Win big by sharing your event sourcing insights.
Complete our latest survey on event location selection for the chance to win a cutting-edge VR Headset!
Take the survey.

Seattle’s New Convention Building, Summit, Is a Game-Changer For the City

We got a peek at its progress. Plus, what else is new and notable in this Pacific Northwest destination.

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center Building
Natural light is in abundance throughout the new facility, where a glass-enclosed Hillclimb along Pine Street provides views of Pike Place Market and Puget Sound.
Photo: David Newman

Want more content like this sent directly to your inbox? Then sign up for our brand-new BizBash Meetings & Trade Show monthly newsletter to stay in the know on the latest meetings, trade show, and CVB/DMO news!

SEATTLE—They say Seattle is the cloudiest major city in the lower 48, but things are looking far from gloomy—especially if you're standing atop the gorgeous Hillclimb inside Seattle's new convention center building, Summit. We visited the space—still very much an active construction site—in late September, and the Hillclimb is undoubtedly a can't-miss focal point, made from reclaimed wood and encased in glass for prime views all the way down to the water.

"It's an opportunity to explore the city without leaving the building," the convention center's director of sales and marketing Michael McQuade said of the Hillclimb—and the building in general, because that very notion is baked into its architectural plans.Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingThe Hillclimb features a suspended stair and escalator system, with seating elements, that provides event attendees access from street level to the ballroom level on top.Photo: Sarah Kloepple

Natural light is abundant throughout the facility—set to open January 2023—with countless floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of residential neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, the downtown business core, and west-facing views along Pine Street down to Pike Place Market and Elliott Bay. The state-of-the-art building, which will provide 570,290 square feet of total event space, will surely connect visitors to their meeting destination more organically than most. And it's sure to raise the bar for events in Seattle.

Some of our favorite stops along the tour? The 58,000-square-foot ballroom, bathed in a unique shade of plum, almost like wine ("just in case somebody spills," McQuade quipped). But the real reason for the color—and the 4,000 planks of worm wood hanging from the ceiling—is to give special, elegant events that wow factor. A 75-foot-tall window faces Capitol Hill. The space is also outfitted with theatrical lighting and a VIP green room suite, and it can accommodate up to 5,000 people.

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingHanging from the ceiling inside Summit's 58,000-square-foot ballroom are 4,000 worm wood planks.Photo: David Newman

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingSummit is outfitted with two large atriums to allow visitors to, in a sense, be able to see everything that's going on throughout the facility.Photo: Sarah Kloepple

We were also impressed by the use of two large atriums inside Summit, which McQuade said allow attendees to "see everything that's going on" throughout the building, from the exhibit hall level on the bottom floor up to the meeting room floor to the garden terrace. That garden terrace, by the way, will have a wooden deck and plenty of greenery (including an apple tree) for awe-inspiring outdoor receptions.

There's also a 6,500-square-foot Signature Room overlooking the garden terrace, 29 meeting rooms ranging in square footage—with some that can accommodate up to 350 people, something McQuade said clients found lacking in the existing Arch building—and a 138,700-square-foot exhibit hall with drive-in capabilities. And yes, even the exhibit hall gets natural light.

Another fun detail we appreciated: Summit even has an on-site bakery with a retail storefront. McQuade said retail was an important component for the city when planning Summit, and the building will also house an on-site pizza concept from prolific Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell.

A grand opening celebration for the building is planned for December, and Summit's first contracted event, a local corporate meeting, will take place in mid-January. 

And for those curious about how Summit fits into the Seattle Convention Center's campus, it's only one block northeast of its existing facility—meaning it's still very walkable from nearby hotels Hyatt Regency Seattle and Sheraton Grand Seattle.

What Else is New in Seattle?
Summit isn't the only new addition to Seattle's event portfolio that should be on planners' radars. In 2020, downtown welcomed Lotte Hotel Seattle, an outpost of Korean-owned Lotte Hotels. Lotte Seattle is only the second Lotte in the continental U.S. (joining one in NYC), and it combines a renovation of a Beaux-style building from 1908 and a new-build 44-story tower.

