50th Annual National Symposium

You can read about all of the exciting offerings in the registration brochure, which can be downloaded here. The link to register is at the top of page 48. 

Online registration ends May 1, 2024.

Help us raise funds to support projects and services that benefit CSA members — and weed out your bookshelves and closets at the same time! Please donate costume related books and magazines, wearable art, vintage treasures, lace, trims, jewelry, buttons, scarves and accessories, and other items of interest to CSA members. (In general, these should fit into the winning bidder’s suitcase.) Donations of professional services are also welcome. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please mail your donation(s) ahead of time if possible. 

Download this form and mail it with your donations.

ALL MAILED DONATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 10, 2024

To learn more about sponsorship, marketplace, and advertising opportunities, click here.

Grand Hyatt Washington

1000 H Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

The symposium will take place in the meeting rooms of this luxury hotel in downtown Washington, DC, a few blocks from the National Mall, Smithsonian Museums and historical monuments. You can immerse yourself in the iconic sights, unlimited shopping and alluring nightlife of the nation's capital. You'll enjoy exceptional comfort and service and a direct connection to the city via the Metro Center station.

For the first time in many years, we have filled our block for rooms at the conference rate of $249 a night, and due to high capacity, the hotel is not able to add more at that rate. If you are looking for or are willing to have a roommate, please post on the “Roommates for DC” discussion topic on the “National Symposia” forum on our members-only website (note, you will be required to log in to your CSA profile to access this forum). Our conference planner has helped us put together a portal that provides information on lowest rates for rooms in proximal hotels, which you can find by clicking here.

Subject to availability, CSA’s group room rate is $249 per night, and guests have the choice of either 1 King Bed or 2 Double Beds (please note: rates higher for triple and quad occupancy). This rate is subject to applicable taxes in effect at the time of check out. All rooms include standard WI-FI, access to fitness center and bottled water. The last possible date to register at the group rate, if available, is April 29, 2024. Call the central reservations phone number, 800.233.1234, and , and give our room block code, “G-NCOS,” to the operator. You can also book online by clicking here. Any reservations made after April 29, 2024, or before that date if there are no rooms left at the group rate, are subject to availability and at prevailing room rates. 

Washington, DC, is served by three airports—Reagan Washington National, which is just south of the Potomac, Washington Dulles International, which is farther away in Loudon County, Virginia, and Baltimore-Washington/Thurgood Marshall, in Maryland, between DC and Baltimore. The first two have Metrorail service to downtown DC. If you choose to fly into BWI, there are a couple of public transportation options into DC. You can take a shuttle to the MARC train station and catch a train to Union Station, then take the Metrorail to the hotel. Or you can take Metrobus B30, an express that takes you to the Greenbelt Metro Station on the Green Line. At Fort Totten, transfer to the Red Line.

There is also Amtrak service to Washington Union Station, which is also a Metrorail ride away from the hotel. You will need to buy a SmarTrip® card for your fare—the card is rechargeable. Or download the SmarTrip app to use Google Wallet or Apple Wallet. Be sure to check for hours of operation—the Metrorail system does not operate 24 hours a day.

The Grand Hyatt is adjacent to Metro Center Station, where four of the six Metrorail lines converge. (The hotel has a direct entrance to the underground station. If this is closed, you can go above ground and walk a short distance to it.) Once you arrive in town, you can consult the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website, wmata.com, to download the map below, or use the app for a trip planner guide to get you where you want to go. 

Just a hint—the city is divided into quadrants—Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW), so don’t forget that as you search for an address. As when you are in any large city, be aware of your surroundings as you are out and about.

In late May, you can expect low temperatures in the low 60s, with highs in the mid to high 70s. Rain is not frequent during the month—there is just a 36% chance of rain on any given day. You should be okay with just an umbrella for the occasional light rain.