“Washington has been eager for several years to get ipw (International Pow Wow) to the city. But the infrastructure has not been to it. Now we have a new conference center, which can accommodate all 6,400 from ipw, and we are very happy to succeed.”
It was a very happy Elliott Ferguson, President & CEO, Destination Washington DC, who, after ipw, could say that ipw had been a great success.
6,400 participants from 70 nations and record participation of journalists and media with 530. It is the third largest participation in ipw’s history.
“Through our DC Cool campaign, we bring the unexpected side of Washington, DC to life: our diverse neighborhoods, delicious restaurants, incredible arts and culture, theater, nightlife, shopping and more,” say Elliott Ferguson.
Washington, DC in 2015 welcomed a total of 21,3 million visitors, setting a new record for the city..
DC’s dining scene is thriving with more than 2,000 restaurants, and the city will have its first Michelin Guide this fall. Navigating the neighborhoods within the four quadrants of the city is easy to do via public transportation, including more than 3,000 rentable Capital Bikeshare bikes and a new streetcar on H Street NE. DC was named “America’s Coolest City” by Forbes in 2014 and was named “Best Place to Travel in 2015” by Lonely Planet.
“IPW allowed us a great opportunity to showcase the best of Washington, DC,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Tourism is one of our strongest sectors, creating jobs for our residents and generating dollars for our local economy. There’s something for everyone in our city, and we look forward to welcoming millions of visitors from across the country and across the world in the years to come.”
Washington, DC will enjoy a significant boost to visitation and the local economy because of hosting IPW. According to Rockport Analytics, in the three years following IPW, the host city is expected to receive an additional one million international visitors. The additional visitors are expected to create $1.7 billion in economic impact, generate $84 million in local taxes and directly support 5,300 jobs.
“IPW will also have an immediate economic impact,” said Ferguson. “In the year following the event, the impact is expected to be $12 million for DC.
Overseas visitors are only 9% of our visitation, but make up 27% of visitor spending. They tend to stay longer, therefore spending more, so the opportunity to engage this audience will benefit residents.
Washington has invested seven million dollars in ipw. But we will get the money back home.
For example with tourists from Scandinavia, which we consider to be a very important market. We are often present at events in Scandinavia and are delighted with many airline connections between Scandinavia and Washington,” says Elliott Ferguson.
“It has been a fine ipw. Ipw is a good marketplace. Three effective days where you can take care of your network, get new contacts and get inspiration. So Ipw is definitely worth visiting. But ipw can not stand alone. You must also have another network to get new products and experiences that you would not otherwise get, says Jesper Ewald, Sales and Purchasing Manager, FDM Travel, Copenhagen Denmark and Chairman of the Danish America Discover, Denmark.
Future locations of IPW:
2018 – Denver, Colorado, May 19-23 2019 – Anaheim, California, June 1-5 2020 – Las Vegas, Nevada, May 30-June 3 2021 – Chicago, Illinois, April 24-28 2022 – Orlando, Florida, June 4-8 2023 – San Antonio, Texas, May 20-24 2024 – Los Angeles, California, May 4-8
Photo : “Washington consider Scandinavia to be a very important market. We are often present at events in Scandinavia and are delighted with many airline connections between Scandinavia and Washington,” says Elliott Ferguson, President & CEO, Destination Washington DC.
