Trading Spaces

In the stormy fall of 2009, during the worst downturn since the Great Depression, 6,900 electrical contractors arrived at Seattle's convention center to find a brilliant September sun. The sun wasn't the only surprise. "It was a little crazy, considering the economy, but we did great," says Beth Ellis, the group's executive director for conventions. "We even had extra people register after we arrived. We exceeded our expectations."

Seattle, although a tad out of the way, remains a premier convention and meeting destination. "For us East Coasters, it is a long flight, but when everybody gets there, they want to go back [again]," says Ellis, whose National Electrical Contractors Association is based in Maryland. "Meeting close to where they live doesn't entice them. But Seattle ... Seattle is a clean city, walkable, a very safe city that our members really enjoy."

Even in hard times, the Washington State Convention & Trade Center shines. Year in and year out, it brings in tourists and convention-goers by the tens of thousands, and direct tax revenue to the state of about $26 million annually. "Convention centers typically are designed as loss leaders," says Kate Joncas, president of the Downtown Seattle Association. "This one actually makes money. It's one of only four around the country that turns a profit. We really listen closely to [convention center president] John Christison, because he does an excellent job operating it."

Christison says he can't quite confirm that "one of only four" statement. "But it's true there are only a very limited number of centers that produce a profit at the operating line"-in Seattle, to the tune of $2.4 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2009. That's cause for celebration. Besides making itself a profit, the center figures that since it opened, it has brought in $3.2 billion from out-of-state delegates, who paid $180 million in taxes to the state's general fund. The recession drove numbers down in 2009, just as Christison warned in his previous year's annual report. But, he adds, "I remain very optimistic about our long-term future, despite the effects of the current economy. This situation is remarkably similar to the one we faced following September 11. Once again, we are well-positioned to ride out this downturn."

All well and good, but here's a catch. How did such a well-regarded center get so crosswise with the state

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