marketing plan seattle - business

Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau

one convention place, 701 pike street, suite 800,seattle,washington 98101

t (206) 461-5800; f (206) 461-5855; visitseattle.org

�Marketing Plan

DeSt inatiOn MARKETING PLANSeattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau

2007

Dedication We dedicate this publication in loving memory of our friend and colleague, Amy Wilkerson. Amy’s guiding spirit is felt throughout Seattle’s hospitality community every day. We are affirmed by her strength and inspired by her kind-ness, wisdom and humor.

VisionSeattle is a state of mind, a way of living and a portal to the future. Our rich history has shaped technology, culture, taste and travel. Our guests delight in our breathtaking beauty, abundant recreation, thriving metropolis and welcoming spirit. Inspiration awaits.

MissionSeattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is a non-profit economic development agency responsible for competitively marketing the Seattle area as a destination for conventions, tour groups and indi-vidual travelers. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and eco-nomic prosperity of the region. Our members benefit from the bureau’s marketing programs and gain direct access to the visitor market.

Cover by: Michael Craft for Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau

�Marketing Plan

table of contents

1 table of Contents

3 letter from SCVB Chair and President

4 2006 Highlights

6 On the Horizon

8 Facts, Figures and Data

12 Membership Opportunities

14 Convention Sales and Services

25 international tourism

29 north american tourism Development

32 Public relations

35 Citywide Concierge and Visitor Center

36 Cultural tourism

38 Marketing Services

40 Seattle Super Saver

42 Seattle Sports Commission

46 SCVB Staff list

48 SCVB Board of Directors

49 notes, ideas, Brilliant thoughts

Produced by:


One Convention Place, 701 Pike Street, Suite 800

Seattle, Wa 98101

(206) 461-5800; fax (206) 461-5855

www.visitseattle.org

Published by:

tiger Oak Publishing

1505 Western avenue, Ste. 500

Seattle, Wa 98101

(206) 284-1750; fax (206) 284-2550

www.tigeroak.com

President & CEO

Don Welsh

Senior Vice President,

Sales & Marketing

tom norwalk

Editors

David Blandford

Heather Bryant

Matt Wakefield

Cover by: Michael Craft for Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau

�

[Photo opposite presidential letter – Metronatural ad, bleeds into presidential letter ]

�Marketing Plan

dear member,Momentum is a word that often describes positive progress in regard to business, sports and our personal lives. There is no doubt that 2006 was a year of great momentum for Seattle and the region.

In 2006, Seattle and King County experienced a record 9.1 million overnight visitors who generated more than $4.3 billion in revenues and we expect this positive trend to continue through 2007.

Seattle’s hotel occupancy, rate and RevPAR growth performed in the upper five percent of all major cities this past year. We welcomed the Hotel 1000 and the Pan Pacific Seattle to our hospitality community and their levels of service, product and technological innova-tion have been well-received by travelers from around the world.

The Washington State Convention & Trade Center hosted nearly 50 major conventions which brought almost 150,000 delegates from around the world to our city and region. These conventions alone accounted for nearly 330,000 room nights and an economic im-pact of $252 million. In conjunction with hotel-booked meetings and a vibrant business travel market, many restaurants and retailers realized the financial benefit that meetings and conventions provide.

Leisure travel to Seattle and the region continues to grow into a year-around business rather than the seasonal market of the past. This is a result of the extensive offerings in the arts, culture, festivals, and sports and recreational events that the area provides. Add to this an array of eclectic restaurants, award-winning Washington State wines and abun-dant shopping opportunities, and Seattle is an undeniable draw throughout the year.

A record 200 sailings from Seattle to Alaska occurred this past year, delivering nearly 400,000 passengers to our city. Recent data projects that between 30 and 35 percent of these Alaska-bound passengers also booked a Seattle area hotel stay prior to or after their cruise. This positive trend will also carry into 2007 and beyond.

Air travel volume also added to the momentum. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport experienced a record 30 million passengers. Airlines increased flights, including British Airways, which added a second non-stop between London and Seattle in summer 2006 in order to accommodate the growing demand from Europe.

To further support our growing tourism industry and more clearly communicate the uniqueness of our destination to meeting planners, tour operators and leisure travel customers from around the world, we launched a new destination brand in October 2006. Since its launch, metronatural has generated more than 170 million impressions and an equivalent advertising value of more than $15 million.

In closing, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our more than 1,000 members for their commitment in working together to welcome all of our guests in a courteous, professional and gracious manner. These are the hallmarks of a great city and just a few of the wonderful things guests can expect when visiting Seattle and the region.

Best wishes for a happy and successful 2007.

Sincerely,

Jeff Wright, Chair

Don Welsh, President & CEO

Mic

hael

nai

man

/tea

m P

hoto

geni

c

Tourism in the NewsThroughout 2006, SCVB promoted the importance of Seattle’s tourism industry to Seattleites. Stories in the local and national media featured record summer tourism, increased convention business and another all-time-high cruise season.

Metronatural LaunchOctober 20, 2006: Metronatural was unveiled to the world in high style. The new Seattle destination brand debuted atop the Space Needle in 18-foot-tall letters. An unveiling ceremony and press conference was held on the Observation Deck with more than 200 members of Seattle’s tourism industry, civic leaders, elected officials and news media in attendance. The brand launch garnered worldwide publicity with a combined circulation of more than 170 million and an equivalent advertising value of more than $15 million, including coverage in USA Today, CNN, CBS News, The London Daily Mirror, MSNBC, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and hundreds of other news media.

Metronatural was developed through a broad-based, grassroots process led by SCVB and creative partner EX-CLAIM, working hand-in-hand with a steering committee comprising representatives from the City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, local hotels, airlines, attractions, restaurants, the arts and many travel industry stakeholders.

2006

Hig

Hli

gH

tS

2006 highlights

Taxi Appreciation DayCoinciding with National Tourism Week in May, SCVB ral-lied the support of Seattle’s tourism community to thank more than 700 taxi drivers for their year-around service as tourism ambassadors and to further educate them about the regional tourism industry. The first-ever Seattle Taxi Appreciation Day was co-hosted by partner organizations that included the Port of Seattle, Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Holland America Line, Aramark, Qwest Field, Seattle South-side Visitor Services, Seattle Hotel Association and others. Seattle’s hospitality team passed out box breakfasts and gift bags to taxi drivers and thanked them for their crucial, though often overlooked, role as frontline greeters of Seattle’s nine million annual visitors.

�P

hoto

by:

Dav

id B

land

ford

Pho

to b

y: J

im F

elt

Seattle’s new tourism slogan is “welcome to metronatural” which replaces their old slogan - “Drummer Wanted”

Saturday Night Live, Oct. 28, 2006

“

Marketing Plan

Seattle Sets Record-High Cruise Business in 2006Last year, cruise business at the Seattle Homeport doubled over the previous three years. The 2006 cruise season achieved a record number of sail-ings and passenger volume, according to the Port of Seattle. Nearly 400,000 passengers embarked on approximately 200 sailings offered by five major cruise lines including Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Line.

Hot Hotel Market Gets Hotter

Seattle and Vancouver Work Locally to Promote GloballyThe boards of directors of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and Tourism Vancouver met in Vancouver in October 2006 to discuss ways of cooperatively promoting the two cities and the Cascadia region. The boards of each CVB voted unanimously to create a study group to examine the viability of jointly bidding on major international sporting and cultural events, including the 2018 World Cup of soccer, 2020 World’s Fair and 2028 Summer Olympics. Further discussions are scheduled in 2007.

Robust Convention BusinessMeetings and conventions were the founda-tion of Seattle’s strong tourism business in 2006. Seattle hosted more than 10 groups of 5,000 or more attendees, many of which experienced record attendance. Groups in-cluded national associations such as the In-ternational Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, American Spine Society and American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Regional corporate groups, such as Micro-soft, convened in Seattle multiple times.

Hotel 1000MTM Luxury Lodging opened its newest property in the heart of downtown Seattle in June.

Pho

to b

y: D

on W

ilson

/ P

ort

of S

eatt

le

Pan Pacific Seattle Hotel

Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts opened its fifth North American property in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood in November.

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of S

teph

en a

llard

Pho

to b

y: t

ouris

m V

anco

uver

/Joh

n S

inal

Photo by: tim thompson �2006 HigHligHtS Marketing Plan

Photo courtesy of Hotel 100

On

tH

e H

Or

izO

n

�

arts and CultureOlympic Sculpture Park The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) opens the nine-acre, $85 million Olympic Sculpture Park in January 2007. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, the park seamlessly connects city and waterfront via an iconic z-shaped traverse from Western Avenue to Elliott Bay, providing a continuous landscape of native plantings and a diverse setting for a wide range of sculptures. The park features internationally-recognized artists, including Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, Roy McMakin, Richard Serra, Beverly Pepper, Mark Dion, Teresita Fernandez and Tony Smith. Panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound add to the ex-perience. A glass and steel pavilion offers event space and an outdoor amphithe-ater provides a unique setting for outdoor films and performances.

Seattle Art Museum Re-OpeningSAM’s newly expanded downtown building is scheduled to open May 5, 2007. The expansion of the museum will accommodate rapidly growing col-lections, programs and audiences. This first phase of Allied Works Architec-ture’s dynamic design will inaugurate 118,000 square feet, including two floors of free public space and 70 percent more gallery space for the museum’s permanent collections and special exhibition programs. SAM will also fea-ture interactive and engaging art installations and artist-created experiences.

on the horizon Hotels in DevelopmentSheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers (second tower addition)Location: Downtown SeattleGuestrooms: 415Open: Spring 2007

Four Seasons Hotel SeattleLocation: Downtown SeattleGuestrooms: 150 Opening: Spring 2008

Silver Cloud Hotel - StadiumLocation: Qwest and Safeco FieldsGuestrooms: 210Opening: Early 2007

Distant Horizon “We are extremely excited by the opportunity to open the Hyatt at Olive 8, our second Seattle ho-tel. the long-term outlook for the city’s hospitality industry, from corporate business, conventions and tourism, is very strong. there is a tremen-dous sense of positive energy in Seattle and we look forward to expanding our presence here.”

Mark Stiebelinggeneral Managergrand Hyatt Seattle

“Seattle is recognized as one of the nation’s leading cultural cities. We should all be proud of our vibrant arts community, from visual art to theater to opera, music, film and dance. as our cultural infrastructure grows, Seattle is also known as a premier cultural destina-tion, welcoming visitors from around the country and around the world.”

Hyatt at Olive 8 Location: Downtown SeattleGuestrooms: 350Opening: Summer 2008

Hyatt PlaceLocation: South Lake Union Guestrooms: 158 Opening: Second Quarter 2008

Hotel “1”Starwood Capital group Location: Downtown SeattleGuestrooms: 110 Opening: Late 2008

Arctic Club Hotelarctic Club llC/Hotel groupLocation: Downtown SeattleGuestrooms: 91Opening: Fall 2007

Hyatt Regency Bellevue(addition to existing property)Location: Downtown BellevueGuestrooms: 350Opening: Late 2008

Pho

to b

y: S

eatt

le a

rt M

useu

m

“The Valley Precinct” of the Olympic Sculpture Park with Richard Serra’s WAKE, 2004P

hoto

by:

Pau

l Mac

apia

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of S

hera

ton

Sea

ttle

Hot

elP

hoto

cou

rtes

y of

Fou

r S

easo

ns H

otel

s &

res

orts

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of F

our

Silv

er C

loud

inns

& H

otel

s

Pho

to b

y: g

rand

Hya

tt S

eatt

le/B

enha

m g

alle

ry

Mimi Gardner Gatesthe illsley Ball nordstrom DirectorSeattle art Museum

�Marketing PlanOn tHe HOrizOn

In 1907, Seattle doubled in size and

gave birth to the Pike Place Market,

the Moore Theatre, Children’s Hospital

and United Parcel Service—ushering in

the age of innovation and creativity for

which we are known worldwide today.

In 2007, Seattle is America’s most liter-

ate and educated city, with the highest

number of arts and arts-related busi-

nesses per capita. No wonder visitors

choose Seattle: it is truly civilization as

nature intended.”

“Greg NickelsMayor of Seattle

Pike Place Market CentennialOn August 17, 2007, the Pike Place Market will celebrate its 100th birthday. Often re-ferred to as “the soul of Seattle,” the market will mark its centennial with events through-out the spring and summer of 2007, culminating in Centennial Week Celebration festivi-ties August 10-17. One of the state’s most popular attractions, eight to 10 million visitors walk through Pike Place Market annually.

