Washington’s Top 100 Events 2017 - Trade Shows & Conventions

#1 Trade Show & Convention
The 750,000-square-foot show, which was held in January at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, was revved up by several changes. A conference on best practices around driverless vehicles—called the MobilityTalks International conference—was added. It brought in government regulators, entrepreneurs, think tanks, trade associations, academia, the industry, and global media. Also new was an exotic car display, featuring Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and others. Meanwhile, the new Art in Motion element had artists create works on 15 cars, in partnership with Automotive Rhythms. More than 700 cars from more than 20 foreign and domestic manufacturers were showcased. Local sports figures also stopped by. Next: January 26-February 4, 2018

#2 Trade Show & Convention
More than 80,000 wellness enthusiasts, and resolution-keepers, gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at the start of the year, on January 7 and 8. A total of 220 exhibitors participated, and new elements of the show included the Safe at Home pavilion, focused on domestic violence, plus an American Ninja Warrior zone, free yoga classes, a healthy book festival, and skin cancer screenings by American Academy of Dermatology. Returning portions included a pet adoption event, numerous free health tests and screenings, and activities with the Washington Redskins, D.C. United, Monumental Sports, and the Washington Nationals. Eight stages running concurrently all weekend featured Zumba, kids shows, dancing, and health discussions. Next: March 10-11, 2018

#3 Trade Show & Convention
Notable Army veterans, active members, and supporters attended the October 9 to 11 event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The keynote speech was delivered by Secretary of Defense James Mattis, while acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, army chief of staff General Mark Milley, and actor Gary Sinise—a Marshall Medal recipient—gave addresses. A new obstacle course featuring nine tasks was undertaken by 350 attendees and country singer Mark Wills performed with the U.S. Army Band Downrange. The entire show had over 650 exhibits, spanned 270,319 square feet, and received more than 14 million social media impressions. Attendance jumped to 29,734, growing by 12 percent over 2016. Next: October 8-10, 2018

#4 Trade Show & Convention
Information and experiences provided to 20,587 attendees during the show held January 14 and 15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center ranged from the practical—like packing advice—to entertaining, with more than 20 cultural presentations. Spanning 116,551 square feet with 170 exhibitors, dozens of sessions were held across five stages. New features included camel rides, a rock-climbing wall, and a green-screen photo booth. Among the celebrity guest speakers were the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown; CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg; Pauline Frommer, editorial director of Frommer’s; and Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. The event garnered social media’s attention, with 431,500 unique impressions on Facebook, 4.3 million on Twitter, and more than 135,000 on Instagram. Next: January 20-21, 2018

#5 Trade Show & Convention
Produced by the Smithsonian Institute and featuring 122 displays, the show was held April 26 to April 30. Attendance fell to 6,100 from 8,000, but artist and activist Faith Ringgold brought in a high degree of buzz. She won the Visionary Award and an exhibit of her quilts—in partnership with the event’s venue, the National Building Museum—attracted about 2,530 people; roughly the same number of guests who visit the facility in an average month. Social-media users took notice: The show’s Facebook presence grew by nearly 7,000 users, a 40 percent increase from 2016; the number of Instagram followers soared to 1,248, a 132 percent spike; and the Pinterest contingent also grew. Next: April 26-29, 2018

#6 Trade Show & Convention
Nearly 10,000 visitors checked out flowers May 5 and 6 at the Washington National Cathedral. Mayor Muriel Bowser presided over the opening ceremony and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as honorary chairwoman of the All Hallows Guild-sponsored event. More than 80 vendors participated and a free cathedral and botanical exhibit was added. The show again partnered with Passport D.C.’s Around the World Embassy Tour, and the used book and white elephant sales returned, as did the plant sale. Other Flower Mart traditions continued, including the tower climbs and cathedral gargoyle walks, the antique carousel, children’s games, the international floral display—with over 20 embassies participating—and free entertainment. Next: May 4-5, 2018

#7 Trade Show & Convention
Cosplay and a “celebration of nerd culture” took over the Walter E. Washington Convention Center June 16 to 18, bringing in 71,000 attendees and spanning 800,000 square feet. Produced by LeftField Media, the three-day celebration of pop culture, comics, science, gaming, and more featured the event’s most comprehensive program to date, with panel discussions, screenings, and celebrity appearances. Among the offerings was a question-and-answer session with legendary comic book creator Stan Lee; an Embassy of Japan-hosted talk on that country’s influence on American pop culture; a discussion of women in STEM; a slate of activities for kids; and Pride Alley, which featured sessions on L.G.B.T. representation in the culture. Next: March 30-April 1, 2018

#8 Trade Show & Convention
The Art of Style was the theme of this year’s antiques show, held January 12 to 15 at the Katzen Arts Center at American University. Attendance rose to 6,500, and designer Lela Rose delivered the keynote address. An interior design panel also was added; speakers included designers Darryl Carter, Barry Dixon, Marcia Crosby Pollard, and Domino market editor Tori Mellott serving as moderator. Loan exhibit “Coco Chanel: A New Portrait by Marion Pike, Paris: 1967-1971,” which previously had only been shown overseas, also likely drew interest. Proceeds benefit at-risk children and families served by the show’s charitable partners: TheArc, Bishop John T. Walker School, and the Founder’s Board of St. John’s Community Services. Next: January 11-14, 2018

#9 Trade Show & Convention
In keeping with a technology industry show, the March 6 to 9 event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center featured next generation-focused initiatives. The 36th annual gathering added a contest for entrepreneurs to pitch investors and industry leaders, and a full-day of interactive talks from the aerospace world with young professionals, known as SgX, returned for a second year. Conference participants were 14,661 satellite communications professionals and 350 exhibitors—including 65 first-timers—from 110 countries. Keynote speeches were given by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Air Force General David Thomas, and two satellite firm executives. The event took over 85,000 square feet of space, becoming the largest-ever gathering of the Access Intelligence-presented event. Next: March 12-15, 2018