Overview
March 13 to March 16, 2022
Marriott Crystal Gateway
Arlington, VA
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) invite you to register for the 2022 Washington Conference which will be held from Sunday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 16, 2022 in Arlington, VA. Conference sessions will focus on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Regional Development Organizations and their stakeholders.
Conference content will begin on the morning of Sunday 3/13 for NADO Executive Committee members, NADO Board members, and NADO Research Foundation Advisory Committee Members. On Sunday 3/13 in the evening, there is an opening reception held for all NADO members, and a dinner held for DDAA members. Conference plenary and breakout sessions begin at 9am ET on Monday 3/14 and continue through 12pm ET on Wednesday 3/16.
As NADO and DDAA continue to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all attendees, speakers, and staff. All conference participants must attest to being fully vaccinated OR having procured a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of the event. Participants will also be required to wear masks.
Please click here to confirm that you are EITHER vaccinated OR will secure a test prior to the conference.
Registration
NADO & DDAA Washington Conference
The NADO Washington Policy Conference is held in conjunction with the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) Annual Conference. There is a single registration process for this combined conference. To register online visit https://my.nado.org/ . Email [email protected] with registration questions or for assistance registering.
Your conference registration fee (see below) is determined by:
- Your DDAA membership status; or
- Your NADO membership status
Registration Fees:
DDAA Member: $485*
NADO Member (General or Associate): $525
NADO Member (Partner, Sustaining, Platinum, Platinum Plus, or Diamond): $485
Non-Member: $650
Spouse/Guest: $200
Cancellation Policy
To cancel a registration anytime, please email [email protected].
Note: there will be a $50 administrative fee applied per cancellation.
If you wish to pay by check, please make check payable to NADO and mail to:
NADO
122 C Street, NW, Suite 830
Washington, DC 20001
As NADO and DDAA continue to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all attendees, speakers, and staff. All conference participants must attest to being fully vaccinated OR having procured a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of the event. Participants will also be required to wear masks.
Please click here to confirm that you are EITHER vaccinated OR will secure a test prior to the conference.
For questions about conference registration, please contact Krystal De Leon at [email protected]
For questions about hotel reservations, please contact Brittany Salazar at [email protected]
Agenda & Presentations
To view the presentations from the conference, click here.
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].
~ Please note this schedule is subject to change ~
Travel & Venue

Marriott Crystal Gateway
1700 Richmond Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 920-3230
Room Rate: $204 (weekend)/ $268 (weekday) +tax
Room block deadline: February 11
Experience Crystal Gateway Marriott, located minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. and less than 1 mile from Reagan National Airport. Explore the entire Washington, D.C. area via the Metro which is connected to the hotel or rent a car from the onsite car rental desk. Step into the spacious hotel lobby in the heart of Crystal City, VA, and enjoy complimentary wireless Internet access. Settle into one of nearly 700 well appointed rooms and suites, each offering plush bedding, flat-screen TVs, and Marriott's unique Plug-In technology panels. Dine onsite at The Atrium or Restaurant Mez or grab a quick bite at Einstein's Bagels shop. With the Crystal City Metro at the hotel's doorstep, discovering the many attractions of Arlington, VA and downtown DC has never been easier.
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All hotel reservations must be accompanied by a first night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card or by NADO.
An individual may cancel their reservation up until 6pm on the day of arrival without a cancelation fee. Should an individual cancel their room reservation after 6pm on the day of arrival, hotel will charge one night's room and tax to that individual's credit card or deduct it from their deposit.
For questions relating to hotel reservations email [email protected]
~ Some or all of this information was provided by the hotel/venue ~