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of P

ike

Pla

ce M

arke

t P

Da

Pho

to b

y: M

ai l

i lee

Sports and entertainmentQwest Field fulfilled its promise as an entertainment epicenter in 2006, hosting mega concerts by the Rolling Stones and Kenny Chesney and drawing fans from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. The debut of WaMu Theatre at Quest Field Events Center offered a more intimate, state-of-the-art music and live entertainment venue with seating capacity between 3,300 and 7,000. The new theater, a partnership between Seattle-based First & Goal and AEG Live, showcases state-of-the-art sound, lighting and technological features.

Photo by Seattle times

2005 King County Overnight Visitors Source: CIC Research Inc.

8,000,000

8,500,000

9,000,000

2000

8.64M

2001

8.45M

2002

8.50M

2003

8.73M

2004 2005

9.10M

8.80M

FaC

tS, F

igu

re

S a

nD

Da

ta

facts, figures and data

�

“Washington has breathtak-

ing natural scenery and an

astonishing array of oppor-

tunities for discovery. Seat-

tle’s Convention and Visitors

Bureau is an active partner

with the state in attracting

visitors and continues to

work with smaller commu-

nities to introduce visitors

to destinations throughout

Washington.

“Tourism is a vital ingredi-

ent in the economic vitality

of our state and I applaud

the work of Seattle’s Con-

vention and Visitors Bureau

to spread the word about

the endless opportunities

in Washington. I wish them

continued success.”

Chris Gregoiregovernor of Washington

national Outlook Domestic leisure travel volume increased 2 percent in 2006 and is expected to

increase another 1-2 percent in 2007.

Projected total travel expenditures in 2006 were up 7.5 percent to $702.5 billion with a forecasted increase of another 5.3 percent to $739.6 billion in 2007.

international travel to the u.S. experienced record volume of 51.4 million (up 4 per-cent) and record receipts of $113 billion with further growth forecast for 2007 and beyond.

Domestic business travel volume was flat in 2006 but is expected to increase 1-2 percent in 2007.

Source: The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, Office of Travel & Tourism

Seattle/king County Outlook

Washington State Outlook tourism is one of the state’s largest industries, among aerospace, software and

agriculture, and generated a record $12.7 billion in visitor spending in 2005 (up 6.7 percent). king County accounts for 42 percent of all state travel spending.

143,700 jobs are supported by tourism in Washington State

tourism generates state and local tax revenues of $845 million

Source: Dean Runyan Associates 2005

Marketing Plan

�FaCtS, FigureS anD Data

Lodging$980 m/22.7%

Miscellaneousand Convenience $238 m/5.5%

LocalTransportation$387 m/8.9%

Entertainment$348 m/8.0%

Meals & Beverages$1,324 m/30.6%

Shopping$1,045 m/24.2%

2005 King County Estimated Visitor Expenditures ($4.32 billion) Source: CIC Research Inc.

2005 King County Visitor Generated Tax Revenues ($376 million) Source: CIC Research Inc.

Sales Tax$316m / 84%

Convention Tax$36m / 10%

Rental Car Tax$24m / 6%

“Seattle and King County

attracted record numbers

of visitors last year. They

came for our rich culture

and heritage, wealth of

outdoor recreation and

sporting events, restau-

rants, wineries, shopping

and to attend meetings

at conference centers

and hotels throughout

the county. Thanks in

part to the ongoing mar-

keting efforts of Seattle’s

Convention and Visitors

Bureau, the region can

expect continued tourism

growth in the future.”

Ron Simsking County executive

Seattle Visitor ProfileSource: CIC Research Inc.

Age: 40 years old

Median household income: $62,600

Average group size: 2.3 people

Average length of stay: 7.4 nights

Average spend per visit: $474

Average spend per day: $64

FaC

tS, F

igu

re

S a

nD

Da

ta

�0

Rest of U.S.& Overseas52%

Canada5% Montana

3%

Washington12%

California14%

Oregon8%

Texas 3%

Idaho3%

2005 Seattle Source Markets Source: CIC Research Inc.

2005 Primary Purpose of Trip/Overnight Visitors to King County Source: CIC Research Inc.

Other

Convention/Conference

Pleasure/Vacation

Visiting Friends/Relatives

20%

2%

9%

0% 10% 30% 40%

8%

50%

41%

Business

40%

2005 Summary Characteristics of Overnight Visitors Source: CIC Research Inc.

Income

Daily Spend

Average Days

Total Spend

$63,300 $68,600 $60,100 $62,600

$60 $137 $116 $64

7.8 4.3 5.5 7.4

$468 $589 $638 $474

TouristAverage or

Median

AverageHotel/Motel

Guest

Average Convention Delegate

Hotel Average Daily RatesSource: Smith Travel Research

2002

King County(32,000 rooms)

Downtown Seattle(11,800 rooms)

2003 2004 2005 2006 YTD(October)

$90

$120

$150

$99

$127

$98

$123

$100

$128

$106

$134

$119

$152

Hotel Occupancy PercentageSource: Smith Travel Research

2002



2003 2004 2005 2006 YTD(October)

60%

70%

80%

61%

65.7%

63.1%

67.0%65.0%

69.1% 68.5%

73.1%72.5%

76.5%

Hotel Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)Source: Smith Travel Research

2002



2003 2004 2005 2006 YTD(October)

$50

$90

$130

$61

$99

$61

$82

$65

$88

$72

$98

$87

$117

Hotel/Motel

��Marketing PlanFaCtS, FigureS anD Data

transportationAirline Industry Through the third quarter of 2006, U.S. airlines have seen

an increase in domestic passengers (up .2 percent), international passengers (up 5.9 percent) and total passengers (up .9 percent).(Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

Sea-Tac International Airport surpassed 30 million pas-sengers for the first time in 2006, making it the 17th busiest commercial service airport in the United States.(Source: Port of Seattle)

Rail Travel Amtrak trains carried 24.3 million passengers in fiscal year

2006, marking the fourth consecutive year of record ridership.(Source: Amtrak)

In 2006, Amtrak trains carried 583,766 passengers to and from Seattle. (Source: Amtrak)

Cruise Industry Cruise ships hosted 11.7 million passengers around the

world in 2006, with 31 million Americans declaring a strong intent to cruise within the next three years. (Source: Cruise Lines International Association)

2006 was the eighth consecutive year of growth for Port of Seattle cruise sailings and passenger volumes.(Source: Port of Seattle)

Marketing Plan

��

Arrivedby Air44%

Other9 %

Arrivedby Auto48 %

2005 Transportation to King CountySource: CIC Research Inc.

0

50

100

150

200

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

148

99

7559

36

6 350,

000

pass

enge

rs

396,

000

pass

enge

rs

170196

2007(e)41

2,00

0 pa

ssen

gers

190

Hotel Market Comparision: Downtown Seattle vs. National AverageThrough Third Quarter 2006Source: Smith Travel Research

RevPAR

80

0

$99

160

National Average Downtown Seattle Average

$63

Occupancy Percentage

65.276.3

ADR

$97

$152

$116

Sea-Tac International Airport Passenger VolumeSource: Port of Seattle

24,000,000

26,000,000

28,000,000

30,000,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006(f)

350,

000

pass

enge

rs

26,799,91326,738,55827,036,073

28,804,554

29,289,02630,000,000+

Port of Seattle Cruise Ship SailingsSource: Port of Seattle

Me

MB

er

SH

iP O

PP

Or

tun

itie

S

The SCVB Membership Department connects local busi-nesses with the lucrative visitor market through a wide range of publications and a host of signature events, seminars and orientations throughout the year.

Since SCVB members target a wide variety of markets and employ differing strategies for reaching them, the Member-ship team is available to recommend specific SCVB pro-grams that fit member needs. Finding the most cost-effective solutions for members is always a priority.

In 2007, several initiatives will be employed to enhance the business of more than 1,000 SCVB member organizations, connecting their products and services with tourists, conven-tion delegates, meeting planners, professional travel planners and the media.

actions for 2007 will include:

integrate the new Seattle brand into all

SCVB collateral materials, including the e-news-

letter, event invitations and notifications of

upcoming marketing opportunities.

Create new member promotional opportu-

nities on the redesigned SCVB website.

improve and enhance the membership

content on the SCVB website.

install new software for improved mem-

ber access to information and data collection.

enhance the SCVB electronic newsletter to

provide more timely and useful news to members.

membership opportunities

��

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

onP

hoto

by:

nic

k g

unde

rson

Steve Maris, Rosemary Rasp

Calendar of Member Events and Promotional Opportunities(Subject to change; updates available to members via SCVB web site)

Marketing Plan

��MeMBerSHiP OPPOrtunitieS

CA

LE

ND

AR

MOntH eVent/PrOMOtiOnal OPPOrtunity

January “Presenting the 2007 SCVB Marketing Plan” annual presentation

“Night at the Sonics” evening event

“Getting the Most from Your Membership” meeting

March “Olympic Sculpture Park” breakfast event

April “Getting the Most from Your Membership” meeting

May “Cruise Industry Kickoff” luncheon event

June “Unlocking the Meetings and Convention Market” how-to event

July “Getting the Most from Your Membership” meeting

September Washington Wine networking event

October “Getting the Most from Your Membership” meeting

November “Internet Marketing” how-to event

December “Annual Holiday Breakfast”

Ongoing SCVB website advertising and links

Citywide Concierge Center bookings and referral programs

Airport brochure distribution

Visitor mailing lists and brochure direct mail programs

Member-to-member mailing list and e-mailing program

��

Membership

WSCTCSCVB

Hotel Community

Visitors & Customers

The Seattle Partnership

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S

The meetings industry is a global economic engine that contributes more than $122.3 billion to the U.S. economy alone, according to the Conven-tion Industry Council (CIC). In 2006, the global meetings industry is expected to grow for a third consecutive year, according to Meeting Profes-sionals International (MPI), signaling a positive economic impact on many facets of the industry, including hotels, airlines and convention centers.

According to the 2004 ExPact Study (DMAI’s Convention Expenditure and Impact Study), spending averages for an event with exhibitors totalled $945 per delegate, $6,753 per exhibiting company and $454,673 per event organizer.

In 2006, it is estimated that Seattle’s meetings and conventions market exceeded $650 million in economic impact throughout the region. Meetings and conventions generated through SCVB were valued at more than $402 million in economic impact.

convention sales

Pho

to b

y: J

ames

t. H

ouse

l

“in the 18 years since the Washington State Convention & trade Center opened, millions of delegates attending events here have pumped over $2 billion into the state’s economy. the Center has been directly responsible for the creation of thou-sands of good jobs in our region, a steady flow of revenue to business and government, and a lower tax burden for residents of Washington state.”

Frank K. Finneran Chairman, Washington State Convention & trade Center

Washington State Convention & Trade Center Board of Directorsleft to right: Susana Gonzalez-Murillo, Vice Chair Deryl Brown-Archie, Kathy Coffey, Jerome L. Hillis, Chairman and CEO Frank K. Finneran, J. Terry McLaughlin, Karen Wong, Robert J. Flowers, Rick S. Bender

Pho

to b

y: J

ules

Fra

zier

��Marketing PlanCOnVentiOn SaleS anD SerViCeS

Alison LaFolletteWashington D.C. Office

Wendy PetersenMidwest Office

Stephanie TroutWashington D.C. Office

The SCVB sales team works cohesively with Seattle’s destination sales and marketing team, composed of hotels, the WSCTC and SCVB member businesses, to forge a com-petitive advantage and offer consistent, unified professionalism to its customers.

SCVB HeadquartersEight convention sales managers are based in the Seattle headquarters office. The office generates leads from all market segments throughout the U.S.

