City guide · Washington, DC and National Harbor, Maryland · Updated
Washington's trade shows center on the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a union floor with 703,000 sq ft of exhibit space on two levels, where what your own staff may build depends on the show's contractor. Around it are a hotel joined by an underground concourse, a conference center inside a working federal building, a 1965 hotel known for its security, a 1941 armory with rare surface parking, and a convention resort across the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland. Labor, security and floor type change from one building to the next.
Photo: "Walter E. Washington Convention Center" by ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0. Source
Venues with guides
Washington's shows run in a union convention center where self-install rules depend on the show's contractor, a connected hotel next door, two buildings where security screening shapes move-in, an armory with parking, and a convention resort across the Potomac at National Harbor, Maryland. These are the six guides we have for the DC area, side by side.
Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington · Convention center6 shows listed
Marriott Marquis Washington, DCWashington, D.C. · Convention hotel
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade CenterWashington, D.C. · Conference center (federal building)
Washington HiltonWashington, D.C. · Convention hotel
DC ArmoryWashington, D.C. · Armory exhibition hall
Gaylord National Resort & Convention CenterNational Harbor, MD · Convention resortSide by side
Largest space, ceiling, labor and a planning drayage rate for each venue we have a guide for. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs; the last column is the straight-line distance from the Walter E. Washington CC.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport | From Walter E. Washington CC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington | Convention center | 473,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–C | 30 ft (A–C) · up to 52 ft (D–E) | Union · check kit | ≈ $175/cwt | DCA · ~4 mi | — |
| Marriott Marquis Washington, DCWashington, D.C. | Convention hotel | 30,000 sq ft main ballroom · 100,474 sq ft total | Not listed in our guide | Union likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $170/cwt | DCA · ~20 min | ≈ 0.1 mi |
| Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade CenterWashington, D.C. | Conference center (federal building) | 65,000 sq ft meeting space | Not listed in our guide | Union likely · confirm with contractor | ≈ $165/cwt | DCA · 10–15 min | ≈ 0.9 mi |
| Washington HiltonWashington, D.C. | Convention hotel | 118,000+ sq ft meeting and event space | Not listed in our guide | Union likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $165/cwt | DCA · 15–20 min | ≈ 1.4 mi |
| DC ArmoryWashington, D.C. | Armory exhibition hall | ≈ 70,000 sq ft exhibition space | Not listed in our guide | Union likely · confirm with contractor | ≈ $150/cwt | DCA · 15–20 min | ≈ 2.8 mi |
| Gaylord National Resort & Convention CenterNational Harbor, MD | Convention resort | 470,000+ sq ft flexible space (sources vary) | Not listed in our guide | Union likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $170/cwt | DCA · ~20 min | ≈ 8.6 mi |
Figures come from each venue guide; open a guide for its sources, hall tables and dock details. “Not listed in our guide” means that guide does not give the figure.
Where they are
Each venue plotted from its coordinates: four downtown within about two miles of each other, the DC Armory east by the old RFK Stadium site, and Gaylord National down the Potomac in Maryland.
The calendar
Our convention center guide now lists six organizer-confirmed shows from November 2026 to spring 2027, from the Society for Neuroscience meeting to the Washington Auto Show, SATELLITE and Data Center Americas. The other Washington guides carry few dated listings, so for conferences at the Gaylord National and events at the Washington Hilton, confirm dates directly with the organizer.
Every Washington, DC trade show for 2027, with booth options: see our Washington, DC show pages →
Satellite, space and government space · B2B trade show · exhibits Mar 9–11 · 2027
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Vaccine research and industry · B2B congress and expo · organized by Terrapinn · 2027
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Data center and AI infrastructure · new B2B trade show · organized by CloserStill Media · 2027
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Dates are copied from each venue guide's calendar (organizer and venue sites, checked October 2026); only shows ending on or after October 29, 2026 are listed. Confirm dates, halls and the general contractor with each organizer. More notes on other recurring shows are in the Walter E. Washington CC guide.
Busy seasons
Counting the dated shows above by the month they open, March 2027 is the busiest month in our listings, with 3 shows starting, ahead of November 2026 with 1. Plan freight and hotel rooms early for those weeks.
January belongs to the Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, January 22 to 31, 2027 per the organizer. It is a consumer show as much as an industry one, so expect a public crowd and a ten-day run of show days.
