The Kitsap Conference Center marked its one-year anniversary on July 29. Manager Eric Ruud reports “it’s been quite a year.”

“We’ve exceeded projections on all points,” he said, describing 2004 as an “enormous success,” and adding that 2005 will easily meet or very likely exceed projections.

The facility has been in demand for trade shows, social events, company meetings, conferences — just about anything. While much of the business comes from the local area, there is an increasing interest from King County, Ruud said.

He says the quality of service and word of mouth may be one reason for the increasing awareness of the facility in Seattle and beyond, but “the other aspect is some people want to get away but not too far away.” Affordability, the variety of things to do after the event around Kitsap, and the recent opening of Hampton Inn for overnight accommodations have made the center even more convenient for clients from outside the area.

Ruud said there may be some shift of business from other local facilities, but the center’s focus is on bringing new people to Kitsap. “Our objective is not to take away from the pie, but grow the pie,” he said, and cites a study completed for the county recently that estimated the economic impact of the conference center since it opened was $1.6 million, with 36,000 people passing through the facility over the year.

Brian Johnson, manager of Admiral Theatre in Bremerton, agrees with the statement that the “pie would grow bigger.” He can’t account for the reason in increased interest in rentals at his facility, but says the number of rentals has grown in the past year. “We’ve seen more activity, a lot more demand for all types of events,” he said.

Many of the Kitsap’s facilities “are saying they are busy and they like it,” said Grant Griffin, executive director of the Kitsap Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Representatives from the Silverdale Red Lion Inn, one of conference’s center bigger competitors, could not be reached for comment. However, Griffin said his understanding is that “business is very healthy (and) their business hasn’t dropped appreciatively.”

“More and more companies are coming here for retreats because we, meaning everybody, are more aggressively marketing the area,” he said. As the exposure to the area grows, he said the hospitality industry will continue to build.