"It takes a lot of communication and coordination, but when everything clicks, it really pays off," says Meredith McMillan, CMP.

McMillan is the director of meetings and events for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), and the group hosted its 2025 annual conference in Seattle. The everything clicking part is due, in large part, to their partnership with the Emerald City.

The conference—held June 22-25 at the Seattle Convention Center—welcomed more than 1,900 attendees, making it the second-largest conference in the organization’s history.

"We offered 100 sessions, discussion groups and forums over 10 conference tracks with more than 250 expert presenters," McMillan says. "In addition, we held three pre-conference programs each designed for a different career level. We also provided a variety of networking opportunities, including small group meals and local tours and events throughout the week."

It’s important to bring participants together for the NACUA annual conference because higher education is currently experiencing rapid change, according to McMillan.

"Our annual conference provides a space for attendees to connect with colleagues to discuss the challenges they’re facing and learn how they can best support their institution and clients," she says. "We measure the success of our conference by looking at actual attendance and how engaged participants are, the feedback we receive from attendees, how well we stayed within budget and the satisfaction of our sponsors."

McMillan says the biggest challenge involved with planning and executing the conference is also the most rewarding part: working with all partners to make sure everyone is on the same page.

One aspect of the conference that is hugely popular with attendees, McMillan says, are the private lunches for 15 to 20 affinity groups—smaller gatherings based on shared regional, institutional or other interests.

"Depending on the venue layout, coordinating all of these can get a bit tricky," she says. "But thanks to the incredible support from our partners at the Seattle Convention Center and Maritz, everything ran smoothly without a hitch!"

A NEW LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY

Kelly Saling, SVP and chief sales officer for Visit Seattle, says it’s been a transformational few years for the city, with the completion of several major infrastructure projects: the renovated Climate Pledge Arena, a new international arrivals facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Summit building at Seattle Convention Center, the redeveloped waterfront and Sound Transit’s expansion of the Link light rail.

"With the addition of the Summit building, the Seattle Convention Center offers a new level of flexibility for planners, both in the capacity to host large events and concurrent ones. Summit is also among the few convention center buildings in the world to earn LEED Platinum certification," she says. "Just a short walk from the convention center campus, visitors can enjoy the recently opened Waterfront Park, which connects Pike Place Market to the city’s sprawling waterfront, with expanded public spaces and the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion, an exciting new venue for offsite meetings."

This summer has also seen the opening of two hotels, Saling says: Populus Seattle in the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood and 1 Hotel Seattle in South Lake Union.

"Together, they share deep commitments to the environment, making them a prime example of the sustainability priorities in our city," she says.