Restaurant Industry Will Have Important Role in "Century 21" Exposition

              Restaurant Industry Will  Have Important
Role  In "Century 21" Exposition
By VICTOR ROSELLINI
Member Century 21 Exposition Commission
Washington's Century 21 Exposition which opens
May 10, 1961 and closes October 10, 1962 in Seattle
marks the first time in 20 years the federal government has agreed to participate in an international exposition held in this country.
As hosts to those passing through our state, going to
and from the Exposition, industry and labor has the
responsibility of making the stay of our visitors as
pleasant as possible. And this is particularly true of
our industry, for aside from those few visiting with
friends, our industry daily will be meeting these visitors. They will pass judgment upon us and our state
by the impression they receive from us.
When you realize that an estimated 15 to 23 million
out-of-state visitors will visit Washington in 1961-62
you begin to get an idea of what will happen. During
those two years our visitors will spend $800-million-
plus dollars in this state. Of that staggering total about
one-third, or some $266 million will be spent for food
alone. Another $160 million will be spent for entertainment.
Let's take a look at some more figures. The Exposition is being held in Seattle because you need a large
metropolitan center from which to draw the day-today crowds. But, as far as the visitors are concerned
the Exposition is truly a statewide event.  For example
EDWARD E. CARLSON, right. Western Hotels executive and chairman of the World Fair Commission, at an
informal meeting of the Commission with other officials
last summer. From left, Roger C. Walsh, special assistant
to the Attorney Generals Ray Olsen, State Representative? Victor Rosellini, Commission member; Ewen C.
Dingwall, Exposition director,* J. D. Rraman, City Councilman, and Charles M. Stokes, Commission member,
Olsen and Braman are Commission members in addition to their other official duties.
A GLEEFUL President Eisenhower, flanked by Governor Albert D. Rosellini, center, and Seattle Mayor Gordon C. Clinton, right, watches the seconds start ticking
off between now and 196 L The President is pictured at
the Boeing Flight Center where he activated the electronic countdown computer. The chronometer counts
the seconds, minutes, hours and days until noon. May
10, 1961 when Century 21 Exposition opens.
50 per cent of all tourists entering the state come via
Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Walla Walla. Another 13 per
cent enter the state via Victoria and Vancouver, B. C,
while the remaining 37 per cent enter via Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Wash.
From these figures it's plain to see that every one
of us will be meeting tourists. In fact our industry will
meet more of them than any other industry in the
state. That's why it is so important that we make these
visitors  welcome.
Planning for the program is going ahead well. Preliminary designs for the new state coliseum will be ready
May 1. Modification of two buildings on the site—-the
Ice Arena and Civic Auditorium—-will be completed
well in advance of the opening date. In fact conversion of the Ice Arena will be finished this summer
and plans are nearly ready for the changeover of the
Civic Auditorium to a concert-exposition hall.
Our industry is fortunate in having good representation on the Century 21 Exposition Commission, the
directing body for the Exposition. Edward B. Carlson
of Western Hotels is chairman of the commission and
State representative Ray L. Olsen, editor of Allied
Fodo and Beverage, and myself are on the commission
along with J. D. Braman, Seattle councilman; W. C.
Goodloe, attorney; Charles M. Stokes, attorney, and
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