With the opening of the stunning glass-fronted Connecticut Convention Center (CTCC) on the Connecticut River waterfront three years ago, Greater Hartford assumed the new role of convention hub.
The Constitution State’s capital, which was founded in 1634 and later found a comfortable button-down niche as “America’s Insurance Capital,” is now promoted as “NewEngland’s Rising Star.” Authorities launched the new slogan a few years ago, anticipating $2.75 billion in city revitalization projects, with the convention center, which opened in June 2005, as the centerpiece.
“National groups are putting us in their East Coast rotation,” says H. Scott Phelps, president of the Greater Hartford CVB. “We’ve been getting record attendance and an incredible amount of repeat business. We knew we would because of our demographics, our accessibility and our affordability.”
A compact, walkable downtown, boasting historic attractions and the new convention facility, is within a 2.5-hour drive of 23 million people, Phelps points out.
Additionally, interstates 84 and 91 are only 500 yards from CTCC, and Interstate 90 is north of the city, while Interstate 95 is to the south. Downtown is on the Amtrak system and just 12 miles from Bradley International Airport.
The long list of repeat business includes CTCC’s largest convention in room nights to date: last October’s 10,000-delegate Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which has booked again for 2011. The National Science Teachers Association, which met in the center’s first year of operation, will also return in 2011. And during this summer’s busy CTCC calendar, the Islamic Center of North America was meeting at the convention center for the fourth consecutive year.
Phelps explains the bureau’s growing focus is on building attendance.
“We’re working with each planner to get the turnout,” he says. “We’re providing public relations support. That’s one of the reasons they come back.”
After the convention center had been open a while, the CVB added a new tagline to the “Rising Star” label: “Hartford—Happening As We Speak.”
Happening now is the construction of the new Connecticut Science Center, opening adjacent to CTCC next spring.
A $150 million investment, the 144,000-square-foot building will include 40,000 square feet of space for exhibitions, a 200-seat 3-D science theater, four science labs, and conference facilities.
“It will give us breakout space and the opportunity for scientific groups to become a niche market for us,” says Phelps, who enthuses that close to 2,000 rocket scientists will tour the development while at an Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference at CTCC in July.
The convention center, the Hartford Marriott Downtown and the science center are part of the 30-acre Adriaen’s Landing, the largest of the city’s rejuvenation projects. The site has been cleared for the last piece: a mixed-use retail, residential and entertainment district called Front Street.
As southern New England’s largest convention facility, the 540,000-square-foot CTCC features 140,000 square feet of exhibit space, 25,000 square feet of meeting space in 16 rooms and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. With it came the new 409-room Hartford Marriott Downtown, a 22-story AAA Four Diamond headquarters hotel with more than 13,500 square feet of meeting space.
“We’ve been building on our success each year,” says Jeanne O’Grady, CTCC’s director of sales and marketing. “It’s an exciting time. We are upscale with great services you can count on and outstanding F&B.”
The center, she says, has been achieving the goal of booking larger conventions and reducing the number of events to maximize the best use of the building.
CTCC joined with Hartford’s two other major venues—the XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center) and the Connecticut Expo Center, a mile north of downtown with 88,000 square-feet of exhibit space—to boost the city’s rentable square footage of space to 740,000.
A half-mile from CTCC, the XL Center has a 68,000-square-foot exhibition center, home to a summer Titanic exhibit, plus more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space and a 16,500-seat coliseum that is home to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and University of Connecticut basketball teams.
The connected, 404-room Hilton Hartford, which reopened in March 2005 following a $34 million makeover, has 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Adjacent to the XL on the site of the old civic center mall is Hartford 21, a 36-story luxury apartment edifice that is the first phase of a retail, residential and entertainment district, and the city’s second-largest revival project.
Of Greater Hartford’s 7,000 hotel rooms within 30 minutes and 30 miles of downtown, 1,500 are downtown within walking distance of CTCC.
Adding to the city’s convention appeal, the free Star shuttle service loops around downtown six days a week, leaving CTCC every 15 minutes and including all downtown hotels and most restaurants.
The bureau promotes that 40 three- and four-star restaurants are within walking distance of CTCC. Within three blocks are more than two dozen restaurants and eateries, and in all, the city’s 17 neighborhoods boast 400 restaurants, bars and clubs.
