Puget Sound Economic Summit

State of the Industry

Speakers

Elliott Ferguson

President & CEO, Destination DC
Board Chair, U.S. Travel Association

A 30-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry, Ferguson leads Destination DC’s efforts to generate economic opportunity for the District through meetings and tourism, overseeing the organization’s convention and tourism sales, marketing, finance and business development operations.

Ferguson began his tenure with Destination DC in December 2001 as the Vice President of Convention Sales, became Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services in 2005 and has served as President and CEO since 2009. Prior to working at Destination DC, he served as Director of Sales and Vice President of Sales at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors

Bureau. He has also served as Director of Sales at the Savannah CVB.

Tom Norwalk

President and CEO, Visit Seattle

Tom Norwalk is President & CEO of Visit Seattle, the private, nonprofit marketing organization that promotes Seattle and King County as a destination for international and domestic leisure travel, meetings and conventions. He leads more than 70 employees in the organization’s main Seattle office as well as sales offices in Washington D.C. and Chicago.

A hospitality veteran, Norwalk brings extensive hotel and travel experience to Visit Seattle working with international brands such as Westin and Four Seasons in Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver BC, and local industry organizations such as Seattle Hospitality Group, LLC. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Travel Association, The Washington State Destination Marketing Organization (WSDMO), Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the WSU Hospitality Business Management Advisory Board.

A Seattle native, Norwalk earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Washington State University and was recently inducted into the Murrow College Hall of Achievement which recognizes outstanding achievements of select graduates. He and his wife Linda have three adult children, three grandchildren and reside in Bothell, WA.