Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau Welcomes New CEO

On July 25, Tom Norwalk will become President & CEO of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A tourism industry veteran of more than 25 years, Norwalk has extensive hotel, attraction, destination management and convention and visitors bureau experience. Since 2005, he has served as SCVB Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing.

As President & CEO, Norwalk will manage 45 employees in SCVB's main Seattle office as well as sales offices in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, and will oversee all of the bureau's operations, sales and marketing, finance and budget management and business development.

"Tom brings a wealth of tourism knowledge and marketing expertise to this critical post, as well as an abiding commitment to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest," said Craig Schafer, Chair of the SCVB Board of Directors. "He has been closely and passionately involved in all of SCVB's initiatives and we are certain that he will keep the momentum going. With Tom at the helm, we're not skipping a beat."

"The Washington State Convention & Trade Center congratulates Tom on his new role and we look forward to growing our partnership with SCVB under his leadership," said Frank K. Finneran, Chairman of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center Board of Directors. "Tom's experience will be a real asset in drawing new business to Seattle."

Prior to joining SCVB three years ago, Norwalk was President and Managing Director of Seattle Hospitality Group, LLC, Seattle's leading destination management company. From 1981 to 2001, Norwalk served in sales and marketing positions with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. During that time, he served as director of marketing for Four Seasons properties in San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle, working proactively with convention and visitor bureaus in all three cities. He was Director of Marketing of the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle from 1993 to 2001, and served concurrently at the Four Seasons corporate level as Regional Director of Hotel Marketing where he oversaw ten properties in the Western U.S. and Hawaii. From 2001 to 2002, Norwalk was the general manager of The Golf Club at Newcastle, a $75 million luxury public golf facility in suburban Seattle.

Norwalk began his career in 1976 in the catering and banquets division for the Washington Plaza Hotel in Seattle, which later became the flagship property for Westin Hotels and Resorts. A Seattle native, Norwalk earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Washington State University. He and his wife, Linda, have three children and reside in Bothell, WA. Norwalk is a past board member of Seattle Rotary and the current board chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington.

Don Welsh

Seattle Bids Farewell to Don Welsh
Tireless, enthusiastic, passionate, irrepressible, boundless. Those were some of the words used to describe departing SCVB President & CEO Don Welsh at a farewell reception on July 17 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center.

More than 200 people gathered to solute and roast Welsh. A ten-minute video tribute featured Mayor Nickels, incoming SCVB President & CEO Tom Norwalk, SCVB team members and regional industry veterans, friends and family. Welsh was presented with commemorative sports jerseys, T-shirts and a utilakilt as one of many lasting mementos of his successful 2006 Seattle metronatural brand launch. A Port of Seattle fireboat could be seen from the reception venue in full salute to Welsh.

Don will become President & CEO of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association on August 1. He served as SCVB President & CEO since April 2005 and previously served two years as the bureau's Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

During his tenure at the Seattle bureau, Welsh has overseen Seattle's growth in convention sales and orchestrated major marketing initiatives including the successful development and launch of Seattle metronatural, the city's award-winning destination brand. Welsh is widely known as a tireless and enthusiastic proponent of the region's tourism industry, has helped foster partnerships between the state's private and public sectors, served as president of the Washington State Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus and is a charter member of the Washington State Tourism Commission.

Welsh was attracted to Indianapolis by a mix of professional and personal reasons. He looks forward working to establish that city as a top-tier convention destination with the planned addition of a major new convention center and an adjacent $400 million hotel project. A sports fan, Welsh also counts the August opening of the 75,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium as a draw and notes that Indianapolis is NCAA headquarters, home of the Final Four (and hosts the championship every five years), runs the Indianapolis 500 each year and is the site of the 2012 Super Bowl. Welsh credits Indianapolis as a "marketer's dream come true." A native of Baltimore, MD, Welsh also looks forward to being closer to family and friends in the eastern part of the U.S.

Incoming SCVB President & CEO Tom Norwalk released Seattle's annual tourism report card at Mayor Greg Nickels' July 16 press conference.

Record Tourism Numbers Announced
For the third year in a row, Seattle and King County have posted record visitor volumes and spending, according to the 2007 Market Profile and Economic Impact of Seattle-King County Visitors, compiled by CIC Research, Inc. on behalf of SCVB. According to the report, released July 16, overnight visitor volumes in the city and county increased to a record 9.5 million in 2007, up nearly one percent over the previous year. These visitors spent a record $5.16 billion while visiting the city and county, up 8.6 percent. This spending represents approximately 10 percent of annual taxable sales in King County. Total state and local taxes paid by visitors while in Seattle and King County increased 11.7 percent to $468 million in 2007 (from $419 million in 2006).

To view the full report or to learn more about the importance of the tourism industry to Seattle and the region, click here. SCVB launched this web site in May in conjunction with a new tourism education campaign called Why Tourism Matters, targeted to residents of Seattle and King County.