OFC 2027: your complete attendee travel guide

OFC 2027 is set to bring the optical networking and communications community to Los Angeles for five days of research, business programming, demonstrations, and meetings. The technical conference runs March 7–11, while the exhibition runs March 9–11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More than 750 companies are expected, spanning networking, specialty fiber, components, devices, and software.^[1]

The split schedule will be relevant to your travel plans. A technical attendee may arrive Saturday for a short course that starts Sunday, while someone only visiting the exhibition can arrive later, with a shorter itinerary. This guide covers helpful advice for anyone considering OFC 2027 and the hotels, airports, budgeting, business meals, and more that’s needed to make the trip worthwhile

What is OFC and who is it for?

OFC is the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition. Optica manages the event and co-sponsors it with the IEEE Communications Society and IEEE Photonics Society.^[3] It covers components, fiber, networks, software, AI, quantum communications, and space optics.^[1]

It attracts researchers, engineers, network operators, product teams, sourcing leaders, founders, sales engineers, investors, and analysts, who generally come to gain answers to questions they have around a technical claim, supplier choice, partner conversation, or research problem.

What makes OFC 2027 worth the trip

OFC combines technical research, expert discussion, live demonstrations, and conversations with the teams building and buying optical systems. Going can help you build a transceiver shortlist, an answer about power or thermal limits, find partners for an interoperability test, or some conversations with potential or existing customers.

Depending on your goal, you can build an itinerary that focuses more on sessions, or one that allows you more time on the floor.

Where to stay for OFC 2027

The convention center will take place in West Hall A, South Hall GHJK, Concourse Hall, Petree Hall, and meeting rooms across the West and South buildings.^[2] So when choosing a hotel, the route to your actual entrance or hall matters more than distance to the campus as a whole.

OFC’s official block, managed by MCI USA, currently lists properties 0.1–1.5 miles from the convention center, with published room rates from $204 to $464. OFC says block reservations have no resort fees, can still earn participating-brand reward points, and include access to a wait list and reservation protection.^[5]

Whatever you choose, a refundable option can be useful if your meetings are likely to change, so running another comparison before any cancellation deadline may find you something more suitable — perhaps you have a preferred hotel brand, room type, workspace area, or loyalty goal.

OFC hotel pricing

Navan’s booking data shows a median nightly total of $478 (including recorded taxes and fees) for hotels booked in downtown Los Angeles, between March 12–20, 2026.

It’s important to mention that these bookings do not identify conference attendees, but this historical context could help forecast your budget for 2027

Flights to OFC 2027

Determining when to arrive depends on your first commitment. If you plan to attend a technical course on the Sunday, it might be a good idea to arrive on Saturday 6th. Similarly, if your first port of call is the exhibition on Tuesday, you might prefer to arrive on Monday 8th if it's possible.

LAX is the main gateway and is 16 miles from the venue. OFC also identifies Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, and Orange County as alternatives.^[10] When deciding which airport to fly into, and a nonstop flight vs. a layover, consider the arrival time, luggage collection, and hotel transfer as a whole.

Book your OFC trip with Navan Edge

Navan Edge is an AI travel agent for business travel with human travel experts available in the same chat. You can simply tell it when you want to arrive at OFC and from where, and it can search and book flights and hotels considering all your preferences.

Explain all your airline preferences, hotel budget, departure needs, room needs (quiet, desk, breakfast, gym, or preferred brand etc) and it can search for your perfect fit.

Earn more on your loyalty programs from your OFC trip

Navan Edge’s Loyalty Wallet allows you to connect your airline and hotel programs in one place. Keeping your points and status visible in one place makes it easier to track your progress towards the next tier. The app will surface options that will earn you the most, which makes it easier to compare a convenient independent hotel with a larger chain that advances a real status goal.

As well as earning applicable points, miles and credit-card rewards, you can earn 5% Amazon Gift Card rewards on eligible hotel bookings made through Navan Edge.^[15]

How to set a budget for OFC 2027

A complete budget includes the badge, airfare, full hotel total, transport, meals, hosted dinners, checked equipment, shipping, and a buffer. For exhibitors, keeping booth freight, handling, staffing, and hospitality separate makes the attendee budget easier to read.

For March 2027, the federal Los Angeles benchmark is $199 a night for lodging before tax and $86 a day for meals and incidental expenses.^[6][7] These are federal reimbursement rates; your employer may set different limits.^[8]

Your OFC 2027 agenda

7-11 March 2027 is the technical conference for:

• Short courses
• Workshops
• Demos
• Special events and programming.

9-11 March 2027 is The Exhibition, combining the complete showcase of:

• Presentations
• Data center summit
• Panel discussions and more.

Exhibit-only time runs 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesday and 12:30–2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, making those windows especially useful for demonstrations and meetings. Times are Pacific and subject to change, so they are worth checking again.^[4]

Tips for planning your schedule

Conferences can be tiring. There’s much to see and absorb, and if you don’t plan, time can run faster than you expect. These helpful best practices can help keep you in track:

• Scheduling three or four anchors per day can leave enough room to walk between halls, write and organize your notes, and allow for networking or a spontaneous meeting.
• Including the hall, room or booth, contact method, and purpose to all calendar meetings can save more time than you anticipate.
• If you are attending in a group, dividing and conquering when it comes to sessions or meetings can not only prevent overwhelm, but allow you to cover more ground and increase the overall value you gain from the conference.
• Carve time to eat properly, hydrate, and catch a breath of fresh air if you can. This can help avoid a late afternoon slump.

What to pack for OFC 2027

Business casual and comfortable shoes are a good rule of thumb at OFC. Add a more polished layer for any presentations or dinners. NWS temperatures in March reach an average high of 66.1°F and an average low of 52.2°F ^[9]

Some compact and practical essentials to pack:

• Layers, to keep you comfortable between warmer rooms or colder conference floors
• A rain-resistant layer
• Comfortable shoes, and an alternative pair after a long day of walking in one
• Batteries and chargers
• Water bottle, snack and a small bag that’s comfortable on the show floor
• A question sheet, meeting list, and note template that works on a phone or laptop
• Approved nonconfidential diagrams or test cases for technical conversations

Where to eat during OFC 2027

Whether you’re planning a bite on the go or a formal business dinner, Navan Edge can use a simple prompt with your dining preferences and dietary needs to check current availability and menus, and book tables in the same conversation thread where you make flight and hotel bookings.

Here’s a few local recommendations:

• Client or executive dinner: Fleming’s L.A. Live. It is across from the convention center and lists private rooms for groups of 10–66. The best room will depend on the guest count and conversation.^[12]
• Smaller partner dinner: Katsuya L.A. Live. The official page offers standard reservations along with private dining and buyouts at 800 W. Olympic Boulevard. Space and noise level are useful checks for a focused discussion.^[13]
• Lively team meal: Fixins Soul Kitchen. Its L.A. Live location takes reservations and routes parties larger than eight to its large-party and events process.^[14]

Making the most of your final day

The show floor closes Thursday at 4 p.m, and the deadline for presenting your research for peer review ends at 6:30 p.m.^[4], so a same-evening departure may be tight. That said, departing on Friday adds another night in the hotel, so weigh up your priorities carefully.

To avoid a rush when you depart, organize packing equipment, charging devices, the airport route, and any luggage storage or late checkout the night before.

Planning your OFC 2027 trip? Navan Edge can help book your flights, hotel, and restaurant reservations in one chat.