Attendees at the 2024 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Annual Conference on the Hillclimb at Seattle Convention Center’s Summit building. The event brought in more than 6,000 people. Courtesy of Stephanie Gordon

The Pacific Northwest brings much to the meetings table — literally and figuratively. Its fertile landscapes, rivers and ocean provide plenty to inspire creative chefs. Oregon and Washington also have celebrated wine regions. Cultural offerings in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon are well known, but other areas may surprise groups. Boise, Idaho for example, has a rich Basque heritage dating back to the early 1800s when Basque people arrived to herd sheep.

According to Visit Boise, the city has the largest Basque historic district in the nation, including fantastic Basque restaurants. Spokane, WA also has worthy attributes — more than half of the city’s downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Buildings, plus it can lay claim to being the smallest city ever to host a World’s Fair. And when it comes to outdoor adventures, the entire region has an embarrassment of riches. All of which begs the question, why wouldn’t you meet in the Pacific Northwest?

Boise, ID

For the American Meteorological Society, Boise, ID, checked every box. “It’s affordable, close to the airport, walkable, safe, has an amazing food scene and offers opportunities to enjoy the outdoors,” says Jeiry Nin Gomera, CMP, senior meeting coordinator.

The society held its 21st Conference on Mountain Meteorology in Boise in July with 110 in attendance. Gomera says the meeting industry still has challenges post COVID — especially high turnover and staff shortages at hotels and venues — but there are positives, too. “I think that there’s a renewed interest and investment in the reason why we’re meeting, so that we’re choosing formats, locations, programs and even menu items more intentionally. People really want to be together, and we’re able to help them do that every day,” she says.

The group tapped Visit Boise from the start. “We worked closely with Shannon at the CVB in sourcing this program. She distributed our RFP, collected and sent the proposals and planned our site inspection. Since this group was not self-contained at one property, it was great to have a partner that worked with both the Boise Centre and surrounding hotels to treat our meeting as one piece of business for the city. That helped tremendously, not only in terms of logistics and time, but in terms of negotiating power, too. The CVB also made venue recommendations for our icebreaker reception, getting a shuttle company and getting Boise information materials for our registration desk.  Visit Boise was a great resource and easy to work with,” Gomera says.

The main hotel was Hampton Inn & Suites Boise Downtown, a good fit thanks to its proximity to the convention center, free breakfast and affordability. “The hotel staff was great and very responsive and very accommodating to all of our needs,” she adds. “The breakfast was a big hit with our attendees as well. We are actually in the process of contracting another meeting in Boise next year and we’ll be using this hotel again.”

The Boise Centre, Idaho’s largest convention center, offers 86,000 sf of meeting and event space conveniently located downtown. Courtesy Photo

The Boise Centre was another great fit with the right space for this event. “The convention center staff was very professional and responsive,” Gomera says. “The building itself is in a perfect location, very clean and in a perfect state.  The AV and F&B prices are very affordable, and the options are great. Plus, there are so many amazing restaurants just steps from the convention center. And our group felt extremely safe, which is an important part of the attendee experience.” In addition to all that, she adds, “There’s the ‘jewel of the city,’ the Boise Greenbelt, a 25-mile trail.”

Summing it all up, Gomera says, “We feel like Boise is one of the best kept secrets in destination/meeting planning.”

Spokane, WA

Franciene Chrisman, executive assistant with the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education (WA-ACTE), couldn’t be more enthusiastic about meeting at The Davenport Grand in Spokane, WA. The group gathered earlier this year for its summer conference with 900 attending. “We love the Davenport Grand and have been using it since it opened in 2015. It’s one of the only facilities in the state that can house us and allow us to have breakout sessions in-house for our conferences. The hotel provides lodging, breakouts, vendor space and parking all in one facility. They also give us a per-diem rate as our attendees are from school districts,” says Chrisman.

In addition to the Davenport Grand, the group has booked Davenport Towers and The Centennial for overflow properties in the past, and has used the Davenport Historic for smaller conferences. Chrisman calls Davenport convention sales staff fantastic to work with. “We highly recommend them. We’ve been working with Meg Harper for 30 years; she’s now the national group sales director for The Davenport Group.”

