2022 NADO and DDAA Washington Conference​

Map

Agenda

How to approach advocacy during this year's conference

Typically, during the NADO & DDAA Washington Conference, one day of the conference is reserved for NADO members to spend the day meeting with Congressional staff. This year, given that public access to House and Senate buildings remain limited, NADO members should consider the following three options in approaching your advocacy efforts, and work with your House and Senate offices to determine which option is the best fit.

• Option #1: Spend your time at the NADO & DDAA conference participating in breakout sessions at the hotel. Meet with Congressional offices virtually on separate dates (before or after the conference).
• Option #2: Meet with Congressional offices on Tuesday, March 15 in-person within House and Senate buildings if congressional staff are able and willing to escort you through the building
• Option #3: Meet with Congressional offices on Tuesday, March 15 in-person at an off-site location (the Hall of the States, 400 N. Capitol St NW) where NADO has reserved off-site space (use this option if the office is unwilling or unable to escort you through the House or Senate building)

Option #1 - This year, although NADO members are still encouraged to reach out to your members of Congress to request meetings, NADO members are advised to anticipate that many offices will want to meet virtually rather than in person. In these cases, we recommend that you schedule virtual meetings on separate dates, in the weeks before or after the Washington Conference. During the conference, there will be extra conference breakout sessions held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott on Tuesday March 15. This will help ensure that conference participants will have plenty of options for training and networking on the day that would otherwise typically be reserved for advocacy.

Option #2 - Although House and Senate buildings are technically closed to the public, some Congressional offices may still be willing to meet in person—this varies from one office to the next. NADO members are advised to reach out to each individual office you are interested in meeting with to ask their current policies about in-person meetings. Any in-person meetings held inside Senate or House buildings will likely require an escort from the congressional office to meet you at security and escort you through the building. Some Congressional offices may be willing/able to provide an escort, while others may be unwilling or unable. Tuesday March 15 is the recommended day to schedule in-person meetings on Capitol Hill.

Option #3 - In some cases, even though House and Senate buildings are closed to the public, Congressional staff may be willing to meet you at another nearby off-site location while you are in the area, even if they are not able to meet with House or Senate office buildings. With this in mind, NADO has reserved meeting space in the Hall of the States (400 North Capitol St. NW, Washington DC, 20001) for NADO members to meet with congressional staff. The Hall of the States is within walking distance of the Senate and House office buildings, as well as the National Mall, Smithsonian Museums, and Union Station. NADO will have a large meeting space available on Tuesday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you plan to take advantage of this space, please email Jamie McCormick at [email protected] with your approximate time of arrival and expected group size. Please note that the Hall of the States requires proof of vaccination for entry into the building.

Need help getting in touch with congressional staff? Although NADO is not able to schedule advocacy meetings on behalf of NADO members, we can assist with providing email addresses for congressional staff. If you need assistance connecting with congressional staff, please email Jamie McCormick at [email protected].

Presentations

To view the presentations from the conference, click here.