Connecticut Convention Center Journeys Nationwide to Attract New Conventions, Record-Setting Numbers

In the final days of the National League pennant race last week, a suite at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. was filled with convention planners – hosted not by the home team Washington Nationals or visiting Atlanta Braves, but by the Connecticut Convention Center.  The 17 convention planners and their guests enjoyed the playoff run of the competing teams that evening, while hearing highlights of the state-owned facility in downtown Hartford.

While it’s too soon to tell if the gambit in the nation’s capitol will bring convention business to Connecticut’s capitol, a glimpse at the upcoming calendar demonstrates that despite a continuing sluggish economy, conventions are definitely coming to town.  In fact, four first-time conventions highlight the October schedule, and next month promises to be the top November for overall attendance in three years.

The first-time events slated for October, when overall attendance at programs and events is estimated to reach nearly 18,000:

• New England Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (NEHRSA)/ International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) Fall Conference & Tradeshow (October 3-4) - NEHRSA & IHRSA have joined forces to create the premier event for the health & fitness industry in the Northeast.  This event will offer educational tracks for club owners & managers responsible for sales, marketing, social media, operations & fitness training.  (Anticipated Attendance: 250-400 people)
• 2013 Crisis Intervention Team International Conference (October 14-16) - Crisis Intervention Team International is a non-profit membership organization whose primary purpose is to facilitate understanding, development and implementation of Crisis Intervention Team programs throughout the United States and worldwide. Its mission is to promote and support collaborative efforts to create and sustain more effective interactions among law enforcement, mental health care providers, individuals with mental illness, their families and communities, while working to reduce the stigma of mental illness. (Anticipated Attendance: 650-800 people)
• The 2013 Northeast Regional Youth Mentoring Conference (October 17-18) - The region’s only annual conference focused exclusively on supporting quality mentoring, it brings together practitioners, researchers and stakeholders in the mentoring field.  This year’s theme, “Today’s Vision: Tomorrow’s Reality” focuses on the outcomes that can be achieved when a caring adult is brought into a young person’s life through quality mentoring.  (Anticipated Attendance: 175-350 people)
• YMCA Celebrates Champions (October 24, 2013) - The event celebrates the “champions in our lives.”  These champions surround us every day and help to make the lives of others brighter.  They are parent, teachers, volunteers, mentors and others.  The event benefits the many life-changing YMCA programs and services available to underserved families.  The event includes dinner, program and silent and live auctions. (Anticipated Attendance: 350 people.)

 During next month, attendance at all convention center events is anticipated to reach 24,000, which would exceed the 21,747 people who journeyed to the facility in November 2012 and 15,558 who visited during the month in 2011.  The largest conventions scheduled for November include the National Association for Campus Activities, the American Association of School Librarians National Conference and Exhibition – expected to attract 2,000 people - and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Annual Conference.

Since the beginning of June, in the quest to bring future conventions to the facility, representatives of the Connecticut Convention Center have participated in conference planning events in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Denver and Palm Beach, Florida.

The Connecticut Convention Center is described as the state’s premier meeting venue, and is the largest full-service convention facility between New York and Boston. Overlooking the Connecticut River in downtown Hartford, it features 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as ample sheltered parking.

The facility – opposite the Front Street entertainment district that has recently been gaining traction- is served by more than 6,500 local area hotel rooms, including the 22-story Marriott Hartford Downtown, adjacent to the Convention Center. The venue is professionally managed for the State of Connecticut by Waterford Venue Services, an affiliate of Waterford Hotel Group.

Who’s hearing the sales pitch?  Among the planners on hand for the Nats-Braves game: LaKeesha Wilson, American Association of Blacks in Energy; Adam Martin, American Public Transportation Association; Amy Gorman, United States Council of Mayors; Antoinette Dixon, American Staffing Association; Susan Cairnes, Management Solutions Plus; Marci Glavin, Helms Briscoe; Lori Kolker, Elle K Associates; Alyssa Murphy, Windrose Media; Brian Peterkin, Vertanesian-BoardSource.

This past summer, Michael Costelli, General Manager for the Connecticut Convention Center, was interviewed on TALK BUSINESS 360 regarding the facility’s operations and growth.  TALK BUSINESS 360 is a talk show that educates and entertains millions of travelers by presenting one-on-one interviews with business leaders and top executives from a variety of industries.  The broadcasts run on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and US Airways.

Two Minor League Baseball All-Star Games in Connecticut This Summer

It is an all-star summer in Connecticut, with the state hosting not one but two minor league all-star games.  The New Britain Rock Cats, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, will host the annual Eastern League All-Star Game at New Britain Stadium on Wednesday, July 10, preceded by a series of fan events in Hartford and New Britain.  And the Connecticut Tigers of the New York – Penn. League (NYPL) will host that league’s all-star game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich on Tuesday, August 13.

