Why You Cannot Miss the Travel & Adventure Show Expo
The Travel & Adventure Show Expo is the largest and longest-running travel show series in the United States. The Travel & Adventure Show currently tours 9 cities: Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, and Bay Area CA. A whopping 95% of first-time attendees say they plan to return to the show.
A few years ago, we attended the DC Travel & Adventure Show and found that it was well worth attending! In fact, it is something our whole family looks forward to every year! Even if you are not planning a trip, it is a fun and affordable day out.
Below we will review our experience attending the DC travel show. I have not attended the travel show in other cities, but I have browsed their itineraries.
You will find similar speakers and topics across all the regions. However, each city has its own unique features and a larger section just for local destinations and activities! I wish I had time to attend them all!
No matter what type of traveler you are or which city you attend the travel show in, there is something for everyone! There are specialty exhibitors and sessions that cover niche travel such as cultural and culinary trips, river cruises, wellness retreats, and more! Even if you are not a traveler, you can sample the world through entertainment, virtual reality, seminars, and food samplings.
We are fortunate to get media tickets to the show, but if you look early, you may be able to snag an advanced sale discount. The show is also free for children ages 16 and under.
Our Experience at the Travel & Adventure Show Expo
After the typical scavenger hunt to find parking in DC, we arrived at the Convention Center to embark on our journey around the world in one day. We already had tickets, so it was quick and easy to make our way right down to the trade show floor. Most attendees bought tickets in advance, so there were no lines at the ticket sales counter.
The DC Travel & Adventure Show Expo is laid out in a highly organized fashion by geographic region. One outer aisle was dedicated to travel and lifestyle products. The seminars were situated along the outer sides, and they were open rooms that faced away from the trade show aisles.
HATE PARKING IN THE CITY? DOWNLOAD THIS! Save your time and sanity with the SpotHero app! Download the app to easily find the best parking in Washington DC as well as at airports, sporting events and anywhere else you go!
Travel & Adventure Show DC Highlights
One of my favorite reasons to attend the DC Travel & Adventure Show is to learn from the TOP experts in the tracel industry! Across the two-day event, celebrity speakers at the Travel Theater will include:
- Peter Greenberg, CBS News travel editor & Emmy award-winning investigative reporter
- Pauline Frommer, editorial director, Frommer’s Guidebooks; publisher Frommers.com
- Patricia Schultz, NY Timesbest-selling author of 1000 Places to See Before You Die
- Andrew McCarthy, award winning actor, director and travel writer
In addition, this year’s DC travel show will feature a pavilion dedicated to LGBTQ travel! The new pavillion will include LGBTQ-friendly tourism brands,experiences, tours, cruises, travel packages and other services.
Tips for Attending the Travel Show
If you really want to see a speaker, get to the session early. Several of the top speakers have standing room only situations and it is hard to see and hear if you are in the back of the room. Take an empty backpack so you can carry all your brochures and free giveaway items.
Also, the DC Convention Center does not have a coat check, so I hung my bulky coat through my backpack. Wear comfortable shoes because you will do a lot of walking! If you are taking kids with you, bring activities to keep them busy during seminars. We brought iPhones and headphones to keep our kids occupied and that went well. If you want to book a trip on-site, do research online first and have a game plan. There are so many vendors at the show, so it can be overwhelming! You’ll want to have a clear head to make the right vacation choices.
Reasons to Attend the Travel & Adventure Show Expo
1.The entire world is under ONE roof for you to explore.
2.There are some cool travel seminars for serious travelers to those that live vicariously through others. Some are focused on vacation destinations while others offer travel tips, photography best practices, advice on how to save money, or other topics from top travel industry experts like Pauline Frommer and Samantha Brown.
3.Cash in on DEALS, DEALS, DEALS! Excellent travel deals are available at every booth along with contests and giveaways too! One year, we won a weekend adventure trip in the Shenandoah Mountains.
4. Bring your appetite! There are food and cooking demos from top chefs from around the world. Plus, concessions even offer international flair and include items like Jamaican patties and Mexican cuisine.
5. If you want to take a break from the trade show floor, you can watch the fascinating dance and music shows at the Global Beats Stage. This area was set up right next to the concessions at the DC travel show, so it is the perfect place to have lunch!
6. The Travel & Adventure Show Expo is fun for the whole family! At the DC show, there was a huge rock-climbing wall and a motion thrill ride. A few vendors had wheels you can spin to win marketing items to bottle openers. Our young kids had fun trick or treating at the booths too since many of them give out candy!
Shopping at the Travel & Adventure Show Expo
There were not too many shopping vendors, so you will be disappointed if you’re a big shopper. However, there was one aisle dedicated to travel and lifestyle-related products.
At past DC Travel & Adventure Show expos that we’ve attended, products included:
- Packing helps such as perfume holders and crush-proof toiletry cases.
- Pain relief devices and products.
- Skincare products
- Book sales, with the option to meet travel writers for autograph sessions
At the DC Travel & Adventure Show Expo, there is bound to be something to please the whole family. Even if you are not planning a trip, it is a fun day that allows you to walk around and take in the sights! Click here to save big on tickets to the DC Travel Show!
fun!
Oh interesting! I’ve never heard of this convention but the food options sound worth it alone!
How fun and exciting! We will definitely be checking this out and finding the closest to attend.
This looks so fun! I’ll have to look into it. An empty backpack is a must at conferences 😂
This sounds like a great event. I wouldn’t have thought about being prepared to book travel, definitely would need to do some homework. I will be looking into the Denver event.
This sounds amazing. I am a travel agent so this would be greatly beneficial! Thank you for sharing.
Sounds and looks amazing. Thank you for the helpful tips!!
Looks amazing, wish I lived in the US tho!
This looks like a lot of fun. too bad I don’t live in the States!
We attend in New York. Love to see the emerging destinations and meet with hotels.
Can’t wait to go this year.
Aww. I wish they came to Florida. This looks like such a great event! Thank you for sharing this.
They expanded to Boston, so maybe Florida is next! Fingers crossed! 🙂
I registered for press credentials for the one in Dallas. Crossing my fingers. =)
I hadn’t heard about the Travel & Adventure Show Expo before (even though you said there’s one in my city!), but I’m excited to check it out now! I especially love the fact that there are deals and food around the world. Also, thanks for the tips on what to do/bring when we attend.
Yeah, I LOVE to travel, but happened to stumble upon it last year while looking for fun things to do!
This looks awesome! I’ve never heard of it before but I’m definitely interested now!
This sounds like a LOT of fun. I’ll have to check out the dates for Chicago and Denver (the nearest cities to me in KC).
With thanks! Valuable information!