Chrisman says her organization typically holds its opening kick-off session at the Spokane Convention Center, as it can seat 750 in one setting. As if all the praise doesn’t say enough, there’s this from Chrisman: “We have contracts through 2029 at The Davenport Grand.”

Jen Rucier, conference and events coordinator with the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC), has also met in Spokane. She cites airfare and frequency of flights, hotel cost, affordability of the convention center and proximity of used facilities to each other, along with access to the downtown core and restaurants, as among Spokane’s many positives. “It’s an accessible and friendly town that makes geographic sense as a meeting place for our organization.”

The group held its “SuperConference” in 2023 with 1100 attending, a joint conference with two other western region associations for college admission counseling.

Spokane, WA is best known for its parks and outdoor activities. Courtesy of Visit Spokane

Rucier says Visit Spokane was very helpful. “The CVB reached out in our planning phase to offer assistance for any support we might need, and offered details on the area that our attendees found useful,” she says. “The convention center staff was also incredible. Everyone, including those involved with receiving shipments from vendors, floor staff, catering and facility oversight were always responsive, friendly, helpful and fun.”

Rucier notes that The Davenport Grand is a familiar location to PNACAC’s membership. The hotel also proved to be a great partner for lodging, conference sessions and meals. “The catering was fresh and delicious and got rave reviews from attendees, and all staff we interacted with were attentive and engaging,” she says.

Seattle, WA

Seattle is one of the great meeting cities on the West Coast and the location of one of the most stunning convention buildings in the nation. And that’s just the start. “Seattle was a spectacular location for our conference,” says Stephanie A. Gordon, Ed.D., vice president for professional development with NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).  The group met at the Hyatt Regency Seattle in March with 6,000+ attendees.

“We had record numbers for post-pandemic and our members loved the area,” says Gordon. “There’s so much to do in Seattle. From the food scene to the Space Needle, individuals had a great time experiencing the city. Airlift to Seattle was beneficial for our global attendees. The new Hyatt Regency Seattle is a wonderful addition to the hotel inventory and blends nicely with other Hyatt properties in the area. Additionally, the variety of Marriott properties and other hotels offer something for everyone.”

Then, there’s the convention center, which Gordon calls one of the most beautiful convention centers in the nation. “Our group had the opportunity to have our event in the convention center’s new Summit building. It’s laid out with meeting planners in mind. The creativity and intentionality of the building provides exactly what organizations need to host a productive and engaging meeting.”

She says Summit was a highlight of the Seattle experience. “The intentionality with which it was built was evident in every aspect of the venue. Seattle honored the physical and natural assets of the location, the region’s indigenous populations, the history of the city, and it highlights the views and unique nature of Seattle. Summit’s construction and attention to detail is unmatched in the industry at this point. NASPA was the first association to sign a contract with the Summit building and the new Hyatt Regency Seattle. I had the opportunity to see the Hyatt from a hard-hat tour to engaging our members at the event. The property’s location is perfect in using the Summit building as our main convention center,” says Gordon.

The group also used the hotel’s meeting space for a variety of functions. “The hotel’s meeting space is clearly defined and provides a lovely setting for educational sessions and networking. Soft goods and overall meeting-space design and décor are beautiful,” Gordon says. “The entire team, from housekeeping staff to security officers, truly made our guests feel at home. I would definitely meet in this hotel again.”

Gordon says Seattle is also perfect for an organization interested in interacting with the community and its diverse groups. “Our members care about the communities in which they meet. We’re interested in working with local businesses of Black owners, indigenous people, people of color, women and veterans. Visit Seattle assisted us in connecting with these businesses, offering a micro-website for our members with recommendations for places they would want to visit. They also ensured that our leadership and conference-planning teams felt welcomed to the area.”

Gordon calls Seattle a fabulous destination for all size groups, but especially a city-wide event. She advises planners to explore the city’s various neighborhoods and highlight them for attendees, and to use Visit Seattle’s expertise. “From the food to the sightseeing, our members had a great time. The Visit Seattle team provided all the answers to our meeting planning and city needs.”