The Rock Cats have planned community events for fans leading up to the game, both at the ballpark and in the state’s Capitol City. The community events include:

• NOTE:  There have been changes to the event schedule.  For the latest info, visit http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20130612&content_id=50407276&fext=.jsp&sid=t538&vkey=

·         All-Star Fan Fest The Rock Cats along with MECA (Marketing, Events & Cultural Affairs for the City of Hartford) will host an All-Star Fanfest on Friday, July 5th at 5:00 PM at Bushnell Park in Downtown Hartford. This free event will be open to the public and include: A Ribbon Cutting ceremony, Vintage Baseball Exhibition, Beer Garden, Food Vendors, Wiffle ball games, inflatable games and mascots for the kids. The event will culminate with a public screening of A League of Their Own as part of Hartford Parks' "Movies After Dark Series."

·         Wiffle Ball Tournament for Charity  

The Rock Cats are creating a mini baseball park inside Bushnell Park in Downtown Hartford. The space will be used for a community Wiffle Ball tournament, Monday July 8th through Wednesday July 10th, sponsored by UnitedHealthcare. The Wiffle Ball Tournament will include teams from local companies and will benefit charities such as the YMCA of Greater Hartford.

·         Celebrity Skills Challenge The Rock Cats will host an All-Star Celebrity Skills Challenge at New Britain Stadium on Tuesday July 9th, the night before the game. This event will kick off 6:00 PM and include an autograph session with the All-Star players. Ticket prices range from $8 to $12 and a portion of event proceeds will benefit local charities.

The 2013 Eastern League All-Star Classic Presented by Dunkin Donuts will take place on Wednesday, July 10th at 7:05 PM at New Britain Stadium. The All-Star Game features the top players in the Eastern League from all 12 clubs as voted by fans, field managers and media. The Hartford Hilton will serve as the official host hotel and Dattco will serve as the official transportation supplier. Tickets range from $10 to $22 and are now on sale by calling the box office at 860-224-8383 or at www.rockcats.com. The Rock Cats last hosted the All-Star Game in 2003.

The 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:35 p.m. at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. The All-Star Celebration logo honors the community's rich maritime history and it's affiliation with the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Maritime flags, an anchor and a dock rope make up the nautical logo, combined with classic Tigers old English lettering. Ticket prices for the All-Star Celebration Game are the same as the 2013 single game ticket prices: $10.00 for premium seat tickets, $9.00 for reserved seat tickets and $8.00 for grandstand seat tickets and are currently available online and at the ticket office at Dodd Stadium.  The Tigers home opener for the 2013 season is Monday, June 17.

Changing Highway Exit Numbers in Eastern CT: Been There, Done That

There was a time when the best-known highway exit on the road to UConn was Exit 100 from Interstate 86.  Then everything changed.  It will be déjà vu all over again for Eastern Connecticut drivers during the next couple of years, as another set of prominent exits receive new numbers, courtesy of the state Department of Transportation (DOT).  The city of Norwich and the Mohegan Sun casino will be at the center of the changes.

DOT recently announced that it is planning to change Interstate 395 exit numbers as part of two projects totaling $9 million that will update road signs in accordance with U.S. government mandates for highway exits to match mile markers.

Under this plan, as reported in the Norwich Bulletin, thirty exit numbers along the interstate from New London County to the Massachusetts state line will change by the fall of 2015. Among the revisions are the northbound and southbound exits for Route 82/Downtown Norwich (Salem Turnpike) in Norwich, being changed to exit 11 from their current exit 80.  The well-known exit to Mohegan Sun, currently exit 79, would also receive a new exit number.

Construction is expected to begin in April 2014. The former exit numbers will remain on the new signs for at least two years, the DOT said last week.  Concerns about the costs to businesses to revise advertising, printed directions, and related materials have been raised.  We’ve been down this road before in Connecticut, as long-time residents will remember.

Nearly 30 years ago,  in 1984,  a more dramatic change re-wrote the exit landscape east of the Capital City, on what was then I-86 heading east from East Hartford.  The change eliminated I-86, changing the roadway’s designation to I-84, and requiring a renumbering of exits between East Hartford and the Massachusetts border, including the well-known exit 100, which led to Route 195 and UConn.  Today, it’s known as Exit 68 off I-84, the exit of champions.

In fact, I-84's intended east end has been changed twice, from the Mass Pike (I-90, Sturbridge) to Providence and back, according to the Connecticut Roads website. In late 1968, the Federal Highway Administration approved a new Interstate connection from Hartford to Providence, to be part of a rerouted I-84. The existing section of I-84 from Manchester to I-90 was redesignated I-86 (see map).

