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February 21, 2020 ^ 2 I ^
The Hon. Muriel Bowser
Mayor
Government of the District of Columbia
e v e r i T S
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
DC Washington, DC 20004
The Hon. Phil Mendelson
CONVENTIONS
& MEETINGS Chairman
SPORTS & Council of the District of Columbia
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
SPECIAL EVENTS Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
801 Mount Vernon Place NW
Ms. Kathleen Patterson
Washington, DC 20001
District of Columbia Auditor
P 202.249,3000
F 202.249.3255 O f fi c e o f t h e D i s t r i c t o f C o l u m b i a A u d i t o r
717 14th Street, NW
eventsdc.com
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
VIA HAND DELIVERY
Dear Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson and Ms. Patterson:
Pursuant to D.C. Code 10-1202.06(e), and on behalf of the Board of Directors of the
Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC, I am pleased to provide
you with an assessment of the Authority's operations and performance metrics
during Fiscal Year 2019. The materials required under D.C. Code 10-1202.06(e)(2)-
(4) and 10-1202.06(f), including our independent audit report, are also enclosed.
Fiscal Year 2019 represented a year of significant progress for the Authority as we
continued to excel in our core operations, hosting over 600 events and welcoming
over 1.3 million attendees to our various venues. We also delivered several priority
projects within our portfolio of Strategic Initiatives, which we believe will position
the organization for future growth and success. Staff worked to deliver such
projects as The Fields at RFK Campus, the Convention Center public space and lobby
redesign, and the opening of the Apple Global Flagship store at the historic Carnegie
Library. These projects spanned our core lines of business and continued to
enhance our programs and activities.
Further, in FY19 we advanced the launch of our "Streetscape" project, which will
benefit the Authority's core operations on the conventions and meetings front by
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 activating the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and augmenting the retail
offerings at the Center. Coupled with the addition of the new Apple store at
Carnegie Library, these improvements will enhance the visitor and customer
experience and create a true convention and entertainment district for
conventioneers and visitors to enjoy.
e v e r i T S
DC
The Sports and Entertainment Division successfully closed out the state-of-the-art
Entertainment and Sports Arena project and recently celebrated one solid year of
post-opening operations. During the first year, staff identified efforts to maximize
CONVENTIONS
& MEETINGS the fan and event experience and have explored the feasibility of implementing
SPORTS & some immediate capital improvements to the venue. These major accomplishments
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
speak to the proactive approach the Authority has taken to create a demand for our
SPECIAL EVENTS venues with new events and services, which is key to our viability and continued
growth.
801 Mount Vernon Place NW
Looking at our core lines of business, the Authority had a very productive year in
Washington, DC 20001
FY19. In the Conventions and Meetings Division we hosted 18 citywide meetings at
P 202,249.3000
F 202.249.3255 the Walter E. Washington Convention Center including the American Academy of
eventsdc.com Dermatology, the Association of the United States Army, the American Israel Public
A ff a i r s C o m m i t t e e a n d C h a r l e s S c h w a b I M PA C T.
In total, the Convention Center hosted 151 events during FY19 that resulted in
over 363,000 room nights for the District and generated an estimated $375.36
million in economic impact for the fiscal year. Since we opened our doors in 2003,
activity in the Convention Center has generated an estimated $6 billion in
economic impact.
The Sports and Entertainment Division continued to have a positive impact across
the region with a total of 455 events for FY19. In particular the new Entertainment
and Sports Arena hosted various concerts, entertainment and sporting events,
including the Professional Fighters League Playoffs (Mixed Martial Arts), DC Fight
Night (boxing). Red Bull Conquest National Finals (eSports), DCIAA Boys and Girls
Basketball Finals (amateur). Garden Brothers Circus (family) and concerts such as:
Mary J. Bilge, Cage the Elephant, MC Flammer & Friends, and the Gospel Explosion.
We also hosted several Mayoral events. Eastern High School's graduation, and Alfred
Street Baptist Church's Easter Service. As the cherry on top, we could not be more
proud to have hosted the WNBA championship series, with our very own
Washington Mystics winning their first-ever WNBA title in front of a raucous home
crowd at the Arena.
In addition to a successful first year at the Arena we also opened our newest asset.
The Fields at RFK Campus, in Quarter 3 of the fiscal year, a 27-acre multi-purpose
sports complex with three multi-purpose turf fields to accommodate kickball, soccer,
lacrosse, baseball, softball and more. For the fall season, we had a utilization rate of
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 95% of peak hours permitted, with 17% of those peak hours directed to organized
community activity. Based on the permit applications we have received to date, we
expect the utilization rate for peak hours for the spring season to be at 100%. With a
mix of community play, pickup play and amateur sports, the Fields have been a
welcome addition to the RFK community and a first step in transforming the RFK
e v e r i T S
Campus into a dynamic entertainment and sports destination for residents and
DC
visitors to enjoy.
