Visit Bellevue brought tourism partners and voices from across the communications and media landscape together to discuss how relationships, story angles and earned coverage help people discover Bellevue.
Visit Bellevue hosted a Bellevue Boost partner meet-up on Nov. 3 at W Bellevue’s Living Room Bar & Front Porch, focused on “The Power of PR & Media Hosting.” The venue’s indoor-outdoor space gave the panel and partner gathering a distinctive setting.
Megan Adams, Visit Bellevue’s Director of Destination Stewardship & Community Relations, led the event. Communications Manager Anna Yan moderated a panel featuring Jody Diamond, president of Visit Bellevue’s PR agency of record, Diamond Public Relations; Allen Cox, editor-in-chief of Northwest Travel & Life and Meeting News Northwest; Erin James, director of marketing and public relations at Ascend Hospitality Group; Bellevue restaurateur Randi Brazen, co-owner of 520 Bar & Grill and Central Bar & Kitchen; and Ben Keenan, creator of I’ve Ben Traveling and audience development manager at City Cast Seattle.
Discussion Highlights
The panel’s varied perspectives pointed to a shared principle: effective PR starts with a clear, human story and connects it with the right audience. A business owner’s personal history or a venue’s role in its community can give a pitch a distinctive angle. For media visits, offering several relevant experiences can help a journalist find multiple ways into a story.
The conversation also addressed practical ways to support discovery. Businesses can make key information, including FAQs, easy to find online and clearly communicate their goals when working with content creators. AI can help with routine tasks and shape how travelers search, while human-written stories and credible media coverage remain valuable.
Panelists encouraged businesses to share their coverage on social media, with LinkedIn noted as a useful channel. Visit Bellevue shared examples of recent coverage and PR results from 2025 through the third quarter of 2026. The presentation reported 499 media clips, a reach of 2.3 billion and $95.8 million in media value. It also noted four hosted press trips across the two years, as well as a number of individual press visits. Examples of coverage shown at the event included stories and features from Travel + Leisure, Forbes, Men’s Journal and Matador Network.
About Bellevue Boost
Visit Bellevue’s Bellevue Boost meet-ups connect tourism and hospitality partners with resources, training and opportunities to learn from one another. The organization provides free marketing, communications and other resources to local businesses as part of its work to strengthen the visitor experience and support overnight visitation.
