From the CEO

Summer sunshine is here – the season when the beauty of the Pacific Northwest is really on display. And great things are happening around the Puget Sound region – especially in downtown Seattle.

People are visiting our best local spots: Foot traffic in Seattle’s Pike Place Market is up 7.5% between January and June, compared to the same time period last year, and the city’s pilot program to make the market mostly car-free is underway.

The long-awaited Seattle Waterfront is nearing completion: I participated in the ribbon cutting for Pier 58, which opened July 25, and will again be a part of history as a major, brand-new public space – with a jellyfish-shaped playground – in our reimagined 20-acre Waterfront Park. And the Seattle Waterfront grand opening was just announced, so hold Sept. 6 on your calendars.

Our region got a taste of what our biggest 2026 event will bring: In the recent FIFA Club World Cup match, 50,628 fans took in the finale for the Seattle Sounders – the second consecutive Sounders match that drew more than 50,000 fans. At the Chamber, we’re getting ready for FIFA World Cup 26 Seattle™ – check out our new business resources here.

How about Cal! My beloved Seattle Mariners are right in the mix to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022, and who wasn’t inspired to cheer them on after Cal Raleigh’s big Home Run Derby win?

The Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade finds a new home: Just this past weekend, thousands of fans and marchers walked, danced, and floated the new waterfront route for the parade – and against a twilight backdrop for the first time in years.

And your Seattle Metro Chamber is here to cheer at each and every one of these events and activities, as they remind residents and visitors alike why this region is the best place in the world to be in the summer.

But the sunshine and celebration doesn’t stop us from our work to address our region’s challenges.

Revive I-5 is underway, and we know the necessary work is adding time and headaches to many commutes. We are working with our partners at Commute Seattle to make tools and resources available.

Election season is heating up and the decisions by voters in August and November will have consequences for years to come. While the Chamber doesn’t do endorsements of candidates, we do keep our pulse on where the voters stand on the issues. Check out our spring installment of The Index, and be on the lookout for the next installment in the fall – right before the November election – and make sure you VOTE.

And recent federal moves – alongside state and local budgetary actions – are creating economic uncertainty. Our hometown businesses are making tough decisions regarding overhead costs, talent, technology, and how they deliver value and services to withstand changing economic headwinds, meaning we need local policymakers to take actions to keep our local economy strong and not add to the uncertainty – something we continue to advocate for at all levels of government.

So, yes, we are here to celebrate all the great things happening in our region, but we will not stop working on your behalf by providing tools and resources for you and your employees, encouraging elected officials and candidates to embrace and address the issues that are most important to you, and fighting for solutions you want to see in our community and that are best for our local economy.

I said in my message to you last December that in 2025 we will not have time to take a breather, and that couldn’t be more true. We will continue to move forward on our proactive agenda regionally – and at the state level. We have traveled the world on delegations this spring building relationships and bringing home problem-solving ideas. And we will continue to champion all the good things our region has to offer.

Your (relentless) Cheerleader in Chief,

Rachel

Rachel Smith (she/her/hers)
President & CEO
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