Cvent Header logo

UNSUPPORTED BROWSER

You are currently using an unsupported web browser.

Supported Browsers

We support the latest versions of these browsers:

If you have any problems while attempting to download a browser, you should contact your organization’s system administrator.

For any questions related to Cvent, feel free to contact our Customer Care team.

Tri-Cities, WA Event Planning

Key Highlights

Hotels 28
Total Sleeping Rooms 2,782
Committable Sleeping Rooms* 279
Committable Meeting Rooms* 12
Convention Center Space 75,000 Sq. Ft.
Largest Exhibit Space 38,184 Sq. Ft.
Largest Ballroom 21,600 Sq. Ft.
Average Hotel Room Rate USD $93
Average Daily Meal Cost USD $46
Average Weekly Car Rental USD $347
*Maximum for a single hotel

Tri-Cities, WA Meeting Planning Overview

Welcome to the Meeting and Event Planning Guide for Tri-Cities, an area guide for meeting professionals. Comprised of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland, Washington State's Tri-Cities is a metropolitan area that has maintained much small-town charm and a wealth of outdoor activities, thanks to its more than 300 sunny days a year and a location at the confluence of the Snake, Yakima and Columbia Rivers. While the area is a hotbed for water sports and recreation, it's also within easy reach of the major population centers of the Pacific Northwest - two hours' drive from Spokane and a 3.5-hour drive from both Seattle and Portland. The Tri-Cities also sits in the heart of Washington Wine Country, which offers more than 200 wineries within a 60-mile radius. Aside from its convenient Pacific Northwest location, meeting planners choose the Tri-Cities area for its green-power industries, variety of recreation-rich unique venues and eclectic shopping and dining scene. Groups also favor the numerous green spaces, including the 23-mile paved Sacagawea Heritage Trail, which runs along the Columbia River and connects the cities and parks.

Visitors and residents alike can easily get around the Tri-Cities area, thanks to its Ben Franklin Transit system, which operates 22 bus routes throughout the Tri-Cities and surrounding region. The Tri-Cities Airport provides air service to the southeast Washington and northeast Oregon region, serving more than 250,000 direct flights each year to Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Las Vegas and Mesa, Arizona. Meeting planners appreciate the airport's convenient Pasco location, which sits less than nine miles from the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

Nestled in Kennewick's Vista Entertainment District, the aptly named, 75,000-square-foot Three Rivers Convention Center offers 33,000 square feet of flexible meeting space on one level, as well as a 21,600-square-foot Great Hall, a 14,000-square-foot Grand Foyer and nine breakout rooms that total 13,000 square feet. Delegates can easily reach 763 hotel rooms within a few blocks of the sleek, modern convention center, as well as walk to a variety of restaurants or gather in the on-site Internet cafe in between or after meetings.

Beyond its Three Rivers Convention Center, the Tri-Cities area is home to a variety of unique venues that offer spaces perfect for group gatherings and events, as well as free parking. Situated in the heart of Kennewick, next door to the convention center, the Toyota Center hosts more than 150 meeting and arena events each year. When it's not hosting the Western Hockey League's Tri-Cities Americans and the Indoor Football League's Tri-Cities Fever, the 7,000-seat center features up to 27,000 square feet of exhibit space and 3,000 square feet of banquet space. A second sports arena option for groups, Gesa Stadium in Pasco is the home of the Tri-Cities Dust Devils, affiliate of the Colorado Rockies and 2007, 2009 and 2011 Northwest League East Division Champions. Groups can gather for barbecues at Dusty's Deck and Dusty's Bullpen or reserve the Lamb Weston Hot Corner, which offers up to 50 field level seats between the third base dugout and bullpen.

