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Industry Profile: Washington’s convention industry growing by leaps and bounds |
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Written On: March/April 2008 |
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Written By: Paul Schlienz |
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Conventions are big business in Washington. Throughout the state, communities large and small are discovering the many advantages of encouraging this growing industry.
The statistics are impressive. In Seattle alone, conventions pumped $4.75 billion in revenue and about $420 million in taxes into the local economy — supporting 62,000 jobs in the process — during 2007.
Seattle, however, is not Washington’s only player in the convention game.
Across the state, the convention industry brought around $739 million in revenues and $55 million in taxes to Spokane. Meanwhile, other communities including Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Lynnwood, Everett, Yakima and the Tri-Cities, have invested in convention facilities and are reaping the benefits.
“There is a great spirit of camaraderie and partnership among Washington’s convention and visitor bureaus,” said Harry Sladich, president and CEO of the Spokane Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Each city has its own niche, and we all want each other to win. If we can’t get a convention in Spokane, but it goes to the Tri-Cities or Yakima or Seattle or Tacoma, then great! If we can’t get it, we want them to get it. Why let a convention go someplace else when it can come to Washington?”
Seattle attracts the largest groups of conventioneers. Its close proximity to Boeing, Microsoft, the biotech industry, and the University of Washington makes it attractive to visitors from throughout the United States and from foreign countries. An excellent convention center, an abundance of hotel rooms and the far-reaching transportation connections of Sea-Tac International Airport sweeten the deal.
Tri-Cities draws from Puget Sound
In contrast to Seattle, the Tri-Cities, which boasts two highly rated venues — Kennewick’s Three Rivers Convention Center and Pasco’s Trade, Recreation and Agricultural Center — tends to attract conventions from in-state groups, including Kiwanis and Rotary, and many agricultural organizations ranging from asparagus growers to zucchini farmers, whose members are primarily located in eastern Washington. Due to the presence of Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, the Tri-Cities also attracts scientific groups.
Puget Sound, however, is the region from which the Tri-Cities get its largest number of conventions and tourists.
“Puget Sound is the area where we place TV advertising,” said Kris Watkins, president and CEO of the Tri-Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s a three-and-a-half hour drive from Seattle to the Tri-Cities. You don’t have to deal with the hassles of airplanes and airports. When it might be a little rainy on the west side of the mountains, we’ve got 300 days of sunshine going for us.”
In addition, the Tri-Cities’ central location within Washington’s wine region provides unique opportunities for conventions since some of the larger wineries can handle opening night receptions before the main business meetings.
“Once we bring in convention planners to the Tri-Cities for a familiarization tour, about nine out of 10 times they’ll book their conventions with us,” said Watkins.
Much like the Tri-Cities, Spokane also has a history of attracting regional groups like the Washington Association of School Principals and the Washington School Nutrition Association.
The nation comes to Spokane
Two years ago, however, Spokane expanded its convention center and is now attracting national groups, like the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Conventions, according to Sladich, are a great way to bring in visitors.
“Spokane is not as well known as a destination as some other places,” said Sladich. “It’s somewhat of risk for taking a vacation, but people are curious about Spokane and will certainly come here for a conference. When they get here, it blows them away. We get a lot of word of mouth, a lot of repeat business and a lot of goodwill when people get here and say ‘Wow! What a beautiful area!’”
Although it’s on the other side of the state, Spokane benefits greatly from Seattle’s success as a convention site and tourist destination.
“We’re very pleased that our friends in Seattle have gotten direct flights from British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa,” said Sladich. “It’s a 45-minute hop to Spokane from Seattle by air. We’re being added to a lot of itineraries because the Europeans are finding that Spokane is a great value and it’s a part of the country that they’re curious about.”
Convention centers boost downtowns
Another benefit of the convention industry is the positive affect that convention facilities can have in the revitalization of the cities where they are located. A case in point is Vancouver’s Hilton Vancouver Convention Center, which is now one of the focal points of Vancouver’s rapidly improving downtown area.
The Tri-Cities have also experienced positive changes since the Three Rivers Convention Center opened.
“The convention center profoundly affected the real estate around it,” Watkins said. “You take a look at the restaurants and retailers that have come into the Tri-Cities region. They’re all within a couple of miles radius from the convention center. It definitely has encouraged businesses that raise the quality of life to come into our community.”
The Everett Events Center brings new entertainment and recreation opportunities to local residents in addition to hosting conventions and helping with the effort to revitalize the city’s downtown area.
“The Everett Events Center is a multi-purpose building where you can not only hold conventions and meetings, but also sports events and entertainment,” observed Don Welsh, president and CEO of the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I think there’s probably enough demand for quite a few cities to make a facility like that one work.”
“You can’t lose with the convention industry,” said Sladich. “It’s a very clean industry where you bring in people for a conference who spend huge sums of money for their lodging and their dining and whatnot. Conventions have the immediate impact of delegates spending dollars, but it also exposes individuals who might not have been to your city to the potential of them really liking it and returning, either for another trip or as a future resident.”
Sladich compliments the state for establishing a tourism commission and placing more emphasis and money into attracting visitors.
“It’s critical for the state to recognize tourism,” Sladich concluded. “The governor added about $4 million to our budget, but we’re still 40th in the nation for spending on marketing for tourism. Still, it really helps when I’m going to approach a customer about coming to Spokane and the state’s already been pounding Washington into their heads through advertising. If there’s none of that, it’s doubly hard to penetrate a market.”
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