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SPORTS ♦ ENTERTAINMENT ♦ SPECIAL EVENTS 2010-2011 Media Kit GENERAL OVERVIEW The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA) creates economic and community benefits for the District through the attraction and promotion of hospitality, athletic, entertainment and cultural events. The Authority owns and manages the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact for the city. The Authority also manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the DC Armory and the surrounding Festival Grounds, and is the owner of Nationals Park. The WCSA is organized into two distinct business units: Convention Center Operations and Sports, Entertainment and Special Events. Both divisions are committed to bringing top-notch events to Washington, D.C. along with providing first-rate service to customers and visitors. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an extraordinary 2.3 million square foot convention and meetings facility, is equipped to handle events of all sizes, from small groups and break-out meetings to events for 500 to 42,000 attendees. One of the most energy-efficient buildings for its size, the Center includes 703,000 square feet of prime exhibit space, 150,000 square feet of meeting space with a total of 66 break-out rooms and a 52,000 square foot ballroom, the largest in the region. Whatever the size of the event, the service of the Convention Center staff is second to none. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the historic D.C. sports venue that has entertained spectators with its crowd-pleasing sightlines since 1961, is affectionately known as “RFK” around the globe. The home turf for professional, collegiate and high school games during its history, RFK was the first major stadium designed specifically as a multisport facility for both football and baseball and is the current home for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United and the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. The host of top-selling concerts, charitable events and international sporting events, RFK Stadium has a capacity for 45,000+ visitors, features a natural grass playing field and has modern locker rooms, lounge areas and club rooms for private and group affairs. Opened in 1941, the DC Armory is Washington, D.C.'s auditorium, arena, big top and ballroom and one of the most versatile venues in the mid-atlantic region. Under its huge dome, visitors to this landmark showplace enjoy a year-round parade of events as wide-ranging and diverse as the people who come through its doors. The DC Armory can host conventions, circuses and inaugural balls as well as concerts, expos, sporting events and trade shows and much more. The Armory can be adapted to audiences of varying sizes from 10 to 10,000 people and its interior features nearly 70,000 square feet of exhibition space. The Armory is the home of the DC National Guard and the DC Rollergirls, a female flat-track roller derby league currently in its fifth season. Nationals Park, located in Southeast Washington along the fast-developing Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard, opened in March 2008 and is the home of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. The exterior façade of the 41,546 seat venue features an innovative design of steel, glass and pre-cast concrete to create a facility that uniquely reflects the architecture of Washington, D.C. Visitors witness panoramic views of the riverfront, Navy Yard and the surrounding city and landmarks such as the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Nationals Park is equipped with state-of-the-art video and audio technology, including a 4,500 square foot high-definition scoreboard. Nationals Park, which features four large club spaces, luxurious suites and 8,000 square feet of conditioned meeting space, is the nation's first major professional stadium to become LEED Silver Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPECIAL EVENTS DIVISION From concerts and festivals to sporting events and galas, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA) is involved in every aspect of sports and entertainment in the nation’s capital. Amidst Washington, D.C.’s iconic landmarks and world-renowned attractions, the WCSA Sports, Entertainment and Special Events Division brings world-class sports, entertainment, cultural and hospitality events to the District while promoting the metropolitan region as a premier destination. Additionally, the WCSA supports citywide community events and programs involving sports and entertainment properties. The Authority’s venue portfolio includes the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the Stadium-Armory campus which features RFK Memorial Stadium, the DC Armory and the surrounding Festival Grounds, and Nationals Park ~ a diverse mix of historic, versatile and accessible properties closely associated with the Washington, D.C. community and each equipped to handle events of all sizes. True to its mission, the Sports, Entertainment and Special Events Division actively engages in the attraction of new and diverse activities to the District. The Authority played a critical role in bringing Major League Baseball back to the nation's capital in 2005. The Washington Nationals played at RFK Stadium for three seasons before moving into state- of-the-art Nationals Park along the Anacostia waterfront in 2008. The Authority led the contracting effort for the ballpark, the first LEED-certified green stadium in the United States. For its efforts, the Authority received the ‘2008 Achievement Award’ from the DC Building Industry Association, the ‘Economic Impact Award’ from the DC Chamber of Commerce and the ‘Project of the Year’ for the National Capital region from the U.S. Green Building Council. The goal of bringing compelling city-wide events to the nation’s capital is ongoing. The WCSA is working with local organizers to bring the opening stages of the 2012 Giro d’Italia to Washington, D.C. This historic bid would bring one of the world’s three grand cycling tours to the United States for the first time, positioning the international media spotlight on Washington, D.C. The Authority is also a key partner in the U.S. bid to bring the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup back to the United States. Washington, D.C. is one of 18 host cities representing the U.S. bid. When the idea of bringing an NCAA postseason bowl game to Washington, D.C. first surfaced, the WCSA was ready to help make it happen. As a founding partner in the historic effort, the Authority has hosted the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman at RFK Stadium since 2008 and is instrumental in planning and executing a variety of Bowl week events throughout the city including the popular Official Tailgate Party at the DC Armory and the Teams Luncheon at the headquarters hotel. The bowl game is scheduled to feature a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against Navy, Army or a Conference USA team in rotating years, pending bowl eligibility. Major League Soccer’s D.C. United has called RFK Stadium home since the team’s inception in 1996. Since that time, United have won four MLS Cup Championships and is regarded as the most successful professional soccer organization in U.S. history. United’s loyal fan base enjoys the stadium’s legendary bouncy seats and electric soccer atmosphere. The stadium has hosted games for world-class soccer events including the 1994 World Cup, the 1996 Olympics and the 2003 Women’s World Cup and regularly hosts the U.S. Men’s National Soccer team, which has won more games at RFK Stadium than any stadium in the world. The Authority was also successful in recruiting an all- female roller derby league, the DC Rollergirls, to the DC Armory in 2007. Since that time, the Rollergirls have become local favorites, attracting ever increasing crowds to each competition and bringing family-friendly entertainment to thousands each season. The Rollergirls are a member of the national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The Authority’s city-wide efforts extend to a wide range of cultural and entertainment events including the internationally renowned National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual two-week festival which features arts, theatre and live performances along the scenic tidal basin and surrounding areas each spring and Jazz in the ‘Hoods presented by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, a major program of the annual DC Jazz Festival. Jazz in the ‘Hoods is a series of nearly 80 live performances in clubs, restaurants, hotels and galleries throughout the District. And the fun doesn’t end there. Each year, events such as ShamrockFest and the DC101 Chili Cook-Off have become can’t miss dates on the social calendar. These events attract thousands of music lovers from around the city and across the region to the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds for a day-long celebration of music, culture, food and fellowship. Top talent such as the Stone Temple Pilots, the Roots, Train, Third Eye Blind, Puddle of Mudd, Mary Mary and local favorites Ginuwine and Chuck Brown have graced the stage. The WCSA is dedicated to supporting citywide community events and programs involving youth, amateur and professional sports. Recent events supported by the Authority include the Washington International Horse Show, the Washington Kastles, D.C.’s 2009 champion Team Tennis squad, the SunTrust National Marathon, held annually in the spring at RFK Stadium, the Capital Criterium, D.C.’s premier pro cycling race on Pennsylvania Avenue and the Nation’s Triathlon to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the fastest growing triathlon in the nation. Previous events supported by the Authority include the All City Bowl, an annual high school all-star football game featuring players from D.C.