Getting to HOPE Summit
Ground Transportation • Timing Your Arrival • Managing Your Travel Costs
Getting to the Conference Hotel
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center is near Washington, DC, and is served by the two DC airports, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD). There are several ways to get to the hotel from the airport, including rideshare and shuttle bus services.
Some attendees arrange to share rides with others who are arriving around the same time. Once you've registered, you will have a couple of ways to connect with other attendees in advance.
- There's a private HOPE Summit 2025 Facebook group. Don't be shy about asking to ride share!
- The EventMobi app—launching February 1—is a multipurpose tool for planning your day, getting around at the event, and connecting with other attendees, even in advance. Get more information here.
If you're local to the DC area: The North Bethesda (formerly White Flint) METRO station (Red Line) is located 0.2 miles from the hotel. Get more METRO information here. Additional bus and train options are available. There is also parking at the hotel for $23/day.
Check-in Times
Hotel check-in time is 4 pm. What if you arrive earlier? Here are some tips.
- Head to the hotel front desk as soon as you arrive. If you're early, let the hotel staff know you're there. Sometimes rooms may be ready earlier than the official check-in time; once they know you're on the premises, they may even offer to contact you when your room is ready.
- If you don't want to have to carry around your luggage, ask if they can hold your bag until your room is ready.
- The hotel has comfortable seating in the lobby and lounge areas. Chances are you'll meet other HOPE Summit attendees waiting for the activities to start.
- If you're hungry, you can order a meal in the hotel restaurant (The Corby Kitchen) or pick up a light meal or snack to go at the adjacent Corby Market.
HOPE Summit check-in is expected to start late morning on Friday; the exact time will be posted as soon as it's available.
- Once you've checked in for the conference, be sure to explore the Resource Fair and educational sessions happening all afternoon in the Ballroom.
Travel Costs
While the conference weekend is free, we understand that for some people the cost of travel may be a challenge. We have two programs that can help.
1. Survivor Challenge
With the Survivor Challenge, you can fundraise your way to HOPE Summit! With our simple fundraising tool, you can easily create your own fundraising page. Raise $1,500 or more for LUNGevity Foundation by April 1, 2025, and you will be eligible for round-trip US transportation for one person and one hotel room for the 2025 HOPE Summit in Bethesda, MD.
If you raise $2,000 or more by April 1, 2025, you'll be eligible to bring a family member, caregiver, or care partner to the conference with you (that's round-trip US travel for two plus a shared hotel room).
LUNGevity provides the platform, but you hold the power—by raising funds, you can make this experience a reality. We're here to help you every step of the way.
2. Travel Grants
LUNGevity offers a limited number of travel grants to eligible applicants. The person applying must:
- Be a patient/survivor,
- Be a first-time attendee, and
- Have a financial need.
What they cover: Full travel grants will cover round-trip US transportation and two nights of hotel accommodation (double occupancy) for the patient and a companion to attend the HOPE Summit. Non-US residents may apply for a partial grant to cover the hotel cost; on the application form, please select “Lodging only” for the type of grant.
Reserving a hotel room: When you apply for a travel grant, you should reserve your hotel room right away. You will need to leave a credit card to hold the reservation, but your card will not be charged if you are awarded a grant.
Booking a flight: If you receive a grant that includes air travel, our travel coordinator will be in touch to book flight reservations.
If you are awarded a travel grant, you must agree to submit a written summary of what you learned at the conference no later than May 18, 2025 (two weeks after the event).
For any questions regarding travel grants, please contact Nikole Ventrca at nventrca@lungevity.org.