♪♪
-Good morning. I am Lisa Howard.
I'm the Executive Director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square.
I'm thrilled to welcome you today to the Friend Museum
on this sunny Monday.
For those of you who know where the Friend Museum is
but not what, let me give you an update.
The Friend Museum is a collective owned
by Ali Weber and Amanda Avett
and a place to gather and to share in art and creativity.
They house 12 vintage vendors who each curate their own rack
in their distinct style and story,
works of art in their own right, if you will.
They also host a local bottles shop,
Pass the Matches whose focus is natural wine made by BIPOC,
queer, and women-owned wineries. And, finally,
just last week they opened their in-house coffee shop,
Exhibit Coffee,
serving Seattle's own Fulcrum Roastery beans
and inviting you to sit and stay while in community.
For my time knowing Ali and Mandy,
I know, most importantly, this entire space is about community,
which makes it the perfect place
to celebrate this milestone countdown
and the announcement today.
The LOC has already demonstrated an unwavering commitment
to community and to business engagement,
and we are looking forward to strengthening those bonds
and this work over the next 500 days.
And now I'm going to pass it over to David Young
with First and Goal.
-Thank you, Lisa. Good -- Good afternoon.
I'm David Young, COO of First and Goal, Incorporated.
I'm also a board member of the Local Organizing Committee here.
Can't believe there's only 500 days left.
I've been a part of this since 2017.
So 500 days may seem like a long time,
but it's really the home stretch at this point.
The World Cup and the reason we brought this to Seattle
is because it's the biggest sporting event in the world.
We expect hundreds of thousands of visitors and billions
of viewers to have their eyes on this,
on our city and our region in 2026.
With that level of attention,
though, also brings a substantial benefit
to our region and to our city.
In fact, Visit Seattle recently estimated
that over $929 million worth of benefit and support
and over 20,000 jobs will be generated
by hosting the World Cup.
It's a big, huge boost to our economy;
but it's also a huge responsibility for the LOC
as we execute this event and do everything possible
to help small businesses like the one we're in today
to benefit and share in that benefit.
It's our goal to broaden that benefit
of hosting the World Cup,
to maximize this moment of global focus,
and to make lasting progress.
It's going to be a lot of hard work,
but it's important work.
Luckily, we're not doing this all on our own.
I mean, soccer, just like football,
just like all of our sports here in Seattle, it's a team sport.
So we've got a lot of great partners here along the way
that I'm proud to say that we've worked with at First and Goal
in Lumen Field for the past 20-plus years
that that stadium has been in existence.
So, as we're announcing this small business initiative,
we've got some great partners today --
the CID Small Business Relief team, the SODO BIA,
the Alliance for Pioneer Square you just heard from,
and the Seattle Metro Chamber.
We have a history of teaming with these organizations,
as I said,
throughout the history of our operation at Lumen Field
and ensuring that every event that we host there
has lasting impact.
And the World Cup will be no different.
Thanks to funding from the State Department of Commerce,
King County, and other private contributions,
these organizations are going to provide direct support
in the areas surrounding Lumen Field
but more broadly across King County.
And, really,
we're going to be also issuing a playbook
for businesses across the state of Washington
so that we can broaden that focus
and broaden that benefit of that $929 million estimated impact.
Our Small Business Initiative
and the team coming together to make it happen
is just one way that we're pursuing the mission,
an obligation to create a lasting legacy for more
of our neighbors and welcome, really,
the whole world to Seattle in 2026.
And now I get to introduce someone who does know a thing
or two about impact here in our community, Mayor Bruce Harrell.
-Thank you very much, David.
Hold your applause, please.
You guys are probably tired of hearing that joke,
but sometimes it just seems apropos.
I want to thank David and Jamie and Lisa and Rachel and Aaron,
my teammates on this.
We're excited. Someone said 500 days.
That may seem like a long time.
But, for us, it is not. Particularly as being mayor,
500 days is a good time by which we can impress upon you
that we are excited;
and we are doing everything necessary to prepare.
I want to reiterate the why, to some extent.
Number one,
we all know how sports are a powerful unifier of people.
