Event Types: Annual Conference

  • 2026 DDAA Annual Conference

    2026 DDAA Annual Conference

    Download DDAA Session Presentations here.

    Join the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) for a multitude of sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Local Development Districts (LDDs) and their stakeholders.

    When to Arrive

    Conference content will begin on the morning of Sunday, March 8, 2026, for NADO Executive Committee members, NADO Board of Directors members, NADO Research Foundation Advisory Committee members, and DDAA Board members.

    On the evening of Sunday, March 8, 2026, an opening reception will be held for all conference attendees, as well as a dinner for DDAA members.

    Conference plenary and breakout sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 9, 2026, and continue through 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

    Our Sponsors:

    Supporter Sponsor

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    Registration

    Registration for the 2026 NADO & DDAA Washington Conference is now open.

    Registrant Type2026 Rate
    DDAA Member$550
    NADO Member, Non-DDAA (Associate, General)$650
    NADO Member, Non-DDAA (All other upgraded levels)$575
    Non-Member$800
    Spouse/Guest$250
    First-time Attendee (NADO or DDAA)** Please contact NADO

    ** For first-time attendees, a discounted rate is available. Please email NADO at registration@nado.org to inquire about this rate.


    Accomodations

    Crystal Gateway Marriott
    1700 Richmond Highway
    Arlington, VA 22202

    Room Rates:

    • Weekend Rate/Standard Room: $208 + tax
    • Weekday Rate/Standard Room: $292 + tax

    Book Now

    If you are booking a room for Saturday, the Marriott system will require you to make two reservations in order to get our special Saturday rate. Make room reservations using the “Book Now” button.

    Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is two miles from conference hotel.

    Complimentary Hotel Airport Shuttle: Marriott airport shuttle service runs 5:00 am to midnight every 30 mins. Last hotel departure is at 11:30 pm. Be sure to get off at the Crystal Gateway Marriott stop (conference hotel).

  • 2025 DDAA Annual Conference

    2025 DDAA Annual Conference

    About the Conference

    The Development District Association of Appalachia is holding its Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia from March 9-12, 2025. We plan to share cutting-edge ideas, highlight success stories and lessons learned, and engage with other LDDs during our annual gathering. DDAA is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program.

    Join the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Local Development Districts and their stakeholders.

    Sponsorship Opportunities

    DDAA and NADO have a range of different ways for your to promote your organization, interact with attendees, and support the conference. See more here.

  • 2024 DDAA Annual Conference

    2024 DDAA Annual Conference

    Rural Recovery

    2024 Washington Conference March 10-13, 2024

    The Crystal Gateway Marriott

    1700 Richmond Highway, Arlington Virginia

    About the Conference

    The Development District Association of Appalachia is holding its Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia from March 10-13, 2024. We plan to share cutting-edge ideas, highlight success stories and lessons learned, and engage with other LDDs during our annual gathering. DDAA is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program.

    Join the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Local Development Districts and their stakeholders. 

    When to Arrive

    Conference content will begin at 1:00 pm Sunday, March 10 for DDAA Board Members. On the evening of Sunday, March 10, an opening reception will be held for all conference attendees, as well as a dinner for DDAA members.

    Conference plenary and breakout sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 11 and continue through 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13. Stay tuned for more information about a post-conference training for the EDD Community of Practice on Wednesday afternoon from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the conference hotel.  

    AGENDA

    Registration

    DDAA Member: $510.00
    DDAA Member’s Spouse/Guest: $220
    NADO Member (Non-DDAA): $575.00 (Associate, General), $510.00 (All other upgraded levels)
    NADO Members’ Spouse/Guest: $220.00
    Non-Member: $720.00
    Non-Members’ Spouse/Guest: $220.00

    REGISTER HERE

    Venue & Travel

    Crystal Gateway Marriott

    1700 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202

    703.920.3230

    Crystal Gateway Marriott provides the perfect home base for your visit to the Washington, D.C. area. Ideally located in Arlington, VA, this hotel is near Reagan National Airport (DCA) and the Crystal City Metro. The exciting new National Landing development is close by, as are Pentagon City; downtown Washington D.C. and Old Town Alexandria. Stylishly refreshed hotel accommodations showcase deluxe bedding, Smart TVs, walk-in showers and city views.

