2026 Washington Council of the Blind Convention

October 29 through 31 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport

Theme TBD

This hybrid event offers something for everyone, whether you attend in person or virtually.

Advance registration runs through October 9.  Again this year, WCB members receive discounted rates and one lucky attendee who has registered on or before advance registration closes will be awarded a $100 gift card.  It pays to plan ahead!  Registration link should be ready by September 1.

2026 Convention Pricing:
There will be advance registration again this year, including meal options; onsite registration will be higher and will only have a banquet add-on option.

2026 Pricing for WCB members:
Members will receive a discounted rate for advance registration.

Hotel reservations:
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport
18740 International Blvd
Seattle, WA 98188
Reservation details will appear in this section when they are available.

Convention Schedule of Events (as of January 25, 2026):
Thursday, October 29
Pick up your convention materials, relax in the WCB Welcome Lounge, then beat Friday’s crowd and browse the Exhibit Hall. Evening activities include the WCB Board meeting followed by meetings of the Constitution and Bylaws and Resolutions committees, as well as hospitality.

Friday, October 30
Begin the day with the Opening Ceremonies, then don’t miss the uplifting presentations in the morning session. The Awards Luncheon will be at noon, then we’re back together for the afternoon general sessions.

The Exhibit Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for your perusal. The day wraps up with our Showcase of Talent and evening hospitality which includes karaoke.

Saturday, October 31
We’ll kick the day off with an ACB report, a presentation, and The Journey to the Job panel of three individuals who are blind, employed, and ready to share their stories, followed by updates from our three state agencies serving the blind.

The afternoon features the Annual Business Meeting including elections of 2nd vice president, secretary, and board directors, and the night concludes with our banquet where we will present our scholarship winners.  Hear from our ACB representative and other surprises. The convention ends with a fun-filled night of live entertainment in hospitality.

Convention Calendar and Deadlines:
August 31:
last day to donate scholarship funds to be distributed to this year’s recipients AND last day to apply for a WCB First Timer award

September 1:
online registration begins

October 1:
record date for WCB members’ voting eligibility

Date TBD:
Proposed 2026 Operations Budget Forum Call
Proposed Constitutional Amendments Forum Call
WCB Candidates Forum Call
Deadline for advance registration
Deadline for WCB members to request a convention loan AND/OR travel stipend
Last day for registered conventioneers to reserve a hotel room at the WCB guaranteed rate of $129
Deadline to apply for the Showcase of Talent

October 29:
Convention Desk opens at 2 p.m. for advance registration conventioneers to pick up materials and drop off door prizes and/or silent auction items
Exhibit Hall open 3 to 6 p.m.
WCB Board Meeting 7 p.m.

October 30:
Full day of convention activities, including general sessions, breakout sessions, exhibit hall hours, and Showcase of Talent

October 31:
Morning sessions, then afternoon WCB annual business meeting, and evening banquet

ATTENTION: Showcase of Talent Applicants
We are looking forward to another great Showcase of Talent at our WCB convention this fall.  This year the show will be held on Friday evening October 30.  If you are attending the convention, you are invited to submit an application to perform on our stage.  You do not need to be a professional to join us, but you do need to satisfy some pretty strict guidelines.  This ensures that everything runs smoothly and we conclude the concert on time.

Please carefully read the following information, then submit the required data in the requested manner.

1. We are only accepting 16 performers and each performance must be 4 minutes long or less. We encourage you to time yourself or get someone to help you do it.
2. Content must be family friendly, either an instrumental number, a vocal number, described dance or some combination. No stand-up comedy.
3. You do not need accompaniment, but if you wish, you may be accompanied by yourself, you may provide an MP3 backing recording or, if you like, we will assist you to identify one of our live accompanists. If you choose to use a backing recording, it must not be on a compact disc.  It must be an MP3 file, preferably attached to your application.  If you wish, you may submit an application now without the MP3 file, but we need to receive all such recordings by October 18.  We absolutely do not accept compact disc recordings and no recordings of any kind will be accepted the night of the performance.
4. Your email must include your name, email address, phone number, and the name of the piece that you will be performing. Please provide details on any additional performers or additional microphones required for acoustic instruments or direct connections required for electric instruments. There will be a piano available on the stage.
5. The application deadline is October 9, but this is a popular show and you do not want to put it off until the last minute! It is first come, first served.  Send an email with the subject line “showcase.”  If you do not receive a confirmation email within two days, call Frank directly at (509) 967-2658 and we will deal with it.

It will be great to be together again and we look forward to an amazing Showcase of Talent!