In my humble opinion, one of the highlights of being a travel blogger is being able to connect to a wide spectrum of people. I love that the DC travel blogger community is so diverse, supportive, and fun. I started the #DCTravelBlogger meetup two years ago in order to bring people together for the love of travel. Last year was a busy one for me, with constant travel and the birth of the piccola which left very little time to organize meetups. That being said, I was yearning for a get together. Last night, I had the chance to bring the gang together for the first #DCTravelBlogger meetup of 2017! All about it…
Location
We hosted the happy hour at the new Tredici Enoteca restaurant at the St Gregory Hotel (check out my review). I love the modern design of the hotel. It’s perfect for a gathering. Our co-host for the event was Destination DC. The theme was Date Nights to celebrate DC’s romantic themed getaways ideas. That led to Tredici Enoteca bar team to create a special cocktail: the Date Nights DC. The cocktail is made from a combination of gin, agave, hibiscus, pineapple and seltzer, garnished with mint. The cocktail was light and flavorful, perfect to start the evening.
The Vibe
We had a great time catching up with fellow bloggers and destination reps from the local area. We also had a luggage demo by Don Chernoff, the creator of SkyRoll, and innovative line of suitcases. SkyRoll was gracious enough to giveaway two bags to two lucky guests. Kate Gibbs from Destination DC also shared some tips on what’s new in the city and their new #DCinLove campaign.
The Giveaways
Great brands graciously hosted giveaways for our DC Travel Blogger Meetup. Although I never win anything {sad face}, I do love a good giveaway! The giveaways included: the new Stryde suitcase by Samsonite, tickets to Taste Frederick Food Tours by Visit Frederick, a two-night stay at The Essex Resort in Vermont, tickets to Mangia DC Food Tours, a curated gift bag by fellow blogger Troy Petenbrink of The Gay Traveler, a beautiful map by artist Anna Grunduls, and local attraction tickets by Destination DC.
The Gift Bag
Guests walked away from the DC Travel Blogger Meetup with a fun gift bag with goodies such as: Nature’s Bakery bars (side note: my new favorite travel snacks), postcards by Anna Grunduls, caramels by McCrea’s Candies, Badass Power Cookies, samples by Frederick Benjamin, insulated lunch bags by National Harbor CVB, travel-sized Poo-Pourri spray, amenity bag by Allianz Travel Insurance, and local-made soaps from Joyful Bath Co.
DC Travel Blogger Meetup Verdict
Had a lovely time catching up with my fellow travel bloggers and looking forward to more get togethers in 2017! Are you a #DCTravelBlogger? Send me an email to add you to our mailing list at jessica (at) diningtraveler.com
