REGIONAL NEWS

TOURISM NEWS»

RECORDBREAKING

For the ninth year in a row, Seattle and King County saw record visitor volume, expenditures, tax contributions and travel-related employment in 2018. The results were released at Visit Seattle’s 2019 Annual Meeting at Benaroya Hall on March 4, 2019.

Visit Seattle President and CEO Tom Norwalk and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan welcomed more than 700 tourism and business professionals to the annual event. Guest speakers included NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke, Sheraton Grand Seattle General Manager Keri Robinson, MMGY Global CEO Clayton Reid, and Alaska Air Group Chairman and CEO Brad Tilden.

The Visit Seattle report was created in conjunction with its national research firms, Tourism Economics and Longwoods International. Preliminary 2018 estimates for topline metrics indicate that a total of 40.9 million visitors came to the city and county in 2018, up 2.5 percent from the previous year. Overnight visitors increased by 2.3 percent to 21.3 million.

Those visitors spent $7.9 billion in the city and county in 2018, an increase of 5.8 percent from the previous year. Visitors paid $806 million in state and local taxes in 2018, an increase of 5.7 percent of the prior year.

Tourism-related jobs also grew in the city and county in 2018: Locally, there were 78,400 travel-related jobs (up by 3.1 percent) in Seattle and King County. Final data from the study was released on May 7.

Conversation at Thompson Seattle

HOTEL NEWS» Thompson Seattle Unveils Its New Signature Restaurant

Following an extensive redesign and rebrand of Scout PNW, which closed its doors in January 2019, Thompson Seattle has a new signature restaurant concept: Conversation. Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Conversation intends to create an environment where the human connection takes priority.

The restaurant is helmed by executive chef Derek Simcik and executive pastry chef Kate Sigel. Menu items reflect foods Simcik’s family enjoyed together while abroad. For a sample of one of its handcrafted cocktails, check out the signature drink recipe on page 16. thompsonseattle.com

Let’s Head Outside

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington has partnered with Compass Outdoor Adventures to offer group experiences before, during and after meetings, including kayaking on Lake Washington, build-a-bike scavenger hunts, snowshoeing in Snoqualmie Pass and a waterfall and wine tour. Located on the shore of Lake Washington in Renton, Washington, just south of Seattle, the hotel offers more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, as well as 347 guest rooms. lakewashington.regency.hyatt.com

Coming Soon

Benchmark will operate the newly announced Avenue Bellevue InterContinental Hotel. Part of a new billion-dollar condo, hotel and retail development in downtown Bellevue, Washington, the property will be InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ first venture in the Pacific Northwest. Construction is scheduled to begin mid-2019. When complete, the property will feature 332 luxury residences and 85,000 square feet of high-end retail, food and nightlife, including a new restaurant from a three-Michelin-star chef. Avenue Bellevue will also feature the 252-guest room InterContinental Hotel, with full-service spa and fitness center, meeting space and other amenities. The developer of the project is Bellevue-based Fortress Development. liveatavenue.com

VENUE NEWS» HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Ten years ago, the Vancouver Convention Centre opened the doors to its West building. Since then, 5,561 events later, the building has welcomed more than 9 million guests, including the high-profile attendees of the TED conference. The center has injected $2.4 billion in direct spending into the local economy and has hosted community and charitable events that raised more than $75 million for local causes. It also was the world’s first double Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified convention center and is officially Great Place to Workcertified. Well done, and here’s to the next 10 years of success! vancouverconventioncentre.com HOTEL NEWS»

Make Your Mark

Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel has launched a new “maker menu” for meeting groups. The lineup of unique experiences reflect Portland and celebrate the city’s talented craftspeople.

EXPERIENCES INCLUDE: » Build Your Own Bitters: Learn everything you need to know about bitters, from ingredients to application, in this course with Portland Bitters Project. Build your own bitter concoction as a takeaway.

» Stitch with Revive Designs: Revive Designs & Upholstery will help you select custom fabric and design elements. You’ll learn how to make your own buttons, which you’ll individually hand-stitch onto take-away shams.

» Terrarium Workshop: The experts from Portland Bloem will teach you tips and techniques for planting and caring for house plants. Plus you’ll come away with a terrarium of your very own.

Kimpton RiverPlace meeting spaces range from the 2,672-square-foot Marina Ballroom that can accommodate up to 200 people to a 339-square-foot space for up to 30. riverplacehotel.com

PEOPLE NEWS» Newly Elected

Camille Ferguson, economic development director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and, until recently, the executive director of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, and Deb Hickok, president and CEO of Explore Fairbanks, were recently elected to threeyear terms on the board of directors of the U.S. Travel Association, a national, nonprofit organization that represents all components of the travel industry.

Ferguson is Tlingit from the Kiksadi Clan and a citizen of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. During her 31-year career in the tourism industry, she has served as the economic development director for Sitka Tribe of Alaska and on the board of the Sitka Convention & Visitors Bureau. Ferguson founded the annual Alaska Heritage and Cultural Tourism Conference and served as general manager for Shee Atika Corporation’s Totem Square Inn, a native-owned hotel.

Hickok has been a professional in the field of destination marketing and management for nearly 37 years. She worked in Pennsylvania tourism until moving to Alaska in 1999 to become CEO of Explore Fairbanks. Under her guidance, Explore Fairbanks has received numerous awards, including the Governor of Alaska’s Exporter of the Year Award and the Destiny Award from the U.S. Travel Destinations Council.

Both Ferguson and Hickok are recipients of the Denali Award from the Alaska Travel Industry Association. They are the first Alaskans to serve on the U.S. Travel Board. Hall of Famers

Beth Knox (CEO of the 2018 Special Olympics USA

Games), Alan Silverman (founder of Festivals Inc.) and the Seattle Center were inducted into the Washington Festivals and Events Association Hall of Fame at the awards dinner (presented by Grand Event Rentals) during the WFEA annual conference this past April in Bellevue, Washington.

The inductees were recognized for making significant contributions to the events industry. “We are proud to be a part of the induction of these individuals,” says Eddie Redman of Grand Event Rentals and a WFEA Board member. “They have made a profound difference in the communities they serve and have worked

many a long day to bring citizens together of all backgrounds to celebrate together.”

The WFEA annual conference is held annually and features educational presentations on industry best practices. The inductees join three others who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame: Mike Brennan, the former CEO of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce, David Doxtater, head of Workshop, and the late Ed Neunherz, former executive director of the Spokane Lilac Festival. wfea.org

Kudos

Patrick Rice received the 2019 Spirit of Hospitality Award from the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau as part of its annual Recognition of Service Excellence (ROSE) Awards. The ROSE Awards honor employees in the service and hospitality industry who enhance visitor experiences with their enthusiasm and exemplary service. Rice is executive director of Boise Centre and the Greater Boise Auditorium District.

New Hires & Promotions

Coast Hilltop Inn has pro-

moted Michael Crowder to front office manager. Crowder brings two years of hospitality experience to his new role, including as front desk agent for Coast Hilltop Inn.

Visit Bellevue Washington has appointed Justin Lynch director of marketing and communications. Lynch comes to the CVB from Visit Syracuse in Syracuse, New York, where he was the organization’s digital branding manager.

Visit Bellevue Washington has appointed Alexis Scheinman as its communications manager. Scheinman previously served as marketing and public relations director for Bellevue Medical Imaging and has worked at public relations agencies in London and Las Vegas.

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