News Release
February 18, 2011
Contact: David Blandford
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
(206) 461-5806/
dblandford@visitseattle.org
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau Supports Proposed King County Visitor Tax Legislation, Convention Center Expansion
SEATTLE –Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau supports legislation requested by King County Executive Dow Constantine and introduced today by State Representative Tina Orwall to extend four visitor taxes to fund programs with the power to increase tourism throughout the state, including a much-needed expansion of the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC).
The proposed legislation, HB 1997, calls for a stream of revenue that would enable the issuance of bonds to support an expansion of the state’s flagship convention center, which is currently turning away more business than it is booking due to its relatively small size and lack of available dates – more than $1 billion in prospective convention business over the past five years alone. The WSCC currently ranks 68th in size among major North American meeting facilities and is the smallest big-city convention center on the West Coast. However, it boasts the highest utilization and produces more revenue per square foot than any other.
The combination of strong convention demand and short supply offer a strategic growth opportunity for our region.
A separate, similarly-sized convention facility adjacent to the existing convention center would give Seattle the flexibility to simultaneously host two mid-sized conventions or to employ both facilities in tandem to attract larger ones. Bookings could be “dovetailed” to allow one group to move in while another moves out. This ability to stagger groups would maximize both the center’s revenue potential and the flow of convention delegates to the city’s hotels, restaurants, retail stores and cultural attractions. Research shows that WSCC convention attendees extend their stays an average of 2.4 days beyond their convention dates to visit attractions around the region and across the state.
An expanded flagship convention center would strengthen employment statewide, generate more visitor spending for our businesses and improve our state and local tax base for the benefit of all Washington state citizens. Construction alone would create approximately 4,500 new construction jobs and 3,000 new permanent jobs.
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is a non-profit economic development agency responsible for competitively marketing Seattle as a destination for meeting and convention groups and leisure travelers. As a membership-based organization, SCVB connects more than 1,000 local businesses with the lucrative visitor market. Some 8.8 million visitors spend $6.8 billion in Seattle and King County annually, contributing $416 million in state and local tax revenues. Direct visitor spending benefits hotels, retailers, restaurants, attractions, transportation services and other businesses, and supports jobs for more than 50,000 people in the Seattle region.
###