Bellevue, Washington has hosted a strong corporate meetings market for years, but increasing growth in the tech sector has made this edge-city across the lake from Seattle a Pacific Northwest destination of its own. As the locals say, it’s the perfect place to experience natural outdoor beauty plus convenient city amenities before they reach the bottom of their morning cup of coffee.

Three new hotels opening in the summer of 2017 will increase downtown Bellevue’s total hotel rooms to 4,000, making Bellevue’s downtown core one of the most desirable housing packages in the region. The downtown core is a walkable one-mile square containing 250,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 54,000 square foot Meydenbauer Convention Center.

Alongside these new hotels, local and national businesses have been locating in downtown Bellevue as the workforce and visitor population grows. One of the most vibrant and successful shopping centers in the country, The Bellevue Collection has expanded its unique mix of social, dining and shopping options to include a 1.5 million square foot expansion to Bellevue’s Lincoln Square with tenants opening throughout 2017. Tenants include the new W Bellevue Hotel, chef-owned restaurants, a SoulCycle spin studio, and corporate offices for tech companies like Valve and Pokémon as well as co-working giant WeWork. The range of additions to Bellevue’s food scene include speakeasy bar concepts, rooftop restaurants, and an artisan food hall focused on locally-sourced products.

Off-site meeting options have also proliferated in Bellevue. Groups enjoy exploring downtown after their events with a buyout of KidsQuest Children’s Museum or the bowling lounge at Lucky Strike within walking distance of Meydenbauer Center and nearby hotels.

Despite the plethora of new developments, Bellevue has retained its greenery with walkable access to its many public parks. In coming years, the city will finish developments that include expanding public beach parks and creating a pedestrian and biking path from the waterfront through the heart of downtown. If a group is more adventurous, Bellevue is just minutes away from mountain trails, waterfalls and winter sports.

The more Bellevue grows, the more the city becomes known as a convenient and accessible starting point for Northwest meetings and explorations. To start planning your event in Bellevue, talk to the team at Visit Bellevue Washington at visitbellevuewashington.com/meetings.

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