This is the only affordable Seattle conference facility I've seen that's set up properly for modern conferences. There's an electric outlet for every seat--essential in these times of laptops and similar devices--and the wi-fi is capable of handling conference traffic without crashing. It's convenient to downtown Seattle, within walking distance of major hotels, has good public transit connections and plenty of parking.

Bell Harbor International Conference Center is located on the Seattle waterfront, overlooking Puget Sound. The conference center is spacious and well-appointed. There is at least one large conference room (seating a few hundred people) with permanent row tables for attendees to take notes, use electronic devices, or store their ubiquitous Seattle coffee cup. Something is bound to go wrong with presentations from various organizations and their different electronic media sources, but Bell Harbor IT staff are quick to step in and make things work. The food is the best I've ever had a conference -- fresh, healthy, delicious. Last time I was there, they had a gentleman slicing roast beef for those who didn't want fish or vegetarian dishes. The views are spectacular. Sometimes cruise ships dock just off the back of the center, which allows for some fascinating cruise ship watching. And when there isn't a ship, you can sometimes spot seals fishing for salmon just below the outer decks where people congregate to visit during breaks. In all, a wonderful venue.

The Bell Harbor Conference International Conference Center has one of the most helpful support staffs that I've ever met. When my company was a participating vendor at a recent marketing conference, there were many things that we forgot to bring and situations that we hadn't anticipated. However, every member of the staff collaborated to help us make our participation in the event a success: from the coat check to the caterers to the event coordinators. As it turned out we ended up making some great contributions and our booth made a great impression. We were featured on the event blog long afterwards. That was thanks to the event staff helping to pin, tuck, and rope our displays and giveaways together. It was also a wonderful venue location. Located on a pier in the downtown Seattle neighborhood, any attendee has an incredible view of the Sound. There are a variety of great downtown restaurants (that is if you aren't interested in the Bell Harbor catering which laid out a great brunch spread for the rest of us). The space was rather expensive. This is largely due to location and the excellent facilities. However, price must be taken into account when planning your next event at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. But the service is obviously not to be underestimated. Lastly, I would highly recommend the coordinators who were responsive both before and after the event. They were able to answer questions in a timely manner and if they weren't able to answer the question right away, the would still respond and let us know that they would find out the information as soon as possible.