Washington, D.C. OfficeTwo sales team members are located in the SCVB Washington, D.C. office. Washing-ton, D.C. houses more than 7,000 associations, ranking first in the country. SCVB team members in this office generate leads from all market segments in The District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

Midwest OfficeOne sales team member is located in the SCVB Midwest office. Chicago and the sur-rounding area ranks second in the U.S. in number of association headquarters with ap-proximately 2,000 organizations. The Midwest Office generates leads from all market seg-ments in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Front row, left to right: Joan Cahill, Season Hansen, Julia Smith

Second row, left to right: Janet Hunter, Joan Magnano-Damm, Julianne Gaffield, Cynthia Lydum

third row, left to right: Tasha Sawabini, Lauren Curtin, Tim Quigley, Audrey Fan

Back row, left to right: Tom Norwalk, Chris Garratt, Michael McQuade

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

Pho

to b

y: B

en V

an H

oute

n

��

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S Seattle Market updateWashington State Convention & Trade Center The WSCTC’s consistent and well-deserved reputation as a midsized, first class facility—focused on quality service and culinary excel-lence—is rare in the convention center world and very beneficial to Seattle’s convention sales efforts. The center’s on-site Tasting Room, which opened in 2005, is still a unique selling feature among conven-tion centers and continues to help differentiate the WSCTC from other centers. The center is now being sold and marketed more like a “great hotel” than a convention center, due to its excellent core location, focus on service and the balanced hotel inventory within 2 to 3 blocks. These attributes, combined with a vibrant, dynamic and healthy downtown, have helped Seattle overcome the center’s size limitations.

Hotels, Off-Site Venues and Conference CentersIn Spring 2007, the Sheraton Seattle Hotel will open a second tower with 415 guestrooms and more than 31,000 square feet of new, addi-tional meeting space. This will bring the expanded property to a total of 1,253 guestrooms and 75,000 square feet of meeting space, making it Seattle’s first 1,000-plus-guestroom hotel. The addition will be a key fac-tor in attracting conventions and meetings to Seattle and the WSCTC. The ability to now offer a 1,000-room block in one property with such close proximity to the center is a major selling feature. The new Sheraton Seattle tower guestrooms will increase Seattle’s “Select Hotel” supply by an additional 5 percent in 2007.

Market Segments All Meetings and Conventions: 2001-10/31/2006

Misc. 3%Medical/HealthOrganizations 20%

Corporate 16%

Cultural 2%

Trade/Business Associations 10%

Trade/Consumer Shows 2%

Scientific Engineering Societies 15%

SMERF 8%

Education 9%

Sports/Athletics 4%

Legal/Government 11%

Market Segments/WSCTC WSCTC Meetings and Conventions: 2001-10/31/2006

Misc. 2%Medical/HealthOrganizations 27%

Trade/ConsumerShows 1%

Corporate 15%

Trade/Business Associations 10%

Scientific Engineering Societies 21%

SMERF 3%

Education 11%

Cultural 2%

Legal/Government 8%

* Includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin

DC/MD/VA31%

Other21%

WashingtonState

15%

New York7%

Midwest*17%

California5%

Colorado4%

Geographic Origin—USAWSCTC Meetings and Conventions(Room Nights) 2001-10/31/2006

DC/MD/VA29%

Other22%

WashingtonState19%

New York6%

Midwest*15%

California6%

Colorado3%

* Includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin

Geographic Origin—USAAll Meetings and Conventions(Room Nights) 2001-10/31/2006


WaMu Theater at Qwest Field Events Center opened in late 2006. This multi-purpose music and live entertainment venue is ideal for corporate events, seminars and special events with flexible seating capacity between 3,300 and 7,000 people and space for meetings, receptions or food and beverage service.

Meeting Market SegmentsSeattle’s large and internationally acclaimed infrastructure of medicine, research, biotechnology, technology and aerospace—coupled with world- class academia—offers a very compelling and competitive advantage over other destinations in luring scientific, medical and engineering associations. Seattle’s meeting market mix is diversified, healthy and continues to show growth in the higher revenue generating segments. Due to the extensive offering of both urban and outdoor attractions, Seattle continues to attract these types of groups.

Seattle’s strongest market segments are also the ones most coveted by every competing destination and mega-hotel center. SCVB’s competitive posture will be to protect and defend Seattle’s market share while aggressively find-ing new, first-time convention center user groups.

Health and Medical AssociationsThe worldwide reputations of the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in addition to Seattle’s emerging bio-tech industry, all contribute to Seattle’s dominance in this market segment. Additionally, Seattle is home to an abundance of teaching hospitals which offer research opportunities and talented and tenured medical staffs. Seattle’s number one market segment holds potential for further growth, as associa-tions within this segment are experiencing record-breaking attendance. Recent groups have included the North American Spine Association (6,400 attendees), International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (5,000) and Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (3,000).

Scientific/Engineering Associations This market segment delivers reliable room nights. Chal-lenges in booking these groups include both the short-term booking commitments and the ultra-conservative contracting of just half of their anticipated blocks. Recent groups have included the American Society of Mass Spectrometry (6,000 attendees), the American Society of Safety Engineers (4,500) and American Statistical As-sociation (5,500).

“Our annual meeting in Seattle was a huge success. We did have some initial concerns about moving from a hotel to a convention center, but i am happy to report that every-one in Seattle made the transition seamless and your staff and facilities exceeded our expectations in service and hospitality. We look forward to coming back to Seattle for a future meeting.”

Heather Brinton Parker, CMP Director, Office of Membership & Constituent Services association of american Medical Colleges

Pho

to b

y: H

B W

eine

r/tw

o D

ownt

own,

ltd

. /S

eatt

leP

hoto

by:

WaM

u th

eatr

e at

Qw

est

Fiel

d e

vent

s C

ente

r

above: Washington State Convention & trade Center.Below: WaMu theatre at Qwest Field events Center

��

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S Corporate MeetingsThe current state of the economy and corporate market is healthy, which has resulted in increased individual business travel as well as corporate meetings. This trend is projected to continue through 2007. With many of the major Fortune 500 corporations headquartered in the greater Seattle area (Microsoft, Starbucks, Washington Mutual), the region’s hospitality community has greatly benefited from increased meetings-related produc-tivity of these companies.

Fueled by Boeing’s recent success, regional industry such as biotech and technology are expected to continue to thrive, which in turn will spur further growth in hospitality business. The growth of regional cruise ship sailings will also stimulate revenues for the incentive market with specific emphasis in the insurance and financial industries. To capitalize on such regional growth, SCVB has re-deployed its sales force to allow two managers to prospect and capture more short-term meeting opportu-nities for bureau members. Despite the strong regional economy and increased national meeting demand, Seattle continues to face some challenges in the corporate meet-

ings market. Short-term availability and double-bedded room inventory can create logistical challenges for the SCVB sales team. However, these same changes allow SCVB to showcase one of its biggest selling features: a sales team made up of professionals who understand the complexity and intensity of planning corporate meetings.

Corporate groups typically have two to three off-site receptions for attend-ees during their meetings. Fortunately, Seattle has many unique venues, such as Experience Music Project and the Museum of Flight, to accom-modate groups sized between 1,500 and 2,000. The new 5,300-seat WaMu Theater at Qwest Field & Events Center compliments this inventory of venues and will help entice larger groups.

Education AssociationsEducation association meeting planners continue to report record at-tendance when gathering in Seattle. Many factors unique to Seattle con-tribute to this phenomenon, including a strong academic community, the compact meetings package of downtown Seattle and having twice been named “America’s Most Educated City.” Some recent groups have included the American Association of Medical Colleges (4,000 attend-ees) and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administra-

CITY FACILITY EXHIBIT SPACE

MEETING SPACE

COMMITTABLE HOTEL ROOMS ON PEAK NIGHT

SALES PERSONNEL

TOTAL CVB BUDGET

SeattleWashington State Convention & Trade Center

205,700 57,000 4,000 16 $8,168,000

Anaheim Anaheim Convention Center 815,000 130,000 not supplied 15 $9,000,000

Vancouver, BC Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre 91,000 25,000 6,704 13 $10,820,625

San Francisco Moscone Center (North, South & West) 638,376 359,000 6,000 15 $14,000,000

San Diego San Diego Convention Center 525,701 204,114 6,775 28 $12,323,734

Los Angeles Los Angeles Convention Center 720,000 150,000 not supplied 22 $18,000,000

Phoenix Phoenix Convention Center 146,000 80,000 2,185 21 $13,700,000

Denver Colorado Convention Center 584,000 100,000 5,500 20 $12,500,000

Competitive Landscape


tors (2,500). Seattle’s strong recent hotel performance has increased downtown room rates, causing some rated education associations to look to other, more economical cities.

Trade/Business/Commercial AssociationsAlthough slow to emerge from the poor economy, this segment tends to book short-term and is cautious and conservative in projecting room blocks. This segment offers an excellent potential to host large groups. Recent groups have included the Project Management Institute (4,000 attendees), Professional Association for SQL Server (1,600) and International Association of Culinary Professionals (1,500).

Government MeetingsSuccess in the government market segment is largely based on supply and demand. This is true throughout Seattle’s competitive set and around the country. Recent increases in the government per diem for King and Pierce Counties have helped some hotels to continue to book this business. Since this market segment is still desirable by many member hotels, SCVB will continue to actively sell and compete in this segment.

Recent groups have included the National Recreation & Park Association (8,000 attendees) and United States Department of Energy (2,000).

getting reaDy FOr PCMa in 2008

Seattle will host the Professional Conven-tion Management association (PCMa) an-nual Meeting January 13-17, 2008. this is the first meeting in the Pacific northwest for this international association of meetings indus-try professionals dedicated to educating and promoting the value of professional convention management. Seattle is poised to take advan-tage of the exposure and maximize the poten-tial for future meeting business.

the convention will showcase Seattle and the surrounding area to 2,500-3,200 meeting professionals, CeOs and meetings and con-vention industry suppliers, many of whom are decision-makers of future business.

the economic impact for the immediate meeting in January 2008 is $4.5 million, though the potential economic impact from future business stimulated by the meeting is several times greater.

the combined buying power of PCMa members is more than $18 billion in potential meetings and conventions.

throughout 2007, SCVB will prepare to host PCMa, engaging the participation of Seattle’s destination sales and services team. For more information, contact Joan Cahill at (206) 461-5834 or [email protected].

“We are extremly pleased to bring the PCMA Annual Meeting to Seattle for the first time in 2008. As the meeting industry’s premier event, the PCMA Annual Meeting has historically drawn over 3,000 senior-level industry professionals and generated an estimated $200-300 million to its host city over the next five to 10 years. Seattle’s unique combination of natural beauty and innovative urban pulse will make it an exceptional annual meeting destination that is sure to appeal to our attendees.”

Pho

to b

y: P

CM

a

Deborah SextonPresident and CeO PCMa and PCMa educational Foundation

�0

Multi-Cultural Associations and GroupsSCVB has a long-term commitment to this market segment, identifying and targeting organizations with the potential to meet in Seattle and, when possible, joining or otherwise engaging key associations within the segment. SCVB’s role with the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) has broadened to include a mentoring role involv-ing new NCBMP members attending their conference. Recent groups have included the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (2,600 attendees), Asian Northwest Cultural Edu-cation Association (5,000) and The Links Incorporated (3,500).

SportsSCVB works in conjunction with the Seattle Sports Commission to create greater awareness of the destination’s strength as a sports event and related meeting site. As the Seattle Sports Commission gains momentum, there are more opportunities to book such business. In 2006, SCVB has generated close to 10,000 room nights in the sports market with another 8,100 tentative room nights. SCVB and Seattle Sports Commission staff will attend the National Association of Sports Commissions and participate in several other bid presenta-tions throughout the year. Recent groups have included the Amateur Softball Association of America’s Girls A Level National Fast Pitch Championships, the Senior Softball Association’s Senior Softball World Championship and the Eritrean Sports Federation in North America’s Annual Sports Festival.

Competition and lost Business Seattle’s number one overriding selling feature is a small to mid-sized convention center offering a high-quality meeting experience in the heart of a vibrant and walkable downtown. The WSCTC size and very limited or non-existent expansion opportunities currently make it the smallest convention center among Seattle’s competitive set. Re-cently completed or ongoing expansion projects in Vancouver, Denver and Phoenix further eclipse Seattle’s convention center capabilities and position in the west. In fact, new TAP (Trends Analysis Projec-tions) data, based on a broader competitive set of 17 cities, ranks Seattle last in size of convention center meeting and exhibition space.

This new reality makes Seattle’s strategy of protecting and defend-ing market share of high-end segment associations more critical now than ever before. Finding new and emerging groups that could utilize a convention center is also key. Central to both strategies is how Seattle and the WSCTC are differentiated in a very competitive and overbuilt convention facility market.

