The power of personal contact is unparalleled in the world of business. Trade shows are a routine practice for many industries to showcase products and services to fellow professionals, and in some cases the general public. The Northwest Event Show (NWES) is an industry favorite attracting event & meeting professionals to the largest trade show of its kind in the region for more than 25 years. The show also draws a huge crowd of non-industry professionals seeking inspiration for the elements in their own world that so naturally crossover into ours.
Photo- Alabastro Photography
I recall the first year I ran into familiar faces from my father’s office at the NWES, maybe 10 or 12 years ago. His career was in the nonprofit healthcare sector, so our meeting was totally unexpected and, as it turned out, a fortuitous connection for both sides! Their team happened to be searching for a location for their annual board meeting and my venue was the perfect fit. The relationship formed on the show floor resulted in a new regular client for the venue, and a new corporate donor for the organization. Every year since I’ve looked forward to seeing some of those same faces returning to the show, looking for their next inspiration.
What made this interaction remarkable is these were not event planners; they were the administrators, the executive assistants, and the human resource managers who collectively influenced every aspect of their business. They are not event industry professionals, but they are expected to plan and execute meetings, team building events and holiday parties. They are creating incentive programs for sales teams. They are booking travel and accommodations for executives. They are seeking the best professionals and services in our field to support their own business objectives to be successful in theirs.
Photo- Alabastro Photography
The NWES provides our local talent the opportunity to rise to the occasion and put Seattle’s innovative and contemporary reputation center stage with the event industry. Already the industry’s most prominent trade show in this part of the country, the NWES has expanded to a two-day event offering educational seminars & workshops and face-to-face networking with far more individuals than a year of hopeful happy hour mingling.
This is one event we as Seattle professionals cannot afford to miss, and as this year’s program highlights are unveiled it’s becoming clear – this is not your average trade show.