In 1970 and 1971, Connecticut built two isolated sections of the eastern I-84, in Manchester and Willimantic. Both were signed I-84. However, in 1982 Rhode Island canceled its portion of the highway, citing concerns over the Scituate reservoir, Providence's main fresh water supply. In August 1983, Connecticut canceled its portion, and the I-84 to I-86 numbering was rolled back.

The section of I-84 in Manchester became I-384, and the Willimantic section became part of US 6. This was made official on Dec. 12, 1984. The state is still trying to get an 11-mile freeway built between those two sections, from Bolton to Willimantic.

Also in the works for the coming years:  DOT has said the Route 2A exit numbers for Mohegan Sun Boulevard, the main road leading in and out of Mohegan Sun casino, will be changed.  Both the eastbound and westbound numbers will be changed to 6 from the current number 2, according to the DOT.

New London Features “One of America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares”

Town squares across the U.S. were built to inspire goodwill and be the hearts of their communities, often with stately landmarks and surrounding colorful shops and cafés. Travel + Leisure magazine went in search of the squares keeping that spirit alive, emphasizing smaller towns, with populations of 50,000 or less.  Among the top ten nationwide was Parade Plaza in New London.

Travel + Leisure reported that “Parade Plaza reopened in 2011 with a 100-seat amphitheater and the Whale Tail Fountain, where kids like to splash around. The improvements complement longtime attractions at the square like the schoolhouse where Nathan Hale once taught. “

Other top selections included the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza in Prescott, AZ, which has been honored by the American Planning Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  At the nation’s top squares, the article pointed out, farmers’ markets, free concerts, and holiday celebrations keep locals and visitors entertained year-round.

The Travel + Leisure website recommended that people “Set your sights on a road trip or weekend getaway to one of these small towns, and make the square your first stop.” 

The description of Parade Plaza was enthusiastic: “Reopened in 2011, this triangular plaza is new and improved, with an open amphitheater that seats 100 and the 10-foot-tall Whale Tail Fountain, popular with kids who play in the water falling from the tail. The schoolhouse where Nathan Hale once taught and the 50-foot-high granite-obelisk Soldiers and Sailors Monument are two traditional attractions. In winter, the upper section is turned into an ice-skating rink.”

More information about Parade Plaza, and New London’s downtown revitalization efforts, is available at newlondonmainstreet.org.  The other New England squares included on the list are in Portsmouth, NH and Bar Harbor, ME.  

Joining New London on the list of top town squares selected by Travel + Leisure (in no particular order):

• The Dover Green, Dover, DE
• Court Square, Bardstown, KY
• Market Square, Portsmouth, NH
• Healdsburg Plaza, Healdsburg, CA
• Historic Canton Square, Canton, MS
• Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, Prescott, AZ
• Centerway Square, Corning, NY
• Jackson Town Square, Jackson, WY
• City Square Park, Oskaloosa, IA
• Decatur Square, Decatur, GA
• Village Green, Bar Harbor, ME
• The Square, San Marcos, TX

Waterbury, Hartford, Simsbury Achieve National “Main Street” Recognition

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) has announced that three Connecticut Main Street designated organizations have been accredited as 2013 National Main Street Programs for meeting organizational performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center.  Simsbury Main Street Partnership, Upper Albany Main Street (Hartford) and Main Street Waterbury have been recognized for outstanding accomplishments toward the goal of revitalizing their historic main street districts following the Main Street methodology.  The announcement was made during the 2013 National Main Streets Conference in New Orleans.

"We congratulate this year's accredited National Main Street Programs for meeting our established performance standards," said Valecia Crisafulli, Acting Director of the National Trust Main Street Center. "Rebuilding a district's economic health and maintaining that success requires broad-based community involvement and support, in addition to establishing a solid organization with sound management that is committed to long-term success."

National Main Street Program Accreditation is a partnership between Connecticut Main Street Center and the National Trust Main Street Center to establish standards of performance for local Main Street programs. These standards set the benchmarks for measuring an individual Main Street program's application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach to commercial district revitalization, which includes Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring.

Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as development and commitment to mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing a stable operating budget, tracking economic progress, and preserving and bringing back to life historic buildings. These standards provide benchmarks and guidelines on how Main Street organizations should be functioning and serve as incentives for improvement.

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is a statewide nonprofit that inspires great Connecticut downtowns, Main Street by Main Street. Its mission is to be the champion and leading resource for vibrant and sustainable Main Streets as foundations for healthy communities.   Since the Connecticut Main Street program began in 1995, designated Main Street programs have generated over $1 billion in public and private reinvestment in their downtowns. Over the same time, 425 net new businesses have opened and 2,538 net new jobs have been created.

