember Jack Evans and civic and community leaders. For a decade, the convention center has hosted nearly 1,800 events and welcomed almost 10 million visitors and residents with world-class service and cutting-edge technology, helping to power the District of Columbia’s hospitality industry, the largest private-sector employer in the area.
“The Walter E. Washington Convention Center has exceeded all expectations and continues to bring significant economic benefits to the District of Columbia,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “There’s no doubt the District of Columbia is a city with momentum, and the opening of the Washington Marriott Marquis next spring, as a complement to the convention center, means that more conventioneers and visitors will experience the nation’s capital as a premier travel and tourism destination. I look forward to the next decade and beyond at our convention center.”
Recognized as an award-winning, state-of-the-art building, the center is one of the District’s most successful economic development projects and has helped showcase Washington, DC as a global meetings destination.
“Greater Than The Show” is the theme of Events DC’s year-long celebration that includes an advertising campaign and other ways to engage the community and convention center stakeholders.
“When our city leaders made the case for a new convention center in the early 1990s, they recognized that it could play a central role in the story of the District’s urban renaissance,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and chief executive officer, Events DC. “Since opening in 2003, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center continues to achieve its mission of generating economic and community benefits for the residents and businesses of the District of Columbia.”
As of the end of Fiscal Year 2012, the convention center has generated more than $3.3 billion in direct attendee spending over the past decade, helping to spur progress across the city, fund essential services and renew neighboring communities.
“It is incredible to think about how many extraordinary events have taken place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, especially in light of what it took to get the center built,” said Michele V. Hagans, chairman, Events DC Board of Directors. “None of these events would have been possible without the expertise, passion and dedication shown by the entire convention center team, and this is what makes us ‘Greater Than The Show.’”
