Cracking the Code to Public Meeting Facilities - a look at your regional options
By Michael McQuade, CMP and Emily Hoyt, CMP
Washington State Convention & Trade Center

There is a saying; “What you don’t know can’t hurt you”.  But for event planners, knowing your meeting venue options – especially public facilities – and the range of benefits and services they provide is vital.  Not only do public meeting facilities have distinct advantages over their hotel counterparts, they also vary amongst each other and can therefore offer more options than one might realize.

For many planners, hotels are a natural and the preferred choice.  Others will only consider retreat or resort venues.  More often than not, concessions such as complimentary meeting or sleeping rooms in exchange for realizing negotiated room block or catering sales minimums are the driving force behind decisions to use these properties.  Organizers of meetings and events with different priorities, have additional options to consider.

Publicly owned and operated meeting facilities are no longer the stereotypical concrete boxes with surly staff, cold and drab rooms and food service akin to high school cafeteria offerings.  They are designed and purpose built as high quality meeting and event facilities.  All levels of personnel, from front line staff to management, are well trained to be customer service oriented and food service is on a par with the best any hotel meeting facility can offer.  Since convention centers and conference centers do not manage ancillary services such as sleeping rooms, restaurants and room service, their only focus is the successful completion of each and every event which allows for a more personal and attentive level of operational service.

Some of the distinct advantages of using public facilities include:

Convention centers are the natural next step for planners whose events have outgrown hotel options.  Their larger size, with more space options and configurations, gives planners flexibility and the means to support continued growth of a program.

Most public facilities will commit to dates and space further into the future than hotels.  In fact, if a group is flexible on their event date, an even earlier than usual date and space commitment is not uncommon.

Most public facilities do not hold groups to catering sales minimums.  No meeting is considered too small and no event is rejected based on the revenue it does not generate.

Most public facilities commit dates and space as full days giving planners better access for set-up and tear down.  Hotels are more inclined to turn the same room multiple times per day requiring planners to pay suppliers overtime labor for setup and teardown within a restricted window of time.  

In the Pacific Northwest, the customer base for most public meeting facilities is local and therefore all the more important to be attentive to.  Our success and reputation is based on how well we service the customers who live in our community and that we see all year long.  

With our regional economy as strong as it is, the small meetings market has become a fast growing business segment.  In response to this increased demand, numerous user friendly practices have been implemented across the local public facility spectrum.  Venues are being constructed or remodeled with maximum flexibility in mind; upgraded or executive style rooms are being built with enhanced features for high-end clients; in-house IT and AV suppliers are now commonplace; and sustainable business practices are being implemented and enhanced in response to customer demand.  Most importantly, the food service capabilities of public facilities now rival that of any hotel.  Kitchens at a number of properties are lead by staff trained at nationally recognized culinary schools.

Given that no one meeting facility is unconditionally “better” than another, planners are tasked with matching their needs to the services each has to offer.  Priorities differ from group to group and also by event but with just one call, you may be surprised to find that your ideal venue has been across the street from the local hotel all along.

Lynnwood Convention Center
888-778-7155
www.lynnwoodcc.com

Meydenbauer Center (Bellevue)
425-450-3722
www.meydenbauer.com

Spokane Convention Center
509-279-7000
www.spokanecenter.com

Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center
253-830-6601
www.tacomaconventioncenter.com

Three Rivers Convention Center (Tri-Cities)
509-737-3700
www.threeriversconventioncenter.com