In addition to the Marriott and Hilton, notable downtown properties include the 350-room Crowne Plaza Downtown, with more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space, and the boutique 124-room Goodwin Hotel, which dates to 1881 and features 6,600 square feet of meeting space.
Two properties are historic building conversions. The new Homewood Suites by Hilton Hartford Downtown opened last November. The transformation of the Bond Building, which was a hotel from its 1913 opening until 1965, features 116 suites and a meeting room. The 120-suite Residence Inn by Marriott, which underwent renovations this year and has 1,600 square feet of meeting space, opened eight years ago in a former 1876 department store building.
The Homewood Suites is adjacent to Bushnell Park, which delivers 40 acres of open space popular for concerts and special events.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the nation’s oldest public art museum, is also a standout Hartford attraction. Built in 1842 and with more than 45,000 works of art and exhibits, its courtyards, cafe and great hall provide event spaces for groups.
Another landmark and off-site event option is the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, with 908- and 2,800-seat theaters. Its 500-plus annual events include Hartford Symphony and Connecticut Opera performances.
Delegates can also visit the Connecticut State Capitol, which can handle tour groups of 30 people, or the circa-1796 Old State House, which can host groups of up to 100 seated in its Court Room and larger events on the grounds.
In late June, the 500-strong International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators held its opening reception at the Old State House following a horse-led procession from the Marriott.
Five minutes from downtown are two top attractions on adjacent sites to tour: the former residences of authors Mark Twain and Harriett Beecher Stowe.
River Revival
Downtown’s revival has spread to both sides of the Connecticut River, spearheaded by Riverfront Recapture, a nonprofit group that presides over seven miles of shoreline and 140 acres of green including four main parks.
Activities range from walking the trails to outdoor theater performances and bass fishing tournaments. In August, the Riverfront ChampBoat Grand Prix, a series of speedboat races first held in the city in 2006, will be back for the second time, the sixth stop on a 10-city summer tour.
An adventure challenge course with ropes, kayaking and dragon boats can be customized for corporate groups.
In addition to operating a rowing program, the Greater Hartford Jaycees has a community boathouse, a two-story Victorian-style structure with 2,600 square feet of function space. For tented events, groups of up to 1,500 can be accommodated.
Additionally, for river cruise charters, the Hartford Belle can take groups of up to 35 people, and Lady Katherine Cruises can host up to 200 passengers.
Across the river in East Hartford, Cabela’s opened its first New England store last October. The 185,000-square-foot hunting, fishing and outdoor gear operation came complete with a 16,000-gallon walk-through aquarium, a 2,800-square-foot wildlife museum, a laser arcade, and a restaurant.
Next door is the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field, home of the UConn Huskies football team, as well as a 7,500-square-foot main function room and 40 breakout rooms.
East Hartford’s handful of hotels includes the 215-room Sheraton East Hartford, with 9,000 square feet of meeting space.
Outlying Options
At Windsor Locks north of downtown is Bradley International Airport, New England’s second-largest airport. Almost 300 flights a day are offered to more than 30 destinations, including Amsterdam, the airport’s first international service. Northwest Airlines launched the service in July 2007.
Among the many meetings-equipped hotels in the Bradley International Airport area are the 237-room Sheraton Bradley Airport Hotel, which is situated inside the airport and has 18,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 153-room Doubletree Hotel Bradley International Airport, featuring 5,000 square feet of meeting space. In May, the Sheraton announced a substantial renovation that is slated for completion in 2009, while the Doubletree completed a $2 million renovation in late 2006.
Other Greater Hartford meetings hotels include the 374-room Marriott Farmington, with 14,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 247-room Hartford Marriott Rocky Hill, with 8,600 square feet of meeting space. Both properties are roughly nine miles from downtown.
Additionally, the 197-room Crowne Plaza Southbury, 25 miles from the convention center, has 12,900 square feet of meeting space; the 174-room Crowne Plaza Enfield-Springfield, 11 miles north of Bradley, has 12,000 square feet of function space, and the 215-room Crowne Plaza Cromwell, 12 miles south of downtown, has 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
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