Karin Martinez, executive director of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Seattle, brought a group of 250 to the Fairmont Olympic Seattle in August for the Northwest Middle Market Growth Conference. She doesn’t believe meetings will ever be exactly the way they were pre-pandemic but says that overall planning and executing meetings is positive compared to a few years ago.

For Martinez, the Fairmont Olympic Seattle epitomizes quality and high standards. “The Fairmont Olympic in Seattle is a great fit because it offers highest quality of service. Additionally, it offers quality lodging, diverse meeting spaces, a prime location and ideal accessibility from major freeways and a safe downtown Seattle. It’s a location that the organization’s members are excited to travel to,” says Martinez.

She says the property’s team, from sales to catering to banquet, “exemplifies the highest standard of professionalism with a personal touch in all they do. You feel you are part of the team and that’s what makes the Fairmont Olympic Seattle uniquely different from any other venue in the city and beyond. Our organization has been able to successfully execute a conference that draws members from across the country in part due to the team at the Fairmont hotel. Additionally, the number of rooms and the function space meet the needs of our organization’s members and the event itself. The proximity of the Fairmont Olympic Seattle to other conference-related activities is also an important factor.”

Martinez adds, “It’s the people that stand out for me, although, of course, quality of service and space matter. I know that my conference, year in and out, would not reach its potential and success without the team at the Fairmont.”

The group used the hotel’s function and conference space, including some in-house AV. “Fairmont has been diligent in ensuring AV services provide quality service and equipment,” Martinez notes. “This is a pain point with many venues and I’m proud to see how the Fairmont recognized that and has ensured in-house AV delivery at the same quality and service as the hotel itself.”

To her fellow planners, Martinez advises, “Benchmarking should be part of your strategy. Learn from other organizations. Learn what they’ve done and how they’ve done it. Figure out how a potential venue fits into each level of the event planning and execution.” There’s no question that Fairmont Olympic Seattle is the right fit for ACG Seattle’s event, and Martinez says the group will definitely meet there again.

Like others, Janis Breedlove, CMP, STS, vice president of events and experiences with the Sports Events & Tourism Association, says there are still residual effects of COVID, especially related to staffing, but there’s also renewed enthusiasm and excitement for meeting in person. Her group of 1,000 met in Portland, OR, in April 2024. She says Portland has many assets for planners.

“No sales tax is a huge plus! Our headquarters hotel, Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center, was a big hit. Attendance was the highest we’ve had in our association’s history. We appreciated the fact that our four hotels were within easy walking distance.”

She says the group chose the hotel for its proximity to the convention center. “It’s a beautiful hotel with an accommodating staff,” she adds. “Many attendees came in a few days early and/or stayed a few days after so they could explore more of Portland, the Oregon coast, wine region and Mount Hood. We had the highest guest room counts on shoulder dates compared to previous symposia.”

Breedlove encourages planners to work with the team at Travel Portland. “Travel Portland (and their partner at Sport Oregon) were invaluable to our event, and worked closely with us as partners. They provided guidance and insight, outstanding marketing materials and volunteers to assist onsite.”

Most functions were held at Oregon Convention Center (OCC). “The staff is truly outstanding and went above and beyond to ensure that our event was well managed and executed. Locating all of our functions at the north end of the building near our main hotel made our event feel very self-contained and easy to navigate. Staff were extremely accommodating for all of our requests. Catering quality was very good. We also appreciated partnering with OCC on sustainability measures; they have processes in place that make it very easy to accomplish sustainability goals. What truly sets Portland apart,” Breedlove adds, “is the seamless partnership between Travel Portland and the Oregon Convention Center. Everyone was on the same page and worked as one entity.

She advises planners to take advantage of pre- and post-stay opportunities for attendees. “Portland and Oregon were on many of our attendees’ bucket lists. The overwhelming feedback we received prior to our event was that people were excited to visit Portland. We were pleasantly surprised by the stayovers and pleased that people took advantage of everything the area has to offer.”

From Seattle to Spokane, Portland to Boise, a wealth of opportunity awaits. Wherever you choose to meet in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll find a destination that can elevate and enhance your organization and draw attendees. | AC&F |