Q&A talks tourism with Michael Van Parys, president of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Q: What kind of year was 2010 for conventions in Greater Hartford? What was the largest convention in terms of people?
A: This past year was a great success in attracting new and repeat groups to our city and the region. We started off last year with an exciting new group — New England Region Volleyball Association — that came to Hartford during the traditionally slow period of hotel booking over Martin Luther King holiday weekend. We rolled right into the Big East Women’s Basketball Championship and the America East men’s and women’s basketball championship in March. Preparations were building throughout the entire year for USA Gymnastics’ VISA Championships in August, our city’s largest convention of the year. During that week, that event was the focus of national media and showcased downtown Hartford with a Pathway of Champions that connected the XL Center to the Old State House and on to the Connecticut Convention Center. Approximately 25,000 discovered first-hand how wonderful Hartford is; we welcomed them with warm hospitality and special visitors’ events. This was one of the most successful events held by the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau to date and we are hopeful that we will bring it back in the future. The last quarter of the year was busy with conventions including XRX Stitches — the largest knitting show in the Eastern U.S. and Women of Faith, which filled the XL Center with 14,000 attendees. We wrapped up 2010 with the 26th annual Connecticut Polar Bears holiday tournament — the largest youth ice hockey tournament in the nation — which used 50 hotels around the state during what typically is a quiet time for the lodging business.
Q: What’s coming up in 2011 for conventions? What is the biggest convention coming to Hartford?
A: This coming September, we will welcome 10,000 attendees for the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association’s 2011 Aviation Summit, general aviation’s premier trade show and convention. This group convened at the Connecticut Convention Center in 2007 and one reason it selected Hartford again is that there are 33,000 pilots within 100 miles of our Capital City.
The GHCVB is gearing up to host a number of exciting conventions and major sporting events in 2011. Among those new to Hartford are the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ annual convention in July — the largest gathering of local health officials in the U.S.; the Biomedical Engineering Society’s prestigious annual meeting in October, and USA Hockey’s Tier I Boys Youth U18-U16 National Championships at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in March.
Q: What makes Hartford attractive as a convention destination? What are your goals for growth?
A: Hartford is an attractive convention destination in many ways. What always impresses meeting planners is how we make them feel so very important and welcome. Like the old adage, “a big fish in a small pond” — when a group comes to Hartford they get the red carpet treatment. Our region’s key convention and hospitability industry leaders know they are here and we all appreciate their business. When groups that are a good fit for Hartford go to a city like Boston or New York, they become just one of many that are meeting in the city at the same time. Not so here in Hartford, as we have planned ahead for their visit by hosting regular Hospitality Task Force meetings where we share information about upcoming groups’ arrivals and tell downtown hotels, restaurants, attractions and businesses when they might expect to see them on the streets of the city. The convention and hospitality industries always strive toward improving the conventioneer’s experience. This includes working to expand transportation options between downtown Hartford and Bradley International Airport. When visitors arrive downtown, they can hop aboard free Hartford Star Shuttle buses, which continually loop the downtown area, stopping at major hotels and attractions. We also know there is a need for entertainment venues close to the Connecticut Convention Center. This has been addressed with the opening of the Connecticut Science Center in 2009 and the anticipation of exciting venues to open just steps away in the Front Street entertainment and retail development project.
Q: There is always talk about air travel becoming less and less popular. Does that foretell a growth in regional conventions? Are people favoring convention destinations that they can drive to?
A: Although air travel challenges are a sign of the times, it is still the most convenient way to get somewhere in a short period of time. We are very fortunate that all of the major airlines service Bradley International Airport, only 13 miles from downtown Hartford. One of our region’s greatest selling points is our location, location, location. Meeting planners are assured of high attendance whenever they bring a convention here because 40 million people live within 200 miles of Hartford and the transportation options are abundant. I can’t tell you how often we re-book a group because the meeting planners’ attendance numbers are just blown away when they bring a group here.