Seattle’s excellent product and strong partnership sales efforts have afforded a very high conversion (closing) percentage of tentative business, running more than 30 percent. However, current trends

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S

0

100,000

200,000

HotelRates

DateAvailability

WSCTCSize

HQ Hotel Size

2004 Year-End 2005 Year-End 2006 YTD(October)

131

172159

133142

184

7860

106 107109127

Lost Convention Room Nights2004-10/31/2006

2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12%

Las VegasDenver

PortlandVancouver

AnaheimSalt Lake City

OrlandoNew Orleans

San Francisco 10.7

6.96.2

5.83.63.5

2.92.92.8

San Diego 9.8

Lost Business Analysis—% of Top Cities Room Nights Lost 2001-10/31/2006

60.0

90.0

70.0

80.0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2010+

67.6

72.4

77.2

80.582.3

85.1

92.7

Total Convention Center Space (National)(in millions of square feet)Source: Tradeshow Week


indicate that Seattle is increasingly loosing future business due to high hotel rates and losing meeting space. These two trends are not expected to change in 2007. There will be more pressure on SCVB to convert future business (that fits for the city) in a high-demand, high RevPAR environment. The strong Seattle sales partnership and new, highly-visible destination brand will help.

looking aheadSimply put, 2007 has the potential to be the best meeting and convention year in recent Seattle history.

Not only is the total room night pace up by more than 8 percent (during same period for 2006), but the placement of the 2007 business is extraordinarily good for Seattle’s hospi-tality partners. Currently, business on the books for the first quarter of 2007 is 120 percent ahead of 2006. This translates to 137,000 room nights compared with 57,000 room nights in 2006. Conversely, group business on the books for the high transient demand third quarter of 2007 is down 25 percent, allowing hotels to manage yield and sell more transient business in the prime summer months.

As identified previously, 2008 does continue to provide some short-term booking opportunities but SCVB is working diligent-ly with its hotel and convention center partners to fill the space. Currently, the pace of group business on the books is behind by 19 percent. However, an aggressive need period action plan has been in place for months and, encouragingly, the tentative pipe-line for 2008 business is growing. The most critical action step is the conversion of the current tentative backlog. It is expected

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

439,258

2001

488,438

2002

484,193

2003

485,463

2004

535,194

2005

542,000

2006(f )

555,000

2007(f )

Booking Goals vs. Actual—Historical Comparision

* Citywide and WSCTC Bookings

2002 ACTUAL 2003 ACTUAL 2004 ACTUAL 2005 ACTUAL 2006 ACTUAL (F) 2007 GOALS

WSCTC* 53 331,833

57 333,609

45 343,461

53 345,779

42 362,280

48 365,000

Hotels 450 205,341

485 201,570

442 225,766

570 195,458

553 171,972

575 200,000

Total 503 537,174

542 535,179

487 569,227

623 541,237

595 534,252

623 565,000

WSCTC Room Night ComparisonTotal Room Nights Booked by Quarter (through 12/1/06)

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

1st Qtr 48,204 56,458 126,933 33,515 49,526

2nd Qtr 106,158 113,065 93,814 72,436 130,850

3rd Qtr 91,974 110,489 81,370 73,612 35,337

4th Qtr 79,307 49,657 61,002 53,466 19,475

TOTAL 325,643 329,669 363,119 233,029 235,188

Consumed/Booked Group Room Nights - History/Forecast

��

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S

that by early 2007 the large pace differential for 2008 will be down to 5 percent below the prior year. In comparison with 2007—a record year that will be a hard act to follow—this is relatively good news.

The only other major concern for the future (besides traditional need periods and potential waterfront tunnel/viaduct impacts) is converting 2012 tentatives. At this time, the conversion rate for 2012 is at 17 percent (compared to the average of 30 percent). The good news is that there is a strong tentative pipeline at this point for 2012.

Strategies and tacticsLeverage and Communicate Seattle and the New Seattle Destination Brand: Strategically place advertising and editorial mes-sages in key convention trade media throughout 2007.

Execute Strategic Need Periods Action Plan: Working with the WSCTC and Seattle hotel partners, address need periods by market seg-ment for 2008 and further years; promote a future booking calendar that encourages Seattle hot dates, utilizing ConventionPlanit, Hot Rates and SCVB’s PCMA database agreement; communicate need periods to third- party organizations and GSOs; and promote key connections with third parties, ConferenceDirect, HelmsBriscoe and Expedient.

Build Tentative Backlog to 1.2 Million Room Nights for All Future Years: Increase the current backlog by 15 percent over 2006 by creating new selling opportunities and markets (including secondary markets such as Denver, Minneapolis, New York and California) and modifying the sales incentive plan for both the regional sales office and Seattle team to focus on tentative production.

Re-deploy SCVB Sales Team to Focus on Short-Term Busi-ness Opportunities and Need Periods: Dedicate more attention to top-producing and high-potential market segments, leverage short-term opportunities with Hot Rates, ConventionPlanit and similar conven-tion industry web sites, increase the number of sales trips to key markets and create a second sales position dedicated to top regional and national Fortune 500 opportunities.

Leverage PCMA Investment to Maximize Potential 2008 on ROI: Deploy a Special Projects Director to manage all aspects of PCMA planning and coordinate direct sales and promotional opportunities to all PCMA members throughout 2007, including promotion at the 2007 PCMA conference in Toronto.

Create New Selling Opportunities and Markets for the Seattle Partnership: Focusing on secondary markets, identify and develop new or emerging groups within this industry that may consider Seattle. Additional sales efforts will encourage appropriately-sized groups to meet at WSCTC; targets will be growing groups that have not previ-ously considered meeting at a convention center.

Continue to Advocate Building Seattle’s Group Base During Future High Occupancy, High Rate and RevPAR Periods: Establish quarterly strategy meetings with TAP Task Force, reestablish bimonthly WSCTC/SCVB booking calendar reviews, distribute regular Convention Alerts to a broader audience and increase awareness of the importance of the convention industry in Seattle.

Create One-Of-A-Kind Customer Advisory Board: Work in conjunction with the Washington State Convention & Trade Center to provide industry feedback, competitive marketing data and other informa-tion that is crucial to crafting a competitive advantage in the meetings and conventions market.

Partner with the Sheraton Seattle and Capitalize on its Sec-ond Tower Opening in 2007: Target new groups through sales and public relations activities, coordinating quarterly strategy meetings with senior Sheraton management, WSCTC and SCVB and other partners, and aggressively publicize Seattle’s new 1,000-room convention hotel to convention trade media.

Enhance Marketing Technology: Develop Informz marketing technology to communicate with meeting planners in a more personal and cost-effective way; expand the meeting planners portion of the SCVB web site with client tools, new content and an electronic, downloadable version of the Seattle Event Planning Kit.

Maintain Minority Outreach Sales Efforts: Continue strong visibility and sales activity in the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners organization and assess involvement with the Hispanic Meeting Planners organization.

Leverage Local Connections: Protect and defend Seattle’s market share with Microsoft, Starbucks, Washington Mutual and other key local accounts with assistance from the SCVB board of directors; and continue to solicit SCVB and WSCTC boards to help identify new prospects for meetings and conventions.


Date eVent lOCatiOn

5-7 Association for Convention Operations Management Toronto

7-10 Professional Convention Management Association Toronto

20-23 Meeting Professionals International—Professional Education Conference New Orleans

7-8 ConferenceDirect Annual Meeting Chicago

11-14 CESSE Midwinter Board Meeting Tucson

1 Destination Showcase Washington, D.C.

26-27 Pharmaceutical Meeting Planners Forum Philadelphia

15-17 PCMA Leadership Conference Orlando

17-20 National Association of Sports Commissions Dallas

2-6 Society of Government Meeting Professionals Atlantic City

10-11 Chicago Client Event Chicago

3-5 Washington Society of Association Executives Vancouver

13 PCMA Foundation Dinner Washington, D.C.

14 Greater Washington Society of Association Executives— Springtime in the Park Washington, D.C.

17-20 Council of Engineering & Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) Halifax, Nova Scotia

18-21 Destination Marketing Association International Pittsburgh

29-31 Meeting Professionals Internationa—World Education Conference Montreal

11-14 American Society of Association Executives Chicago

5-6 Affordable Meetings Washington, D.C.

TBD Washington D.C. Client Event Washington, D.C.

TBD Financial Insurance Conference Planners TBD

TBD National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners TBD

TBD PCMA Greater Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting Chicago

11 Association Forum Holiday Showcase Chicago

28-30 International Association of Exhibitions and Events San Diego

TBD Meeting Professionals Internationa—MACE Washington, D.C.

CA

LE

ND

AR January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

November

December

MOntH

Travel, Promotion and Trade Shows - January - December, 2007

��

The Convention and Visitor Services (CVS) team reflect, provide and enhance every customer experience in Seattle. Team members are often the direct contact point between visitors and members and are the ambassadors of Seattle’s hospitality community. The CVS team includes: Convention Services, Convention Housing and the Citywide Concierge Center. In a city known worldwide for outstanding service, the CVS mission is to enhance every guest experience and stimulate economic benefit for members.

Strategies and tacticsIncrease Convention Spend for SCVB Members in 2007: Increase revenue opportunities and business referrals to SCVB members from all areas of CVS and investigate and build new revenue opportunities.

Provide Attendance Boosting Strategies: Stimulate attendance for 2007 and 2008 conventions through promotional travel, collateral and partner collaboration.

Promote the Value and Impact of Convention and Visitor Spending: Communicate, publicize and educate members about the value and importance of the meetings and visitor industry in Seattle.

Defend and Increase the Share of Convention Hous-ing Business for 2007 and 2008: Promote SCVB housing services early in the sales process and support throughout the service contact.

CO

nV

en

tiO

n S

ale

S a

nD

Se

rV

iCe

S convention and visitor services

Convention Housing— Historical and Proposed 2007

2006 2007

# Groups 15 14

# Rooms 22,332 22,075

# Room nights 97,082 105,579

CA

LEN

DA

R

Date eVent PlaCe

Jan 5 - 7 Association for Convention Operations Management (ACOM) Toronto

Jan 7 - 10 Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Toronto

Mar 24 - 29 Society of Toxicology Charlotte, NC

Aug 22 - 24 Passkey Group Housing Forum Boston

Oct 11 - 14 Western Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus Anchorage

left to right: Ann Peavey, Kae Block, Susan Ranney, Adriane Friedman

Pho

to b

y: C

arl M

urra

y

internatiOnal tOuriSM DeVelOPMent Marketing Plan

��

The SCVB Tourism Development team works proactively with the Port of Seattle and Washington State Tourism to expand the base of destina-tion product and increase the number, length of stay and average spend of international visitors to Seattle, Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.

Situation analysisThe U.S. Department of Commerce predicts a 6 percent increase in overseas visitors to the U.S. in 2007 over 2006, following growth of 7 percent in 2006 over 2005.

Riding the same positive trend, Seattle received a record 347,000 over-seas visitors in 2005, up from 325,000 in 2004. Seattle’s primary mar-kets of Japan, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australia and Germany remain steady. France, Taiwan and Korea are strong secondary markets. Emerging markets such as China, Mexico and Latin America are evalu-ated and addressed as new air service is added.

Overseas travelers take longer trips and spend more than domestic travel-ers. Many have visited the United States multiple times and are seeking new destinations and experiences. A trend toward independent travel (FIT), as opposed to group travel, is expected to continue. Other trends include shorter decision-making and booking times, increasing online travel purchases and targeting specific consumer market segments.

The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) and other travel asso-ciations are coordinating industry and governmental efforts to mini-mize the impact of high fuel costs and fuel surcharges, security concerns and airport security requirements, new border entry procedures and passport requirements and other potentially negative influences on overseas travel to the U.S.

Primary MarketsJapanJapan is expected to be the number one international overseas market for Seattle and Washington State in 2007. As Japanese baby boomers begin to retire, the potential for longer-stay, higher-spend visitors will continue to grow. The destination’s consistent presence, promotion and successful brand campaign (“Seattle-Washington, Living Cool, Loving Nature”) have helped keep Japanese consumer, travel trade and media interest in Seattle and Washington State high. In 2007, SCVB and its partners will expand on the destination’s base of appeal from baseball, nature and lifestyle to include Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability (LOHAS), currently a strong trend in Japan and one that fits naturally with Seattle’s image as a clean, relaxed, safe, unique American destination that is relatively close to Japan. Japanese travelers continue to be drawn by the region’s fresh seafood, delicious cuisine and award-winning local wines and beer. In 2007, Washington wine tourism will be an emphasis

in destination marketing efforts. Other Japanese target markets include women in their 30s and 40s, mothers and daughters, “Renaissance Men” in their 30s and 40s, technical tour groups and students of all ages.