And right now I think the world is looking at the United States
and, as an international citizen,
how we continue to be,
particularly in this region, a world-class,
inviting environment, a fun environment, a safe environment.
So this gives us our opportunity to not only
unify everyone but to display to the world
why Seattle is a cool place to come and live
and become educated and raise families.
See? I got an agreement up there.
Visit Seattle projects a minimum of 929 million generated
for King County over the six World Cup matches,
including more than 100 million in direct state
and local tax revenue
supporting more than 20,000 full time and part time jobs.
Now, that's a significant economic impact.
This is a huge opportunity for our local economy
and especially our small businesses.
And that's why this forum is, again,
very appropriate and this area, too, Lisa,
when we look at Pioneer Square and Aaron in the SODO areas.
That this gives us the opportunity to gain momentum,
gain excitement, and, again, showcase ourselves to the world.
As mayor,
my job is to ensure that the city does its part
to foster a safe World Cup experience
for our residents and visitors, to help drive the same spirit
that Seattle approached in 1962 World's Fair.
And you've heard me on many occasions
describe that legacy period.
That's what this is for us.
Recently and by that I mean about a week,
week and a half ago,
I met with I think all of the mayors of the major cities
that are host cities,
and some of those that are doing some
of the ancillary activities.
And so I'm very proud of our Local Organizing Committee
because I think our city and our state and our region
and, Peter, your fine organization
I think we're demonstrating just outstanding leadership on
how to prepare and how to take advantage of this opportunity.
We will as a city leverage resources
to support activations and events throughout the city;
capital improvements to our premier gathering spaces;
and bolster our city operations to make sure,
again, we take advantage of this opportunity.
Now, making this a success will require a significant amount
of resources and financial participation,
people time, a team effort.
So, again, I want to close by again thanking all
of my colleagues with me.
This is our opportunity, again, to really shine.
And as I --
as I close, I'll tell you what I told the mayors
across the country. Very simple.
Are we ready, and how do we know we are ready?
So that is the lens by which I will evaluate everything
that the City of Seattle is doing.
And I am extremely -- tomorrow I'll say 499 days,
and I'll keep counting down until the matches begin.
And, again, thank you for being here and celebrating this.
So now you'll hear from Jamie Lee.
I think many of you know her with her --
as Co-Executive Director of the Seattle
Chinatown International District and Preservation.
And, you know,
she's had over 20 years of working
with different organizations and a community leader,
but most important about her resume
is she holds two master's degrees
from the University of Washington.
Jamie. -Thank you, Mayor Harrell.
Good afternoon. Happy New Year.
Happy Year the Snake,
those of you -- it's new year's this week.
As the mayor said, I'm Jamie Lee,
the Co-Executive Director of
the Seattle Chinatown International District
Preservation Development Authority,
also known as SCIDpda,
I'm here speaking on behalf
of the CID Small Business Relief team,
which is the partnership between SCIDpda,
the Friends of Little Saigon,
and the CID Business Improvement Area.
The CID is home to over 400 small businesses,
not to mention the thousands of residents that live there.
Many in our community come from immigrant
and refugee backgrounds
and have made a living for themselves
and their families in the CID for generations.
We conduct our work based on trust and relationships
nurtured over years.
Our work is based on a shared language,
whether that is Chinese or Vietnamese,
or a shared understanding
that we are here to look out for one another.
We are glad to see that the Local Organizing Committee,
Peter and Leo and their team recognize the significant
and impactful work that we do. We are glad to see
that the Stadium Neighborhood World Cup Liaisons
will be hired within existing community organizations.
Having this role join us as staff member of our team
will allow us to build and expand on the work
that we have already done in preparing for the next 500 days,
having dedicated staff focus on translating
and sharing information related to the World Cup
will ensure that the CID and its small businesses
are prepared for the games.
Again, thank you to the LOC and your partners
and for prioritizing the CID
and our neighbors in SODO and Pioneer Square.
And now I'd like to introduce my good friend, Erin Goodman,
with the SODO BIA.
-Good afternoon. Erin Goodman.
I'm the Executive Director
with the SODO Business Improvement Area.
