After a four-year hiatus, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center’s 11th Winternational Embassy Showcase resurged in full effect on Dec. 5, featuring more than 68 embassies and cultural organizations sharing food, cultural practices, and educational material with attendees.
What first began as an outdoor event in 2011 with only four participating embassies, has evolved into a prosperous festival inside the Ronald Reagan Building, with more than 90 embassies throughout its history. With the COVID-19 pandemic pausing in-person programming, preventing Washington’s diplomatic community from big gatherings like Winternational since 2019, this year’s showcase garnered approximately 7,500 pre-registered attendees.
“When an event goes dormant for that long, sometimes you have questions about long-term viability, but it came back with a roar,” said Allyson Browne McKithen, executive director of the World Trade Center Washington, D.C. and founder of Winternational.
Washington’s World Trade Center aims to create and nurture relationships between the district’s diplomatic community, as it is one of the largest in the world, housing over 180 missions. Being the city’s largest structure, the RRB/ITC is the perfect venue for such an affair.
“We’re a U.S. government federal trade center, so one of our key missions is to connect with that diplomatic community to create a bridge– a cultural bridge but also a trade bridge– between our U.S. businesses looking to establish themselves in a global marketplace, so relationships with the global community [are] huge,” Browne McKithen said, explaining the reasoning behind Winternational’s conception.
Embassies and organizations that curated exhibits at the showcase did so to heighten visibility for their countries and introduce people to their histories, customs and specialties.
“They really see it as a way to engage with audiences they’re not normally meeting,” Browne McKithen said. “I think that the secret of the success of this program is that it truly is about the embassies.”
The trade center allows these diplomatic entities to design their respective displays, providing all necessary marketing, space and audiences. No exhibition was identical to another, ranging from culinary presentations to authentic performances to informational presentations.
Although she founded the event, Browne McKithen is pleasantly surprised by various exhibitions at every Winternational. This year, some that caught her eye include fiberglass panels depicting the story of King Tut and his tomb from the Embassy of Egypt and the Iraqi Embassy’s model of the Babylonian Gates.
She told The Informer she greatly appreciates the ample educational exchange this showcase allows, and noted that such an atmosphere creates a true celebration of nuanced global communities and customs– something that is crucial in today’s increasingly polarized world.
Jamaican Embassy Makes Winternational Debut
This year, the Jamaican embassy made its Winternational debut, featuring treats that allowed
guests to the rich culture. The Caribbean country chose a primarily culinary-based display to give guests a “taste of Jamaica” through beef patties, rum cake and its world-renowned Blue Mountain coffee.
According to the Inter-American Development Bank, tourism makes up 34% of the island’s economic output, globally ranking it 16 out of countries that economies most rely on tourism. As a result, the embassy saw Winternational as a means to utilize food and drink to immerse attendees in its rich culture directly.
“We want people to really go and experience Jamaica for themselves,” said Emile Wallace-Waddell, community relations officer for the Embassy of Jamaica. “The end goal is to let people have a preview of what Jamaica has to hold, and we hope at one point they’ll say, ‘You know what? I’m going to Jamaica.’”
Wallace-Waddell reflected on challenges a country that deeply depends on tourism faces and emphasized the need to find more creative ways to promote economic empowerment. He considered COVID-19 as an example, which required airports and hotels to close, thus slowing tourism and negatively impacting the economy.
“I think we need to diversify more to things like agriculture and manufacturing,” he said. “We’re making progress, but sun, sea and sand [are] everywhere, so we work with what we have [and] basically use our strengths.”
Embassy of Jordan Offers ‘Warmth and Hospitality of Jordanian Culture’
The Embassy of Jordan also aimed to promote its thriving tourism sector at the showcase by featuring vibrant traditional clothing, trinkets and informative brochures.
The Jordanian Armed Forces Band traveled all the way to Washington to perform at Winternational as a way for audiences to truly engage the country’s culture.
“Their captivating musical performances not only delighted the audience but also inspired many to join in traditional dances, including the ‘dabkeh,’” said an Embassy of Jordan representative. “This interactive component of our show allowed attendees to experience the warmth and hospitality of Jordanian culture firsthand, fostering a deeper appreciation and connection with our nation.”
The Jordanian Embassy emphasized the importance of Winternational and highlighted the event and participants’ commitment to progress and modernity.
“Events like Winternational offer a unique opportunity to bridge cultural divides and promote people-to-people diplomacy, transcending the realm of politics,” said the Embassy of Jordan representative. “By serving as a platform for cultural exchange, these events enable nations to showcase their distinct heritage, traditions, and values, thereby fostering greater mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.”