Smart Meetings

For the thousands of meeting professionals who explored the downtown, stayed in new hotels and dined in award-winning restaurants, it was a chance to experience the most recent incarnation of a city that has galloped through varied stages of evolution over the last few decades. For many, Seattle has arrived at a point where it has become a perfect blend of big-city quality and quantity, and small-city walkability and friendliness.

Seattle has long had the foundation for an ideal meetings city, however. For one, its blend of natural beauty is one-of-a-kind, with the serene waters of Puget Sound lapping the western edge and Lake Washington bordering it to the east. On clear days, Mount Rainier towers above, a reminder that the snow-capped Cascade Mountain range is less than an hour east. Like San Francisco, the Seattle area is hilly, and it doesn’t take much effort to discover stunning views of the green, forested islands that dot the Puget Sound, or even of the Olympic Peninsula mountain range just beyond them to the west.

The same iconic attractions that draw visitors today—the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market—were in place decades ago. While the Needle still punctures the skyline with the same dramatic flair it had on the day of its creation for the 1962 World’s Fair, its stratospheric observation deck and restaurant are the epitome of modernity. And the Pike Place Market, a virtual zoo of bustling artisan commerce, retains a magnetism hat is practically irresistible to visitors and locals alike.

But today Seattle’s downtown has become a destination that is a magnet for meeting planners. And, with the explosive rise of Bellevue just to the east and the growth of neighboring communities, the result is a destination that is as flexible and diverse as it is accommodating.

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
Despite being the largest city in the Northwest, downtown Seattle is surprisingly small and compact. Part of this is due to its geography—bound by Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east. As with dozens of other major cities in the U.S., the formerly separate communities that encircled Seattle have been generally annexed to form the greater Seattle area, yet the downtown core remains dense.

In fact, Seattle’s pedestrian convenience is one of the primary attributes that planners champion after holding a meeting here. “Seattle is a gem of a town, literally,” says Kelly Peacy, vice president of meetings for PCMA, based in Chicago. “The walkability and the tight hotel package near the convention center really cut down on transportation. It is a very safe downtown, and there is lots to do when the meeting is done.”

This was the first year Seattle hosted PCMA, and Peacy says that the city was a hit with the attendees, particularly those who were newbies. “We had so many planners who had never been there before, and so many of them were pleasantly surprised at what they found.”

Tom Norwalk, senior vice president, sales and marketing for the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, says he expected the event to be a success, but he was amazed by the response. “We are still as excited and enthusiastic as we could possibly be,” he says. “PCMA had record attendance, and we were blown away by the level of interest from meeting planners.”

MEETING VENUES
Located in the heart of downtown, the Washington State Convention & Trade Center embodies the urban culture of Seattle, while seeking to embrace the great outdoors that surrounds the city. It does this with an eclectic combination of attributes: a large collection of fine art placed throughout the building, advanced audiovisual equipment, an award-wining on-site kitchen and plenty of large windows. “The convention center is very spacious and bright,” Peacy says. “What struck me was the amount of natural light; you really take in the Seattle outdoors.”
The center contains more than 300,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 61 separate meeting rooms, as well as a significant collection of on-site coffee shops, small restaurants and business-service vendors. Also, during the PCMA conference, the convention center announced that it will soon be acquiring an adjacent building, which will add about 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and will be connected to the main convention center via skybridge. It is slated to be available in early 2010.

For the days when Seattle’s winter rains make staying dry a challenge, the convention center has more than 1,500 covered parking spaces, an unusually high number for any major city. Even without a car, however, chances are your attendees won’t have to walk more than a few blocks from their hotel—there are more than 2,000 guest rooms among about 30 hotels within six blocks.

After a major renovation last year, the adjacent Sheraton Seattle Hotel has emerged as the largest hotel in the Northwest, with 1,258 guest rooms and 75,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, providing significant support for major events at the convention center as well the ability to host large events on its own.
If the majority of your group is coming from an inland destination, you would be remiss to deny them a chance to enjoy Seattle’s beautiful waterfront. Bell Harbor International Conference Center, with 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, is actually located right at water’s edge, and is within walking distance of several major hotel and dozens of Seattle’s best restaurants.

UNIQUE VENUES
It isn’t difficult to see, literally, that the 600-foot-high Space Needle is one of the most unique meeting venues money can buy (until we start meeting on the moon). With commanding views of the entire city and beyond, the circular SkyCity restaurant slowly revolves around the Needle’s core, allowing every diner a 360-degree view over the course of their meal. The Skyline level, on a separate floor, offers several private rooms for unforgettable banquets or inspiring meetings of up to several hundred people.

