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 Charles Bailey
Admission Attendant,
Washington State Convention Center
Charles Bailey saw the inside of a lot of convention centers when he was growing up. His father, a pastor for a Baptist Church, included his family when he attended conventions around the country. Today, Bailey is an 11-year veteran at the Washington State Convention Center and says with genuine authority: "I work at one of the greatest convention centers in the world."
What does your job entail?
I serve as a liaison between the event manager [for the convention center] and the show management. I meet, greet and direct convention attendees to their sessions, deal with crowd management and safety issues. I direct attendees to their hotels and to restaurants, bus routes and elsewhere. We do badge checking, ticket-taking for public shows and coat checking.
How do you and your colleagues handle the really big groups?
We devise a crowd management plan and stay alert to issues when there are groups with a lot of volume.
Why does tourism - specifically meetings and conventions - matter?
When people come in they'll spend money on hotels, restaurants, retail and contribute to taxes. Plus, if they have a great experience, its advertising we don't have to pay for. They tell their friends and we build a good reputation.
What does this industry mean to you, personally and professionally?
I'm extremely grateful for all the wonderful experiences I've had in this industry. I consider it a passion and not a job. God has blessed me. I have wonderful co-workers and management staff who make it an ideal place for employment. It's joyful to meet and greet the world, standing still. Their gratitude is a daily reward. I've been overseas and around the world and people from other countries have been extremely nice to me and given me direction. This is my opportunity to repay them and say thank you.
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