    If You Don’t Have a Room and Need One:

    The group room block at the Crystal Gateway Marriott for the upcoming NADO & DDAA Washington Conference is sold out.

    To join the waitlist or if you have questions about your conference housing accommodations, email Brittany Salazar at bsalazar@nado.org.

    In the email, please include the guest’s full name, email address, and check-in and check-out dates. If there is an existing reservation associated with the request, also provide the hotel confirmation number.

    Rooms will begin to free up as cancellations come in over the next few weeks. We are working down the waitlist and will modify/add reservations as rooms become available. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a reservation for everyone, but are hopeful we will be able to accommodate most.

    There is no official conference overflow hotel. If you find a low room rate at a nearby hotel, we recommend booking it. For this time of year, a hotel room rate under $320/night plus tax is a good deal. Keep in mind if you get a room at the conference hotel, you can easily cancel the back-up reservation before the 48–72-hour cancellation deadline at no penalty.

    Nearby hotels (both are on the same airport shuttle route as the Crystal Gateway Marriott):

    • Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport:
      1999 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202 | (703) 413-5500
    • Residence Inn by Marriott Arlington Capital View:
      2850 S Potomac Ave, Arlington, VA 22202 | (703) 415-1300

    If you have a room and need to cancel it:

    To cancel your reservation at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, please do not cancel directly with the hotel. Instead, let us know first so that we can give your room to a person on our waitlist.

    Similarly, if you have multiple reservations on hold in your name, kindly take a moment to make sure those rooms are needed. If they aren’t, please release them so others on the waitlist may use them.

    Simply email NADO’s Meeting Manager at bsalazar@nado.org with your request to cancel along with your reservation confirmation number. Before the reservation is transferred to someone else, your original profile and billing information will be deleted and a cancellation confirmation email will be sent.

    Questions? Email bsalazar@nado.org.

    Airport & Transit

    Washington, DC is easily accessible by air, rail and road, leaving your travel options covered.  There are three airports to choose from including Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).

     

  • 2023 Annual Conference

    2023 Annual Conference

    Strengthening Communities and Building Momentum Post-Pandemic

    Join the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) for sessions focused 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 3/12 for NADO Executive Committee members, NADO Board members, NADO Research Foundation Advisory Committee Members, and DDAA Board Members. On Sunday 3/12 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 3/13 and continue through 12pm ET on Wednesday 3/15. Stay tuned for more information about a post-conference training for the EDD Community of Practice on Wednesday afternoon from 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at the conference hotel.

    Registration

    DDAA Member: $485.00
    DDAA Member’s Spouse/Guest: $210
    NADO Member (Non-DDAA): $550.00 (Associate, General), $485.00 (All other upgraded levels)
    NADO Members’ Spouse/Guest: $210.00
    Non-Member: $685.00
    Non-Members’ Spouse/Guest: $210.00

    REGISTER HERE

    Venue & Travel

    Crystal Gateway Marriott

    1700 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202

    703.920.3230

    Crystal Gateway Marriott provides the perfect home base for your visit to the Washington, D.C. area. Ideally located in Arlington, VA, this hotel is near Reagan National Airport (DCA) and the Crystal City Metro. The exciting new National Landing development is close by, as are Pentagon City; downtown Washington D.C. and Old Town Alexandria. Stylishly refreshed hotel accommodations showcase deluxe bedding, Smart TVs, walk-in showers and city views.

    Room Rate

    $199 (weekend)/ $274 (weekday) +tax

    Hotel reservation cut-off date: February 10, 2023
    After this date the discounted room rate is not guaranteed. 

    BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE

    Airport & Transit

    Washington, DC is easily accessible by air, rail and road, leaving your travel options covered.  There are three airports to choose from including Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).

  • 2022 Annual Conference

    SAVE THE DATE

    Join the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) for sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Regional Development Organizations and their stakeholders. Registration information is forthcoming.

    Conference content begins 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.

    Your conference registration fee (see below) is determined by:
    Your membership in DDAA; or,
    Your membership level in NADO.

