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Issaquah Chosen as Site for 2012 NW Paddling Festival
Community Continues Tourism Focus to Support Local Economy

Issaquah has been selected as the location for the 2012 Northwest Paddling Festival, an event featuring paddling industry vendors, product demonstrations, kayak tours and more, to be held on May 11th and 12th at Lake Sammamish State Park.

The event, which was previously held in Seattle and other Northwest locations, is a signature event for those in the Northwest kayak and paddling communities. Paddling sports are one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the west.

The Festival, a gathering of kayakers and other paddle sport enthusiasts, is expected to draw over 1,000 visitors to Issaquah, which is estimated to include dozens of hotel stays, added business for local restaurants and increased exposure for the community to visitors from across the Northwest.

Given this number and demographics of the expected attendees, the festival is expected to bring thousands of dollars in economic impact to the Issaquah economy.

“The Northwest Paddling Association members will deliver an event that will bring new visitors to Issaquah and overnight guests for our hotels,” said Philip Morris, General Manager of the Motel 6 and Co-Chair for the Issaquah Tourism Committee. “The Association has embraced local sponsorship and non profit participation and we look forward to hosting them.”

The Issaquah Chamber is working with festival organizers from Issaquah and Seattle to ensure festival attendees maximize their Issaquah experience. Locally-based Issaquah Paddle Sport/ Kayak Academy recruited the festival to Issaquah.

“When we heard that this event may be a possibility, we immediately encouraged the local organizers to continue to promote Issaquah as the venue of choice, given our outstanding natural amenities and our desire to further develop our niche as a community focused on active, outdoor recreation,” said Nate Perea of the Issaquah Chamber, who is supporting portions of the Chamber’s tourism work. “Outdoor recreation activities like Kayaking fit perfectly with what Issaquah has to offer so we are thrilled to have this event in our city.”

“The NW Paddling Festival found a perfect home here in the Issaquah area,” said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. “Our community has quickly become a regional destination for outdoor enthusiasts, who travel here to enjoy our majestic Issaquah Alps, beautiful waterways and vibrant downtown.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the NW Paddling Festival to Lake Sammamish,” added Keith Niven, the City of Issaquah’s Economic Development Director. “These events enhance our City’s economic vitality by not only bringing new visitors to town – who eat, sleep and shop here – but also support Issaquah’s growing reputation as a top outdoor destination. In fact, Outside Magazine just recently named Issaquah one of its ‘best towns.’”

This year, the Chamber’s Board made a strategic decision to focus on the development of a tourism/destination marketing program for the community, with the goal of enhancing Issaquah’s share of the statewide tourism dollar and developing a long-term tourism entity and strategy for the community. In partnership with the City, a Tourism Committee was established to bring together stakeholders associated with the Issaquah tourism industry, including local hoteliers, restaurants, attractions and more. The group meets monthly and is actively involved in organizing a number of programs, marketing campaigns and initiatives to bring visitors to Issaquah.

Chamber, City and local leaders are working to position Issaquah as a destination location for niche tourism opportunities, including active outdoor recreation, arts and culture, food and wine and more. For example, this March, local restaurants have come together with the Rotary Club of Issaquah and Issaquah+Sammamish Magazine to promote a Taste our Town local dining promotion and a signature “Grape Escape” event. Learn more about this partnership and the state of Washington Restaurant and Tourism industries at the March 22nd Chamber Luncheon, which will feature the President of the WA State Tourism Alliance and the CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association.

For more information, contact Nathan Perea at nperea@issaquahchamber.com or 425-392-7024.

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Added on 02/17/2012

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