Being a meeting planner gives you the chance to visit cities around the world you may have never even heard of, but with this comes the unfortunate reality of busy itineraries and limited time to explore someplace new.
I hadn’t seen much of the world prior to taking on my role at Meetings Today, but my passion for travel makes me eager to experience as much as I can when I visit a new destination for work.
I had the opportunity to speak at this year’s Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit, which took place August 4-6 in Seattle—a destination I’ve been longing to visit since my mom’s obsession with Twilight started when I was 5 years old. Unfortunately, my busy schedule only allowed me 24 hours in the Emerald City, but I was determined to make the best of it. (And I refused to visit Seattle and not see the iconic Gum Wall I’ve been fascinated with for at least a decade.)
By planning ahead and taking advantage of every moment, I got to see almost everything on my Seattle bucket list, even as a busy event attendee. Here’s how I experienced 24 hours of “bleisure” in Seattle while attending CEMA Summit.
[Related: Seattle's Summit and One-of-a-Kind Vibe Have the Emerald City Soaring]
Destination Experience at CEMA Summit
A well-planned event incorporates destination experiences into the itinerary, and CEMA Summit showcased Seattle not only as a upper-tier city, but one doubling as a meeting planner’s urban playground.
Attendees stayed at one of Seattle’s meetings-friendly properties, Sheraton Grand Seattle. The 35-story hotel is one of the largest in the city, offering more than 1,200 guest rooms adjacent to the Seattle Convention Center (SCC) Arch building and within walking distance of the brand-new Summit building a few blocks north. Sheraton Grand Seattle is also just a 10-minute walk from Pike Place Market, a must-see spot for all first-time Seattle visitors (see sidebar below).
CEMA Summit took place at the LEED Platinum-certified SCC Summit, which opened January 2023, and the journey from the building’s front doors, up the escalators and to the breakout rooms had me and other attendees gawking at the views.
The exterior of the building itself is beautiful, blending modern architecture with natural design elements reflective of the Emerald City. The lobby features a stunning wooden floor and still smelled new, and floor-to-ceiling windows by the escalators overlook the landmark Paramount Theatre and downtown Seattle. (Am I allowed to say SCC Summit is one of the prettiest convention centers I’ve seen yet?)
The CEMA Summit opening reception served as an example of how meeting planners can combine two Seattle destination experiences into one: city sights and museums. The event was hosted at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), a nonprofit museum dedicated to contemporary popular culture and iconic moments in TV, rock ’n’ roll, science fiction and more.
CEMA Summit utilized the museum’s Sky Church space, named after a concept from Jimi Hendrix of “a place where people from all backgrounds and beliefs could come together through the power of music,” according to MoPOP’s website. The setting features a 33-by-60-foot LED screen with state-of-the-art acoustics and a variety of lighting effects.
After exploring some of the museum’s exhibits, attendees could wander through glass doors to the right side of Sky Church’s LED screen that lead to the MoPOP Plaza, an outdoor space with incomparable views of the Space Needle and Monorail (my ride back to the hotel).
By the time I crawled into bed that evening, I’d already seen the best of Seattle.
[Related: Consider These Women-Led Businesses in Seattle for Your Next Event]
‘Bleisure’ Opportunities for a Short Stay in Seattle
Before I even arrived in Seattle, I considered all the opportunities I had to make my quick trip worthwhile, including flight arrival and departure times. I couldn’t control my travel dates, but I could control which flights I took.
The opening reception for CEMA Summit didn’t start until 7 p.m. the day I arrived, so I decided to take the earliest flight out of Chicago I could. I also knew the time difference was on my side, as I’d gain two hours back upon landing on the West Coast.
I was walking through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to the Uber pickup spot by 10 a.m. and at Sheraton Grand Seattle an hour later. (The less than 15-mile journey from SEA to the hotel would’ve been shorter if not for Seafair Weekend, an “unofficial Puget Sound holiday,” and the Boeing Seafair Air Show starring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.)
After dropping off my bags, I started my 24-hour Seattle adventure by walking half a mile to Pike Place Market, which has been considered “the soul of Seattle” for more than a century. Founded in 1907, it’s the oldest and largest continuously operating public market in the U.S. and spans nine historic acres in the center of downtown. Hundreds of farmers, crafters and small business owners bring the market to life and give visitors the opportunity to experience all of Seattle in one place—a perfect and authentic destination spot for the 24-hour business traveler.
Booths and storefronts throughout Pike Place Market showcase original artwork and unique souvenirs created by local artists, fresh produce and seafood, hundreds of floral bouquets that span the length of an entire city block and restaurant storefronts serving some of Seattle’s best bites. (I ate lunch at Seattle Dumpling Co. and left not a single pork and chive dumpling behind.)
Just across the street from the main market hall is the original Starbucks, which had a line out the door that stretched down the block and never seemed to get any shorter during the nearly three hours I spent perusing.
A stairwell to the left of the iconic Pike Place Market sign led me to the oddity that is the Gum Wall, which started in the 1990s as a few pieces of chewed gum left by local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions Improv and has since grown to cover an enormous expanse of brick down either side of Post Alley.
By the time I’d picked up a new read from Left Bank Books Collective and grabbed a post-lunch pick-me-up from Ghost Alley Espresso, it wasn’t even 3 p.m. and I’d already managed to get my local souvenirs, experience Seattle’s F&B scene and see sights like Puget Sound and the Seattle Great Wheel before it was time to check in at the hotel.
