Business Central: Washington State Convention & Trade Center

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to Seattle to attend a trade show, conference, or convention.  For some people, this means a drive across town, the bridge, or enduring traffic on the freeway.  But for a lot of others, the journey to Seattle is a cross-country, or across the ocean, trip.

If you’re coming to Seattle for such a business event, chances are good that you’ll be spending some time downtown at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Located in the heart of downtown, right next to I-5 (in fact it goes over the freeway), the convention center opened in 1988, and later doubled in size to over 200,000 square feet of exhibit space.  It is home to events as small as a couple dozen that can be accommodated in break out rooms, to full trade shows covering multiple ballrooms and floors.  Everything has been held here – from continuing education classes, jewelry shoes, and the infamous 1999 WTO Meeting.

There are a variety of ways to enter the convention and most will find you in the glass atrium, surrounded by greenery and a waterfall.  To the extent possible, the design of the convention center has been an attempt to bring the outdoor beauty of the Pacific Northwest indoors.  Rushing about on the streets are local business people and neighborhood shoppers mingling and interacting with conventions and trade show attendees, giving the facility nearly seamless integration into the downtown community.

As beautiful as the convention center may be, you will want and need to get away from it at some point.  When you’re looking for ideas, take advantage of the Concierge Center located on the first level near the south escalators.  Here you’ll find a kiosk full of brochures and information about things to do and see in the area along with a staffed help desk to assist with information, tickets, transportation, and reservations.

Seattle is a great convention city, and if that’s what brings you here, I hope you allow a few extra days in your schedule to enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the city has to offer.

Photo credit: Cliff via flickr