 In mid-October, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and a delegation of government and business leaders attended a China Trade Mission where they visited the cities of Shenzhen and Beijing to discuss tourism, real estate and business opportunities, and technology.
“Our communities share common goals as it relates to growing our economies: investments in technology and education,” said Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner. "Tourism is a key driver of our economy and China is the number 1 oversees visitors market for DC."
The team was excited to visit Beijing for the second time as our Sister City relationship dates back to 1984 - we are celebrating our 35-year relationship in 2019! This relationship is key to building strong business relationships and promote cultural and educational exchange.
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 Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner giving an interview on trade mission in China.
 On October 3, Mayor Bowser took the stage at the Atlantic Festival to remind the District that we are committed to innovation, inclusion and solutions! In its tenth year, Washington Ideas becomes The Atlantic Festival. Its new name pays homage to 161 years of award-winning journalism, analysis and storytelling, and captures the expansive nature of the event. DMPED also hosted "Drinks with the District", a chance for the community and businesses to come together!
From October 2 to 4, 2018, The Atlantic Festival took over multiple blocks of Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter. Anchored by the “Ideas Stage” at Sidney Harman Hall, its downtown campus featured book talks, networking receptions, breakout lunches, and much more.
“As many of you know, DC is a place not only of national significance and global reach, but we are a place of local community and local people,” said Business Development Director Karima Woods. “So we want to make sure, in partnering with The Atlantic, that we had a chance to hold this event today for you to mingle with people and get a local taste of flair that is Washington, DC.”
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 Business Development Director Karima Woods welcoming guests to The Atlantic Festival's "Drinks with the District"
 Starting off the month on October 1, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner joined Victor Hoskins, Director, Economic Development Arlington County, David Petr, President & CEO, Montgomery Co. Economic Development Corp., Emily Weems, VP, Head of Government and Policy Affairs, Capital One and Jordan Goldstein, Regional Managing Principal of Gensler on a panel discussion sponsored by Washington Business Journal and Gensler.
Deputy Mayor Kenner touched on affordable housing, regional point of view, and transportation while exploring how the DMV can grow as an interconnected region.
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On September 22, city officials cut the ribbon on the new Entertainment and Sports Arena in the heart of Ward 8's St. Elizabeths redevelopment, and on October 6, Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige headlined in this very arena - with Cage the Elephant following on October 13.
The Entertainment and Sports Arena is a 4,200 seat, 120,000-square-foot arena that is home to the Washington Mystics and the new NBA-G League team, the Capital City Go-Go!
See this link for upcoming Capital City Go-Go games!
 Mary J. Blige headlines at the new Entertainment and Sports Arena
 On October 2, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner gave remarks at the Georgetown Venture Lab ribbon cutting on how businesses like this help maintain a strong tech ecosystem in the District.
The Georgetown Venture Lab at WeWork White House, sponsored by the Leonsis Family, is a modern co-working space for the university and its network of alumni entrepreneurs. It coordinates programming to foster the growth of new ventures and connects Georgetown University entrepreneurs to the greater alumni and student network. It is operated by Georgetown Entrepreneurship, an initiative of the McDonough School of Business.
With space for up to 90 members, the Georgetown Venture Lab is an example of the university’s collaborative spirit and commitment to entrepreneurship, and allows Georgetown University to create even stronger ties to the larger startup community in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://startuphoyas.com/gvl/.
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 On October 16, Karima Woods gave remarks at Howard University's Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library! In 2017, DMPED hosted a Virtual Invest DC Forum, a hybrid in-person/online event that allowed three DC-based startups to pitch their businesses to foreign investors. This MBA Consulting team would develop a marketing plan for a future Virtual Invest DC. This includes identifying international investors who may be interested in investing in DC-based companies in industries poised for growth and developing an associated communications plan for the event. The consulting team will also provide recommendations on the structure and delivery of the Virtual Invest DC Forum. This team gave their final presentations this week!
In cooperation with DMPED, Howard University and the DC China Center helped to create the Global Trilateral MBA program. This program tri-annually brings together MBA students from the Central University of Finance and Economics (Beijing) and the Gordon Institute for Business Science, University of Pretoria (Tshwane) for shared classroom learning and consulting projects in each of the cities where the universities are located.