Our Special Events Division is a portfolio of strategic investments in some of the
CONVENTIONS
& MEETINGS District's marquee athletic, cultural and entertainment offerings, including the
SPORTS & National Cherry Blossom Festival, DC JazzFest, DC Bike Ride, Washington
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
International Horse Show, Washington Kastles, and the CitiOpen Tennis
SPECIAL EVENTS Tournament, among many others. These diverse events provide unique experiences
for thousands of regional, national, and international visitors and DC residents alike
and help elevate and promote DC as an exciting and vibrant destination. These
SO J. Mount Vernon Place NW
Washington, DC 20001
sponsored events drove over $327 million of economic impact to the District and
were instrumental in achieving the Authority's objectives beyond its own core
P 202.249.3000
F 202.249.3255 operations. We also continued to partner with the District and the Washington DC
Economic Partnership at the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas.
eventsdc.com
The Authority was a presenting sponsor of several events that showcased our city as
one of the hottest tech, culinary and entertainment destinations in the country.
While we plan to continue these investments and activities for FY 20, we have
renamed and recast the Special Events Division as our new Creative Services
Division, which will focus on in-house creation and production of a diverse portfolio
of sporting, entertainment and cultural events that will help solidify the District as
one of the most desirable event destinations in the world.
For FYIO the Authority's overall financial position remained strong. Based on
audited financial statements. Events DC total revenues in FY19 were $213,186
million, which included operations, interest income, TIF revenue and dedicated
taxes. FY19 total expenditures, which include operating and marketing expenses
and debt service, totaled $168,962 million. Detailed information about our entity-
wide and division-specific financial performance, including Management's
Discussion and Analysis of the Authority's FY19 financial statements and our
independent auditor's report, is included in the attachment with this letter.
Additional data on the Authority's key performance metrics is set forth below:
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 To t a l F Y 1 8 Total FY 19
Revenue
Convention Center/Carnegie LIbraryt $ 24,226,000 S 23,990,000
St. Elizabeths East S 486,000 $ 1,947,000
RFK Campus $ 3,S41,000 S 2,639,000
To t a l S 28,2S3,000 $ 28,576,000
e v e n t s
Expenses*
DC
Convention Center $ 46,651,000 $ 48,480,000
Carnegie Library S 466,000 $ 403,000
St. Elizabeths East $ 618,000 $ 8,739,000
RFK Campus $ 7,654,000 $ 7,678,000
CONVENTIONS
& MEETINGS To t a l $ 55,389,000 $ 65,300,000
SPORTS &
E N T E R TA I N M E N T Number of Events
Convention Center 167 151
SPECIAL EVENTS
Carnegie Library N/A N/A
St. Elizabeths East 238 418
RFK Campus 71 3 7
To t a l 4 7 6 606
801 Mount Vernon Piace NVV
Washington, DC 20001
Attendance
P 202.2^9.3000
Convention Center 1,563,622 1,066,175
P 202.249,3255
St. Elizabeths East 21,828 148,718
eventsdc.com RFK Campus 282,104 133,545
To t a l 1,867,554 1,348,438
Room Nights
Convention Center | 370,089 1 363,338 1
Economic Impact
Convention Center $ 352,776,964 $ 375,361,399
SED/Sponsored Events** $ 89,100,000 $ 327,264,969
To t a l $ 441,876,964 S 702,626,368
*Expen5e totals include the Conventions and Meetings Division, as well as ail Authority-wide corporate-overhead expenses
fOperating revenue for for the Carnegie Library consists of payments from a lease subject to a confidentiality agreement
** FY 19 figure includes $288 million of visitor spending in the District from the Cherry Blossom Festival
Without the dedication and tenacity of the outstanding employees who work for
Events DC, none of these accomplishments would be possible. At the end of FY 2019,
the Authority employed 253 full and part-time employees, 100 of whom are District
residents, comprising approximately 40% of our total workforce. As an organization,
we remain committed to attaining the residency goal of 51 percent. To that end,
during FY19 the Authority participated in five DC-specific recruiting events, including
the University of District of Columbia Job Fair, D.C. United Sports and Entertainment
Job Fair, Eleanor Flolmes Norton Job Fair, Association of the United States Army Job
Fair, and the DOES/Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Job Fair held at the
R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center. Additionally, the Authority also hosted an exclusive
event called "A Talent Affair" which was designed to attract and hire highly, skilled,
specialized talent from the local community and surrounding areas. The event was a
success and resulted in our organization hiring District residents, as well as
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 developing additional talent pipelines. Finally, the Authority also coordinated
recruitment efforts with our Community Relations Manager for Ward 8, by posting
our career opportunities in recreational centers and public libraries throughout the
Ward. We also post our positions on the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Greater
Washington Hispanic Chambers of Commerce websites. The Authority also reserves
e v e r i T S
two of its summer internship slots to college students who are District residents.
DC In sum, we believe the Authority delivered a strong performance in FY19 as we
aggressively strive towards our goal of branding Washington, DC as a world-class
CONVENTIONS
& MEETINGS destination for conventions, meetings, sports, entertainment and cultural events
SPORTS & that contribute to the city's economic vibrancy. We successfully closed out FY19 and
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
look forward to furthering our efforts in FY20 and beyond.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Should you have any questions regarding the information presented in this letter or
the attached documents, please call me at (202) 249-3307.
8 0 i M o u n t Ve r n o n P l a c e N V v f
Washington, DC 20001
Sincerely,
P 202.249.3000
F 202.249.3255
eventsdc.com
I
Gregory X. O'Dell
President and Chief Executive Officer
cc: Distribution List
Enclosure
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 DISTRIBUTION:
The Hon. Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Government of the District of Columbia
The Hon. Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia
Kathleen Patterson, District of Columbia Auditor, Office of the District of Columbia
e v e r i T S
Auditor
DC
The Hon. A