Destinations International Hosts Spirit of Hospitality and Destination Showcase

February 16, 2018
Destination Showcase 2018

Destination Showcase 2018

Destinations International hosted two annual events the week of February 15, 2018 in Washington, DC.

The Spirit of Hospitality Celebration:
The Spirit of Hospitality Celebration took place February 12, 2018 at National Geographic’s Washington, DC. Headquarters. The annual event is a showcase of excellence in the tourism industry and a celebration that brings together industry leadership to raise funds to empower destinations and the global travel industry.

The event hosted nearly 400 guests and far exceeded revenue goals for the Destinations International Foundation to further its initiatives in advocacy, research, education and leadership development. Of the amount raised at the event, $7,000 came from the sale of raffle tickets for three prizes to Asheville, North Carolina, Bermuda and Savannah, Georgia.

(l) Stephanie Pace Brown, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and Destinations International Foundation Chair, (c) DMAI president and CEO Don Welsh (r) Tammy Blount, president & CEO, Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau

(l) Stephanie Pace Brown, president and CEO, Explore Asheville and Destinations International Foundation Chair; (c) Don Welsh, DMAI president and CEO; (r) Tammy Blount, president & CEO, Monterey CCVB

Stephanie Pace Brown, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and Destinations International foundation chair, presented National Geographic Traveler with the Spirit of Hospitality Award, which is the highest recognition presented annually to individuals and organizations that show exceptional dedication and commitment to the travel and tourism industry. George Stone, editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler, accepted the award on behalf of National Geographic Traveler. Declan Moore, Chief Executive Officer of National Geographic Partners, welcomed the group and presented to the audience.

The event would not have been possible without the help of the Spirit of Hospitality Celebration event committee which included: John Groh, John Percy, Annette Rummel, Greg Shapiro, Donna Carpenter and Katie Callahan-Giobbi.

Destination Showcase:
Following the Spirit of Hospitality, Destination Showcase took place on February 13, 2018 in the Grand Ballroom of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and hosted over 1,000 attendees.

The dynamic one-day event offered convention and visitors bureau (CVB) professionals the opportunity to connect with the top meeting planners in the industry to better understand how CVBs can drive more successful meetings.

José Andrés was the event’s keynote speaker. Named “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation and recognized by TIME magazine on the “Time 100″ list of most influential people in the world, José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, passionate advocate for food and hunger issues, author, television personality and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup.

www.destinationsinternational.org

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