"We strongly value our relationship with China, and Chinese investment and tourism make important contributions to our regional economy. We welcomed over 320,000 Chinese tourists in 2017 and China continues to be the top visitor market for DC," said Business Development Director Karima Woods. "And, we are proud that Washington, DC and Beijing have been sister cities since 1984 and continue to work to strengthen this tie."
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 On October 16, our Special Projects Director Jonathan Kayne spoke about opportunity zones on Bisnow's panel.
"We really want people to take a more holistic look when they're developing properties to say 'I have a unique opportunity not just to finance the property, but also a means of financing that I can invest in my tenant base as well'," said Jonathan Kayne. "We want people to take advantage of trying to create new businesses, help incubate new retail and new amenities for neighborhoods as well."
For more details visit this link.
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On October 25, DMPED Chief of Staff Andrew Trueblood represented Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner at the launch event for the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival season and helped unveil the official artwork. The District is a proud supporter of the iconic festival which draws thousands to Washington, D.C. each spring.
"In addition to showcasing the DC that we all know and love, this festival is a significant driver for the local economy. It boosts tourism, creates jobs for District residents and contributes to the more than $7.3 billion annually in tourist spending," said Chief of Staff Andrew Trueblood. "Through events and programming, the festival touches neighborhoods throughout the city, engaging businesses and residents alike."
At the event, Trueblood also congratulated the festival for its 14 top industry awards from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) in 2018 and EventsDC for their two awards (Silver for Best Full Length Local TV Program – National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® and Bronze for Best Parade.) Congratulations NCBF and EventsDC!
Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries. Today, the Festival spans four weekends and welcomes more than 1.5 million people to enjoy diverse programming and the trees. The Festival produces and coordinates daily events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Events are primarily free and open to the public.
 Chief of Staff Andrew Trueblood giving remarks at the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Launch
 The National Law Enforcement Museum is officially open, with the help of $103 million in tax revenue bonds through DMPED’s Industrial Revenue Bond program! Authorized by Congress in 2000, the original bond financing application was submitted in late 2007, resubmitted in 2010 and 2013, with the closing held in January 2016, the 57,000-square-foot National Law Enforcement Museum is a three-story mostly underground institution located adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC’s Judiciary Square. The Museum tells the story of American law enforcement by providing visitors a “walk in the shoes” experience along with educational journeys, immersive exhibitions, and insightful programs. The Museum is an initiative of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a [501(c)(3)] organization established in 1984.
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On October 1, Mayor Bowser celebrated a record annual investment in affordable housing—in fiscal year 2018, the Bowser Administration was able to commit $167.6 million from the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) to projects that will create or preserve affordable housing for Washingtonians. This historic achievement was announced at the groundbreaking of Delta Towers, a 100 percent affordable community in Ward 5. For three straight years, Mayor Bowser has exceeded her annual commitment of $100 million to the HPTF, the Administration’s portal to produce and preserve affordable housing in the District of Columbia.
“I promised Washingtonians that we would do more with our Housing Production Trust Fund and every year I have challenged my team to do better than the year before—to get more money out the door and into our community. And we have delivered,” said Mayor Bowser. “We will continue to use every tool in our toolkit to create and preserve affordable housing across all eight wards, build more pathways to the middle class, and find new ways to keep DC affordable for Washingtonians of all ages and backgrounds.”
Since coming into office, Mayor Bowser’s investment in the preservation and creation of affordable housing through the HPTF has substantially increased each year, from $58.6 million in FY15 to $106.89 million in FY16 to $138.59 million in FY17 to $167.6 million in FY18. As a result, the Bowser Administration has been able to use multiple programs and tools to deliver 6,000 units of affordable housing, with an additional 5,200 under construction.
The Bowser Administration uses HPTF financing to support a range of projects, including rehabilitation, new construction, refinancing, acquisitions, and supporting tenants’ rights to buy their buildings through the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). Most of the FY18 funding is being allocated to projects that will support households earning up to 50 percent of the 2018 Median Family Income (MFI) or $59,000 for a family of four.
The FY18 funding will provide gap financing to projects across the District and will benefit a wide variety of populations, including seniors, families, and veterans. The $167.6 million investment includes $91.4 million for eight new construction projects that will provide over 650 units and $76.2 million for 16 preservation projects that will provide over 950 units.
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