Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary and the future of meetings in the nation’s capital23rd January 2026 | published by Conference & Meetings World SHARE

As Washington DC prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC, sat down with CMW’s Iain Stirling at PCMA Convening Leaders in Philadelphia to discuss how DC is leveraging the anniversary to attract meetings and conventions, addressing political perceptions, and showcasing the capital’s evolution as a world-class destination. Iain Stirling: With 2026 marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, how is DC positioning itself for the meetings, conventions and business travel market? Elliott Ferguson: For the meetings market, it’s just another opportunity for those confirmed for 2026 – especially the big congresses, as well as the smaller ones looking for a location next year – to say, “Hey, this is the perfect place to come.” Beyond the programmes themselves, sometimes attractions can be distractions, but in the case of what will be happening in Washington this year, with the celebration being a 12-month-long event, there’s an opportunity to tag onto conventions with other events and activities taking place in the city, celebrating 250 years of America’s existence. IS: How does the scope of events look for the calendar year? Are you seeing any impact from the current political climate? EF: The good thing about conventions is that – I won’t say they’re resilient to politics – but we’ve not seen a drop-off in terms of conventions coming to the city, especially domestic groups. Some international meetings have opted to consider the United States for a later year beyond the administration’s term. Usually those aren’t the larger meetings taking place in the city, but we’ve been very fortunate not to see a lot of cancellations. As you can imagine, there have been many variables that can impact meetings: visas, non-stop flights, government shutdowns, the perception of safety of our city. We’ve been dealing with these by having media come into Washington DC on several occasions, including during World Pride, when there were concerns about the LGBTQ+ community coming to the United States. The 700,000 people that represent our city – those of us that live there – we’re the community. The 535 members of Congress and the legislative branch are the ones making laws. We benefit from being the federal city, but they don’t represent the overall interests in terms of how Washingtonians feel. We’re very welcoming overall. We feel a sense of safety as a destination. It’s a very progressive city. All the things that meetings happening in Washington DC enjoy about being in the nation’s capital. IS: There was concern at the beginning of the year around World Pride. How has that evolved? EF: Fast forward to now, the global community is either listening and paying attention to what’s going on and questioning whether this is a political strategy or reality. In that regard, we’ve not seen people say they’re not coming to Washington because of what they’ve heard. IS: What about entry concerns? We remember issues with TSA staff shortages causing flight delays. EF: Those isolated incidents seem to get blown out of proportion. The reality is, when you look at the number of people who have been turned away from entering the United States, the numbers haven’t changed in 10 years – across Trump administrations, Obama, and Biden. The perception is there’s a spike of people being turned away, and that’s not the case. Our mission is to make sure we arm those looking at coming to the US with factual data, and that we utilise good people like you who are coming to the US to talk about your experience of getting into the United States, which is contrary to what the news might be saying in Ireland and other parts of the world about how difficult it is to enter the US now. IS: How can planners leverage DC250 programming, new cultural openings or signature events to create unforgettable attendee experiences? EF: Dc250.us is the official website that offers itineraries and suggestions of things individuals or groups can do. Our website, washington.org, is always a place people tend to land to find out what’s happening in the city. We’re working with restaurants, hotels, and the events that take place in Washington every year – the Cherry Blossom Festival, Jazz Festival, Passport DC – and sharing information about their programming as it pertains to America’s 250th. If groups are coming in July, for instance, 4th July is going to be one of the largest events. We do have groups coming in as early as the 3rd July and as late as the 6th, so perhaps come early and take advantage of one of the largest celebrations of America’s history. The Jazz Festival is augmenting their programming this year with other events and activities tied to America’s 250th, and there are deals in restaurants and hotels tied to the experience we’re really focusing on. IS: Can you give us an update on initiatives like the Connected Campus and The Wharf? EF: Those who are now willing to expand their perspective and really look at how unique spaces optimise the experience are loving it. Sometimes planners say, “Everything’s got to be in the building.” But what really makes DC such a unique destination is the fact that we have so many unique spaces for events and activities. We can take a museum and rearrange it to be a space for a general session or workshop, which really resonates with groups looking for something different than the walls of the convention centre or hotel. It gives us more flexibility in how we sell and promote our destination, and attendees tend to like the change of environment. IS: What new and upcoming venues, museums and infrastructure improvements are on the horizon? EF: This year we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the African American Museum of History and Culture, the 50th anniversary of the Air and Space Museum, and the sculpture garden for the Hirshhorn Museum is coming back online after a major renovation. The Milken Center opened late last year as a new venue and an opportunity to learn more about history. The National Geographic Museum is particularly exciting – they’ve raised the former structure and built a larger one which will house larger exhibits. It will offer a powerful, immersive way to explore the wildlife, landscapes and cultures that define our planet. When you have a city like Washington with so many museums, the question is, if it’s not on the Mall, how do people learn about it? We’re really excited about what we’re doing to team up with them in terms of exposure, the same way we’re doing with the zoo. People don’t realise the zoo is part of the Smithsonian and is free. Even in China, when you go to see pandas, you have to pay, but in Washington DC, you do not. IS: Beyond immediate economic impact, what long-term legacy are you seeing from major conventions and events in DC – things like neighbourhood revitalisation, business growth, community development? EF: When I moved to DC in December 2001, right after 9/11, meetings normally took place downtown or uptown at the Wardman Marriott, Omni Hotel or Hilton. That’s changed. You referenced The Wharf earlier – the first phase opened in 2017. We’re already starting the build of a new US football stadium for the Commanders in Washington DC, and the grounds around the stadium, which is being built where the old RFK Stadium was, will also be developed. Union Market is another area that, if you were in DC 15 years ago, you’d remember as an industrial area, but it’s really a cool and hip area now with great restaurants, great hotels, and lots of people living there. The unique thing happening in the city is that growth is taking place in more than just the central business district downtown, and visitors and planners are being able to take advantage of different parts of the city to hold their meetings. IS: DC is obviously a powerful city when it comes to attracting major events that drive conversations. What role does DC play in helping meeting professionals create events that generate meaningful outcomes around policy innovation? EF: It’s a combination of things. It’s access to the federal government, of course. For groups meeting when Congress is in session, there are lots of opportunities to advocate for issues important to those groups. That’s part of the reason why there are so many associations in Washington. We’re tying experiences so that as groups look at Washington, an individual who may have played a role in nuclear fusion and opted to stay in DC can talk to the meeting planner and perhaps become a speaker for their convention. The fact that you’ve got so many amazing people who opt to stay in Washington who are probable candidates to be part of a convention is a savings for the organisation – you don’t have to fly the person in or get a hotel room. You’re also gaining access to things taking place or working towards being approved through the FDA or other agencies. They’re right in our own backyard.