Science, space and technology fill the rest of the convention center's calendar in our guide: Neuroscience 2026 (SfN) on November 14 to 18 and the NAEYC early-childhood conference on December 5 to 8, 2026, then SATELLITE and the World Vaccine Congress on March 8 to 11 and the new Data Center Americas on March 31 to April 1, 2027. Data Center World, held here in April 2026, moves to Nashville in 2027.
Outside the convention center our guides describe event types, not dates. The Washington Hilton hosts the White House Correspondents' Dinner every year in its International Ballroom. The Reagan Building takes government-adjacent conferences and trade and cultural events, Gaylord National hosts association conferences and government-adjacent trade shows, and the DC Armory runs consumer expos, trade shows and inaugural balls.
Planning guide
At the convention center a 2026 kit lists Teamsters Local 639 for freight, Carpenters Local 491 for booth building, IATSE Local 22 for rigging and IBEW Local 26 for electrical; what your own full-time staff may build differs by contractor, so check your kit. The other five venues likely have union jurisdiction, so confirm with the show's decorator or contractor. The sections below pull together what our 6 Washington, DC venue guides say about labor, freight, move-in, travel and hotels, venue by venue, with a link to the guide each fact comes from.
Labor & union rules
Washington is a union town for trade shows, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is the only venue where our guide spells the rules out. A 2026 kit there lists Teamsters Local 639 for freight, Carpenters Local 491 for booth building and power tools, IATSE Local 22 for rigging and IBEW Local 26 for electrical. What your own full-time staff may do depends on the contractor: one 2026 kit allows only hand-carried, no-power-tool work, while GES rules for a 2024 show allowed booths of any size, so check your kit. At the other five venues our guides say union jurisdiction is likely and rules vary by show, so the decorator or official contractor has the final word.
Who builds: Teamsters Local 639 move freight, Carpenters Local 491 build booths and run power tools, IATSE Local 22 rig and IBEW Local 26 connect power (2026 kit). Booth cleaning is exclusive to Aramark.
Your own staff: Depends on the show's contractor: from hand-carry only with no power tools (2026 kit) to any size by full-time employees (GES, 2024). Check your kit; our guide has a self-install checker.
Who builds: Our guide says union jurisdiction is likely and rules vary by show. Shows that span the hotel and the convention center may have different labor rules in each building.
Your own staff: Confirm hand-carry and self-install allowances with the show's official decorator; do not assume the convention center's rules apply here.
Who builds: Union jurisdiction is likely, with federal-building security and access procedures on top of standard show labor rules.
Your own staff: Confirm hand-carry and self-install allowances with the show's official contractor, and budget extra time for credentialing.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guide →
Who builds: Union jurisdiction is likely and rules vary by show. Screening for high-profile events can add time to move-in.
Your own staff: Confirm hand-carry and self-install allowances with the show's official decorator before you plan your own setup.
Who builds: Union jurisdiction is likely. As an Events DC venue, the guide says labor terms generally follow the same pattern as the convention center.
Your own staff: Confirm hand-carry and self-install allowances with the show's official contractor; the guide does not state the Armory's own rule.
Who builds: The resort is in Prince George's County, Maryland, not DC proper, and hotel shows in the area often set their own labor terms. Union jurisdiction is likely.
Your own staff: Confirm hand-carry and self-install allowances with the show's official decorator.
Your show's general contractor and its exhibitor kit set the final rules for your booth; these notes come from the venue guides and the venues' own rules.
Free tool · plan your Washington, DC budget
Drayage in the DC area runs higher than in right-to-work cities. Our guides plan about $175 per hundredweight at the convention center, $170 at the Marriott Marquis and Gaylord National, $165 at the Reagan Building and the Washington Hilton, and $150 at the DC Armory, each with a 200-pound minimum. These are Purple planning rates for 2026 and 2027, not published tariffs; the exhibitor kit has the real rate. At the convention center, routing through the advance warehouse is the main way to keep the bill down.
