Winter Conference
BUILD STRONG. STAY STRONG.
Building Economic Resilience & Preparedness in Washington’s Communities
WEDA’s 2026 Winter Conference & Legislative Reception
February 25-26, 2026
Olympia/Lacey, WA
REGISTER
EVENT DETAILS
AGENDA: Our preliminary conference agenda is available below and will be regularly updated with all speakers added approximately three weeks out from the conference. View preliminary Conference Agenda.
SCHEDULE:
- Pre-Conference: Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm No-Host Dinner Gathering
- Day 1: Wednesday, February 25 – 12:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with registration beginning at 11:30 am and informal gatherings following the Legislative Reception at the Governor’s Mansion
- Day 2: Thursday, February 26 – 8:00 am to 1:30 pm
CONFERENCE & WEDA AWARDS CEREMONY LOCATION: Norman Worthington Conference Center at Saint Martin’s University, 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey, WA. Onsite parking is free and readily available.
LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION LOCATION: Governor’s Mansion near the Legislative Building, 504 15th Ave SW, Olympia, WA
Our Legislative Reception will include state legislators from across Washington. All conference registrants are automatically registered for the Legislative Reception.
HOTELS: Conference registration fees do not include conference accommodations. If you would like to book a hotel room for the conference, we have negotiated group rates at these hotels:
Hampton Inn & Suites Olympia-Lacey: Use this link: Hampton Inn and Suites Olympia Lacey, WA Hotel (hilton.com) and select the dates (February 25, 2026 and/or February 26, 2026), to access our group rate of $169.00 per night, subject to room availability. Last day to book at this rate is February 4. If you prefer to speak to someone at the hotel, call 360-459-5000 for assistance.
Courtyard Olympia by Marriott: Use this link: Courtyard Olympia by Marriott and select the dates (valid February 24, 2026 to February 26, 2025) to access our group rate of $179.00 per night, subject to room availability. Last day to book at this rate is January 30. If you prefer to speak to someone at the hotel call 360-943-8448 and ask for the WEDA discounted group rate.
Ramada by Wyndham Olympia: To access our group rate of $90.00 per night, subject to room availability, call the hotel at 360-459-8866 and ask for the “WEDA group rate.” Last day to book at this rate is February 9.
Additional Hotels: There are several additional nearby hotel options in the Olympia area. Visit: experienceolympia.com/stay/
SWAPCARD – ONLINE PLATFORM: We are partnering with Swapcard, an innovative global company with a presence in Kirkland, WA to provide an engaging online experience for our attendees, including access to the agenda, speaker biographies, speaker slide decks/materials, networking opportunities and interactive polling during the conference. As we near the event, you will receive an invitation to login to Swapcard. Please be sure to create your login, you will also be able to optimize your own profile and start networking with other conference attendees.
FOOD & BEVERAGE: Lunch on Wednesday, an afternoon snack on Wednesday, the Legislative Reception at the Governor’s Mansion as well as a full breakfast and lunch on Thursday will be provided. All food will be served buffet style. We will do our best to accommodate dietary requests.
ATTENDEES: We are expecting over 200 attendees representing economic development, local government, port, business, tribal, education/workforce and community leaders from rural and urban communities throughout Washington.
WEDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
We are pleased to celebrate Outstanding Achievements in Economic Development at the Winter Conference with the 2026 WEDA Economic Development Awards Program.
Download Award Nominations Form Here — Nomination forms accepted electronically until 5:00 pm PST on February 4, 2026.
Awards include:
Economic Development Project of the Year – Recruitment
Economic Development Project of the Year – Retention
Advocate of the Year
Emerging Professional
Innovation in Economic Development
Economic Response & Recovery
Inclusive Economic Development
Thank you to our sponsors!
WEDA’s conferences are recognized events for IEDC’s CEcD re-certification credits.
WEDA event attendees assume all risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury, illness, damage, loss, claim, liability or expense, of any kind, that attendee may experience or incur in connection with attending this conference. By registering for the conference, attendee hereby releases, covenants not to sue, discharges, and holds harmless WEDA, its employees, agents, and representatives, of and from any such claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs, or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. Attendees also consent to be recorded, photographed and videotaped related to the event, and hereby irrevocably and perpetually authorize WEDA to copyright, publish, reproduce, exhibit, transmit, broadcast, televise, digitize, display, otherwise use, attendee name, image, likeness and voice, and all photographs, recordings, videotapes, audiovisual materials, writings, statements and quotations of or by obtained during the event. Use of Publicly Posted Photos: WEDA may use publicly posted photos of speakers and sponsor graphics, sourced from online platforms and social media, for promotional materials, marketing campaigns, and conference-related content. These photos are used only after requesting approved photos and graphics from speakers and sponsors, in good faith, respecting the rights of individuals and the intent of public sharing. Intellectual Property Rights: WEDA respects the intellectual property rights of individuals. If any photo or graphic used by WEDA infringes upon your rights or is not intended for public use, please contact us at [email protected]. Upon notification, we will remove the item in question from all marketing and conference materials. Limitation of Liability: WEDA assumes no liability for any unauthorized use of publicly posted photos or graphics by third parties. By attending or promoting the conference, speakers, participants, and sponsors agree to hold WEDA harmless from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from the use of such photos or graphics. Compliance with Online Platform Policies: WEDA endeavors to comply with the terms of service and usage policies of the online platforms from which photos and graphics are sourced. Any inadvertent non-compliance will be addressed upon notification. Opt-Out Option: If speakers prefer not to have their publicly posted photos used by WEDA, they may opt out by notifying us in writing at [email protected] prior to the conference. Amendments: WEDA reserves the right to amend this disclaimer at any time. Conference Cancellation Policy: If you are unable to attend the conference, you may donate your registration fee to WEDA or receive a full refund one week out from the event and a 50% refund within one week of the event. We also accept replacement names, but we need to receive those as soon as possible, please, and no later than noon on February 23, 2026. For cancelations or replacements, please email [email protected].