Small Business Expos in DC: 2026 and 2027 Calendar

The biggest small business expo in Washington, DC is the free Small Business Expo at George Washington University's Charles E. Smith Center, with the next edition set for April 7, 2027. Beyond that one show, the DMV has a cluster of expos and procurement fairs every spring around DC Small Business Week, plus a few free government buyer events this fall, and this guide lists the ones with dates you can verify today.

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Small business expos in the DMV at a glance

Photo via Magnific

Most "small business expo DC" results online point to a single past event. Here is what is actually on the calendar, checked against each organizer's own page. Where an organizer has not posted next year's date, we say so instead of guessing.

Washington DC expos worth planning around

Small Business Expo at the Charles E. Smith Center

The Small Business Expo Washington DC is a one-day trade show and conference that returns on April 7, 2027, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Charles E. Smith Center on the GWU campus in Foggy Bottom. The organizer's page says you can register to attend for free, while some premium features need an upgraded pass, and it notes that registration for the next show opens soon. It has run each spring at the same venue, which makes it the most predictable expo for DC founders. Expect exhibitor booths from B2B vendors, workshops and a lot of networking, so bring a clear one-line pitch and a way to capture contacts.

DC Small Business Week and the Solution Expo

The District's DC Small Business Week, run by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, ran May 4 to 9 in 2026 in recognition of National Small Business Week. The 2026 lineup included a Small Business Solution Expo at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library covering licensing, taxes, CBE certification, financing and procurement, the POWERUP DC Small Business Summit and Expo the next day at the same library, and a Made in DC Market. DSLBD has not posted 2027 dates yet. If you sell to the District, follow DSLBD on StartDMV so you catch the announcement.

DC Chamber and Hispanic Chamber spring shows

The DC Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit and Showcase is described by the Chamber as annual and was held on May 11, 2026, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held its 2026 Business Expo at the same convention center on May 21, 2026, with more than 80 exhibitors listed by Events DC. Neither has posted a 2027 date, so treat May as the likely window and check back. Both chambers are listed on StartDMV: the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Northern Virginia and Maryland expos for selling to government

A lot of DMV "expos" are really buyer events, where county, state and federal purchasing teams and prime contractors meet small firms. For founders with a product or service that government buys, these are often worth more than a general trade show.

Fairfax County Reverse Tradeshow, November 12, 2026

The Fairfax County Small Business Commission runs a free day of training and networking at the Fairfax County Government Center, with breakouts on selling to the county, access to capital, Fairfax CORE and proposal writing. It is on the StartDMV calendar as the Fairfax County Small Business Commission Reverse Tradeshow, and the county's Small Business Forum page explains the reverse tradeshow format, where buyers host the tables and businesses walk the room.

NoVA B2G Matchmaking Conference and Small Business Expo

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce hosts the NoVA B2G Matchmaking Conference and Small Business Expo, which returns for its 15th year on Thursday, May 20, 2027, at Carahsoft in Reston. In 2026, expo-only tickets were $125 for members and $150 for non-members, and matchmaking sessions filled up before the event, so register early if you want one-on-one meetings. Pair it with our guide to GovCon networking events in DC.

Maryland procurement connections

Maryland's Governor's Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs runs Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections workshops, with the next listed session on December 2, 2026, at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. They are free, registration opens about three weeks before each workshop, and they target small, minority, women and veteran owned businesses. See GOSBA on StartDMV for the agency profile.

How to prepare so an expo pays off

The founders who get contracts or customers from these events usually did the paperwork before they walked in. Buyers will ask whether you are registered and certified, and a yes moves the conversation forward.

• DC: apply for Certified Business Enterprise status through DSLBD. Per the CBE FAQ, certification lasts three years and processing can take up to 45 business days, with no expediting, so start months before a spring expo. Make sure your license is in order with our DC business license guide.
• Virginia: register in eVA, the state procurement portal, which is free to join and sends bid notices from agencies, public universities and many local governments. Consider SWaM certification too, covered in our Virginia SWaM certification guide.
• Maryland: register in eMMA, which the GOSBA FAQ says is free and required before you can receive a state award, and renew Small Business Reserve registration every year.
• Federal: the SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office covers DC, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church, and often has staff at these events.

On the day, keep a short capability statement, know which two or three buyers you most want to meet, and follow up within 48 hours. For year-round networking between expos, see our list of business networking events in Washington DC and the live StartDMV events calendar.

Is your organization on StartDMV?

If you run an expo, a chamber, a coworking space, a fund or a startup in the DMV, list yourself free at https://startdmv.org/submit-organization so founders can find you. Organizers can add an expo or workshop to the calendar at https://startdmv.org/submit-event.

Get the weekly list of DMV startup events, grants and deadlines. Join the StartDMV list at https://startdmv.org.