And as we count down the days to the World Cup 2026
and Seattle's role as the host city,
I want to take a second to recognize the work
that's being done behind the scenes to ensure
that businesses and communities
that are going to be most directly impacted
can not only benefit
but have a voice in the planning and logistics
for this historic event.
A key component to this,
as you may have heard mentioned,
is the Neighborhood World Cup Liaisons.
This is an innovative partnership
between the Seattle Local Organizing Committee
and the business improvement areas
in the neighborhoods closest to the stadium,
the Chinatown International District,
Pioneer Square, and SODO.
These liaisons will be the primary points of contact
for local businesses,
offering support and guidance throughout the event.
They will help businesses navigate street closures,
adjust to traffic changes,
and stay informed about real-time disruptions.
They will also act as a conduit
between our neighborhoods and event organizers.
They will channel the voices of local businesses
back to FIFA's logistical teams,
ensuring that not only are conditions --
concerns addressed and solutions are found,
from adjusting delivery schedules
to facilitating communications with city officials,
the liaisons will be critical in problem solving
and minimizing disruptions.
They bring essential local knowledge to the table,
ensuring that the event organizers are responsive
to each neighborhood's needs,
with the aim of shaping a planning process
that is more inclusive and effective.
With the World Cup spanning multiple weeks,
the unique element of this program
is that it is designed with flexibility,
able to make adjustments
as needed based on feedback from businesses
and able to address concerns in real time.
This network of support creates an opportunity
to turn challenges into growth for everyone involved.
Ultimately, the goal is to leave a lasting legacy
that improves
how future large-scale events can better support
neighborhoods and businesses.
So, as we prepare for this historic event,
the role of the liaisons
and the stadium neighborhood business districts
will be crucial in ensuring that every business has the support
they need to thrive in the global spotlight.
The SODO BIA is proud to support this effort and collaboration.
Thank you. -Well, Greetings, everyone.
And thank you so much for having me.
My name is Rachel Smith,
President and CEO
of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
And I am just thrilled to say the countdown
has officially begun.
So I represent more than 2500 member businesses.
And little known fact --
nearly 80% of them are small businesses.
Our region is known
for internationally acclaimed companies
whose names are uttered daily in every corner of the globe.
They are also our members.
But, soon,
smaller businesses from around Washington State
will become household names for soccer fans
everywhere by contributing to them
having the experience of a lifetime.
Of course, as locals,
we know how lucky we are to have these places in our backyard.
They make our downtowns, our main streets,
and our neighborhoods the places where people want to be.
And it isn't always easy.
These stores have gone through tough times.
But they always embody resilience and grit
to stay afloat,
just like our professional athletes do on the field.
Off the field,
our small businesses will be the connective tissue
of the World Cup experience,
and the Seattle Metro Chamber is excited
to lead the business readiness efforts.
We know that from the time the teams arrive
until the last match is played,
our businesses are going to be serving customers
and navigating all the action every day,
back to back, nonstop, rinse and repeat.
And we all need to make sure that businesses, all businesses,
are informed and able to ride the wave.
To that end,
I am impressed but not at all surprised by how attentive
the Local Organizing Committee is to that mission.
And I know that the World Cup checklist
that every person here wakes up with
includes what we can do to provide tools to businesses
and to support their success. And to help that effort,
the Seattle Metro Chamber is assembling
a small business toolkit
which aims to make the planning effort more digestible
to employers on topics ranging from business operations
to regulations to transportation.
And we are very fortunate to have partners helping
to fund that work, including King County.
And while proximity to the stadium is an obvious thing
to highlight,
this event will boost economic activity for businesses
throughout the entire region and state.
We want to make sure that it's a ripple effect.
1.6 million fans aren't going to limit themselves
to a few concentrated areas,
and neither will we because all of our business districts
have something special to offer.
In 500 days, it's game on for the entire Pacific Northwest,
and our local businesses are ready to step it up.
Every storefront in every neighborhood in every town
in Washington state has the opportunity to shine.
And, together, we're going to make that happen.
Thank you.
-Well, I guess this my time.
I thought we were finished, but I would love some questions.
-Omari Salisbury for Converge Media.
Our studio is just right there in the Coleman building.
So hello my Pioneer Square neighbors
and our Seattle neighbors and SODO neighbors.