Return to earth on the Space Needle’s thrilling exposed elevators, and you will find yourself in the middle of the Seattle Center, a huge collection of theme-park rides, performance venues, 15,500-seat Key Arena, 15,000-square-foot Fisher Pavilion, an IMAX theater and enough diverse space for almost any type of meeting. By far the most eye-catching and impressive addition to the Seattle Center, the twisted and contorted Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project is a state-of-the-art museum devoted to everything music. With interactive exhibits, a hands-on music lab and a recently added science fiction museum, the space is as inspiring as it is modern. In addition to the museum space, which handles groups from 10 to 3,000, the ultra-modern performance stage is all you need for your next product launch, video presentation or even private rock-and-roll show.

BELLEVUE
After sitting happily in the background as a quiet bedroom community of Seattle for many decades, Bellevue changed its mind in the 21st century, and has erupted with a rate of growth that shows no sign of slowing down. Today planners are reaping the rewards, with a surprising stable of top-tier meeting hotels, excellent dining and high-end shopping, which make Bellevue a possible alternative to Seattle for anything but the largest of events. And, because Bellevue is only a few minutes’ drive away, attendees can still go into the city on their free time.
The sophisticated Meydenbauer Center is able to handle mid-sized meetings and events, with 48,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, nine meeting rooms and a 410-seat theater. Within walking distance of the center are a number of large hotels, many of which are brand-new or completely renovated, making Bellevue as a city one of the easiest and most modern places to hold a meeting.

One of these hotels, the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, put in $20 million for a renovation in 2006, and offers 382 guest rooms and 17,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. It is also located within the Bellevue Collection, which is comprised of three blocks of upscale shopping, dining, movie theaters and plenty of parking. The Bellevue Collection also includes the Westin Bellevue with 337 guest rooms and 25,510 sq. ft. of meeting space. For assistance with booking your next meeting, Bellevue Washington Conventions can guide you through the city—from meeting space to accommodations to dining.

GREATER SEATTLE
Outside of the major meeting options in Seattle and Bellevue, planners can find a significant number of smaller venues that might be perfect for a group that prefers a more intimate setting. Just a half hour north of Seattle, for example, the brand-new Tulalip Resort Casino provides an exciting Las Vegas-style gaming resort, with a full casino, 370 guest rooms and a spa. In addition to the 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the resort and spa are all completely new, are and slated to open mid-June.

When arriving at Washington’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), you are directly between Seattle, to the north, and Tacoma, the state’s third-largest city, to the south. While Tacoma’s history has long been tied to its function as an industrial port city, recently it has undergone a serious revitalization of its downtown core, to the extent that it is now considered one of the nation’s most livable cities.

Tacoma has also made a play into the meetings market, with the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, built in 2004 and offering 130,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Directly adjacent to the convention center are more than 500 guest rooms, with thousands more within short driving distance.

North of Seattle by just 20 minutes, the Everett Events Center recently added the $12-million Edward D. Hansen Conference Center, with beautiful views of the mountains. For meeting space, there is a 12,000-square-foot ballroom that can be divided in four, as well as an executive board room and two conference rooms designed for breakout sessions.

An equal distance south of Seattle, you can find the Lynwood Convention Center—new in 2005—offering 53,000 sq. ft. of meeting space on two separate floors. Lynwood lies in the center of Washington’s significant high-tech, aerospace and biomedical centers, a boon for attendees who might have time for a quick tour.
On a sunny day, the Puget Sound can be a stunning place to bring a group, and a number of different options exist for holding a meeting. Argosy Cruises has a full spectrum of different boats to choose from, including luxurious yachts, dining ships and a historic ferry, providing for everything from a 700-person banquet to an upscale VIP meeting.

If you really want to wow your group, give them a taste of neighboring Canada with a day trip or overnight to beautiful Victoria, B.C. Clipper Navigation, Inc. operates a vast assortment of package trips from Seattle on its Victoria Clipper fleet and can work with you to customize a group trip.
If your attendees don’t have quite that much time, you might consider taking a ride on one of the iconic Washington State Ferries, which regularly take both vehicles and passengers out to several of the small islands in the Puget Sound, just minutes from the docks of Seattle.

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Getting There

Sea-Tac International Airport is 20 minutes from Seattle and is the primary airport for the Northwest. It has direct flights from many U.S. cities, in addition to international flights. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

• A daytime walk through the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.
• A visit to the Seattle Center, which includes the Space Needle and the  Experience Music Project.
• A stroll along the Seattle waterfront.
• The chance for a photo from the top of the Space Needle or, on a clear  day, of Mount Rainier.
• While in Bellevue, a shopping spree at the Bellevue Collection.

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