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Book your stay →
Booking link coming soon.
Currently sold out — check back to see if room availability opens back up.
Three days, one city, every kind of sound. Multi-day badges only — depth and continuity matter.
// PRESS BADGES ARE COMPLIMENTARY AND APPLICATION-GATED · MORE INFORMATION
The Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
A LEED Gold facility in the heart of downtown Cleveland, directly connected to the Hilton Cleveland Downtown via underground connector. The full center holds 225,000 sq ft across three exhibit halls, fifty meeting rooms, and two ballrooms — we're using a meaningful slice of it for Year 1.
Address: 1 St. Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH 44114
GPS / driving: 300 Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114
Learn why we chose Cleveland for NAESE and what to expect when you get here in our About section. In short: a vibrant, walkable downtown with a thriving arts and culture scene, world-class dining, and a welcoming community. The city's an exciting destination for locals and visitors alike, and we can't wait to show you around.
The Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland is fully ADA accessible. If you have specific access needs, contact us before the event so we can plan with you, not just for you. More on community standards.
Four downtown hotels in the NAESE block. The HQ hotel is connected to the venue. Booking in the hotel block grants you free access to our huge Saturday night party, which will also be open to the public, and helps us build the case for more rooms in future years.
As we get closer to Early Bird sales, we'll be assembling special packages. First Signal registrants, don't worry — you'll be the first to know when they're available.
Loading the hotel block… if it doesn’t appear, email hello@naese.co for booking details.
Booking link coming soon.
Currently sold out — check back to see if room availability opens back up.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is the nearest major airport, about 12 miles from the convention center. Taxis and rideshare are readily available; the trip into downtown typically runs 20-30 minutes depending on time of day.
You can also take the train directly from the airport to downtown via the RTA Red Line, which runs every 30 minutes and takes about 20-30 minutes to reach the Tower City Center station, 2-3 blocks from the hotels — for $2.50. It's a budget-friendly and reliable option. CLE is served by all major US carriers and several international airlines, with direct flights from many North American cities.
Cleveland is drivable from a meaningful chunk of North America. Same-day from Detroit, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Toronto, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston… Cleveland's only a day away.
Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited and Floridian serve Cleveland's downtown station, which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the hotels. Regional bus services like Greyhound and Megabus also stop in downtown Cleveland, providing convenient access to NAESE at an affordable price.
Local transit options include the RTA bus and rail system, with the Tower City Center / Public Square station just a short walk away..
Public transit is the budget-friendly option for moving around downtown during the show.
The 1,200-spot Huntington Park Garage has a direct enclosed walkway to the convention center and the Hilton. Garage entrance is on Lakeside Avenue, opposite the Hilton entrance. Payment stations are located near the walkway entrance and at the W. 3rd Street exit gate. An additional 5,000+ walkable parking spaces are available across surrounding city lots and garages.
NAESE Central: Your Expo, Organized
Every badge holder, exhibitor, performer, speaker, and sponsor gets access to NAESE Central, our attendee portal. Use it before the show to plan your floor strategy, during the show to scan and save vendors you want to revisit, and after to pick up where you left off. It's the only tool of its kind for any conference/expo in this space.
NAESE Backpack lives inside Central — your on-site companion for managing your expo experience. An interactive floorplan, list of exhibitors with info & screenshots that you can attach your own notes to, your personal schedule of sessions and performances, a digital swag bag for collecting vendor info and offers, and more. It's your personal record of every exhibitor you've touched, sessions you've saved, and booths on your list. Tune into the PLAY silent jam spaces live through Backpack while you explore the floor.
NAESE Central will also live on between years, with new community features and tools to be added as we approach NAESE, so you can stay connected with the NAESE community year-round.
NAESE Central runs on a custom-built expo management software platform, Exp/OS, developed by our sibling company Mattermind specifically for NAESE. It's built to be flexible and scalable, so we can continue to add features and tools that enhance the attendee experience year after year. We can't wait for you to get your hands on it before and at the show.
Bring yourself, your confirmation email, and a valid government-issued photo ID to the registration area. You're good to go. Badges must be picked up by the badgeholder — no proxy pickups.
Re-entry is permitted during public event hours with a valid badge. Walk out for lunch, come back for an afternoon panel.
Backpacks and totes are permitted. Be considerate of other attendees in tight spaces. The Huntington Convention Center has security screening and metal detectors at entry.
Daytime expo hours are generally all-ages. Attendees under 18 should be accompanied by an adult. Some evening performances may have age restrictions depending on venue policies; those will be marked clearly in the schedule.
Encouraged. Especially for the jam spaces. Bring your favorite headphones, too, as the jams and the expo floor will be headphone-only to create a more inclusive and comfortable environment for everyone. If you have specific questions about bringing gear, email us at hello@naese.co
Year 1 badges are non-refundable and non-transferable.
NAESE has a published Code of Conduct that applies to everyone on-site. Violations may result in removal without refund and loss of First Signal status / benefits. More on community standards.
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