Bremerton’s Boardwalk and the Harborside Fountain Park have been popular places to tie the knot for couple from the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond — thanks to the full-service event amenities offered by Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside. But the facility, which turned seven years old this July, is also popular with community groups and corporations alike, and has hosted everything from civic group meetings and reunions to multiple-day conferences and training events.

“The staff are service-oriented, and in my mind, that’s a key ingredient,” said local attorney Ed Wolfe, who has attended variety of events at the conference center that ranged from Rotary Club meetings and memorials to county bar association annual meetings.

Wolfe said the leadership of the management, along with the affordable price and convenience, have especially compelled the Rotary Club of Bremerton to convene its weekly meetings there. “They are treating us very well,” he said.

That sort of treatment is in large part responsible for bringing in customers, both new and returning, according to the Kitsap Conference Center’s general manager, Terry Halvorson. She said people choose venues based on individual needs but “genuinely warm customer service” is what sets the facility apart.

“Some people have never been here, so it’s important to have a warm welcome,” she said.

Kitsap Conference Center, owned by the city of Bremerton and built with seed money from the Kitsap Public Facilities District, is managed by Columbia Hospitality. The venue employs about 25 staff including 12 full-time and the rest on call or part-time. Since opening, business has been “somewhat steady,” Halvorson said, and while business has leveled off for the past couple of years, the pace is picking up.

“2012 is looking pretty rosy — we’re thrilled,” she said.

Amenities include three rooms, and the largest, a 6,000-square-foot ballroom, has the capacity of 450 dinner seats and can break down into four equal sections. A smaller room inside the building can accommodate about 70 diners, while the Fountain Room, located separately by the Navy museum, features floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Harborside Fountain Park and Sinclair Inlet.

A full-service commercial kitchen offers in-house catering for the events, and staff planners are on hand to help facilitate logistics and plan details. Menus range from hors d’oeuvres to barbecues and plated dinners, and can be customized.

“We try to create events that fit our customers,” Halvorson said.

At its peak, the center hosts as many as six events a day that could start as early as 6 in the morning. It’s not unusual for staff to spend the entire night on the grounds, taking down a late event then setting up for the next morning.

Discounted prices — 50 percent off the “conference meeting package” — are offered to nonprofits, and many local groups from the Red Cross to the Boys & Girls Club have rented the facilities for fundraisers and other events.

The center also targets regional associations for conferences, which requires a lot of one-on-one marketing. “It’s where we spend most of our time looking for business,” Halvorson said.

Still considered a new venue in the conference arena, the center requires a lot of promotion to attract associations — which have included Rotary International and the Washington Association of Firefighters. When a proposal is sent in for an event, a variety of information, such as hotel amenities and area attractions, is included. Those amenities, from a growing number of restaurants to recreational opportunities, play a big factor in creating an appeal, Halvorson said.

“That’s hugely important. As Bremerton continues to grow and thrive, it’s a key to attracting (business),” she said. “…The more growth in Bremerton, the easier it is to market it.”

To help attract new customers as well as new visitors to downtown, Kitsap Conference Center hosts the Kitsap Wine Festival. Now in its third year, the festival (Aug. 19-20) is managed by the center in partnership with Harrison Medical Center Foundation, which is the beneficiary of the proceeds.

“(Former Mayor) Cary Bozeman challenged us to come up with an event to highlight the Harborside Fountain Park,” Halvorson said. Now the CEO of the Port of Bremerton, Bozeman and current Mayor Patty Lent are co-chairing this year’s event.

Kitsap Wine Festival will feature beer and wine sampling, food from local restaurants, live entertainment as well as a wine and gift boutique in the Fountain Room.

“This is a win-win for us and for Harrison. It continues to bring people downtown. The city is beautiful this time of year.”