PRESS RELEASE

Visit Seattle Names Tourism Veteran as Vice President of Meetings and Conventions 

Rachael Riggs brings more than 30 years of industry experience and trove of accolades to the role

SEATTLE – Visit Seattle, the official destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County, is excited to name Rachael Riggs as its next Vice President of Meetings and Conventions.  

Riggs will oversee Visit Seattle’s sales and services departments and collaborate closely with the Seattle Convention Center and downtown hotels to drive the region’s meetings and events economy. She will report to Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, and Chief Business Officer Kelly Saling, who previously served as SVP of Sales & Services, and Chief Sales Officer.   

Rachael Riggs.

“We are thrilled to have Rachael join our team,” Saling said. “She has a substantial background in destination marketing, specifically in group business acquisition. As a leader, she brings a collaborative spirit, a strategic lens, and a deep belief that tourism can and should be a powerful force for good.” 

Riggs brings more than 30 years of industry experience, with deep expertise in destination sales, citywide convention strategy, and large-scale meetings and events. Throughout her career, she has received numerous honors in the hospitality and tourism sector. In 2023, she was inducted into the Smart Meetings Smart Women Hall of Fame. Other accolades include the Event Industry Council President’s Award and PCMA Supplier of the Year.  

Most recently, she served as General Manager of Environmental Strategy at Maritz, where she designed and led a forward-thinking, enterprise-wide corporate sustainability program. In addition, Riggs developed a carbon footprint measurement tool that enables clients to quantify the environmental impact of meetings and paired it with smart event design strategies to reduce that impact — meeting client expectations while supporting revenue growth and operational performance. 

Prior to her time with Martiz, she held various sales roles at Destination Vancouver, NYC Tourism & Conventions, Visit San Diego, and Visit Baltimore. She also spent a decade on the client side of meetings and events at both SmithBucklin and the Sherwood Group. 

“I am thrilled to be a part of Visit Seattle and represent a world-class destination that has sustainability at its core,” Riggs said. “My career has spanned nearly every segment of the meetings and events industry, from association and corporate, to DMO, supplier, and third-party – which has prepared me well for this role. I’m energized by the work already underway and look forward to continuing to collaborate closely with our clients, community and industry partners to build on the city’s strong reputation as a premier meetings destination.” 

Riggs began her role at Visit Seattle on May 6. 

About Visit Seattle: Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales, and overseas tourism development. Visit visitseattle.org.