    Registration

    DDAA Member: $485

    NADO Member (General or Associate): $525

    NADO Member (Sustaining, Platinum, Platinum Plus, of Sustaining Associate): $485

    Non-Member: $650

    Spouse/Guest: $200

    REGISTER HERE

    Venue & Travel

    Marriott Crystal Gateway

    1700 Jefferson Davis Highway

    Arlington, VA 22202

    703.920.3230

    The Crystal Gateway Marriott  in Crystal City, VA offers an ideal location for vacations, business trips and weekend getaways – and is conveniently located 1 mile from Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). Newly renovated, our hotel offers exceptional accommodations, complimentary WiFi in the lobby and multiple dining options including Einstein Bagels. We’re surrounded by Arlington’s best shopping and dining at the Crystal City shops and The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The Crystal City Metro stop can be accessed from the lobby of our Crystal City hotel near Washington, DC, allowing guests to reach the best museums, monuments and attractions in the surrounding area. Perfect for conferences, meetings and social events in the Virginia and DC areas, our hotel features banquet facilities and 27 meeting rooms, including a 16,000 square foot ballroom, totaling 34,300 sq. ft. of meeting space.

    ~ Some or all of this information was provided by the hotel/venue ~

    BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE

    Airport & Transit

    Washington, DC is easily accessible by air, rail and road, leaving your travel options covered.  There are three airports to choose from including Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).

  • 2021 Annual Conference

    2021 Annual Conference

    “Beyond Recovery”

    Virtual Conference

    Live Sessions: September 14, 16, 22, 2021

    Pre-recorded breakout sessions: September 7, 14, 2021

    AGENDA

    REGISTRATION

    Local development districts are looking “Beyond Recovery” to identify opportunities for growth amid the significant changes of the past year. The DDAA Annual Conference will update attendees on ARC and Washington comings and goings,  and provide content that will help your region not only recover from the pandemic, but grow.

    This year’s conference will again be held virtually, with live plenaries, pre-recorded breakouts, and opportunities to network over Whova and Zoom. View the agenda below, and register today to reconnect with your peers!

     

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  • Protected: 2020 Virtual Conference

    Protected: 2020 Virtual Conference

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  • 2020 Annual Conference

    ONE CONFERENCE – ONE REGISTRATION

    In 2020, the Development District Association of Appalachia Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the NADO Washington Conference. Whereas in previous years there were two separate registrations for two conferences, this year there is only a single registration process for a combined conference. In other words, if in past years you registered separately for each conference, this year you only need to complete a single registration process and pay a single registration fee.

    Your conference registration fee (see below) is determined by:
    Your membership in DDAA; or,
    Your membership level in NADO

    VIEW DRAFT AGENDA

    Registration

    DDAA Member: $445

    NADO Member (General or Associate): $495

    NADO Member (Sustaining, Platinum, Platinum Plus, of Sustaining Associate): $445

    Non-Member: $595

    Spouse/Guest: $200

    If you wish to pay by check, please make check payable to NADO and mail to:
    NADO
    400 North Capitol Street, NW #388
    Washington, DC 20001

    REGISTER HERE

    Venue & Travel

    Marriott Crystal Gateway

    1700 Jefferson Davis Highway

    Arlington, VA 22202

    703.920.3230

    Room block rate: $260/night

    The Crystal Gateway Marriott is a hotel in Crystal City, VA that offers an ideal location for vacations, business trips and weekend getaways. Newly renovated, our hotel offers exceptional accommodations, complimentary WiFi in the lobby and multiple dining options including Einstein Bagels. We’re surrounded by Arlington’s best shopping and dining at the Crystal City shops and The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The Crystal City Metro stop can be accessed from the lobby of our Crystal City hotel near Washington, DC, allowing guests to reach the best museums, monuments and attractions in the surrounding area. Perfect for conferences, meetings and social events in the Virginia and DC areas, our hotel features banquet facilities and 27 meeting rooms, including a 16,000 sqare foot ballroom, totaling 34,300 sq. ft. of meeting space. This comfortable and inviting Crystal City, VA hotel in Arlington is also conveniently located 1 mile from Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA).

    ~ Some or all of this information was provided by the hotel/venue ~

    RESERVE YOUR ROOM

    Airport & Transit

    Washington, DC is easily accessible by air, rail and road, leaving your travel options covered.  There are three airports to choose from including Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).