Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organisation for Washington, DC, USA, has announced key promotions at the executive team level. Robin A. McClain (pictured) becomes chief marketing officer; Theresa Belpulsi is senior vice-president, tourism, sports, visitor services and Melissa A. Riley is senior vice-president, convention sales and services. Additionally, Rico Ashab has been promoted to chief of staff to Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of DDC.
“You’re only as good as your team, and I clearly have a deep bench of leaders that have seen our organisation through many ups and downs, said Ferguson. “As DDC comes into additional funding for marketing and sales through new Tourism Recovery District legislation, they each oversee critical aspects of our strategic recovery, as well as supporting the executive office.”
McClain leads the marketing and communications team of 25, responsible for advertising, communications, content, creative, research and events. She joined DDC in May 2011 as director of communications, began leading the department in November 2012 and was promoted to senior vice-president in 2017. Under her leadership, DDC brought creative in-house and debuted the DC Cool brand and consumer marketing campaigns to reinforce the ‘unexpected’ side of DC. In 2022, an independent return on investment study of the spring and summer Experience DC advertising resulted in $3.08 in taxes generated for Washington, DC for every $1 spent on advertising – the highest ROI to date.
“As a city and destination marketing organisation, we have an incredible opportunity to close the gap with other top-tier destinations when it comes to promotional funding,” said McClain.
Belpulsi is a 20-year veteran of DD and under her leadership, Washington, DC’s international focus has expanded. DDC’s representation has grown to include the UK, China, India and Australia, as well as continued regional partnership with Capital Region USA, a collaboration between Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Belpulsi led the effort to host US Travel Association’s influential IPW travel trade show in 2017, geared towards international travel buyers.
Most recently, her team hosted the Student Youth Travel Association’s annual meeting in August 2022.
Riley’s tenure at DDC spans over 20 years. She leads a team of 25 convention sales and services professionals, responsible for generating positive economic impact for the District through room night generation and visitor spending. She became department head in 2014 after several promotions.
Riley sparked DDC’s Connected project. The strategic positioning aligns DDC with the city’s priorities to drive meetings and events business within growth sectors. The overall positioning includes three pillars: Connected Capital, focused on DC’s strong industries and assets that benefit customers; Connected Campus, focused on unique venues and event space to extend a meeting’s footprint; and Connected Community, a platform for customers to leave a lasting positive impact on Washington, DC.
She has fostered a strong relationship between DDC and the hotel community, as well Events DC, to yield the maximum number of events for the city. Additionally, she positions DDC as a leading industry voice in meetings-related initiatives around the world, serving as deputy chairperson for the ICCA North America Chapter and Destinations International’s chair of the Large Market Round Table.
Rico Ashab has been appointed chief of staff to Ferguson. His tenure began in 2017 as part of a temporary staffing group with convention services, became the convention services coordinator and has served as executive assistant to the president and CEO since 2019.
Check out CMW’s recent Washington DC supplement here
