The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) was selected to serve as the International Media Center for the United States-Africa Leaders Summit, an international summit held in Washington, D.C., from August 4 to 6. Leaders from 50 African states attended the three-day summit, hosted by President Barack Obama.
For USIP, the summit provided an extraordinary opportunity to maximize in-house resources and vendor capabilities, making unique possibilities available for future corporate, nonprofit, and government event business. The design defined not only the appearance, but also how to maximize the efficient use of urban space. Summit partners saw firsthand how events in emerging and nontraditional destinations offer distinct benefits, such as proximity, capacity, and reduced costs, as well as how they have a profound impact on R.O.I. Five miles of power, fiber, and Internet cables were used, enhancing USIP's Wi-Fi ability to accommodate 1,343 accredited journalists for the summit. The USIP conference center headquarters served as a fully operational, 24-hours-a-day facility, hosting 4,104 guests, including African heads of state and government, foreign ambassadors, United States government leaders, and senior foreign policy journalists. With these infrastructural improvements, the space provided a richer, destination-specific experience for all.
