The top annual events by categories include:
- Arts—Kennedy Center Honors
- Benefits—Fight Night and Knock Out Abuse
- Fashion—Fashion Fights Poverty Runway Show
- Food Wine and Hospitality—Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation Party
- Holiday—White House Easter Egg Roll
- Literary and Publishing—National Book Festival
- Parades and Walks—National Cherry Blossom Festival
- Political and Journalism—State of the Union Address
- Sports—AT&T National Golf Tournament
- Trade Shows—Washington Auto Show
According to Adler, “Events on our Top 100 List were chosen by BizBash’s editors, correspondents, advisory boards, and consultants. Factors included in the choice were based on impact in the community as well as on the effectiveness and innovation of the event over the years, and on the reputation of the event among attendees. Annual events are critical to both the quality of life and economy of a city.”
Since its founding in 2000, BizBash Media has become the event industry’s leading source for inspiration, smart marketing strategies, and useful tools, helping to revolutionize the ways event professionals get ideas and connect with each other. BizBash serves six major markets with its trade shows, and with its Web sites and magazines customized to these six markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Toronto, and Florida. The BizBash National Venue Guide covers an additional 12 markets. David Adler, C.E.O. and founder of BizBash, was formerly the C.E.O. and founder of Washington Dossier, a society magazine he started in 1975 and sold in 1988.
Top Annual Art Events in Washington, D.C.
1.
Kennedy Center Honors
2.
Ford’s Theatre Annual Holiday Gala
3.
SilverDocs Film Festival
4.
National Design Awards Luncheon
5.
Virgin Mobile Festival
6.
BET Honors Awards Ceremony
7.
Will on the Hill
8.
Artomatic
9.
FilmFest DC
10. Fringe
Festival
Top Annual Benefits in Washington, D.C.
1.
Fight Night and Knock Out Abuse
2.
Washington National Opera Ball
3.
YouthAIDS Gala
4.
Corcoran Gallery of Art Ball
5.
Best Buddies Ball
6.
National Italian American Foundation Gala
7.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Annual Ball
8.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts Annual
Spring Benefit
9.
Fight for Children’s School Night Benefit
10. Meridian
Ball
11. Washington
National Opera Midwinter Gala
12. Prevent
Cancer Foundation’s Annual Spring Gala
13. St.
Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital Gourmet Gala
14. Washington
Ballet Spring Gala
15. Larry
King’s Cardiac Foundation Gala
16. Heart
of America Foundation’s Sweet Charity Benefit
17. Artrageous
18. March
of Dimes Gourmet Gala
19. Ambassador’s
Ball
20. Folger
Shakespeare Library Gala
21. NFL
Players Gala
22. Shakespeare
Theater Company Gala
23. Phillips
Collection Annual Spring Gala
24. Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theatre Gala
25. Muscular
Dystrophy Association’s Heartstrong Gala
26. Roast
for Spina Bifida
27. Washington
Performing Arts Society Annual Gala
28. National
Museum of Women in the Arts Annual Spring Gala
29. Capital
Area Food Bank Blue Jeans Balls
30. American
Red Cross National Capital Area Fire & Ice Ball
31. Soccer
Ball for D.C. Scores
32. Washington
Humane Society Bark Ball
33. Annual
Trust for the National Mall Luncheon
Top Annual Fashion Events in Washington, D.C.
1.
Fashion Fights Poverty Runway Show
2.
Nordstrom’s Designer Fall Preview
3.
Fashion for Paws Runway Show
4.
D.C. Fashion Week
Top Annual Food, Wine, and Hospitality Events in
Washington, D.C.
1.
Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation
Party
2.
RAMMY Awards Gala
3.
Washington, D.C. International Wine and Food Festival
Top Annual Holiday Events in Washington, D.C.
1.
White House Easter Egg Roll
2.
A Capitol Fourth
3.
Pageant of Peace: Lighting of the Christmas Tree
on the Ellipse
4.
Memorial Day Concert
5.
Christmas in Washington
Top Annual Literary & Publishing Industry
Events in Washington, D.C.
1.
National Book Festival
2.
2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee
3.
Washington
Life Magazine’s The Young and the Guest List Party
4.
The Week Opinion Awards
5.
The Pen Faulkner Award for Fiction Gala
Top Annual Parades, Walks & Holiday Events in
Washington, D.C.
1.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
2.
Smithsonian American Folklife Festival
3.
Capital Pride
4.
Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure
5.
Rolling Thunder
6.
Smithsonian Kite Festival
7.
Takoma Park Folk Festival
Top Annual Political and Journalism Events in
Washington, D.C.
1.
State of the Union Address
2.
White House Correspondents’ Association
Dinner
3.
Gridiron Club Black Tie Dinner
4.
Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner
5.
Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony
6.
Washington Press Club Foundation’s Congressional
Dinner
7.
AIPAC Annual Meeting
8.
U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting
9.
National Association of Broadcasters Education
Foundation Celebration of Service to America Awards
10. Conservative
Political Action Conference
11. Take
Back America Conference
12. Human
Rights Campaign National Dinner
Top Annual Sports Events in Washington, D.C.
1.
AT&T National Golf Tournament
2.
Marine Corp Marathon
3.
America’s Cup of Polo
4.
Legg Mason Tennis Classic
5.
SunTrust National Marathon
6.
Smithsonian Young Benefactors Polo Cup
7.
Preakness Stakes
Top Annual Trade Shows & Conventions in
Washington, D.C.
1.
Washington Auto Show
2.
NBC Health and Fitness
3.
Washington Boat Show
4.
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual
Meeting
5.
Washington Home and Garden Show
6.
Association of the United States Army
Convention
7.
Adventures in Travel Expo
8.
Smithsonian Craft Show
9.
Washington Craft Show
10. Washington
Antiques Show
11. Washington
National Cathedral Flower Mart
