A New England youth volleyball tournament held at downtown Hartford’s Connecticut Convention Center is expected to generate $5.8 million in revenue for local hotels, restaurants, stores and other attractions, officials said.
More than 18,000 visitors are slated to visit Hartford’s premier convention space over the two weekend event beginning on Saturday, Jan. 12, and concluding on Jan. 21, according to the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB).
Over six days, CTCSB said the 2019 First to the Finish New England Winterfest Volleyball Tournament will feature nearly 5,000 youth volleyball players, between 12 to 18 years old, on 456 teams from the Northeast. Games will be held on 27 courts in the Convention Center’s exhibition hall, with 12 games per court every day.
The event will support an estimated 1,941 hospitality jobs and generate more than $401,000 in sales tax for Connecticut, CTCSB President Robert Murdock said Wednesday.
Established at the Convention Center in 2010, the tournament has tripled in size and is now coed.
Single-day and all-tournament passes range from $12 to $20. Prices are cheaper online vs. on-site. Children ages 10 and under are admitted for free.
Events booked through CTCSB in 2018 generated more than $54.1 million in spending by convention, meeting and sports events attendees during their Connecticut visits, the organization said. Those events generated over $3.6 million in taxes for the state.