| Venue | Planning rate | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Walter E. Washington Convention CenterUnion · check kit | ≈ $175/cwt | About $175 per hundredweight planning rate with a minimum per shipment; shipping to the advance warehouse on time usually costs less than direct-to-show. |
| Gaylord National Resort & Convention CenterUnion likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $170/cwt | About $170 per hundredweight planning rate with a 200 lb minimum; every show runs on carpet, which changes drayage and floor protection. |
| Marriott Marquis Washington, DCUnion likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $170/cwt | About $170 per hundredweight planning rate with a 200 lb minimum; ballrooms are carpeted, so confirm floor protection. |
| Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade CenterUnion likely · confirm with contractor | ≈ $165/cwt | About $165 per hundredweight planning rate with a 200 lb minimum; freight passes federal-building security, so confirm access procedures early. |
| Washington HiltonUnion likely · confirm with decorator | ≈ $165/cwt | About $165 per hundredweight planning rate with a 200 lb minimum; meeting space is carpeted. |
| DC ArmoryUnion likely · confirm with contractor | ≈ $150/cwt | About $150 per hundredweight planning rate with a 200 lb minimum, the lowest of the six DC-area venues in our guides. |
The fields below fill in from size and type. Change any of them.
Purple planning estimate · not a quote
Drayage + I&D labor, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Get a real Washington, DC quote Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
All drayage numbers are Purple planning estimates per hundredweight (100 lbs), not quotes or published tariffs. The general contractor for your show publishes the actual material-handling rates in the exhibitor kit. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Freight
Most Washington shows route freight through an advance warehouse named in the show kit, and the convention center guide recommends it outright. Purple ships to Washington, DC and National Harbor. Beyond the warehouse, the city adds paperwork: EAC forms and insurance at the convention center and security credentialing at the federal Reagan Building and for high-profile Hilton events.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
From our Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guide
From our Marriott Marquis Washington, DC and Walter E. Washington Convention Center guides
From our Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guide
Move-in & move-out
Move-in in Washington is shaped as much by people as by docks. The convention center has two dock entrances on M Street, and security screening adds time at the Reagan Building and some Hilton events. Our guides give few physical dock details, so confirm dock assignments and access with the show for every venue.
39 enclosed docks serve Halls A–C from 7th & M Street, and 20 covered docks serve Halls D–E from 9th & M Street. Dock slots can be short (15 minutes at one 2024 show), personal vehicles are unloaded by union crews, and hand carry is one person, one trip, one item, no carts.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
The 18,800 sq ft glass-encased penthouse and the 5,200 sq ft outdoor terrace are upper-level spaces, and the guide says to confirm freight access before planning anything for them.
From our Marriott Marquis Washington and DC guide
Security screening applies to exhibitors and freight at this federal building on the Federal Triangle. Confirm access procedures early and leave extra time in the move-in schedule for credentialing.
From our Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guide
The International Ballroom gets heightened screening for high-profile events. Depending on the show, those procedures can add time to move-in, so confirm show-specific steps with the official contractor.
From our Washington Hilton guide
The Armory sits on the 110-acre RFK Stadium-DC Armory campus with substantial surface parking. Confirm the current floor configuration and dock access, and power and access for anything on the outdoor Festival Grounds.
From our DC Armory guide
The property is large enough that dock distance varies significantly by hall, so confirm your exact hall assignment. Rigging points in the 20-story glass atrium also need confirming with the hotel.
From our Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guide
Getting there
Reagan National is close to every venue in our DC guides, 10 to 20 minutes away, and Dulles is 35 to 45 minutes out. Four venues are downtown on Metro, the Armory has its own Metro station east of Capitol Hill, and Gaylord National is across the river in Maryland, linked by a seasonal water taxi.
| Venue | Airport | Transit, shuttles and parking |
|---|---|---|
| Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington | DCA · ~3.8 mi; Dulles · ~24 mi (straight-line) | Mt Vernon Sq/7th St–Convention Center Metro station, Green and Yellow lines, is at the front door of 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW (formerly 801 Mount Vernon Place NW). |
| Marriott Marquis Washington, DCWashington, D.C. | DCA · about 20 min | Mt. Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center Metro is a short walk, and the underground concourse leads straight into the convention center. |
| Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade CenterWashington, D.C. | DCA · 10–15 min | Federal Triangle Metro station, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, is at the door. |
| Washington HiltonWashington, D.C. | DCA · 15–20 min | Dupont Circle Metro station on the Red line is a short walk from 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, with Adams Morgan's restaurants downhill. |
| DC ArmoryWashington, D.C. | DCA · 15–20 min | Stadium-Armory Metro station, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, is on site, and the campus has substantial surface parking. |
| Gaylord National Resort & Convention CenterNational Harbor, MD | DCA · about 20 min; Dulles · 40–45 min | A seasonal water taxi connects National Harbor to Old Town Alexandria and the Wharf in DC. The resort is about 20 minutes from downtown. |
Drive times are the guides' figures and change with traffic; the area map above shows where each venue sits.
