Columbia Hospitality Inc., a Seattle-based hospitality management and consulting company, announced yesterday that it has been selected to operate and manage the Centre of Bremerton, a new conference center in Bremerton, in western Washington state.

CHI will be responsible for the sales, marketing, catering and foodservice, as well as day-to-day operations of the facility.

"The conference center complex will be the cornerstone to a new Bremerton waterfront," said Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman.

CHI plans to draw primarily local and regional conferences to the center; however, a company spokesman said that CHI management is confident it can draw national business to the center because of its location, amenities and nearby recreation. "The Centre of Bremerton is a very unique addition to all of our other meeting venues," said John Oppenheimer, CEO and president of Columbia Hospitality. "This will be our first destination conference center. Along with the adjacent hotel, retail space, restaurants and nearby first-class golf courses, we are really going to focus on retreats and comprehensive meeting packages that will include golf and other recreation."