United Kingdom and IrelandTravelers from the United Kingdom to the U.S. are expect-ed to increase by 6 percent in 2006, the same percentage gain as in 2005. The UK is the second largest market for Seattle and Washington State, although the largest market for the U.S. as a whole. The UK economy is expected to remain in a state of growth (about 2.5 percent annually through 2009). UK consumers typically spend 12.7 nights on a U.S. holiday and they are likely to take multiple holidays during the year.

Ireland, although a separate market, is easily accessed using existing resources in the UK and and so marketing initiatives are combined. The Irish market grew 11 percent in 2005 and further growth of 17 percent is expected for 2006.

international tourism development

left to right: Michael Kurtz, Brad Jones, Marj Snyder, Joshua Ratliff

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

inte

rn

atiO

na

l tOu

riS

M D

eV

elO

PM

en

t

inte

rn

ati

On

al

tOu

riS

M D

eV

elO

PM

en

t

��

Baby Boomers are currently the most influential purchasing group for travel in the UK. 61 percent of all adults are Internet users with 32 percent of UK consumers making online travel bookings last year. By 2010, Mintel, a consumer research firm, expects that 50 percent of all travel will be booked online. However, complicated long-haul trips and niche market products do not sell as well online. Coach touring continues to fall as the “older” market looks for more exciting holi-day experiences.

In June 2006, British Airways added three weekly roundtrip flights between London’s Heathrow Airport and Seattle to accommodate demand.

2007 SCVB marketing efforts in the UK and Ireland will focus on the three largest growth areas: city breaks, pre- and post-cruise opportunities and niche markets. Niche markets with potential from the UK include bird watching, eco-tours, soft adventure, garden tours, golf, wine and culinary tours, walking and hiking tours, spas and well being. Efforts will also include working with companies using multimedia combinations to sell holiday experiences online.

AustraliaAustralia became the sixth largest overseas market for the U.S. in 2005 with a record 581,000 visitors, a 12 percent increase over 2004. Further growth is expected for 2006 and 2007. The average length of stay in the U.S. increased to 24 nights in 2005, up from three nights in 2004. The Australian dollar has risen against the U.S. dollar in recent years, making the U.S. seem more affordable. The top-three activities of Aussie travelers are dining in restaurants, shopping and sightseeing in cities. Increased air service to San Francisco and Vancouver, B.C. in 2006 will make Seattle more easily accessible in 2007. Marketing efforts in Australia will continue to focus on the travel trade and media.

GermanyArrivals from Germany grew 7 percent in 2005 and forecasts for growth of 7 percent and 5 percent in 2006 and 2007, respectively, clearly indicate that German travel to the U.S. has bounced back from a few years ago. Annual leave for Germans is up to six weeks which allows for plenty of time to take a U.S. holiday. The western states continue to be popular and once first tier attractions such as the Grand Canyon and the Southwest have been explored, German travelers tend to be inter-ested in returning to the Pacific Northwest on a future trip. Marketing efforts will focus on select tour operators and media.

Secondary MarketsFranceThe U.S. is one of the top choices among long-haul destinations for French travelers. There has been some increase in product to Seattle and Washing-ton State. One of the most noticeable trends in France is the rapid growth of the Internet for planning and booking trips. SCVB will continue to partner with the Port of Seattle and Washington State Tourism to solicit and obtain new air service between France and Seattle while simultaneously maintaining tourism marketing contract support in France to raise the destination profile among French media and travel trade.

emerging MarketsChinaChinese visitors to the U.S. rose to 405,000 in 2005. This significant influx ranked China 12th among international arrivals to the U.S., up 33 percent since 2004. There has been a 40 percent shift from business to leisure travel among first-time Chinese visitors to the U.S. Seattle and Washington State, among other destinations on the West Coast of the U.S., receive significant ongoing business travel from this market and growing interest from the Chinese travel trade and media in promoting it as a travel destination to Chinese consumers. In 2007, SCVB will participate in a sales mission to China and proactively work with the Chinese travel industry and media to increase awareness and stimulate desire to visit Seattle and Washington State.

Strategies and tacticsGrow Primary Markets: Concentrate marketing efforts on Japan, the UK, Australia and Germany with continued retention of contracted representation in each market.

Pho

to b

y: D

on W

ilson

, Por

t of

Sea

ttle

internatiOnal tOuriSM DeVelOPMent Marketing Plan

��

Expand Product: Proactively work with key travel producers to create new and expanded Seattle and regional products and itineraries, specifi-cally targeting untapped niche markets that fit the destination.

Conduct Sales Calls: Increase destination awareness and stimulate product development with an aggressive schedule of direct sales and media calls on targeted accounts in primary overseas markets and North Ameri-can affiliate offices.

Expand Destination Media Coverage: Stimulate positive media coverage to support sales of existing, and development of new, tour product.

Host FAM Trips: Familiarize qualified travel trade clients and media with the destination via regular inbound site inspections and tours.

Promote New Air Service: Work with the Port of Seattle to attract and retain international airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Enhance Website: Continue to customize SCVB website with foreign languages and create greater offerings and ease of use for overseas visitors.

Work with Suppliers: Proactively seek cooperative marketing opportunities with key airlines and well-known regional and global companies and organizations.

Target Trade Events: Participate in selected travel industry trade events throughout the year.

Further Enhance our Regional Partnerships: Work coopera-tively with other local, state and provincial destination marketing orga-nizations to increase the visibility of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Work as a Partnership: Maintain strong partnership with the Port of Seattle and Washington State Tourism, cooperatively marketing the entire destination.

CA

LE

ND

AR

Date eVent lOCatiOn

Jan 9-10 Receptive Services Association New York

Jan. 22-23 NAJ Tour Operator Summit & Marketplace Los Angeles

Jan. 31 Tour Operator and Media Sales Calls Paris / Feb. 9 London

Feb. 12-15 Go West Travel Summit Portland

Feb. 19-22 Visit USA Seminars Australia

Mar. TBA Japan Sales Mission Tokyo

Mar. 7-11 International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Berlin

May 14-17 Active America Travel Summit Minneapolis

June TBA NAJ Tour Operator Summit East New York

Sept. TBA JATA/See America Week Tokyo

Oct. 23-25 TIA Outlook Forum Charlotte, NC

Nov TBA China Sales Trip Shanghai / Taipei

Dec. 6-7 CITAP Marketplace Vancouver, B.C.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel market represents $65 billion in the U.S., according to Community Marketing Inc.’s Gay Market Research and Development Lab. A 2005 survey of this demographic group indicated:

Median household income is $87,500.

LGBT travelers took an average of six overnight trips in the last twelve months and 87 percent took at least one long leisure trip. 53 percent spent $5,000 or more per year on vacations.

73 percent belong to a frequent flyer program.

98 percent of respondents indicated that a destination’s gay-friendly reputation influenced their decision to visit and 59 percent said gay-welcoming hotels were very important.

SCVB works collegially with its member or-ganizations and marketing partners to pro-actively target this market. 2007 initiatives will include:

Expand Partnerships: With the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) and other allied organizations, share leads and attend events and tradeshows.

Establish Seattle LGBT Tourism Marketing Coalition: Include staff members and representatives from key organizations and events as well as elected officials.

Develop Seattle LGBT Brand Under the Umbrella of the Se-attle Brand.

Create a Seattle LGBT Travel Brochure: For use in collateral, SCVB web site and cooperative advertising.

Identify Advertising Opportunities: Public/private co-ops in select publications, SCVB web site and other opportunities.

Promote Seattle Events to LGBT Target Markets: Seattle Pride, Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Seattle Men’s Chorus, Seattle Women’s Chorus and others.

Develop Public/Private Delegation: Participate in LGBT travel expos in West Hollywood, San Francisco and San Diego, as well as Pride events in Vancouver, B.C. and Portland feeder markets.

Maintain Active Membership in the International Gay & Les-bian Travel Association.

lesbian, gay, Bisexual and transgender travel Marketing

Pho

to b

y: S

teve

Sm

ith

Marketing Plan

��nOrtH aMeriCan tOuriSM DeVelOPMent

The Tourism Development team works with tour operators, wholesalers, travel agents, group leaders, airlines, cruise lines and other segments of the professional travel trade throughout North America to expand leisure travel to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

United StatesCompetition for the consumer dollar will continue to grow in 2007. Travelers make decisions based on their interests as well as on the options available for the time and dollars they have to spend. Additional factors in travel decisions will continue to include the consumer confidence level, the cost of hotels, the price of fuel, Homeland Security issues, air safety and dependability and the ease of travel planning and booking.

Hotels are enjoying the highest occupancy rates since 1996. The average room rate nationwide is predicted to increase another 5.2 percent in 2007. While luxury rates are readily available, more moderate rates can be found based on traveler flexibility. Source: Bjorn Hanson of PricewaterhouseCoopers

Packaged travel is growing exponentially in popular-ity. It often provides to both groups and individual travel-ers experiences that are not available to individual buyers along with the assurance that the details have been planned by professionals. Packaging, whether luxury, moderate or economy, provides value and saves planning time.

By 2020, there will be 700 million people over age 65 worldwide. While their interests are varied, travel is the activity that tops this generation’s list of planned activities. Their travel interests include:

- Spas and relaxation travel

- Wine and culinary experiences

- gardening

- arts and crafts

- Outdoor recreation (including golf)

- Women-only travel

- Volunteerism and charitable donating

- Music and theater

- Cruising

- Pet travel

- Medical/life-enhancement travel

Many of these are shared by the “Gen X-ers” and “Millenni-als” including the student markets. Source: Deloitte & Touche

CanadaNew WHITI regulations require passports for all air travel between the United States and Canada—effective Jan. 23, 2007. Passports, or a new document to be determined, will be required for land and sea travel be-tween the two countries by June 1, 2009, or possibly earlier. Considering the number of travelers in both countries without passports, communica-tion, consistency in border procedures and the ease, or lack of, in the in-terim border crossing process will play a major part in decisions to travel.

Washington ranked third in states visited by Canadians in

2005: 1,612,000 visits, and 4,588,000 nights, with expenditures

of approximately C$ 310,000,000.

Source: Statistics Canada

Most statistics show an annual 5 percent increase in travel

from Canada to the united States. Much of this is considered to

be day trips and visits with friends and family.

north american tourism development

“Seattle is my ‘kid in a candy store’

city. as a tour operator, Seattle is not

only a vibrant destination in its own

right, it’s the gateway to national parks,

the ferry system of Puget Sound and

dozens of wonderful off-the-beaten-track

destinations.”

Mark Hoffman, CTP Owner Sports leisure Vacations

nO

rtH

aM

er

iCa

n tO

ur

iSM

De

Ve

lOP

Me

nt

nO

rtH

aM

er

iCa

n t

Ou

riS

M D

eV

elO

PM

en

t Cruise Marketing The 2007 cruise season in Seattle will see continued

growth. There will be increased ship departures and approxi-mately 18 percent more passengers than 2006. The Port of Seattle is estimating 210 premium ship vessel movements and 412,000 passengers (one-way count).

On average, professional travel planners are responsible for booking 85–90 percent of cruises departing from Seattle.

During cruise season, two ships will be departing Seattle every Friday, Saturday and Sunday on seven-day round-trips to Alaska.

Approximately 10 three- and four-day cruises are sched-uled for the shoulder season of September 21 to October 29, with the last ship returning on November 2.

Repositioning cruises at the beginning and end of the cruise season offer an added bonus and enticement for travelers.

The niche cruise market is also important to Seattle, both early and late in the season when the small ships are reposi-tioned to and from their seasonal bases in Alaska.

Cruise West will offer its eight-day “Pacific Northwest Coastal Escape” in April and September.

Pho

to b

y: D

on W

ilson

, Por

t of

Sea

ttle

nOrtH aMeriCan tOuriSM DeVelOPMent

��Marketing Plan

Strategies and tacticsPromote Seattle as a Cruise Port and Pre-Post Destination: Work with the Port of Seattle, cruise lines, travel planners and local sup-pliers to promote cruising from Seattle, as well as from the Northwest in general and encourage pre- and post-cruise stays.

Maintain and Expand Travel Trade Contact Base: Develop new tour operator, travel agent and other travel planner relationships in both current and untapped market areas through sales calls, direct mail, e-mail and participation in trade events. Continue to work with clients already in place.

Grow Product: Assist travel professionals in expanding their current product and encourage new itineraries and components that draw on the experiential variety found in Seattle and other parts of Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.

Assist in Expanding Availability of Collateral: Work with local and regional DMOs and suppliers to develop sample itineraries and individual itinerary components responsive to current affinity market and general interest demand.

