The center is noted for its extensive permanent collection of contemporary art, the largest of any convention center in the United States and one of the largest public art collections in Washington, D.C., outside of a museum, including works by Sam Gilliam, Sol LeWitt, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Sarah Sze, and Carrie Mae Weems.

[3] In 2006, the Council of the District of Columbia approved legislation naming the then-Washington Convention Center in honor of the city's first home rule mayor, the late Walter E.

[7] On November 10, 2011, ground was broken on the 14-story Washington Marriott Marquis, a $520 million, four-star, 1,175-room "convention center headquarters hotel" with more than 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of meeting room space.

After a successful debut (and some growing pains), the annual event has grown to become one of the largest fan conventions on the East Coast of the United States.

Celebrity guests have included David Tennant, John Boyega, Stan Lee, Alex Kingston, William Shatner, George Takei and many others.

[16] Following the NATO summit, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a solo press conference to assure Democratic politicians, voters, and European allies that he had the energy and leadership to beat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.