Diminutive in size but not stature, Connecticut holds in its cap a number of distinctions, including the birthplace of America’s first cigars, manmade combs, factory-made hats, plows, friction matches and the nation’s first commercial telephone exchange.
Today, the Nutmeg State is more known as the southern gateway to New England. Its regional attractions range from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County and the horse farms of Litchfield Hills to the historic homes and cultural pursuits of urban centers like Hartford and New Haven.
“The state of Connecticut is very compact. You could fit any major metro area in our whole state,” says H. Scott Phelps, president of the Greater Hartford CVB.
From just about anywhere in the state, it is a short drive to the beaches on the Long Island Sound, the mountains and two of the largest casinos in the country.
Hartford
At almost 400 years old, Hartford is one of America’s oldest cities, with more sites listed as historic landmarks than any other region outside New Orleans, according to Phelps.
“You can get immersed in colonial history,” he says.
Hartford attractions include the nation’s oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum; the oldest public park, Bushnell Park; the Old State House, dating to 1796; and Asylum Hill, which features the historic homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
History is just one lure for groups.
“Groups can’t help but get involved in the historical aspect of the city,” Phelps says.
Location is another draw. There are some 23 million people within a two-and-a-half-hour drive, while Bradley International Airport sits only 15 minutes from downtown Hartford and the Connecticut Convention Center.
“We feel meeting planners are concerned about accessibility—they want a lot of membership within close proximity of their location,” Phelps says. “We tell planners that this will help with attendance and have proved it since the convention center opened in 2005.”
The 540,000-square-foot convention center is the largest in New England and 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. Its headquarters hotel is the 409-room Hartford Marriott Downtown, with more than 13,500 square feet of meeting space.
Downtown Hartford is undergoing a revival, spearheaded by Riverfront Recapture, a nonprofit group that presides over seven miles of shoreline along the Connecticut River and 140 acres of green space, including four main parks.
New developments include the Connecticut Science Center, slated to open in spring, which will feature interactive galleries and hands-on laboratories, a 3-D theater and function space for meetings. The convention center, the Hartford Marriott Downtown and the science center are part of the 30-acre Adriaen’s Landing, which will also include a mixed-use retail, residential and entertainment district called Front Street. The complex is due for completion in 2010.
Other major venues include the XL Center and the Connecticut Expo Center, with 88,000 square feet of exhibit space. Downtown properties include the Hilton Hartford, Crowne Plaza Hartford–Downtown and the boutique-style Goodwin Hotel, with 6,600 square feet of meeting space. The Historic Bond Hotel was transformed last year into the new Homewood Suites by Hilton Hartford Downtown.
New Haven
Known as the Elm City for having the first public tree planting program in America, New Haven is also known for its 16-acre New Haven Green, now a National Historic Landmark.
New Haven is the “pearl of the oyster between New York and Boston,” according to Ginny Kozlowski, president and CEO of the New Haven CVB.
“It is great value, easy to get to and a walkable city, manageable in size,” Kozlowski says.
It’s also an occasional haven for the film industry.
“Steven Spielberg was here filming the latest Indiana Jones movie, and when you look at the footage, you can see what a beautiful city we are,” she says.
One of the major reasons many meetings are held in New Haven is because of the city’s affiliation with Yale University. Many of Yale’s employees are members of a variety of associations, hosting meetings close to campus that focus on topics such as law, medicine, biotech, the environment, management, music, theater, art, history and architecture.
Yale itself offers a number of off-site venues and meeting facilities, including the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale Center for British Art, Yale Repertory Theatre and Woolsey Hall.
New properties include Study at Yale, formerly the Colony Inn Hotel, now a 125-room, high-end boutique property with a limited amount of meeting space. Another recent addition is the Hampton Inn, and the Hilton Garden Inn is slated to open this year. Other meetings-oriented hotels include the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale and the Courtyard New Haven at Yale, which is adding 47 rooms by May to bring the downtown number of rooms to 820.
The CVB is working to increase room occupancy, according to Kozlowski.
“Talking to hotels and restaurants, everybody wants value,” she says. “Also, the more we can help meeting planners, the greater the participation of attendees. We’re going back to the core—service, service, service.”
For groups, dining is one of New Haven’s main attractions.
“New Haven is the best culinary destination between Boston and New York,” Kozlowski says. “We’re trying to explore that. In November we hosted restaurant week, and 70 percent of the people that participated had not been to restaurants they chose to dine at. It was an overwhelming success.”
Coastal Fairfield County
Located on what is dubbed the Gold Coast of Connecticut, Fairfield is home to affluent regions like Southport and Greenfield Hill, and is now enjoying a piece of fame as the film location for the award-winning Revolutionary Road, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
“What makes it such a great destination is our proximity to New York City, and groups can save up to 40 to 50 percent off room rates here compared to in New York,” says Susan Henrique, director of sales and marketing at the Coastal Fairfield County CVB.
