Got a smaller benefit auction in the Washington, D.C. metro area? I’ve got a number of clients who have 150 – 300 guests. They are often seeking out interesting, non-traditional venues for smaller auctions here in the DMV.
Below is a list of some spots I’ve seen work or have known my clients to be reviewing. Each will present unique challenges and benefits.
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Washington, D.C. venues
- Ajax (industrial open space plan for 220 seated)
- City Winery (4 floors available)
- Washington Nationals Stadium (Two venues: Diamond Club or Presidents Club)
- National Press Club
- Columbus Club located inside Union Station
- The Carnegie Institution for Science (between Dupont Circle and Logan Circle)
- Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square
- Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
- Florida House on Capitol Hill (small, but exclusive. Use outside tent for fall or spring.)
- Folger Library
- The Newseum
- Hill Center
- LINE DC (Hotel opened in 2018)
- Long View Gallery
- The North Hall at Eastern Market
- The Event Space at the Wonder Bread Factory (closed 2017)
- The Loft at 600 F and National Union Building (both are owned by same people)
- Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
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Maryland venues
- Riggs Alumni Center – University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
- The Ballroom at Wheaton Glen, the 2nd floor of the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad (Wheaton, MD)
- Glenview Mansion (Rockville, MD)
- Rock Creek Mansion (Bethesda, MD)
- The Inn at Brookeville Farms (Brookeville, MD) – restaurant
- Columbia Country Club (Chevy Chase, MD)
- Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, MD)
- The Fillmore Silver Spring (Silver Spring, MD) – live music venue
- Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club (Bethesda, MD) – live music venue
- The Music Center at Strathmore (North Bethesda, MD) – performing arts center
- Bolger Center (Potomac, MD) – conference center
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Virginia venues
- The Atrium at Meadowlark Gardens (Vienna, VA) – a stream meanders runs through the event space
- Historic Terminal A at Reagan National Airport (Arlington, VA) – a client mentioned this was a $5k – $7k rental fee
- Athenaeum Museum in Alexandria, VA (Old Town Alexandria)
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) (Arlington, VA)
- The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA) – live music venue
- The Carlyle Club (Alexandria, VA) – 1920s vibe to this dance club
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Larger venues:
- Union Market (Washington, DC) – A client told me this was a $10k rental fee.
- It’s prohibitively expensive for my smaller clients, but I’m occasionally asked about the National Building Museum. Though impressive on the inside, its high ceilings and marble make any auction’s sound tricky. I suspect the building doesn’t have an appropriate space for smaller groups or I think I would have heard about it by now.
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Have you held a smaller-sized auction in the DMV at a venue not on the list?
I know I’ve forgotten some venues.
If you know of a spot, tell me about it below. I’ll add it to the list above for all of us to refer to.
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