The Embassy of Panama joins the 9th Annual Winternational
Embassy Showcase - Virtual Marketplace
Presented by World Trade Center Washington, DC, the new online format, offers visitors an exciting embassy-curated shopping experience featuring artisans from around the world.
Washington, D.C. – Today is “Winternational Day,” proclaimed by the District’s Mayor Muriel Bowser, as the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC) launches the 9th Annual Embassy Showcase, Winternational, in a new virtual, year-long format. The Embassy of Panama is excited to join the Virtual Marketplace, partnering with World Trade Center Washington, DC (WTCDC) and over 30 other DC-based embassies to celebrate DC’s diverse diplomatic community and its artisan diaspora. This online emporium will feature visual and decorative arts, handcrafts, apparel, jewelry, and artisan-crafted culinary fare. The Virtual Marketplace will be open through December 2021—a unique place to shop for holidays and special occasions.
Last year, more than 5,000 enthusiastic guests attended this live, in-person event celebrating international culture, travel, tourism and trade at the RRB/ITC. “While the COVID-19 pandemic presented our communities with profound challenges, it also presented a unique opportunity to re-imagine our signature event and evolve our partnership with the world’s largest diplomatic community,” said Andrew Gelfuso, Director of WTCDC. Over the next year, the WTCDC will connect these artisans with the vast network of the World Trade Centers Association and additional strategic international trade partners to facilitate new export opportunities.
“After what has been a daunting year for many small businesses, this bustling online global marketplace demonstrates TCMA’s continued commitment to our diplomatic partners and to the prosperity of their artisan communities as they rebound from the economic impacts of the pandemic,” said John P. Drew, President and CEO of TCMA (A Drew Company), the exclusive manager of the RRB/ITC. Key program stakeholders including Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and Kimberly A. Bassett, Secretary of State of the District of Columbia, offered messages of support for the Virtual Marketplace as part of the virtual Launch Event.
