6th Annual Winternational Attracts 39 Embassies and Over 3,000 Guests

On Dec. 6, international culture, travel and tourism were at the forefront of DC’s World Trade Center when more than 3,000 visitors filled the Atrium to take part in our 6th Annual Embassy Showcase, Winternational. Hosted by TCMA (A Drew Company), the group that manages the Reagan Building, the signature event is held at the end of each year and brings together the best of DC’s international and local communities for an afternoon of festive shopping and cultural discovery.

“Winternational offers a dynamic and meaningful experience for our guests. In just a few hours, they can explore different cultures and traditions through crafts, food, arts and even mingle with Ambassadors and diplomats from around the world. The RRB/ITC is the World Trade Center, Washington DC so we created this type of programming here as part of our mission to promote international trade and culture and bring together the international and DC community,” said John P. Drew, President and CEO of TCMA (A Drew Company).

Andrew Gelfuso, VP of Trade for TCMA, provided opening remarks, welcoming all guests and embassies; ambassadors and officials were then invited onstage for a group photo which officially kicked off the Winternational festivities.

The colorful and lively event featured each embassy promoting its country and culture through bright and vibrant table displays with handmade crafts, art, traditional dress, food samples, travel and tourism information and more. Highlights included woven baskets and art crafts from Botswana; pottery and yogurt samples from Bulgaria; coffee from Indonesia; crafts, sweets and caviar samples from Moldova; pearls from the Philippines; books and artifacts from Saudi Arabia; and lanterns and art from Vietnam. Guests perused displays, shopped for handmade items, and tasted traditional foods while enjoying live music from renowned Azerbaijani violinist, Rafael Javadov.

Featured in The Washington Post as “one of the best things to see, eat, drink and do in December” the event continues to grow each year and we look forward to adding new and exciting elements in the coming years (including more countries, potentially a performance stage concept and an ambassador-specific component) that will make event experiences more dynamic for guests and participating embassies.