Walk This Way: Events DC Creates New Pathway to Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 28, 2014

Events DC has ushered in a brand new era for conventions and meetings in Washington, DC. A state-of-the-art pedestrian connector now joins the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the four-star Marriott Marquis Washington, DC – the largest and newest hotel in the city. This now expands the city’s capability for citywide conferences and events with 1,175 hotel rooms and an additional 100,000 square feet of meeting space at the hotel, adjacent to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In conjunction with the hotel project, the Convention Center has added four new escalators to help hotel guests and convention visitors get to their destination quickly and efficiently.

“Events DC has made a significant investment in the new Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, allowing convention attendees to stay at the beautiful, four-star hotel and have direct access to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,” said Greg O’Dell, president and CEO of Events DC. “This gives the nation’s capital an even greater opportunity to host citywide conventions and meetings –further enhancing our offering as one of the premier international convention destinations.”

The new connector creates a path from the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with a walkway running east-west under 9th Street, NW. Guests of the hotel can access the connector by entering on the lower level concourse. The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC’s direct access to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center creates the perfect storm for ushering in a convention and entertainment district within the revitalized Shaw neighborhood. The 1,175 guest room hotel is located within walking distance to major attractions and event venues in the area including the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square and CityCenterDC.

The four new interior escalators, manufactured by Fujitec America, have been installed at the following locations:

• One escalator has been added to the Concourse Level connecting to the Main Lobby of the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. It is adjacent to the existing escalators in the South Building at 9th Street, NW and Mount Vernon Place, NW.
• Two escalators have been added to the Concourse Level and connect to the L Street Bridge. They are adjacent to existing escalators in the Middle Building at 9th and L Streets, NW.
• One escalator is adjacent to the existing escalators from the Concourse Level down to Exhibit Hall A.

The first citywide convention to utilize this shared space was FOSE/Government Technology IT Expo. Two more high profile events will take advantage of the shared space this summer and are expected to bring more than $30 million in impact to the local economy. The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in July will bring 15,000 people to the city and the American Psychological Association Convention in August expects 14,000 attendees from around the world.

The connector project was led by Humphrey Rich in partnership with Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, the original architect for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

About Events DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation's capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District's hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and Maloof Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.eventsdc.com.

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