WSCC 2019 Annual Report

2019 ANNUAL REPORT WASHINGTON STATE CONVENTION CENTER PUBLIC FACILITIES DISTRICT January 1 – December 31, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS ADDENDUM ....................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION OUR MISSION A MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ................ 5 Through the A MESSAGE FROM KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOW CONSTANTINE .......... 6 professional actions A MESSAGE FROM SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY A. DURKAN ..................................... 7 of our staff, we will THE STATE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER ................................................................... 8 provide our guests DELIVERING ON THE ECONOMIC MISSION with a distinctive level OPERATIONS AT A GLANCE ................................................................................................ 10 of service excellence EXCELLENCE IN OPERATIONS........................................................................................... 11 while maintaining a EVENTS AS ECONOMIC GENERATORS ..........................................................................12 fiscally responsible, ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM WSCC EVENTS .............................................................13 self-sustaining SUMMIT operation that EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR SUMMIT ................................................................................14 contributes economic DELIVERING ON THE CIVIC MISSION and other civic COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................18 benefits for the people ART ....................................................................................................................................................21 of the city, county and CONVENTION CENTER MANAGEMENT Washington State. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ...........................................................................................................22 EXECUTIVE STAFF ......................................................................................................................23 Project Manager: Loni Syltebo Graphic Designer: Colleen O’Brien Photo Credits: Bo Coon, Construction Site Services, LMN Architects, Gage Academy of Art and Hannah Letinich www.wscc.com 2 ADDENDUM ....................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ADDENDUM A MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ................ 5 August 2020 A MESSAGE FROM KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOW CONSTANTINE .......... 6 A MESSAGE FROM SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY A. DURKAN ..................................... 7 This 2019 Annual Report presents actual financial and operating data for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. THE STATE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER ................................................................... 8 DELIVERING ON THE ECONOMIC MISSION In February 2020, a suburb of Seattle was the first U.S. epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Within weeks, the OPERATIONS AT A GLANCE ................................................................................................ 10 EXCELLENCE IN OPERATIONS........................................................................................... 11 swiftly evolving and tragic reality of what was to become a deadly global pandemic set in. EVENTS AS ECONOMIC GENERATORS ..........................................................................12 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM WSCC EVENTS .............................................................13 The main line of defense against the spread of the coronavirus was to isolate oneself, and people worldwide SUMMIT heeded the call. As a result, gatherings of all kinds – from conventions and sporting events, to church services and EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR SUMMIT ................................................................................14 high school graduations -- were postponed or canceled. Airlines, hotels, restaurants, tourism, convention centers DELIVERING ON THE CIVIC MISSION COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................18 and the hospitality industry all suffered devastating losses. ART ....................................................................................................................................................21 CONVENTION CENTER MANAGEMENT As of this writing, the loss of life has been significant. It remains to be seen how and when the pandemic will be BOARD OF DIRECTORS ...........................................................................................................22 stopped, and how detrimental the financial impact will be to the Convention Center. All indications for fiscal year EXECUTIVE STAFF ......................................................................................................................23 2020 point to severely reduced event activity and a drastic decline in all revenues. Frank K. Finneran Jeffrey A. Blosser Chair, Board of Directors President and Chief Executive Officer 3 4 INTRODUCTION A MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE As governor, my vision for Washington will incorporate sustainably sourced, recyclable, involves seeking out and nurturing new ideas, and recycled content; and it has achieved new cultures, new communities, and new Salmon-Safe certification. Furthermore, artwork technologies. We know these new approaches will abound in and around the new building, make Washington stronger. Through these including pieces representing indigenous innovations, Washingtonians can now rely on peoples from the Pacific Northwest. paid family and medical leave, enjoy a new variety of apple, and celebrate passing the best On behalf of the people of the state of 100 percent clean energy and energy efficiency Washington, I wish to congratulate the measures in the United States. Washington State Convention Center Public Facilities District Board for the job that you are The state is also focused on cultivating doing. Best wishes for continued success with Washington’s young people to bring their your construction on the new facility! ideas and cultures to the workforce. The Career Connect Washington initiative, a public-private Very truly yours, partnership, was launched with the five-year goal of connecting 100,000 young people with employer internships, registered apprenticeships, and other learning opportunities to prepare Jay Inslee them for the thousands of high-demand job Washington State Governor opportunities in the state. The Washington State Convention Center embodies this spirit of innovation in its new addition, the Summit building, scheduled to open in 2022. Construction apprentices make up 12 percent of the workforce on site, with a projected goal of 15 percent as work ramps up alongside new measures to protect against COVID-19. The building is slated for at least LEED Gold certification; the building’s interior 5 INTRODUCTION A MESSAGE FROM KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOW CONSTANTINE King County is one of America’s fastest-growing We continue to address the affordable housing regions, and we are forging partnerships to crisis with the support of the Convention enhance the vitality and prosperity of our Center’s community investment. Seattle’s Office region’s economy. We are proud to be at the of Housing estimates this investment, pooled forefront of national movements to address with other resources, will result in nearly 3,000 climate change, support emerging technologies, affordable housing units, helping to create a build efficient and effective transit, and region that is more affordable for all. champion equity and social justice. On behalf of the residents of King County, I Like the rest of the world, we are taking on congratulate the board of directors and staff of bigger challenges in 2020, but tourism and the Washington State Convention Center on the the convention business are a major part of completion of yet another successful year. our regional economy, and King County’s role in helping people get around our region will Sincerely, play a major role in our economic recovery. This becomes even more important as we approach the opening of the convention center addition, Summit, in 2022. Dow Constantine King County Executive Whether convention-goers are coming from across Lake Washington or across the country, transit is an important element. King County Metro will build on its ridership success while Sound Transit pursues light rail extensions throughout the county. 6 INTRODUCTION A MESSAGE FROM SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY A. DURKAN In the last two years, my administration has taken Again, our thanks go to the Convention Center bold actions to make Seattle’s shared values real for over $33 million in support for improvements in people’s lives. We expanded access to child in and around the public rights-of-way as part of care and high-quality preschool. Working with the Addition project. These upgrades contribute the City Council, we secured new labor rights for to our vision of a Seattle that is easier, more our domestic workers, and we ensured that every convenient, and more pleasant to get around in single Seattle public high school senior can access for all our communities. free college at any of the Seattle Colleges. In an era of unprecedented change and Seattle is a strong and resilient place. Working uncertainty, we in Seattle can show people how together, the private and public sectors, including to come together

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