WaterSmart Innovations 2026 runs Wednesday 21 October to Friday 23 October at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. The AWWA schedule splits the exhibit hall into nine hours on the Thursday and four on the Friday.
Thirteen hours across two days
The hall opens Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m. Friday runs 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Nine hours, then four, for thirteen in total.
Registration opens 7:00 a.m. Thursday and 8:00 a.m. Friday. Friday's first session starts at 8:30 a.m., and the afternoon sessions run to 4:45 p.m. after the hall closes.
The two gaps a booth crew works
Thursday closes the hall at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception from 4:45 p.m. Friday leaves two hours between the 8:00 a.m. registration desk and the 10:00 a.m. hall opening, and both hours sit in a lobby.
The venue publishes its workspace terms. Wi-Fi is complimentary in all lobbies and meeting rooms, with pay-as-you-go service at $12 per day for Basic and $50 per day for Business Class. LocketGo lockers stand in the MLK Lobby, the Holladay Lobby and the Ginkoberry Concourse, reserved by phone and card.
A locker takes a coat. Book a room for the sample case, the laptop and the calls.
Three store doors that open for a badge
AWWA publishes a store programme for this conference. Attendees reach the Nike, Adidas and Columbia Sportswear employee stores during conference week, and each flyer carries its own terms.
The Nike Company Store runs Tuesday 20 October to Saturday 24 October at 3485 SW Knowlton Road in Beaverton, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday. The flyer carries 40 percent off most merchandise, one entry inside an assigned window, and a limit of 30 items or $3,000. The badge and a government-issued ID go to the check-in desk.
The Adidas Employee Store runs Monday 19 October to Sunday 25 October at 2701 NW Vaughn St, Suite 290, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the weekend. The flyer carries 50 percent off, a QR code for the discount, and up to four guests per visit with the conference badge.
The Columbia Sportswear employee store runs 19 to 25 October at 14100 NW Science Park Drive, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the weekend. Entry takes the pass, proof of affiliation and up to four guests.
On a straight line from the venue, the Adidas store reads 2.2 miles, the Columbia store 7.7 and the Nike store 7.8. The Adidas closing hour sits two and a half hours after the Thursday hall close.
The properties inside half a mile
The hotelslots.org Portland directory lists 278 hotels. Twenty-one entries carry a 97232 ZIP code, spanning thirteen properties.
On a straight line from 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd: Inn at the Convention Center at 420 NE Holladay St reads 0.20 miles, Hyatt Regency Portland at 375 NE Holladay St 0.19, Hotel Eastlund at 1021 NE Grand Ave 0.23, Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center at 435 NE Wasco St 0.36, and DoubleTree by Hilton Portland at 1000 NE Multnomah St 0.54.
AWWA names the DoubleTree as the conference hotel. The association puts the walk at 5 to 10 minutes, or one or two MAX stops on a complimentary light rail pass issued to guests staying there.
The published day rates
The dayuse.com Portland page, read at 18:50 UTC on 18 October 2026, lists 19 properties across the Portland area with a published day rate. Each card publishes its own windows.
Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown lists $107 against a $170 comparative rate, 42 percent lower, across five windows including 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Nines lists $159 against $450, 67 percent lower, across four windows including 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland lists $106 against $200, 51 percent lower, on 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Jupiter Original lists $89 against $150, 45 percent lower, on 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Hyatt Place Portland Airport/Cascade Station lists $111 against $229, 55 percent lower, on 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It reads 5.9 straight-line miles from the venue. Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown lists $130.85 against a $228.15 comparative rate on a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. window.
Each card prices hours inside the day against the same property's overnight rate.
Which window covers which shift
Thursday needs 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Royal Sonesta covers it on the 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. window. Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland covers the afternoon half on 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at $135 against $230.
Friday needs 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and every card above covers that window inside a 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. block.
Friday morning needs a room from 8:00 a.m. The earliest start in the Portland set is 5:00 a.m. at Ramada by Wyndham Portland, which runs 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at $91 against $200.
Parking at the venue
The convention center garage holds 800 spaces and opens at 6:00 a.m. Standard entry runs $15 for up to 18 hours, and event days carry a dynamic $15 to $25 rate. The garage grants no in-and-out and prohibits overnight parking.
The order to book in
Fix the shift first: Thursday 9:30 to 6:30, Friday 8:00 to 4:45. Pick the window against that shift and get the checkout hour in writing. A room rate covers hours, and the hour past the window is the hour that costs.
One date detail. The venue's October calendar lists the conference from 20 to 22 October. AWWA publishes 21 to 23 October, Wednesday to Friday, and its schedule-at-a-glance runs the sessions on those three days.
