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2026 Ovation

Visit Seattle’s Ovation 2026

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | Town Hall Seattle

Visit Seattle’s Ovation provided an industry recap of Seattle’s summer performance alongside the most current travel and tourism data. The program also highlighted developments in the Seattle and King County arts communities, offering insight into how the hospitality and arts industries can collaborate to enhance the region’s vibrant visitor economy.

New in 2026, the event featured an awards program recognizing excellence in the hospitality industry.

View the 2026 Ovation Awards Winners

Were You There?

In our continuing efforts to improve our program, please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey linked below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and all respondents will be entered to win a premium candle set courtesy of Pumarosa!

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Couldn’t Make It? Here’s What You Missed

Ovation 2026 Resources

NOTE: THE RESOURCES BELOW ARE NOT FOR REPRODUCTION OR PUBLICATION TO THIRD PARTIES

Aerial view of downtown Seattle at sunset with tall buildings. The text “Visit Seattle Ovation Industry Update” is overlaid, featuring the Space Needle icon in the word “Ovation.”.

Ovation 2026 Presentation – Selected Slides

A woman in a red blazer speaks at a podium in front of a large screen displaying a “Visit Seattle Ovation Industry Update” presentation.

View Official Event Photos

Courtesy of Alabastro Photography

Geometric graphic with blue and green sections. "Ovation" appears at the top with a Seattle skyline, and "Visit Seattle" is in white text at the bottom left on a light green background.

2026 Event Program

Opening Remarks & Summer Tourism Performance

Tammy Canavan – President & CEO; Visit Seattle

There’s Never Been More to SEA: Recap & Preview

Stephanie Byington – Chief Marketing Officer; Visit Seattle

Creative Impact: How Arts, Culture, and Placemaking Strengthen Seattle and King County

Beto Yarce – Director; Seattle Office of Economic Development
Calandra Childers – Director of Program Strategy + Impact; 4Culture
Henry Watson – Director of Placemaking, Leasing & Activations; Urban Villages
Jennifer Nicholson – Vice President of Commercial Strategy & Sales; Seattle Convention Center

2026 Visit Seattle Ovation Awards

Brian Flaherty – Chair, Visit Seattle Board of Directors

Closing Remarks

Brian Flaherty – Chair, Visit Seattle Board of Directors

Networking Reception

 

Logo for the Visit Seattle Ovation Awards, featuring laurel branches and the Seattle skyline inside the letter “A” in “Ovation” on a dark blue background.

The Visit Seattle Ovation Awards

These awards recognize Seattle and King County hospitality professionals who go above and beyond to make our region a welcoming, must-visit destination.

All nominations have undergone a formal review process conducted by a panel of industry leaders and Visit Seattle team members.

View the 2026 Winners

A green geometric number 4 above the word “CULTURE” in bold green capital letters, on a light gray background.

 

Seattle Arts & Culture Raffle

Each Ovation registration included a raffle ticket for a prize package available from the organizations that tabled during the post-event reception. Raffle ticket purchases benefited 4Culture.

Participating Raffle Organizations

Presented By

Signature Sponsor

Logos of two airlines: “Alaska” in a blue italic script on the left, and “HAWAIIAN” in uppercase purple letters on the right, both on a white background.

 

 

Award Sponsor

Logo with a colorful geometric arrow pointing right, followed by the word “encore” in blue, and the tagline “EVENTS THAT TRANSFORM” in smaller blue capital letters underneath.

 

 

Reception Sponsor

Logo with a red rectangle on the left containing the word "CORT" in white text, and the words "PARTY RENTAL" in gray text on a white background to the right.

 

 

In-Kind Sponsors

Logo for Alabastro Photography featuring the company name in a stylized circular frame.

 

 White letter M in a cursive font centered on a sage green circular background.

 

 

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