Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

Washington, D.C.

Learn why you should host your next meeting, event or conference in D.C.

Why the Nation's Capital for Your Next Meeting or Event?

The U.S. capital will soon be blooming with new hotels and meeting venues. 

New & Coming Soon to the Area

The National Air and Space Museum reopened in October with eight new and renovated galleries. Hundreds of new artifacts have been added to the building such as the WR-3 air racer built by Neal Loving, the first African American certified to race airplanes, and a T-38 flown by Jackie Cochran, the first woman to break the sound barrier

Also in the fall of 2022, District Wharf welcomed an additional 1.15 million square feet of mixed-use spaces, including a Pendry hotel, residences, a marina, parks and public areas. 

The Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall at L'Enfant Plaza has been completely renovated and rebranded. It has 367 guest rooms, 23,000 square feet of meeting space and a grand ballroom that will hold up to 600 people.

Travel Essentials
CONVENTION CENTER: The Walter E. Washington Convention Center; meeting space, 198,000 square feet; exhibit space, 703,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 77.

TAXES: Room tax, 14.5%; sales tax, 5.75%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.95%

CONTACT: Destination DC

The former Four Points by Sheraton at 12th and K streets NW is now a 209-room lifestyle property known as the Eaton Hotel. Highlights include Allegory, a speakeasy; Kintsugi, a coffee bar; Wild Days, a rooftop lounge; and American Son, a restaurant from Tim Ma (of Kyirisan fame). Among amenities designed to charm Millennial travelers: a radio/podcasting studio, a movie theater seating up to 50 people, a co-working space that can accommodate up to 370, a newsstand, a library and a wellness center offering a range of alternative treatments. The hotel opened this past October.

Venue Additions & Renovations in D.C.

The 360-room Conrad Washington, D.C., has also opened. The hotel anchors the second phase of CityCenterDC, a high-end, mixed-use development in downtown known for its collection of upscale retail stores and eateries. The Conrad's 32,000 square feet of meeting space are bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, and special events can be held on three outdoor terraces, at a rooftop bar and on a dedicated event terrace featuring views of the U.S. Capitol. The on-site signature restaurant, Estuary, is the creation of two James Beard nominees and Top Chef alumni, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center has completed a series of updates to add value for groups, such as enhanced digital signage throughout, new flexible and removable communal seating, a surrounding streetscape plan that enchanted the facade of the facility and more.

The Hotel Washington has undergone a $50 million top-to-bottom renovation. The property's 317 guest rooms and suites, the Living Room (the W brand's lobby), the rooftop bar and the more than 12,000 square feet of event spaces have all been refreshed.

D.C. Meeting Hotels

Properties in the District include the 1,175-room Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C.; 1,152-room Washington Marriott Wardman Park; 1,070-room Hilton Washington; 897-room Grand Hyatt Washington; 838-room Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill; 834-room Omni Shoreham Hotel; 807-room Renaissance Washington, D.C., Downtown Hotel; 772-room JW Marriott Hotel Washington, D.C.; 581-room Mayflower Renaissance Washington, D.C.; and 317-room Hotel Washington.

To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group's new venue finder.

Other Event Venues 

In D.C.'s Buzzard Point neighborhood, the $300 million, LEED Gold–certified Audi Field opened and is home to Major League Soccer's D.C. United team. The venue seats 20,000 and includes 500,000 square feet of mixed-use retail and event space, the latter dispersed among 31 meeting rooms. 

Warm Heart, Cold Nose
The 413-room Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, is adopting a puppy from Guiding Eyes for the Blind to serve as the hotel's Canine Ambassador. Georgie, a Labrador, will have a part-time home in the property's newly renovated lobby, where she will welcome visits from guests. The hotel has a total of 28,866 square feet of meeting space.

Speed pitching in the Washington Nationals Park Bullpen makes a cool, interactive event for groups of all stripes. Let your guests test their arms in the same space where a Major League Baseball pitcher warms up, or take batting practice inside the Nationals' batting cages.

Add a bit of tension to team building at Escape Room Live D.C. in Georgetown. Among options for the interactive adventure: Groups need to collaborate to escape from a locked stateroom in the rapidly sinking Titanic. 

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the first major museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the lens of culture. Along with an ever-changing roster of exhibits, the venue has a number of spaces ideal for events, from private cocktail receptions in the Third Floor Gallery to elegant sit-down dinners in the Great Hall. 

A Landmark Expands
A  $175 million expansion project at the Kennedy Center will soon be completed, with the results scheduled to open in September 2019. Dubbed the Reach, the complex will include 72,000 square feet of new performance and events space, approximately 130,000 square feet of gardens, terrace seating for up to 1,600 people and a scenic walkway leading to some of D.C.'s esteemed monuments nearby. 

The 4,200-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena is a new hub for entertainment, esports and field sports, including the NBA Washington Wizards and WBNA Washington Mystics. Contact the venue for details about meeting and venue space, still under wraps at press time.

Transportation in & Around the District

Reagan National Airport, 20 minutes from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, about $25; by shuttle, $16 

Dulles International Airport, approximately 45 minutes from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, about $75; by shuttle, $30

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