Connecticut Convention Center Numbers Strong

Attendance at Connecticut Convention Center events  rose by 50 percent in 2011, compared with the previous year — setting a record for the facility, which opened overlooking the Connecticut River in Hartford to much fanfare in 2005. More than 333,570 visitors attended events at the convention center last year, according to the Capital City Economic Development Authority.  Records also were set for total revenue, up 29 percent compared with 2010, and hotel room nights increased 24 percent over the same period.

What's coming up?  The Connecticut Music Educators Conference and the New England Square & Round Dance Convention, both in April, and the Connecticut Conference on Tourism in May, among dozens of events booked for the coming months.  Numerous events are booked years in advance at the facility, some as far out as 2015.

No word on whether  the increase has anything to do with the change in colors highlighted on the convention center website, with the new blue-and-teal logo supplanting the original orange-and-red toned  scheme.