For a group outing with a view, Columbia River Journeys specializes in jet boat tours of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, as well as the Hanford Reach National Monument, or the last free-flowing section of the Columbia River in the United States. Groups of up to 22 people can board the 28-foot Chinook Wind, while groups of six can gather on the 20-foot Arid Breeze. Terra firma events can be held at Terra Blanca, an award-winning winery on Red Mountain. The winery welcomes groups to take part in tours of its extensive underground barrel cave system, as well as features 8,000 square feet of banquet space and 2,000 square feet of outdoor event space. For an event on the links or overlooking the links, groups can choose from the area's number of powerhouse golf courses. Tri-Cities is home to seven courses and two championship putting courses, including Canyon Lakes Golf Course, which not only offers the largest green in the Pacific Northwest, but also enjoys the title of highest ranked golf course in Washington by Golf Digest. The area's mild year-round climate and abundance of sunny days allow Tri-Cities golf courses to stay open nearly every day of the year.

About Tri-Cities, WA / Additional Info

The Tri-Cities area encompasses Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland. As the largest Tri-Cities community, the 25-square-mile Kennewick serves as the retail hub of southeast Washington and northeast Oregon, as well as housing the Three Rivers Convention Center and Toyota Center. Kennewick also features 27 parks, including the popular Columbia Park. Offering 360 acres of river frontage, Columbia Park features the Playground of Dreams, Aquatic Splash Park and the open-air train J&S Dreamland Express; it also hosts the annual Water Follies Columbia Cup hydroplane races every July. The bustling, thriving area of Pasco serves as the Tri-Cities' center for transportation, commerce and trade. In addition to its commercial strength, Pasco features Gesa Stadium, home to the professional minor league baseball team the Tri-City Dusty Devils. Visitors travel to Richland to enjoy its Three Rivers Arts and Entertainment District, as well as its three community theater troupes, direct access to a beautiful waterfront portion of the 23-mile paved Sacagawea Heritage Trail, antique shops and wineries. Finally, West Richland serves as the area's mostly residential community, and is dotted with public parks.

The Tri-Cities area delights visitors and residents alike with its variety of recreational activities, golf courses, unique shops, restaurants specializing in Pacific Northwest cuisine and rich historical attractions that highlight the area's role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The expedition passed through the area in 1805 and again in 1806 during its return trip. On its way home, the expedition stayed in the region for nearly three days to make celestial and cultural observations, as well as river documentations. Today, the area's location at the confluence of three rivers make it a playground for water sports and outdoor adventures, but its history is never far from view. Many of the region's attractions pay homage to the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the effect the expedition still has on today's Tri-Cities. One such attraction is the Confluence Project at Sacajawea State Park, which features the artwork of famed artist Maya Lin at seven stopping points along the original Lewis and Clark trail. In addition, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail that runs along the Columbia River not only connects the cities and parks, but also celebrates the area's ties to the Lewis and Clark Expedition and provides a spectacular setting for shoreline recreation.

Other Tri-Cities historical and natural attractions include Kennewick's East Benton County Historical Society Museum, which showcases artifacts that explain the forces and movements that shaped the region. McNary National Wildlife Refuge welcomes visitors to walk its two-mile interpretive trail and view more than 200 species of birds, most notably songbirds and migrating waterfowl that find respite in the refuge's 14 miles of shoreline and 15,000 acres of sloughs, ponds, streams and islands. Visitors may register for a public tour of the B Reactor, a National Historic Landmark that served as the world's first industrial-scale nuclear reactor, used to produce plutonium for the U.S. military Manhattan Project during World War II.

The Tri-Cities is home to a variety of fine restaurants that highlight and celebrate local ingredients in their interpretations of Pacific Northwest cuisine. Situated in the Heart of Washington Wine Country at Tagaris Winery, Taverna Tagaris utilizes ingredients from local farmers in its seasonal Mediterranean fare. Cedars Restaurant & Lounge offers unobstructed Columbia River views as well as contemporary American cuisine, while TC Prime Fine Steak & Seafood welcomes guests to dine on traditional steakhouse favorites in a bistro-style setting. Proudly nestled in the center of the Richland Farmer's Market, Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro creates much more than its astounding selection of more than 200 cupcake flavors, while Monterosso's Italian Restaurant welcomes guests to indulge in pastas and other traditional Italian fare while dining in a 1947 vintage Pullman dining car.

 
See a problem with this listing? Report an Issue