2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-6666
Bell Harbor International Conference Center is managed by Columbia Hospitality.
2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-6666
KeyArena began its history opening April 21, 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion for the Century 21 Exposition and Seattle World’s Fair. After the close of the Exposition, the Pavilion was remodeled as the Washington State Coliseum, one of the centerpieces of Seattle Center. The Coliseum soon became home to the Seattle SuperSonics beginning with their inaugural season in 1967. The Washington State Coliseum later was renamed the Seattle Center Coliseum and continued to be operated by the City of Seattle. The Coliseum was rebuilt from the ground up between 1994 and 1995, bringing the arena into the 21st century with state-of-the-art amenities. The remodeled facility maintained the architectural integrity of the original hyperbolic roofline by using the existing steel trusses in combination with four new main diagonal trusses. The wood, steel and concrete from the demolition were either reused in construction of the new arena or sold to recyclers. The original acoustical panels, those attached to the roof that keep the space from echoing, were refurbished and reused. The court was lowered 35 feet below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats. On April 11, 1995, the city sold the naming rights to Cleveland-based KeyCorp, the parent of KeyBank, which renamed the Coliseum as KeyArena. The doors opened on the newly renovated arena and home court for the Seattle Sonics on October 26, 1995. The arena accommodates up to 17,000 for sporting events, and with help from its flexible lay-out it is adaptable to more intimate gatherings of 5,000 to 9,000. In 2002, KeyArena welcomed the WNBA Seattle Storm. The Seattle Sonics continued to play in the arena until 2008. In 2009 this premier large events venue continued to host dozens of nationally touring concerts, family shows and conferences. It also welcomed the Rat City Rollergirls and Seattle University Men’s Basketball in its return to NCAA Division I competition.
The Washington State Convention Center is a convention center in Seattle, Washington. The convention center notably is built bridging over Interstate 5.Planned expansionThe convention center is planning a $1.4 billion expansion that includes 440,000sqft of exhibition space in a new five-story building to be located at the site of the Convention Place transit station, part of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The station is expected to close to buses in 2017 in preparation for the opening of the Northgate Link Extension and construction is expected to begin shortly thereafter, with a potential opening in 2020.EventsAAI Immunology Annual Meeting 2016Emerald City ComiCon 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. 2015, 2016. Will return in 2017.Penny Arcade Expo 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Will return in 2017.Sakura-Con 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Will return in 2017.The 41st annual TESOL Convention.WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999NECA Show 2009Phi Theta Kappa Convention 2011International Conference on Robotics and Automation in 2015
Sakura-Con is an annual three-day anime convention held during March or April at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. The convention, which is traditionally held over Easter weekend, is the largest anime convention in the Northwest and is the 9th largest North American anime convention as of 2015. It is organized by the volunteer Asia-Northwest Cultural Education Association (ANCEA).ProgrammingThe convention typically offers anime game shows, anime music video contest, art show, artist alley, dances/raves, collectible card gaming, cosplay chess, cosplay contest, exhibitors hall, fashion show, Japanese cultural arts and presentations (aikido demonstrations, kabuki performances, kendama play, kendo swordsmanship, taiko drumming, tea ceremonies), Japanese pop and rock concerts, karaoke, masquerade ball, panels, table top RPG gaming, video gaming (arcade, console, PC), 24-hour video theaters. The convention runs programming for 24 hours a day.In 2002 the charity auction benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation and raised $4,560. The 2010 charity auction also benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation raised $27,000. The convention before holding fundraisers at the 2012 event raised $90,000 for Tsunami relief. The 2015 charity auction benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation and raised over $40,000.