By Jennifer Hayes KPBJ contributor  read more »

There’s not much of an advertising budget available for the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and Events Center, but there are some strategies for increasing the number of bookings there.

For starters, instead of staff-produced promotional materials from the county’s Parks and Recreation department — which oversees the fairgrounds — there’s a new brochure being produced by Outlook Writing and Design of Belfair.

“We decided to go with an agency to have a more professional looking brochure,” said Billie Schmidt, the Parks and Rec operations manager who has as much to do with marketing the fairgrounds as anyone. read more »

It may be true that you can’t fight City Hall, but in most towns you can rent it.

For no-frills meetings that require only tables and chairs and perhaps a basic A/V setup, numerous rooms are available for no charge or low rental rates in public buildings such as libraries, schools, fire stations or even at City Hall.

Those kind of meeting rooms are more frequently used by nonprofits and community groups, but many of the spaces are available for businesses to book for meetings, although not for commercial use.

For example, a meeting room that can accommodate 40 people at Poulsbo Fire Station rents for $10 an hour, with a $20 per day charge for A/V or other electronic equipment. read more »

The restaurant in the Silverdale Beach Hotel will reopen soon, but an outside operator will lease the former Josef’s Waterfront Grill and the hotel bar from the new owners who recently bought the property.

An out-of-town ownership group organized as Silverdale Hotel Group, LLC bought the 151-room hotel, which had been on the market for more than a year, a month ago for $6.8 million and plan to make it a Best Western brand. The restaurant was closed after the sale, but has since reopened to provide only a breakfast buffet. read more »

As business organizations have tightened up their belts with the economy, one expense frequently eliminated is offsite internal events such as meetings and retreats. But many companies are still finding it worthwhile to pay for meetings away from premises for reasons ranging from convenience to space constraints.

“This economy has caused a lot of business owners to examine where they are spending their money. Brick and mortar is one of the larger expenses. There’s very little return on your monthly lease payment to pay for a large meeting room that you only use once or twice a week,” said Frank Wilson, managing broker with John L. Scott in Poulsbo.

For his real estate office, Wilson holds the shorter meetings — those under an hour or so — in an office wing, making sure there is enough space for people to sit or lean on something. read more »

The Key Peninsula’s rustic and pristine beauty has made the area a popular getaway for summer residents and visitors. And organizations or companies searching for a privat, relaxed setting for retreats or other get-togethers can use the Key as a backdrop as well — thanks to Frog Creek Lodge.

The 10-acre property, which includes a trail and a pond, has hosted everything from weddings and birthday bashes to yoga retreats and state agency meetings. read more »

This is the new 2012 Banquet & Meeting Facilities information for Kitsap County and surrounding vacinities. The information below may not be complete, as the information is constantly changing. However, we do our best to keep it up to date and to have every resource in the list. If you own or know of a meeting facility that is not included in this list, please feel free to contact us to submit a business to be added into our list. read more »

The Convention Industry Council released a new study earlier this year that showed that the U.S. meetings industry directly supports 1.7 million jobs. The study, titled “The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy,” also showed the industry contributes $106 billion to the GDP and $11.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

The study, conducted by PwC US assisted by a team of industry researchers, spanned more than a year in research and analysis and is the first?ever study of the size and scope of its kind, according to the Council. The research quantifies the economic contributions made by the 1.8 million meetings, trade shows, conventions, congresses, incentive events and other meetings that take place across the country. read more »

The latest statistics showed an encouraging upswing in the tourism industry: In 2010, spending by visitors increased both nationwide (8.5 percent over 2009, not adjusted for inflation) and in Washington state (7.4 percent). But just like in all other areas, the economy is forcing travelers to rethink their habits and become more frugal in their spending. read more »