Seattle Convention Center | Summit — Attraction in Seattle

The Seattle Convention Center is a solid venue for events like Emerald City Comicon, with several positives that make it a decent choice for large conventions. The building is clean and generally well-maintained, and the floor level access is straightforward and easy to navigate. The layout works well for conventions, providing a somewhat spacious environment with a logical flow that makes finding different areas simple. I also appreciate that there is a restaurant inside, which is convenient for grabbing a quick bite without having to leave the building. The convention center staff also do a good job organizing events, which helps keep things moving smoothly.

However, there are a few downsides. The most noticeable issue is the lack of proper air conditioning, which can make the space feel musty and uncomfortable when it gets crowded. When there are a lot of people, it can feel quite claustrophobic, and even the escalators tend to get packed. I’ve also experienced a time when some escalators stopped working, which only added to the congestion. Given its location in a sketchy part of Seattle, navigating the area around the center can be a bit intimidating, especially after dark.

Additionally, seating areas are somewhat limited, and the lack of dedicated spaces to rest between panels or events can be tiring for attendees. The Wi-Fi is spotty, which can be frustrating if you're trying to stay connected or share your experience online.

Overall, the Seattle Convention Center is a good venue for conventions, but it has its drawbacks that could be improved to enhance the attendee experience, especially for large events...

This is a really beautiful space, but I wish it had been designed with more attention to user experience, particularly for folks with disabilities. Despite every sign in the building to the contrary, there is no "market" on the first floor, so if you need a snack you will need to go out to the surrounding area. When you walk in the front of the building, there's a sign that seems to show shops that are in the building - but they aren't. I didn't find any way to access the shops from inside the building; they are all outside and uphill.

The restrooms are not all located together - and the signs aren't super clear. The gendered restrooms are indicated by signs that use narrow isosceles triangles to differentiate gender but they aren't easy to see if you're visually impaired. There are non-gendered restrooms with a wheelchair sign, which are easier to see, but once you get in there, the switches are a little confusing and there's no label on the inside of the door to show you whether the door is locked or not.

The room numbers are also a little weird - for some reason room 420 is next to 448, so keep that in mind as you are...

This is a nice facility for a large conference, but they have some problems that need to be addressed. Had I not been just six weeks out from Achilles tendon repair and having to use an electric scooter to get around, I probably would not have noticed these issues. First, they would not allow anyone to use the second bank of elevators which were not busy. I was forced to try to get into the only three elevators they allowed us to use. Sharing with thousands of people, it was sometimes hard to even get into an elevator. To make it worse, the doors close WAY too fast. The second issue was restroom access. I'm not sure they understand what ADA rules require. The restrooms were not large enough for the electric scooter to easily maneuver but the worse part was NONE of the restrooms had motorized door openers. MAJOR strike there. With the facility being newer in the last few years, there is no excuse for the building to be difficult to get around. Thankfully if I have to return, I'll be walking again but these issues really need to...