Regional Cooperation: Work with local and regional DMOs, associations and key suppliers to enhance visibility for the region. Share marketing ideas, participate in joint projects subject to budget and goals and share leads as appropriate.

TD Website Expansion: Work with Tourism Development staff to develop and expand an itinerary section for the TD section of SCVB’s website. Participate in the expansion of the TD site in general.

CA

LE

ND

AR

Date eVent lOCatiOn

February 15-17 Bank Travel Conference Jacksonville, FL

February 26-March 2 Two Nation Vacation Travel Shows Arizona & California

March 30-April 1 CLIA Cruise3Sixty Ft. Lauderdale, FL

April 25-28 NTA Spring Meet Kelowna, B.C.

May 29-June 3 Travel Trade 26th Annual Cruise-a-Thon Seattle

June 7-10 Travel Alliance Partners Meeting (TAP) TBD

July 5-8 Holland America Signature of Excellence FAM Seattle

TBD Washington State Tourism Conference TBD

Fall TBD North West Cruiseship Assoc. Business Conference Seattle

November 2-6 NTA Annual Convention Kansas City, MO

December TBD* Travel Trade 23rd Annual Leisure Travel-Home Based Winter Cruise-a-Thon Ft. Lauderdale, FL

TBD U.S. and Canadian Sales Calls

TBD Select Inbound Professional Travel Planner FAMS and Training Sessions

*Participation depends on where the summer 2008 Cruise-a-thon will be held.

The primary function of the SCVB Public Relations department is to increase the economic impact of tourism in the city and county by stimulating editorial media coverage, strategically working across leisure, business, convention trade and travel trade markets.

Situation analysisIn 2006, Seattle enjoyed a type of recognition in the media it hadn’t seen for the better part of a decade. For the first time since 2000, the city was ranked among the top ten destinations in two of the most prestigious leisure travel publications in the nation.

In August 2006, Travel + Leisure magazine released its 11th annual World’s Best Awards poll, naming Seattle 10th among the top cities in the United States and Canada. Then in November 2006, Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards named Seattle ninth among U.S. cities. Both of these polls were based on surveys of readers’ travel experiences in the cities listed.

The public relations team will use the momentum generated by these and other accolades to continue and expand upon current efforts to promote the city as a leisure, business and convention destination.

Strategies and tacticsOrchestrate Organizational Communications: Build and disseminate strong communication programs that drive the key mes-sages of SCVB and Seattle’s tourism industry.

Host Visiting Media: Host more than 200 qualified visiting journalists throughout the year via individual visits and group press trips, working cooperatively with Society of American Travel Writers members and travel suppliers.

Pitch “No-Host” Media: Target high-producing journalists with story pitches that don’t require a Seattle visit, aggressively positioning SCVB as a trusted source of timely and relevant Seattle news.

Pu

Bli

C r

ela

tiO

nS

public relations

��

PuBliC relatiOnS

Conduct Media Calls: Call on the most influential con-sumer, convention and travel trade media in key markets such as New York, San Francisco and Southern California.

Promote the Destination at Media Marketplaces: Attend the top travel industry media marketplaces including Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and Public Rela-tions Society of America (PRSA) Travel & Tourism Section.

Produce Regular Destination News: Double distribu-tion of 2006’s well-received Seattle Travel News e-newsletter, providing prepared editorial copy and photos to more than 3,000 North American journalists each month.

Run Strong PR Campaigns: Run publicity campaigns that support the Seattle Super Saver program, Seattle’s convention industry, cultural tourism, pre- and post-cruise visits, food and wine, LGBT travel and the SCVB destination brand.

Work Closely with Destination Public Relations Team: Amplify positive media exposure by working coopera-tively with public relations colleagues at member and partner organizations, sharing media leads and hosting opportunities and employing joint messages for destination campaigns and other programs.

Marketing Plan

��

left to right:

Heather Bryant, David Blandford, Matt Wakefield

Editorial Media Coverage Equivalent Advertising Value (in millions)

20

10

15

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006(f)

$16.8

$12

$14.5 $15 $15.5$16.5

$17.3

* Metronatural brand launch ad value totalled separately $15 million

Editorial Media Coverage Circulation (in millions)

300

400

500

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

490510

460

425403

387

332

2005 2006(f)

* Metronatural brand launch circulation totalled separately 170 million

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

in addition to 2006 totals shown here, metronatural brand launch circulation was 170 million and equivalent advertising value was $15 million worldwide.

��

CA

LE

ND

AR

Date eVent PlaCe

Jan-Mar Seattle Super Saver Value Season Publicity Campaign

April New York Media Blitz New York

Apr 21 - 25 TIA International PowWow Media Marketplace Anaheim

May Northern California Media Blitz San Francisco

May Southern California Media Blitz Los Angeles/ San Diego

June 2 - 6 Society of American Travel Writers Western Chapter Meeting Hawaii

June 20 - 22 PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference/Media Marketplace Los Angeles

Sept 2 - 6 Society of American Travel Writers International Meeting UK

Monthly Travel media newsletter to full media list

Ongoing Seattle brand publicity campaign

Press releases to select media based on news

Host journalists on assignment

Pu

Bli

C r

ela

tiO

nS

“No matter how many times I fly into Seattle from the east, the view from the left side of the plane on a clear day never ceases to take my breath away, the majestic, snow-capped peak of Mt. Rainier jutting out of the landscape like a welcoming beacon. Seattle is small and manageable with dramatic architecture…surrounded on all sides by mountains and water, and dazzling natural beauty. As this paper’s Finicky Traveler columnist, I’m known as a tough critic of places that don’t live up to the hype, but Seattle is one destination that I’ve had few quibbles with since I first visited 15 years ago.”

Laura Landro travel Columnist, Wall Street Journal august 19, 2006

��Marketing PlanCultural tOuriSM

The Citywide Concierge and Visitor Center (CVC) strives daily to maintain a high standard of service for Seattle visitors while working to stimulate business referrals for SCVB member organizations.

In 2006, the CVC expanded services for its customers and generated more visits and re-cord-high revenue via more restaurant reservations, tickets for tours, theater and events, as well as increased sales of Seattle CityPasses and Metro bus passes.

Visitor InformationThe center offers an extensive, on-site library of brochures, guides, maps and other useful visitor information free of charge, allowing SCVB members exposure to thousands of lei-sure and business travelers, convention attendees and local consumers who pass through the concierge center each year.

Multilingual ServicesTo accommodate increasing numbers of international visitors in Seattle, the center strengthened its seasonal multilingual services in 2006 with additional team members conversant in Japanese, Spanish and other languages.

Remote Convention ServicesThe center’s remote desk continued to meet the needs of meeting and convention delegates at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, serving more than 20 groups throughout 2006. Operating as a streamlined version of the permanent con-cierge center, the remote concierge desk brought a high level of service to the exhibit floor of the convention center.

Expansion of a Successful Business Model in 2007During the coming year, promotion of the Citywide Concierge and Visitor Center will help build on the center’s 2006 success, stimulating yet greater awareness of the opera-tion for Seattle visitors and locals alike.

citywide concierge and visitor center

2005 8,629 1,405 10,034 (Aug. thru Dec.)

2006 19,176 1,698 20,874 (Jan. through Nov.)

Visitor Counts Aug.-Nov.*Began acquiring data 8/05

CVC WSCTC Total

CityWiDe COnCierge anD ViSitOr Center

back row, left to right:Mayumi Nishikawa, Ann Peavey, Elina Awaya

Front, left to right: Janet Olin, Lu Gardiner

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

City

WiD

e C

On

Cie

rg

e a

nD

ViS

itOr

Ce

nte

r

Comparison of CVC Activity, 2005/2006 YTD

Restaurant Referrals (Jan.-Nov.)

# of bookings # of diners

2005 630 2,243

2006 751 3,012

Number of Visitor Packet Requests (Jan.-Nov.)

2005 27,002

2006 35,021

��

The SCVB Cultural Tourism program promotes Seattle and King County as a prime destination to experience arts, history, culture and heritage. The program competitively positions the region to attract the desirable and sizeable market segment known as cultural travelers.

Cultural Tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry:

in one year, more than 100 million u.S. travelers took a trip

specifically to experience an arts or cultural event, according

to the travel industry association of america and Smithsonian

magazine in 2003.

Visitors to Seattle and king County spend money on cultural

tickets and admissions, food, lodging, shopping and transporta-

tion. new money spent on cultural product in king County from

sources originating from outside king County has increased by

more than 90 percent in five years (source: arts Fund).

27 percent of all king County cultural audiences come from

outside king County (source: arts Fund).

according to americans for the arts, the Seattle-tacoma

area has more arts-related businesses, institutions and organiza-

tions per capita than any other u.S. metropolitan area, including:

- 25 professional theater companies

- More than 14 noteworthy museums

- 15 symphony orchestras

- Some of the country’s best festivals

- Hundreds of music venues

the region’s expansive cultural offerings and growing cul-

tural infrastructure are demand generators for tourism.

Strategies and tacticsManage a Content-Rich Website: Following the expansion and enhancement of the cultural tourism web pages at visitseattle.org/cultural, maintain it as a dynamic and compelling resource for the more than 40 percent of cultural travelers who rely on the Internet as their primary source of travel planning information.

Conduct Destination Marketing Programs: Produce SCVB marketing campaigns tied to cultural events with strong appeal to travelers, such as Seattle Art Museum exhibits (the Van Gogh to Mondrian exhibit drew 38 percent of audiences from outside Washington State), Seattle Opera’s 2005 Ring Cycle (which drew ticketbuyers from 49 states and 19

Cu

ltu

ra

l tO

ur

iSM

cultural tourism Tracey Wickersham, Director of Cultural Tourism, enjoys a rare quiet moment in Benaroya Hall. Noted for its outstanding acoustics, the hall hosted nearly 800 events in the most recently completed season, including 220 performances by the Seattle Symphony. Of note: 24 percent of Symphony ticket buyers come from outside King County

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

“eagle,” 1971, by alexander Calder. gift of Jon and Mary Shirley, 2000.69 , © 2006 estate of alexander Calder / artist rights Society (arS), new york, Photo During inStallatiOn: Paul Macapia

��Marketing PlanCultural tOuriSM

foreign countries), flagship festivals such as Bumbershoot and the Seattle International Film Festival, as well as other significant cultural events. Create Cultural and Heritage Itineraries: Create a series of cultural heritage guides that highlight Seattle’s cultural diversity and guide visitors to culturally significant locations.

Host 2007 Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference: Showcase Seattle to key industry leaders in cultural and heritage tourism by hosting the 2007 annual conference.

Promote Cultural Packages: Collaboratively market member hotel/cultural attraction packages via the Seattle Super Saver program.

Create Cultural Tourism Components for Key SCVB Initia-tives: Develop channels for cultural cross-marketing with programs such as Seattle Super Saver and America’s Greatest Cities.

Manage Destination Events Calendar: Produce the online cultural events calendar at www.visitseattle.org, maintaining an active database of approximately 5,000 events happening within the next two years in the Seattle and King County area. This calendar draws significant traffic to the visitseattle.org website and the database is also used to create travel planning itineraries for conventions, groups, travel professionals and leisure travelers.

Support Fresh Sheet Program: Work with the Market the Arts Task Force, composed of regional arts marketing professionals, and project man-agement partner BeDynamic to provide the monthly “Fresh Sheet” program of cultural event information distributed to all regional hotel concierges and other interested industry professionals.

Produce Cultural Hot Sheet: Produce and distribute the monthly cultural “Hot Sheet” to hospitality sales and marketing professionals and the tourism trade, offering first news of major upcoming arts and cultural events in the greater Seattle area over the next 12 months.

Strengthen Cultural Cascades Part-nership: Collaboratively manage the Cultural Cascades regional cultural tour-ism marketing partnership with Vancouver B.C., Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, and travel partner Amtrak Cascades. Develop regional cross-marketing programs, create advertising and marketing tools and work together to effectively promote the region as a prime cultural destination. Maintain www.culturalcascades.com.

Create Promotional Tools: Research and produce cultural travel marketing and promotional tools. Work in concert with the community’s ethnic and heritage organizations, arts and cultural groups and outside funding partners.

Integrate Cultural Tourism: Provide consistent cultural messages for other SCVB marketing/PR programs. Work closely with Tourism Develop-ment and the Public Relations departments to capitalize on the widespread appeal of cultural tourism, which enables SCVB to generate positive news stories and promote appropriate cultural travel offerings to the professional travel trade.