Very -- this is very fortunate news about this windfall
that's coming into our city.
He said it's like a World's Fair moment.
But what I wanted to address with you,
sir, is when Major League Baseball came here
for the All-Star Game,
basically, ethnic media was shut out.
Nobody spent any money with any of us, for the most part.
And, you know,
no dollars were directed in our communities for any media.
So a lot of people never made it to all the different events
that were going on for All Star,
even the drone by the Space Needle
and everything else
because there was no concerted effort by All-Star
to really address the different ethnic communities
and the way that we communicate to our people.
So I want to know what's going to be different
about the World Cup.
What is being intentional to make sure
that this massive windfall that's coming in here,
that these dollars are actually spent, one,
in actually advertising but also with creative agencies,
activation agencies,
and everything else that got shut out
during the last big event that came to the Emerald City.
-So I'm going to ask someone to help me respond.
But I also want to talk about I am aware of --
not to personalize it,
but I know that, with your particular company,
there was some things
that didn't happen to your satisfaction.
I was also pleased, however, that the league did step up,
and they put a couple of million dollars
into 98118 into a ballpark.
You're talking about ethnic media.
And there was the historical Black college All-Star Game
that I think was sort of unprecedented.
So I think they acknowledge the fact
that they have to reach a diverse group.
And, if the efforts failed relative to the ethnic media,
then that's good learning for us
as we prepare for the FIFA games.
But I'll let you respond to that.
-Thank you, Mr. Mayor; and thank you for the question.
My name is Leo Flor,
and I have the privilege of being the Chief Legacy Officer
for the Local Organizing Committee.
The question is one
that we've heard quite a bit over the last year
of community engagement.
In fact, just two weeks ago, on January 8,
we were up in the Central District in a meeting
that was convened by a consultancy with about 45
Central District leaders just asking that question,
what would it look like to involve the Central District?
And one of the reasons
that we're really focused on Central District,
we have some pretty special matches coming here;
and they come with even more responsibility.
So we're going to have the US National Team playing in Seattle
on Juneteenth of 2026.
And we're going to celebrate that match.
It's a big deal,
but you can't celebrate it without also celebrating
the local Black community
and helping to broaden the benefit into that community.
So that's one way is beginning to talk early,
ask questions,
figure out what the right strategies are going to be.
And some examples that came out of that are,
one, highlighting local events like Juneteenth celebrations
that already happen and then publicizing those to visitors
who come to celebrate the World Cup here;
two is identifying local businesses specifically in parts
of the Central District
and then including them on an online application
and unity loop walk
that we're going to be using to direct the attention of visitors
who come to the region; and then, three,
continuing to go back and ask the same group
that actually formed to respond partially
to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
They've got really good ideas about what it will look like
to succeed, and we're going to be involving them
in a planning committee that we're forming going forward.
-Right. So real quick, Leo.
I sell air time, just like Channel 4, 5, 7, 13,
and everybody else who's here.
I just want to be able to pitch my advertising deck to someone,
and either they find value in what I sell
at Converge or they don't.
Everything that you mentioned is great.
But, you see, this is what happens when these games come.
People like us who are just in business,
I'm a small business in Pioneer Square
who just wants to sell air time and advertising
around the World Cup.
But I get pulled in all these things,
Central District, everything else.
Who's responsible for -- who's buying ads, man?
-Yeah.
So another thing that I'll be sure to follow up with you
on is we do actually have a database
that we're building online.
And anybody, any small business in the community
can put their business into that.
Right now, it's on our website.
And then we actually share that with FIFA,
with broadcast partners,
with commercial affiliates who will come to town.
And when they're looking for spaces,
or they might be looking for video support,
we're going to have that list of businesses.
So I think our first mission is to make sure
that your business is on that list.
And then, as we're sharing that with FIFA
when they come to town,
as we're sharing that with sponsors when they come to town,
as we're sharing that with people who are planning events,
I want them to be able to see that list
that's got your name on it,
not because we did engagement in the Central District,
to your point,
or because we did engagement in any other particular community
but because our job is to take the list of all the businesses
that want to benefit
and then put that into the hands of people
who will be spending those resources directly.