Where to stay
The Marriott Marquis is the connected hotel for the convention center, joined by an underground concourse under 9th Street NW, with 1,175 rooms; the rest of downtown's big hotels are a few blocks south. Two venues are hotels themselves: the Washington Hilton with 1,107 rooms and Gaylord National with 2,000. The Armory has no hotel beside it; Capitol Hill is the nearest cluster.
1,175 rooms, opened in 2014 and joined to the convention center by an underground concourse across 9th Street NW, so guests move between the buildings without going outside.
From our Marriott Marquis Washington, DC and Walter E. Washington Convention Center guides
Full-service hotels such as the Westin, Embassy Suites, Conrad and Grand Hyatt sit about a quarter to half a mile south of the convention center (straight-line).
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington and DC guides
Useful for exhibitors on early or late flights. Reagan National is about 3.8 miles from the convention center in a straight line and 10 to 15 minutes from the Reagan Building.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guides
The closest options to the Reagan Building on the Federal Triangle.
From our Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guide
1,107 guest rooms on site at 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan.
From our Washington Hilton guide
A range of price points near the Dupont Circle Metro station for Hilton shows.
From our Washington Hilton guide
The closest hotel cluster to the DC Armory. Downtown hotels are 15 to 20 minutes away, with Metro access to the Armory.
From our DC Armory guide
2,000 rooms on the property itself, on the Potomac at National Harbor, Maryland.
From our Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guide
More price points within the National Harbor waterfront district for Gaylord National shows.
From our Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guide
Room counts, links and walking times are the venue guides' figures; ask the hotel or your show's housing bureau about room blocks.
In pictures
Photos from our Washington, DC venue guides. Each one opens the guide it comes from, with the full-size photo and its story.
Choosing a venue
Short answers drawn from our venue guides. Your show's organizer picks the venue; these help you plan the booth for it.
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center has 703,000 sq ft of exhibit space in five halls, with 473,000 contiguous sq ft across Halls A, B and C. It is a union floor: a 2026 kit lists Teamsters Local 639 on freight, Carpenters Local 491 on booth building, IATSE Local 22 on rigging and IBEW Local 26 on electrical. What your own full-time staff may build depends on the show's contractor, so check your kit; our guide has a self-install checker. Trucks use 7th & M Street (Halls A–C) or 9th & M Street (D–E), and the Mt Vernon Sq/7th St–Convention Center Metro station is at the front door of 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW.
The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC opened in 2014 joined to the convention center by an underground concourse across 9th Street NW, with 100,474 sq ft of meeting space and a 30,000 sq ft main ballroom. If your show spans both buildings, confirm labor with the decorator: the hotel's rules may differ from the center's.
Marriott Marquis Washington, DC guideWalter E. Washington Convention Center guide
The Ronald Reagan Building is a working federal building with a 65,000 sq ft conference center and a 595-seat amphitheater, so screening applies and you should budget extra time for credentialing; Federal Triangle Metro is at the door and Reagan National is about 10 to 15 minutes away. The Washington Hilton, with more than 118,000 sq ft, hosts the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and some events there add screening time to move-in.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center guideWashington Hilton guide
The DC Armory has nearly 70,000 sq ft of exhibition space on the 110-acre RFK Stadium-DC Armory campus, which has substantial surface parking, rare in Washington, and its own Stadium-Armory Metro station. Our guide plans its drayage at about $150 per hundredweight, the lowest of the six.
Gaylord National is in National Harbor, Maryland, not DC proper, about 20 minutes from downtown and Reagan National. It has 2,000 rooms and published figures of roughly 400,000 to 600,000+ sq ft of meeting and exhibit space depending on what is counted, so use your show's floor plan. Every show there runs on carpet, which changes drayage, rigging and floor protection.
FAQ
Answers from our Washington, DC venue guides. Each answer links the guide it comes from.