Serve as a Resource: Serve as a resource and training partner for community arts and heritage groups. Offer presentations on the value of cultural tourism and strategies on how best to market programs to visitors.

“Garrison Keillor once said that all tourism is cultural tourism. We travel to experience a destination’s unique history, the art that defines a region and the culture that gives us insight into a community’s character and sense of place. Seattle has one of the great cultural communities in the country and is adding cultural attractions at a dizzying pace. 2007 will be a banner year with the opening of the expanded Seattle Art Museum and new Olympic Sculpture Park. It is a great place to visit and experience.”

Jim Kelly executive Director, 4Culture

Pho

to b

y: C

hris

toph

er n

elso

n

Bumbershoot, Seattle’s Music & arts Festival

To further enhance Seattle’s tourism profile, SCVB launched the new brand, metronatural, in 2006, accompanied by a new generation of promo-tional tools including photography, brochures and guides, web site content, advertising and more.

In 2007, this powerful brand platform will help Seattle’s destination marketing team maximize awareness of the city, region and of SCVB mem-ber businesses.

The SCVB Marketing Services Department will continue to build exposure for metronatural throughout the year while simultaneously harness-ing the new brand as a marketing advantage for Seattle and the region.

Ma

rk

eti

ng

Se

rV

iCe

S

marketing services

��

Strategies and actionsTargeted Convention Trade Ad CampaignA particular emphasis will be placed on the important meetings and conventions market that serves as the economic engine for the regional tourism industry. A $300,000 convention trade advertising campaign will run throughout 2007, targeting key meeting planner audiences.

Leisure Travel AdsPosition brand-themed ads in leisure travel publications that promise the greatest ROI; explore cooperative advertising with SCVB members and marketing partners.

Enhance SCVB Web SiteExpand new 1,000-plus page destination web site for visitors, meeting planners, profes-sional travel planners, media and SCVB members. Enhance navigation, provide the option to download all SCVB collateral material and provide additional resources that will position visitseattle.org as the primary resource for travel to Seattle.

Establish Strategic PartnershipsWork with members, partners and the Seattle community to maximize the reach of combined audiences.

Strengthen Competitive Advantage Utilize the metronatural brand to differentiate and clearly articulate Seattle from com-peting destinations and distinguish it from many previous misconceptions. The brand will align Seattle’s beauty, bounty of attractions and unique civic personality with a marketable visitor experience.

left to right: Sarah Lee, Elias Calderon, Lara Dickson

1 : having the characteristics of a world-class metropolis within wild, beautiful natural surroundings 2 : A blending of clear skies and expansive water with a fast-paced city life - n. 3 : one who respects the environment and lives a balanced lifestyle of urban and natural experiences 4 : Seattle

Pho

to b

y: k

en g

rant

��Marketing SerViCeS


Discover metronatural at www.visitseattle.org

Seattle is a city like no other. It’s a place where salmon swim upstream in the middle of town. Where bald eagles share the sky with jet planes. It’s where vibrant city and the wonders of nature combine to create a place that’s as unique as it is unforgettable. In Seattle, each day changes your perspective on the next. So even when you’re window-shopping one day, the experience of kayaking the day before stays with you. That’s because once you visit a place like Seattle, it never truly leaves you.

Civilization. As nature intended.



Discover metronatural at www.visitseattle.org

Seattle is a city like no other. It’s a place where salmon swim upstream in the middle of town. Where bald eagles share the sky with jet planes. It’s where vibrant city and the wonders of nature combine to create a place that’s as unique as it is unforgettable. In Seattle, each day changes your perspective on the next. So even when you’re window-shopping one day, the experience of kayaking the day before stays with you. That’s because once you visit a place like Seattle, it never truly leaves you.



In its 16th season, Seattle Super Saver continues to grow and has positioned itself as the alternative hotel distribution system for hotels and visitors alike. Now offering 86 hotels in and around Seattle, from budget-conscious properties to five-star, full-service hotels, Seattle Super Saver distinguishes itself from its competitors by the high level of service offered through www.seattlesupersaver.com and its call center, which is operated seven days a week.

One-quarter of travelers who booked accommodation reservations did so online in 2005, up 9 percent from the previous year. Hotel chain websites were used most often to make Internet reservations, followed by other online booking services (such as online travel agencies and mega travel sites). Nearly as many travelers booking lodging reserva-tions used chain 800 telephone numbers, but this was down 5 percent

from 2004. The largest share of travelers making reservations made them directly with the property, but this also declined in frequency compared to the prior year (Source: TIA – TravelCom 2006).

As of November 2006, Seattle Super Saver had produced a record $9.2 million in hotel revenue and more than 80,000 room nights since the online program was revamped in late 2003. The traffic to the website continues to grow with an average of 550,000 unique visitors per year.

In May 2006, a new look and feel for Seattle Super Saver was unveiled. After gathering feedback from visitors for more than two years, the new site introduced a wealth of information geared toward travelers planning their vacations. Six new sec-tions provided detailed information on Seattle attractions, shop-

ping, dining, arts, cultural and sports events. Traveler’s tips as well as general information, maps and transportation options were also added. This expansion has positioned Seattle Super Saver as not only a hotel booking site but also as a one-stop resource for planning and buying travel.

Strategies and tactics

Expand Geographic Inventory: Continue to expand throughout the Seattle metro area with a diverse offering of hotels catering to dif-ferent market segments.

Continue to Grow Organically in Search Engines: Maximize our positioning on search engine results in order to drive incre-mental traffic and revenue at a lower cost.

Website Content: Continually update and provide relevant destination information for visitors planning trips in order to increase the look-to-book ratio and become a one-stop alter-native for travelers.

Se

att

le S

uP

er

Sa

Ve

r

�0

seattle super saver

left to right: Tanya Seeburger, Steve Jaquith, Cheryl Fischer. not pictured: Rosie Ching, Yolanda Gordon.

Seattle Super Saver reservation team

Pho

to b

y: C

arl M

urra

y

Multilingual Support: Introduce microsites in foreign languages geared toward overseas and domes-tic travelers whose preferred language is other than English in order to build confidence in Seattle Super Saver brand, product and services.

Add packaging or Promotional Compo-nent: Explore package distribution in conjunction with attractions, retail, restaurants and sports and cultural organizations, offering travelers a unique and attractive add-on to their hotel stay.

Continually Improve Technology: Enhance the current technology platform in order to provide visitors with a fast, reliable user interface as well as an efficient and personalized experience when call-ing the Seattle Super Saver phone center.

E-mail Marketing: Continuously promote offers from member hotels through the Seattle Super Saver e-mail marketing database, targeting special events, holidays or need periods.

Seattle SuPer SaVer


Seattle Super Saver Net Revenue Nov 2003 - Oct 2006

Seattle Super Saver Net Room Nights Nov 2003 - Oct 2006

$0

$1,900,000

$3,800,000

$5,700,000

$7,600,000

$9,500,000

Web Call Center

$9,343,557

$3,199,124

$6,144,433

0

17,000

34,000

51,000

68,000

85,000

Web Call Center

80,420

26,449

53,971

tOu

riS

M in

Du

Str

y a

na

lyS

iS

��

Se

att

le S

PO

rtS

CO

MM

iSS

iOn

seattle sports commission

MissionThe Seattle Sports Commission’s (SSC) mission is to create economic development in the Puget Sound region through sports.

Situation analysis Sports are critical components of the multi-billion dollar tourism industry in Western Washington. Seattle’s reputa-tion as a world-class destination is enhanced by assets such as its professional franchises, endless ecotourism opportu-nities, boating, golf and winter sports.

The importance of a destination’s sports and recreation offerings extends beyond visitors watching a game at a local stadium. Convention delegates and business and leisure travelers want to know what they can do once their meetings are over or their cruise is finished. Seattle’s wide variety of activities and attractions put it ahead of other destinations and is often the reason a person chooses this city over others.

The power of sports was clearly on display during the Seahawks recent run to the Super Bowl in Detroit. The City of Seattle received a staggering supply of promotion through national and international media, which is ex-

Support Seattle Sports

Sports have changed the landscape of Seattle over the past decade, but have only begun to tap into its potential in this region.

Seattle is the birthplace of many revolutionary ideas that turned into some of the greatest innovations of the past century. the people of this city have had an impact on flight, technology, music and other ground-breaking discoveries that shape lives around the globe. Surrounded by a backdrop of Mother nature’s finest offerings, the city has achieved more in its short history than most could hope to accomplish.

now is the time to embrace the next big ideas and take the actions that shape the next century of this region and the world. Seattle has the potential to be mentioned among the world’s elite cities, so be bold, confident and set ambitious goals that make this a reality. Dream of the impossible and make it possible.

the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver have clearly awakened Seattle’s tourism industry and may serve as a catalyst for hosting world-class events with enormous economic impact. During a joint meeting in Vancouver, the board of directors for Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and tourism Vancouver voted unanimously to study the viability of bidding on international competitions such as World Cup Soccer, a World’s Fair and the Summer Olympics.

Seattle has hosted all-Star games, nCaa Final Fours and the goodwill games, but what has it done lately? Mega-events such as the World Cup, Olympics, Super Bowl, naSCar, college bowl games and others would offer major economic benefits for the community and country, but a can-do attitude is needed to stay in the running. Seattle needs to see itself as the host of such events.

Just like atlanta, los angeles, Salt lake City and other major cities in the united States, this region is capable of hosting international competi-tions. these types of events cost millions or billions of dollars, but would provide an incredible return on investment. each would place Seattle among the world’s elite cities, but they require a financial commitment.

to reach its potential, Seattle needs to think big and take bigger actions. Please consider investing in the Seattle Sports Commission and the future of this region.

left to right: Kati Wescott, Ralph Morton, Tasha Sawabini, Kara Mulfur

Pho

to b

y: n

ick

gun

ders

on

��Marketing PlanSeattle SPOrtS COMMiSSiOn

tremely valuable in a state with a limited marketing budget. Whether Seattleites were watch-ing the games on television, attending them at Qwest Field or proudly sporting team colors, a sense of pride and identity rallied the community behind a common cause.

Strategies and tacticsAttract and Develop EventsThe SSC explores opportunities to create and attract events for the Puget Sound region that draw out-of-state visitors. SSC seeks business with the potential to stimulate economic devel-opment, the viability in Seattle’s sports landscape, the ability to enhance the quality of life for local residents and the benefit to a community-based charity.

Serve as Washington’s Sports AuthorityThe SSC has a strong reputation in Washington and nationally as a leader in the sports industry. The organization is driven by support from private and public entities that provide the resources to serve as an economic engine in the Pacific Northwest.

Create Economic Development and RetentionFrom the Sonics to the NCAA to NASCAR, the SSC works on projects that create eco-nomic growth in the region and help retain a strong corporate base. Sports and recreation provide a direct and indirect financial benefit to the community. This includes the stadiums, arenas and golf courses where competitions take place, which serve both as gathering places and catalysts for growth.

Preserve Seattle’s Sports CultureThe sports franchises are a part of Seattle’s culture, as are the outdoor recreation opportuni-ties on the mountains and waterways surrounding the city. They are a part of what makes this a great place to live and one of the premier international destinations. The SSC works proactively to maintain Seattle’s reputation as a “major league” city.

Provide Return on InvestmentThe SSC targets events that have a significant return on investment for the community, particularly annual events with long-term financial benefit. This includes events that bring thousands of participants and spectators during a traditionally slow period for the tourism industry. This drives media exposure, creates sponsorship opportunities and leaves a lasting legacy for the community.

Unite the CommunityThe SSC brings together the sports franchises, public officials, business leaders and others in the Seattle area to help achieve the region’s potential.

Build Financial Resources for Attracting EventsThe Seattle Sports and Event Fund (SSEF) is a nonprofit (501(c)3) organization created by the SSC to promote amateur athletics and fitness-related programs. Funds from the SSEF will go directly toward creating or attracting amateur sporting events that bring economic development to the region and promote a healthy lifestyle for Washington residents.

Pho

to b

y: S

eafa

ir

Pho

to b

y: n

aS

Ca

r-in

tern

atio

nal S

peed

way

Cor

p.