Hotel room rate averages range from $150 on weekends to $99 midweek. Attendees can get in and out of Manhattan for less than $20 roundtrip on the Metro North rail system. Newark, JFK and La Guardia airports are all within an hour of Fairfield, and other regional airports in Westchester County and White Plains service the area.
Once in the region, groups can take advantage of the premier setting. In warm weather, East Coast Yacht Cruises offers a large fleet of luxury motor and sailing yachts with a capacity for up to 600 passengers.
Despite its many attractive traits, Fairfield is challenged by the current economy.
“Everyone is feeling the effects of the downturn,” Henrique says. “Corporate travel is not where it was and that’s a big part of our business. Meetings are canceling or postponing—mostly corporate, we’re not hearing that from the association market. Our plan is to remain out there. We will not be cutting our trade show budget—we will continue to be out there.”
Fairfield County features more than 6,000 rooms, including the Sheraton Stamford and Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yard serves as the area convention center, while groups can also take advantage of the Dolce Norwalk Conference Center.
Southeastern Connecticut
Casinos, countryside and coast are three of the defining elements of southeastern Connecticut, which covers no less than 42 towns. A half-dozen wineries are also within eastern Connecticut’s boundaries. Perhaps the most renowned spot is Mystic Seaport, which features a living history attraction consisting of a village, historic ships and exhibits depicting coastal life in New England in the 19th century.
“There is such a diversity of what we can offer, but the shoreline in the Mystic area is the main draw,” says Janice Putnam, sales director for Mystic Country Connecticut. “We are considered a smaller market. We are more affordable than a larger city and can give personal attention. The SMERF market is very important to our area because there are so many smaller properties.”
The region sees a heavy drive market and is also accessible by Amtrak, by ferry from Long Island and by plane. Bradley International Airport is within an hour’s drive.
One of the recent highlights in the region was last year’s opening of MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which added 825 guest rooms to the market, 115,000 square feet of meeting space, a 4,000-seat performing arts theater and a 21,000-square-foot spa. Between MGM Grand and Foxwoods Resort Casino, the property offers over 170,000 square feet of meeting space.
Meanwhile, Mohegan Sun significantly scaled back its expansion plans. Last year it completed the 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind at a cost of $116 million. But the Earth Expansion segment, which was set to include the 919-room Earth Tower, has been suspended due to the economic downturn.
The Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa, the largest hotel property and meeting site outside the casinos in eastern Connecticut, is undergoing renovations. Other meetings favorites include The Spa at Norwich Inn, Hilton Mystic and Hyatt Place Mystic.
“We are cautiously optimistic for 2009 and beyond,” Putnam says. “I am hearing there is a shorter lead time with meeting planning going on. Our numbers are holding overall for meetings. Because we can be flexible at different times of the year, we can accommodate groups of different sizes and be creative in what we offer planners.”
Creative options for off-sites include the USS Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum in Groton and the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. The Mystic Arts Center offers some meeting space, as do local sailing schooners.
Northwest Connecticut
Northwest Connecticut/Litchfield Hills, which spans 48 towns, boasts pristine landscapes, hiking and bicycling trails, and many antique shops. Outdoor options for groups include white-water rafting on the Housatonic River and skiing at Mohawk Mountain and Ski Sundown.
Each area within the region has its own appeal.
“If groups want to be very close to New York with some interesting attractions it would be Danbury,” says Janet Serra, executive director of the Northwest Connecticut CVB. “It’s within 90 miles of the city and they have some great places for off-sites.”
The Danbury Historical Society offers space for receptions. The Danbury Railway Museum, located in the historic station and rail yard in downtown Danbury, offers tours and train rides, and can host receptions.
Meetings properties in Danbury include the recently renovated Ethan Allen hotel, with 15,000 square feet of meeting space, the Marriott Courtyard Waterbury Downtown and the Danbury Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, formerly the Sheraton, which offers 242 guest rooms.
Waterbury is home to the Union Station Clocktower, the town’s most prominent landmark, as well as the renovated Palace Theatre, which can host receptions. Groups can also use the landmark TIMEXpo Museum, which explores the heritage of the Timex Corporation.
Meetings hotels in Waterbury include the Marriott Downtown Waterbury and the Holiday Inn, which is attached to the new Coco Reef waterpark.
Other top choices in the region include the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Interlaken Resort and Conference Center in Lakeville and Heritage Hotel in Southbury.
For More Info
Coastal Fairfield County CVB 203.853.7770 www.coastalct.com
Greater Hartford CVB 860.728.6789 www.enjoyhartford.com
Greater New Haven CVB 203.777.8550 www.newhavencvb.org
Mystic Country Connecticut 860.444.2206 www.mysticcountry.com
Northwest Connecticut CVB 860.567.4506 www.litchfieldhills.com