Our guides cover six. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is the city's main exhibit hall. Next door is the connected Marriott Marquis. The Reagan Building has a conference center inside a federal building on the Federal Triangle. The Washington Hilton sits near Dupont Circle and the DC Armory east of Capitol Hill. Gaylord National is across the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton, DC Armory and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guides
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW (formerly 801 Mount Vernon Place NW), with 703,000 sq ft of exhibit space in five halls and about 2.3 million sq ft in total. Halls A, B and C on the lower level give 473,000 contiguous sq ft, and Halls D and E on Level 2 add 230,000. It also has 77 meeting rooms and a 52,000 sq ft ballroom.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
Yes at the convention center, where a 2026 kit lists Teamsters Local 639 for freight, Carpenters Local 491 for booth building, IATSE Local 22 for rigging and IBEW Local 26 for electrical. For the Marriott Marquis, Reagan Building, Washington Hilton, DC Armory and Gaylord National, our guides say union jurisdiction is likely but rules vary by show. Confirm with the show's official decorator or contractor.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton, DC Armory and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guides
It depends on the show's contractor, so check your kit. GES rules for a 2024 show let full-time employees set up booths of any size; a 2026 Shepard kit allowed only hand-carried, no-power-tool work by full-time staff. Rigging and electrical always need IATSE and IBEW crews. Our guide's self-install checker walks through it, and the rules may differ in the connected Marriott Marquis.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington and DC guides
Our guides plan about $175 per hundredweight at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, $170 at the Marriott Marquis and Gaylord National, $165 at the Reagan Building and the Washington Hilton, and $150 at the DC Armory, each with a minimum per shipment. These are Purple planning rates for 2026 and 2027, not published tariffs. The exhibitor kit has your show's rate.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton and DC Armory guides
Usually the advance warehouse. Shipping there on time usually costs less than direct-to-show freight, which can carry surcharges. The show kit names the warehouse and its deadline; our countdown ships about three weeks before the show.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center guide
The public anchor is the Washington Auto Show at the convention center each January, January 22 to 31 in 2027. Our guide also lists Neuroscience 2026 (Nov 14–18), NAEYC (Dec 5–8, 2026), SATELLITE and the World Vaccine Congress (Mar 8–11, 2027) and Data Center Americas (Mar 31–Apr 1, 2027). The Washington Hilton hosts the White House Correspondents' Dinner every year. Check other dates with organizers.
From our Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Washington Hilton guides
The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, opened in 2014 and joined to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center by an underground concourse across 9th Street NW. It has 1,175 rooms and 100,474 sq ft of its own meeting space. Other full-service hotels are a few blocks south of the center, and the Washington Hilton and Gaylord National are venues with their own rooms.
From our Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington Hilton and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guides
Reagan National for all six venues in our guides. It is about 10 to 15 minutes from the Reagan Building, 15 to 20 minutes from the Washington Hilton and DC Armory, and about 20 minutes from the Marriott Marquis and Gaylord National; the convention center is about 3.8 miles away in a straight line. Dulles is about 24 miles from the convention center (straight-line) and 40 to 45 minutes from Gaylord National.
From our Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton, DC Armory, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guides
The Marriott Marquis has a 30,000 sq ft main ballroom and two 10,800 sq ft ballrooms within 100,474 sq ft of meeting space. The Washington Hilton has more than 118,000 sq ft of meeting and event space. The Reagan Building has 65,000 sq ft with a 595-seat amphitheater and 15 breakout rooms. The DC Armory's main floor is nearly 70,000 sq ft.
From our Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Washington Hilton, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and DC Armory guides
Security and permits more than docks. The Reagan Building is a federal building, so budget extra time for credentialing. Some Washington Hilton events add screening to move-in. At the convention center, send trucks to the right M Street dock (7th & M for Halls A–C, 9th & M for D–E), expect short dock slots, and plan hand carry as one person, one trip, one item. Parking is scarce downtown; the DC Armory's campus is the exception, with substantial surface parking.
From our Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton, Walter E. Washington Convention Center and DC Armory guides
No. Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center is in National Harbor, Maryland, in Prince George's County on the Potomac, about 20 minutes from downtown DC and Reagan National. It opened in April 2008 with 2,000 rooms under a 20-story glass atrium. Every show there runs on carpet, which changes drayage, rigging and floor protection, and labor terms are set by the show's decorator.
From our Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center guide
Exhibiting in Washington, DC?
Purple ships to Washington, DC and National Harbor, and Purple coordinates crews and freight for Washington, DC shows. Purple ships and installs from New York. Tell us the venue and booth number, from a convention center inline to a Gaylord National ballroom.
More guides
Other city guides
Written by the Purple Exhibits team from our Washington, DC venue guides: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington Hilton, DC Armory, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Each guide lists its own sources (venue rules, exhibitor kits, organizer sites). Drayage figures are Purple planning rates. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season.
