iStrategyLabs is happy to announce another client (Destination DC) project that’s ready for prime-time, and one that we hope you’ll all find useful and fun! The horizontal version of Washington DC’s official widget is below, but you can find the vertical version and distribution site here.

If you embed the widget, comment on this post so we can give you some link love back!

The widget has some really interesting technical features (Scott, Jason and Kenneth made some really smart decisions on this one):

1. The headline can be swapped out easily using an admin console
2. The photos pull in from Destination DC’s Flickr account via a custom tag (fall08) and in the future they’ll just switch that tag to pull different photos in from their account. These photos are not purely user generated as moderation is crucial here.
3. The widget displays two events pulled into the widget via Upcoming.org’s API, and shows a set of randomly selected events each time the widget loads.
4. We’re using Twitter’s API to pull in the most recent tweet from @destinationdc - these updates will be promotional in nature, highlighting up to the minute happenings around town that you might be interested in. We won’t be @replying from this account!
5. We’re using the Clearspring platform for distribution and tracking across the social web, and have installed the Facebook Flash Player App on the official Washington DC page to enable in-page widget embedding.

The full press release can be downloaded here and is as follows:

Destination DC (washington.org) Launches Social Media-Enabled Widget for Residents and Visitors

Destination DC, the official tourism marketing organization for the nation’s capital, released a social media-powered widget that can be found here:

http://www.islwidgets.com/ddc/distribute/

You can also find the widget on Washington DC’s official Facebook page here.

Widgets are small, portable web applications that display content that can be easily distributed throughout the social web with the click of a button. This Destination DC widget integrates seasonal photos of DC from Flickr.com, events from Upcoming.org and special updates from Twitter.com using their respective APIs, enabling the widget to display fresh content on the fly. By pulling in content feeds from social media hubs, then enabling users to embed widgets in any social network, blog and website, Destination DC provides its many members, visitors and residents a powerful tool to obtain fresh and fun information about DC.

Victoria Isley, SVP of Marketing, Destination DC says:

“We want DC fans from near and far to grab the widget and share it. It’s a great tool for your website or profile page. You only have to install it once, with just a few clicks of a mouse, but it serves up a constant stream of updated insider information to keep you and your visitors plugged into what’s happening in DC.”

The Destination DC widget was built by iStrategyLabs, a DC-based interactive marketing agency, and leverages the Clearspring (another business based in the DC region) widget distribution platform. These innovative companies are a part of the diverse technology industry in the greater DC area that is fueled by the highest concentration of knowledge workers in America – 1.1 million to be exact.

Peter Corbett, CEO, iStrategyLabs says:

“As a District resident and active social media participant, I’m excited to have a widget that will provide me a constant stream of DC specific, relevant and useful content. It’s the kind of widget that anyone interested in our nation’s capital should have on their blog or in one of their social networking profiles. My favorite capability is the Twitter feature, which will allow Destination DC to update the widget with insider tips and cool events I might not have known about otherwise.”

Visit the Destination DC Press Room for Logos/Images related to Destination DC

Visit iStrategyLabs for Logos/Images related to iStrategyLabs

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