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingThe hotel's Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge is located on the 16th floor and offers both city-side views and Elliott Bay views. The hotel also offers three private dining rooms that are adjacent to the main dining room.Photo: Courtesy of Lotte Hotel Seattle

This unique configuration makes Lotte Seattle a design-lover's dream. Under the direction of French designer Philipe Starck, the hotel's design incorporates a plethora of timber motifs as a nod to Seattle's roots as a logging town. Along with 189 guest rooms, a serene spa, and a lobby and restaurant located on the highest floor, Lotte Seattle offers a standout event space.

Inside the 1908 building, previously a First United Methodist Church, planners will find what is now dubbed The Sanctuary. Its grand ballroom can accommodate up to 725 people for receptions and 320 for banquets. Core elements of the building, like the original dome ceiling structure and the pipe organ, were preserved, but it still boasts a major transformation. Planners can also make use of the mezzanine level in the grand ballroom, which houses the Halo Bar. There are also 10 meeting rooms at planners' disposal located across two floors in the adjacent tower.

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingThe Sanctuary's grand ballroom preserves historical details of this early 20th century building like the original dome ceiling structure and the pipe organ.Photo: Courtesy of Lotte Hotel Seattle

Other newly opened hotels in the Seattle area include the futuristic Astra Hotel Seattle and Level Seattle - South Lake Union. (We took a look a new summer 2022 Seattle venues earlier this year here.)

And there are new happenings at already established hotels too. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel recently revamped its restaurant space into The George, with a chic private dining room fit for 12. But the main dining room is a showstopper itself, with forest green and millennial pink seating, minimalist chandeliers with Edison bulbs, and a zigzag-tiled floor.

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingThe George opened at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in April 2022, completing the hotel's $25 million renovation that began in January 2020.Photo: Courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

Recent renovations at the Fairmont, which was originally built in 1924, also include new touches in the lobby and lobby bar. Atop the updated Olympic Bar is a kinetic art installation made of nautical elements (a nod to the hotel's original logo). And for history buffs who can't resist a good story, we suggest wandering the mezzanine level, where a "history walk" offers historical images and press clippings about the hotel throughout its nearly century-old lifetime.

And while not as recent—but no less noteworthy—planners can also look to two downtown properties with major guest room and meeting space footprints: Hyatt Regency Seattle and Sheraton Grand Seattle. The former, which debuted in 2018, is considered the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. And at the Sheraton, which underwent a top-to-bottom renovation in 2018, attendees will surely be delighted by the number of Dale Chihuly glass sculptures found in the lobby and meeting rooms.

Reliable Favorites
There's a reason the Space Needle is a favorite attraction among visitors—it's just plain cool, and a testament to brilliant engineering and architecture. Its 360-degree views can now be enjoyed via a rotating glass floor, part of a $100 million renovation of the landmark's observation deck that was unveiled in 2018. But non-Seattleites might not know that another attraction—closer to the ground but just as cool—is right next door. 

Seattle Has Big Plans for New Convention Center BuildingDuring breaks in programming, Chihuly Glass and Garden is a must-see stop for attendees.Photo: Sarah Kloepple

Chihuly Glass and Garden celebrates the work of renowned glass artist and Pacific Northwest native Dale Chihuly. The museum comprises an eight-gallery exhibition, a centerpiece glasshouse that holds a showstopper of a 100-foot-long glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling, and a surrounding garden dotted with his work. It was certainly a highlight of my short visit in late September, observing his intricate work in brilliant shapes and colors.

For a bit of fresh air, we recommend venturing over to the opposite side of Lake Union to take in the water and skyline views at Gas Works Park. The park is a former gasification plant, and pieces of the industrial site are still on display.

Page 1 of 17
Next Page