Pho

to b

y: B

oein

g g

reat

er

Sea

ttle

Cla

ssic

Pho

to b

y: u

nive

rsity

of

Was

hing

ton

tOu

riS

M in

Du

Str

y a

na

lyS

iS

��

Se

att

le S

PO

rtS

CO

MM

iSS

iOn

��

TARGETED EVENTS TO ATTRACTWIAA High School Championships

NCAA Baseball Regional / Super Regional

PAC-10 Basketball Tournament (KeyArena)

World Cyber Games (Qwest or KeyArena)

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four (KeyArena)

NCAA Swimming Championship (Aquatic Center)

NCAA Basketball – 1st & 2nd Round, Regionals (KeyArena)

Western States Police and Fire Games

Motor Sports Facility (Multiple Annual Event – Kitsap)

NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Golf Championship

NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four (KeyArena)

Super Bowl (Qwest Field)

TARGETED EVENTS TO CREATENorthwest Bowl (Qwest Field, Benefiting Children’s Hospital)

AVP Pro Beach Volleyball (Marymoor Park)

Great Northwest Games (Powered by You)

Grand Sumo (Business & Cultural Exchange)

T-Mobile Links (SSC Golf Outing)

T-Mobile Basketball (High School Pre-Season Tournament)

Emerald City Roast (Sports Celebrity Roast)

Boeing Greater Seattle Classic (Supporting Role)

Major Winter Sports Event

NCAA Baseball (Safeco)

3 on 3 Basketball / Flag Football Tournaments (Marymoor)

High Profile Road Race (Seattle Stampede)

Adventure Race / Eco-Tourism

CA

LE

ND

AR

Date eVent PlaCe

Feb 28 – Mar 3, 2007 WIAA Boys High School State Basketball Championship KeyArena,

Bank of America Arena

Apr 23 - 25 / 2007 PAC-10 Women’s Golf Championship Seattle

Apr 2007 - Oct 2007 Seattle Mariners Baseball Safeco Field

Apr 2007 - Oct 2007 Emerald Downs KeyArena

May 2007- Sept 2007 Seattle Storm Basketball KeyArena

July 2007 - Aug 2007 Seafair Seattle

Aug 20-26, 2007 Boeing Greater Seattle Classic (BGSC) TPC Snoqualmie Ridge

Sept 2007 T-Mobile Links Golf Tournament --

Sept 2007 – Jan 2007 Seattle Seahawks Football Qwest Field

Fall 2007 World Cyber Games Seattle

Oct 2007 – Apr 2007 Seattle Sonics Basketball KeyArena

��Marketing PlanSeattle SPOrtS COMMiSSiOn

Doug Armintrout, Armintrout Corporation

Bob Aylward, Seattle Mariners Baseball Club

Kim Bedier, Everett Events Center

Mike Belcher, T-Mobile, USA, Inc.

Darren Berg, MTR Western

Biff Brotherton, Brotherton Cadillac

Karen Bryant, Seattle Sonics & Storm

Mike Colbrese, WIAA

Ed Cooney, Macy’s Northwest

Darlene Corkrum, Virginia Mason Medical Center

Ron Crockett, Emerald Downs

Bob Donegan, Ivar’s

Pete Finlon

George Fleming

Bob Flowers, Washington Mutual, Retired

Robert E. (Bob) Giles, Perkins Coie

Andy Geiger

Michele Grosenick, Clear Channel

D. Wayne Gittinger, Lane Powell

Jim Hill, Kemper Development Company

Yogi Hutsen, Coastal Hotel Group

Elisabeth James, Westin Seattle

Nick Keller, Keller Supply

Jim Kerr, DA Davidson & Co.

Katherine Kertzman, Seattle Southside Visitor Services

Mitch Koch, Microsoft Corp.

Steve Leahy, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce

Kathy Lombardo, CH2M Hill

Chad Mackay, Mackay Restaurants

Robert F. Marcovitch, K2 Sports

Robert P. McCleskey, Sellen Construction Co.

Gary McGill, Children’s Hospital

Kirk Nelson, Qwest

Patrick Patrick

Pam Pearson, KCPQ

Bruce Richards, USGA Board Member

John Rizzardini, Seattle Seahawks

Greg Root, SuperGraphics

James E. (Jim) Schlueter, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Pete Shimer, Deloitte & Touche

Mark Shuken, Fox Sports Net, Northwest Region

Dick Thompson

Todd Turner, University of Washington

Jim Weber, Brooks Sports

Don Welsh, Seattle’s Convention & Visitors Bureau

John Woodin, KIRO TV

SEATTLE SPORTS COMMISSION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Partnerships informationThe backbone of the Seattle Sports Commission is its extensive net-work of partners.

With the help of these partners, the Seattle Sports Commission aggres-sively markets the region as a top destination for sports and recreational attractions. Only through this joint effort is the SSC able to make a distinct impact on the Seattle area’s economic development.

The SSC deeply values the relationships it has formed with its current partners and is constantly looking to expand the network of individu-als and organizations dedicated to stimulating economic development through sport. The following are the investment levels for partners:

Puget Sound level $25,000Mt. Rainier level $10,000Olympic level $5,000Cascade level $2,500

Partners at all levels will receive invitations to social functions, mention in SSC publications, recognition on the Seattle Sports Commission website (www.seattlesports.org) and participation in the annual golf outing.

Become a ChampionIf you or your company would like to support the SSC and get involved in generating sports business for the region, become a Champion. Contribution levels are $1,000 or $500. Each includes networking opportunities through-out the year. You will have the option of contributing directly to the SSC or to the Seattle Sports and Event Fund (501 (c) 3), which is tax-deductible.

��

Executive/Administration

Don WelshPresident and CeO(206) [email protected]

Tom NorwalkSenior VP Sales and Marketing(206) [email protected]

Kathleen Shepardexecutive assistant(206) [email protected]

Accounting

Michael DeAtleyChief Financial Officer(206) [email protected]

Joy M. Sherardaccounting Manager(206) [email protected]

Convention Sales

Joan Cahill, CMPDirector, Special Projects(206) [email protected]

Janet Hunter Director of Sales(206) [email protected]

Alison LaFolletteDirector, Washington D.C. Office(410) [email protected]

Wendy PetersenDirector, Midwest Office(219) [email protected]

Audrey R. FanConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Christopher M. GarrattConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Cynthia LydumConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Joan Magnano-DammConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Tim QuigleyConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Tasha SawabiniConvention Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Stephanie TroutConvention Sales Manager, Washington D.C. Office(571) [email protected]

Julia SmithSales Systems Coordinator(206) [email protected]

SCVB StaFF liStP

hoto

by:

nic

k g

unde

rson

accounting

Michael DeAtley, Joy Sherard

administration

Kathleen Shepard

Human resources

Susan Treder

information Services

Mark Nold, Alan Motley

Back row, left to right:

Susan Treder, Michael DeAtley

Front row, left to right:

Joy Sherard, Mark Nold, Kathleen Shepard, Alan Motley

��Marketing PlanSCVB StaFF liSt

Lauren CurtinConvention Sales and Services Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Julianne GaffieldConvention Sales and Services Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Season K. HansenConvention Sales and Services Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Convention Services

Kae H. Block, CMPDirector, Convention and Visitor Services(206) [email protected]

Adriane O. FriedmanConvention Services Manager(206) [email protected]

Ann PeaveyManager, Citywide Concierge and Visitor Center(206) [email protected]

Susan RanneyConvention Housing Manager(206) [email protected]

Cultural Tourism

Tracey WickershamDirector of Cultural tourism(206)[email protected]

Human Resources

Susan TrederManager, Human resources & Special Projects(206) [email protected]

Information Services

Mark NoldDirector, technology Services(206) [email protected]

Alan MotleySystem Services Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Marketing Services and Seattle Super Saver

Elias CalderonDirector, Marketing Services(206) [email protected]

Lara DicksonCreative Services Manager(206) [email protected]

Sarah N. LeeMarketing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Susan RanneyConvention Housing Manager(206) [email protected]

Steve JaquithSenior Housing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Rosie ChingHousing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Cheryl FischerHousing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Yolanda GordonHousing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Tanya SeeburgerHousing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Membership

Steve MarisMembership Director(206) [email protected]

Rosemary RaspMember Services Manager(206) [email protected]

Public Relations

David Blandford, APRDirector of Public relations(206) [email protected]

Heather BryantPublic relations Manager(206) [email protected]

Matt Wakefield Senior Public relations Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Seattle Sports Commission

Ralph L. Morton executive Director(206) [email protected]

Tasha SawabiniSports Conventions and events Sales Manager(206) [email protected]

Kati WescottProject Manager(206) [email protected]

Kara MulflurMarketing Coordinator(206) [email protected]

Tourism Development

Brad Jones, CTPDirector, tourism Developmentuk, europe and australia(206) [email protected]

Michael KurtzDirector, tourism Developmentasia and latin america(206) [email protected]

Marj SnyderDirector, tourism DevelopmentuSa and Canada(206) [email protected]

Joshua RatliffSenior tourism Development Coordinator(206) [email protected]

tOu

riS

M in

Du

Str

y a

na

lyS

iS

��

Chair:

Jeffrey Wright ChairmanSpace Needle Corporation203 6th Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109

Past Chair:

Carla Murray Regional Vice PresidentStarwood Hotels1400 Sixth Ave.Seattle, WA 98101

Executive Committee:

Frank FinneranPresidentFrank K. Finneran & Company2100 Third Ave. Ste. 2206Seattle, WA 98121

Yogi HutsenPresidentCoastal Hotel Group2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 2250Seattle, WA 98121

Kevin Hylton Chief Financial Officer Ackerley Partners, LLC 601 Union St. Suite 3003 Seattle, WA 98101

Irv Sandman, EsquireGraham & DunnPier 70, 2801 Alaskan Way, Ste. 300Seattle, WA 98121

Craig SchaferOwnerHotel Ändra2000 Fourth Ave.Seattle, WA 98121

James TreadwayChief Executive OfficerMTM Luxury Lodging3435 Carillon PointKirkland, WA 98033

Directors:

Paul AllenVice President, Alaska MarketingHolland America Line300 Elliott Ave. WSeattle, WA 98119

Darrell BryanExecutive Vice President & General ManagerClipper Navigation, Inc.2701 Alaskan Way, Pier 69Seattle, WA 98121

John ChristisonPresidentWashington State Convention & Trade Center800 Convention Place Seattle, WA 98101

Dennis ClarkGeneral ManagerThe Fairmont Olympic Hotel411 University StreetSeattle, WA 98101

Kevin P. CooneySales ManagerNW Cable News333 Dexter Ave. N.Seattle, WA 98101

Jan DragoCouncilmemberSeattle City CouncilPO Box 34025 Seattle, WA 98124-4025

Nancy FinchGeneral ManagerRenaissance Seattle515 Madison StreetSeattle, WA 98104

David GudgelVice President and COOShore to Sea Services, LLC2255 Harbor Avenue SWSeattle, WA 98126

Pete IndahlDirector, CLM Pacific NW DistrictAmerican Express Establishment Srvcs.5114 Pt. Fosdick Dr. N.W. #E PMB #294Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Deborah JacobsCity LibrarianSeattle Public Library1000 Fourth AvenueSeattle, WA 98104

Chad MackayPresident & COOMackay Restaurant Group10 Harrison St., #311Seattle, WA 98109

seattle’s convention and visitors bureau

BOarD OF DireCtOrS

SCVB Executive Committeeleft to right: Don Welsh, Kevin Hylton, Jim Treadway, Yogi Hutsen, Carla Murray, Jeffrey Wright.

not pictured: Frank Finneran, Irv Sandman

Pho

to b

y: C

arl M

urra

y

Karl KrugerGeneral ManagerThe EdgewaterPier 67, 2411 Alaskan WaySeattle, WA 98121

Toshi MoriguchiManaging Director-Treasurer UwajimayaPO Box 3642Seattle, WA 98124

John Okamoto Chief Administrative OfficerPier 69 CorporationPO Box 1209Seattle, WA 98111

Keri RobinsonGeneral ManagerSheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers1400 Sixth Ave.Seattle, WA 98101

Jeff SingsaasGeneral ManagerMicrosoft Events & StudiosOne Microsoft WayRedmond, WA 98052-6399

A. Carl SmithPresidentACS & AssociatesPO Box 78157Seattle, WA 98178-8580

Gregory B. SmithPrinciple Urban Visions900 4th Ave. Suite 2925Seattle, WA 98164

Mark StiebelingGeneral ManagerGrand Hyatt Seattle & Hyatt @ Olive 8721 Pine St.Seattle, WA 98101

Brad WalkerDirector, Leisure MarketingAlaska AirlinesP.O. Box 68900Seattle, WA 98168

notes, ideas, brilliant thoughts


marketing plan seattle - business

Documents