And that's something that we're really excited about doing.
So if you go to our website,
SeattleFWC26.org and you go to the
how to participate web page there,
you'll actually find that link where you could put
your business information in there right now.
And that's the list that we share with people
who come to the city and ask us who they should connect with.
-Can I follow up on that, please.
You talk about a toolkit
that would allow small businesses to participate.
A lot of these mom-and-pop shops don't have time
to kind of like connect.
What are you doing to, like,
reach out to them so that they, too --
-They don't have time to fill out the toolkit?
What are you saying?
CCC Not necessarily fill but they don't have the time
to kind of find out, learn more about the toolkit.
Basically, the onus is on them.
So what is the city,
what is the committee doing
to kind of like reach out to these businesses
that may not have the resources or the people to do it?
So let me take a stab.
Interestingly enough, I appreciate, Omar,
you bringing up this conversation.
I'm going to be bold -- and, Leo, save me when I get too far.
So yesterday at four o'clock on Sunday
I gave a speech celebrating a gentleman named Frank P.
Barrow's 80th birthday,
who's been in radio in the ethnic media
as an African-American man for 40 years.
And Chris Bennett, a --
the founder of The Medium newspaper and owner
of the Kris station was there as well,
including a lot of members in the Black Media.
And I said right now the voices that are amplified in the room
where I was yesterday,
I said, is going to be increasingly important
for us to invest in you to make sure your voices are heard,
period, full stop.
But I also said it is incumbent upon you
to make sure you are getting the information.
So, as Mayor, we will do the best we could.
You have to meet us halfway.
That's why I appreciated the conversation.
Now, having said that,
if they are in the business of social media and advertising,
you know, the truth is,
as my children say, closed mouths don't get fed.
Make yourself known. Having said that,
Leo, save me
because I know someone didn't like what I just said.
-Well, and I'm going to invite up some of our teammates
here in a moment to talk a little bit more about it.
But, one,
how would be getting out into the community to talk to folks.
So over the last 20 -- or 12 months, we've been out.
We've held nine community forums.
We've had four online surveys.
They've been translated and translatable.
More to come.
And we're going to continue that commitment
going through 2025 and 2026.
The second is your feedback matches
exactly what we're hearing in the community.
If I've got a mom and pop store,
I don't have enough people to operate this place,
much less go here or go there.
That's why the Stadium Neighborhood Liaison is
really an approach that was informed.
That's the advice that we got from Jamie,
that we got from Erin, that we got from Lisa.
We have to resource community organizations to go out.
And then, like the mayor said,
individual businesses can make a decision for themselves
how they want to participate and what that will look like.
Our job is to make sure they know about it
and that they have information.
Jamie or Erin, anything you'd want to add?
-I think you got it.
-If you have more clarifying questions, let us know.
-And, then,
how do you make sure that this goes beyond World Cup 2026?
-This is my favorite question.
So you might have heard --
I got to introduce myself as the Chief Legacy Officer,
and so my job is really to make sure that we use
this moment of global focus to make progress
that we'll measure in decades after the event.
The Stadium Neighborhood Liaisons program is
actually an example of that.
How do we build up the community organizations
that have been here for decades and will be here for decades,
resource them to increase the capacity on their staff
to meet the needs and answer the questions of the communities
that they serve and then ideally demonstrate
that made a positive difference for businesses.
And I think that that's one of those types of things
that once it's up operating and people saw
that it was successful,
that we'll have a really compelling case
to talk about why those liaisons should not just be
for the World Cup
but they should be there for the next large event,
the next natural disaster,
all of the major things that come to our communities.
I think it's a really good model to test during the World Cup
and then, by proving it, make it last for years to come.
And that's really what my boss, Peter, asks us to do every day.
-Thank you.
So I'm going to shut it down, if I may.
This has been a rich discussion.
So I think we have our marching orders.
We hear you loudly and clearly.
So thank you for asking us on the record
our obligations to ethnic media
that we hope the -- we have the leadership and the commitment.
Now we just need the follow through.
So 500 days. We're counting.
Thank you, media, for covering this.
And I will see you 500 days from now
when we start clapping like this.
Okay. Job well done. Thank you very much.