Seattle is home to a vibrant, inclusive culture, an iconic cityscape, and a booming tech culture. This 75-square-mile northwest city, while best known for its coffee scene (it’s the hometown of Starbucks), has a thriving meetings and events landscape marked by LEED-certified hotels filled with eco-friendly initiatives, locally-sourced culinary experiences, and over a million square feet of gathering space to enjoy. Here’s what’s new, what’s new, what’s coming soon, and more for Seattle meetings and events groups.
Many meeting spaces: Seattle Convention Center
The Emerald City’s popular Seattle Convention Center (SCC) comprises two buildings: Arch and Summit, spanning a combined 988,422 square feet. The new $2 billion Summit opened to the public just last year, and since the start of 2024, the SCC has already hosted 15 citywide conventions — and has confirmed 42 more for the remainder of the year.
Related: Summit to Debut in Seattle as North America’s First High-Rise Convention Center.
Some of the biggest events that took place at SCC this year include the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Sakura-Con, and Anime Impulse 2024.
Upcoming events at the venue include the Seattle Interactive Conference, scheduled for July 31-August 1; the American Psychological Association’s annual conference (APA 2024), which is expected to attract 10,000 attendees when it takes place August 8-10; the wildly popular annual video game festival PAX West 2024, scheduled for August 30-September 2; and the Oddities and Curiosities Expo, which will celebrate the strange and unusual from October 19-20.
According to estimates of Visit SeattleThe 15 conventions that have already taken place at the SCC have generated more than $135 million in economic impact, while the additional impact of the 42 upcoming events is expected to generate a staggering $324 million.
New: Mutual Arts Collective Gallery and Event Space
Since mid-March, nestled on the top floor of Pike Place Market — the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the United States — is the Mutual Arts Collective (MAC), which features a multi-purpose event space and gallery that promotes and sells the work of artists impacted by structural inequalities and systemic barriers.
Fun fact: MAC is the brainchild of Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready, his wife, Ashley McCready, and business partner Chris Adams.
Hotels and points of interest:
- THE Four Seasons Hotel Seattle The hotel renovated its 10,500 square feet of meeting and event space and remodeled its luxurious Presidential and Governor’s Suites last May. The renovation included new blue and gold carpeting, inspired by the hues of the Puget Sound. Other hotel spaces include a 4,940-square-foot ballroom, offering waterfront views, as well as the 1,092-square-foot Cypress Room and 1,400-square-foot Sycamore Room, both of which face Pike Place Market.
- InterContinental Hotels & Resorts made its debut in the Pacific Northwest with the June opening of the 208-room hotel InterContinental Bellevue at Avenuewhich occupies a 26-story tower just outside Seattle. The hotel offers more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space across nine designated meeting rooms. The largest: the divisible 4,272-square-foot Avenue Grand Ballroom on the third floor, which has 20-foot ceilings and enough space to accommodate up to 420 guests. Also consider the 925-square-foot Avenue Outdoor Terrace, which overlooks Bellevue Square (and offers front-row seats to the New Year’s Eve fireworks). Smaller rooms, like the Champs-Élysées and Bond Street conference rooms, can accommodate 18 and 14 people, respectively, for meetings.
Good to know: Seattle’s Link Light Rail extension project will connect Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond in 2025.
- Gold Coast Ghal Cuisine: This newly opened Black- and women-owned business started as a pop-up and expanded into a full-service restaurant in November 2023. It’s one of the only places in Seattle serving traditional Ghanaian and Liberian dishes, and it’s available for full reservations for parties of up to 99 guests.
- Darby Woodinville Winery: Located just minutes from Seattle, this old-world winery in Woodinville recently opened two separate event spaces in its 3,700-square-foot tasting room. The larger of the two spaces can accommodate 40 people, while the smaller speakeasy is perfect for intimate gatherings of 20.
Inclusion initiatives
When it comes to inclusion, Seattle is a professional. This is evident at the highest levels: in the state legislature, more than 40% of positions are held by women, including two senators.
Fun fact: Seattle was named the Second Best City for Women Entrepreneurs by NerdWallet.
The city’s museums also cater to visitors with vision issues, with Braille and large-print guides, subtitles, magnifying glasses, and ASL interpretation upon request. Neurodivergent people can also enjoy sensory-friendly programs and performances. Museum of Pop Cultureknown locally as MoPop, and the Seattle Theatre Groupto name a few.
Almost open: Concert halls
Nation Live will open a new concert venue this year in Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood, occupying an entire city block just steps from Amazon’s headquarters. The mixed-use project will span 40,000 square feet and include a VIP lounge, a retail center and a gallery.
In spring 2025, the former Bed Bath & Beyond headquarters at 1930 3rd Ave. in downtown Seattle is expected to debut as a Cannonball Entertainment and Arts VenueThe transformation of the 66,000-square-foot building is the vision of nonprofit production company New Rising Sun, in partnership with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe that has called Washington, D.C., home since at least 1857. While the size of the designated, rentable event space remains unclear, the creative programming is sure to appeal to corporate groups looking for team-building activities.
Riverside developments
The ongoing revitalization of Seattle’s waterfront will continue through 2025, though the new Washington State Ferry terminal and Pier 62, a renovated historic community space, are already open for business. Here’s what to expect once the project is complete:
- Less viaduct, more cycle paths and shops
- Direct trails from downtown and Pike Place Market to the waterfront promenade
- THE Seattle AquariumThe Ocean Pavilion, which will connect Pike Place Market to the waterfront promenade via public observation decks, stairs and an oculus window that will allow pedestrians to observe marine life from below
- Public toilets
Photos courtesy of Visit Seattle and Rachael Jones Media
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