Tourism Industry Pins Hopes on Summit

By Judith Evans
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 20, 1999; Page B06

The NATO ministers' assault on the Washington area this week has local hospitality leaders giddy over the prospect of a public relations blitz that money can't buy.

Though the area's tourism industry has often entertained world leaders, the 50th-anniversary bash for NATO -- which will host 1,700 delegates -- will be a huge stage for the city as it tries to show off a more polished image. And with the District's paltry budget for marketing itself as a destination, the industry is banking on the event -- and coverage by 3,000 journalists -- to telegraph the city's charms to the world.

But there is a danger underlying such publicity: If something goes wrong, that gets telegraphed to the world as well. And negative images are hard to erase.

"You're getting the name and pictures of Washington, D.C., into people's homes across America," said Dan Mobley, president of the Washington, D.C., Convention and Visitors Association. "Hopefully, it will entice people to say they want to come here, if everything goes without a hitch."

The media coverage the District receives could be a huge economic benefit to the city's nearly $2 billion tourism business just as it begins marketing the $635 million convention center under construction downtown.

"You can't buy this exposure," said Brad Edwards, general manager of the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel and chairman of the Convention and Visitors Association. "It is an unbelievable opportunity to be on center stage, receive world attention and show what Washington is capable of."

The city's two primary tourism agencies -- the D.C. Committee to Promote Washington and the Convention and Visitors Association -- spend just one-third of Virginia's $17.3 million tourism promotion budget. The agencies rely on alliances with airlines and other hospitality companies to jointly promote the city along with their own operations.

As the summit nears, a slew of hotels, caterers, restaurants and limousine companies are redoubling their efforts to deliver the highest-quality service to their guests.

One way to ensure such service under tighter deadlines is to hire more workers. Deborah Allen, co-owner of Federal City Caterers in Kensington, hired five more chefs to help prepare for the five parties the company will cater during the summit. She is also scrambling to ensure that employees at Federal City's downtown offices have proper security passes so everyone gets to work on time.

All food deliveries will be made the day before the summit begins on Friday. "We've fed presidents, vice presidents and the queen of England," Allen said. ". . . But that's what business is all about."

B&B Washington's Caterer is charged with presenting the delegates with their first taste of the city at the "D.C. Welcome NATO" party hosted by Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) on Thursday at the National Building Museum. The party, with about 1,000 invited guests, will be themed to the city's latest tourism marketing slogan -- "Washington, D.C.: the American Experience," said Michael J. Pietras, the company's vice president.

Food stations will echo the tourism campaign, which focuses on the city's historic significance as the nation's capital and its distinctive neighborhoods, such as Georgetown, Adams-Morgan and the revitalized U Street corridor. The menus will reflect the tastes of each of the neighborhoods.

"It is really going to be elegant and a lot of fun," Pietras said. "It is going to give the dignitaries a nice feel of the city."

Delegates will draw equally strong impressions of Washington from their hotels, which will serve as both offices and homes during their stays.

The 142-room Hay-Adams Hotel near the White House will be fully occupied by delegations from Britain, Spain and Norway -- which will have rooms on separate floors. Some rooms will be used for accommodations, and others will be converted into meeting space or offices.

All of the delegations will pay the same rate for rooms, said hotel spokeswoman Jennifer S. Girgus. "No one delegation is being given special treatment or gouged," she said.

Because of street closings, the hotel is making arrangements to have food delivered as early as possible to avoid potential problems. At the request of delegates, hotel staff members must wear badges emblazoned with their photo and Social Security number so they can be identified by security officers. Hans Bruland, general manager of the Hay-Adams, has stressed to employees the importance of getting to work on time.

"Every single person is of the utmost importance," Girgus said. "Every guest has to be handled with white-glove service."

At the Mayflower Renaissance hotel, delegations from Slovenia, Georgia and Poland will occupy 119 of the 300 rooms, where rates are $265 per night. Delegates will arrive at the hotel to see each of their state flags flying over the entrance. The hotel staff learned that protocol demands that the NATO flag fly higher than its member flags.

Hotel spokeswoman Colleen Evans said the delegations shouldn't disrupt other activities in the hotel, which include a conference by the members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "It [NATO] really only comes down to room nights. During the day, they'll all be out to meetings."

Despite its distance from downtown, the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Woodley Park is hosting the delegations of Pakistan and Latvia in 50 of its rooms. The hotel has a long-standing relationship with members of the delegations, who have stayed there before, said general manager Jose Campo.

Campo said the Omni could not handle more NATO guests because it is simultaneously hosting the convention of the American Bar Association's property division, which has reserved nearly 400 rooms. And a few days after the lawyers leave, more than 1,000 members of the United Steelworkers of America will show up for their annual convention.

NATO "will be a fantastic marketing tool for Washington," Campo said. "It means business, and it's a good referral for the city as a tourist destination. It is a very busy month that will be even busier."

The demands of the NATO delegations are also straining limousine companies. During the summit, District-based Bethany Limousine Service has leased all 18 of its passenger buses and 40 sedans, which rent for $400 each a day. The company had to rent an additional 13 passenger vans to meet demand.

"We've given [NATO] everything," said Tim Thomas, the company's operations manager. "This is prime time."