Connecticut's 2013 National Main Street Programs

Simsbury Main Street Partnership, designated in 1995, describes its focus as "forward-thinking economic development within the context of historic preservation, so that Simsbury's assets and legacy can be passed on to future generations." Designated a Preserve America Community by the White House in 2006, the Partnership works to integrate Simsbury Center's shopping, civic and entertainment activities into community heritage tourism opportunities. Through its partnership with the Town and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Simsbury Main Street Partnership has linked downtown restaurants and merchants to visitors to the Talcott Mountain Music Festival by establishing an outdoor vendor program where concert-goers can purchase food and drink and retail items. Simsbury was named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. More about Simsbury Main Street Partnership can be found at www.shopsimsbury.com

Upper Albany Main Street is "an economic development engine in Hartford working to improve the environment for small businesses, promote entrepreneurship, and establish Albany Avenue as a vibrant Afro-Caribbean neighborhood destination of choice." Designated by Connecticut Main Street Center in 2001, Upper Albany Main Street continues to position the organization to meet the socio-economic challenges of the neighborhood by addressing leadership development, and engaging residents in the entrepreneurial initiatives on the Avenue. Through its partnerships with the University of Hartford, the City of Hartford and the Metro Hartford Alliance, the Main Street program has developed the award-winning Micro-Business Incubator program, and a Public Safety initiative which has resulted in the Avenue being named a Weed & Seed Community by the U.S. Department of Justice. More about Upper Albany Main Street can be found at www.upperalbany.com

Main Street Waterbury, designated a Connecticut Main Street Community in 2003, has been guided by a commitment to building community consensus around the need to bring downtown back to life through a culture of collaboration. Forming a unique partnership with the City, the Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Waterbury Development Corporation, Main Street Waterbury has been successful in bringing people back to downtown through its special events, community forums, and by focusing on a strategy of "Waterbury at Night"; recruiting restaurants and creating a downtown environment which encourages and complements activity around the existing entertainment destinations in downtown. Downtown Waterbury has seen the rehabilitation of a number of downtown's historic vacant and under-utilized mixed-use buildings, providing market-rate residential development on upper floors. More information about Main Street Waterbury can be found at www.mainstreetwaterbury.com

CMSC is supported by Founding Sponsors, the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) and The Connecticut Light and Power Company, and by Growth Sponsors, The United Illuminating Company and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office. For more information, visit www.ctmainstreet.org

Norwich Will Host New York-Penn. League All-Star Game in August

A cold winter’s week is the perfect time to think ahead to baseball season.  And if thinking ahead is attractive, there’s nothing better than seeing future major league stars in action on the diamond.  The Norwich Tigers will make that possibility more accessible this year when they host the 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Celebration. The 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tues. August 13 at 7:35 p.m. at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.

The All-Star Celebration logo honors the community's rich maritime history and it's affiliation with the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Maritime flags, an anchor and a dock rope make up the nautical logo, combined with classic Tigers old English lettering.

"We're thrilled to be hosting this game," said Vice President/General Manager C.J. Knudsen. "It's a great tribute to our fan base and exciting for all baseball fans throughout the state of Connecticut."

Tickets - now on sale - for the All-Star Celebration Game are the same as the 2013 single game ticket prices: $10.00 for premium seat tickets, $9.00 for reserved seat tickets and $8.00 for grandstand seat tickets.  They can be purchased  online at www.cttigers.com and at the ticket office at Dodd Stadium.

The 2013 Connecticut Tigers schedule is now available online at cttigers.com and features six Friday fireworks games in addition to five Saturday promotional giveaways. The 2013 season begins on Monday, June 17 against the Lowell Spinners, the NYPL affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at 7:05 p.m. at Dodd Stadium with fireworks after the game.

In 2012, the Connecticut Tigers ranked #182 in average attendance among all minor league and independent teams, with 1,660 fans per game.  The independent Bridgeport Bluefish were #162, with an average of 2,033 fans attending games, and the Triple-A New Britain Rock Cats were #47 with average home attendance of 5,061.  The top minor league team in the nation was in Lehigh, PA where the Lehigh Valley IronPigs drew 9,153 per game.

The All-Star logo was brought to life at Brandiose in San Diego, where the company generated top selling logos for teams ranging from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs to America's oldest baseball club, the Cincinnati Reds. T-shirts featuring the All-Star Celebration logo will also be available through the Tigers' official website.

The Connecticut Tigers are the NYPL affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and play a 76 game (38 home, 38 away) schedule from late June through early September.  The Dodd Stadium Box Office is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fans that want to purchase tickets may call the Tigers at (860) 887-7962, visit the box office or log on to www.cttigers.com.   Play ball!  (Well, not quite yet.)

In Hartford on Inauguration Day, Giving Meaning to Freedom

Convergence  is defined as the “independent development of similar characters” and “a representation of common ground between phenomena.”  That is precisely how January 21, 2013 will be remembered by those who spent the afternoon at the Amistad Center for Art & Culture and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, programmatic collaborators on a noteworthy day. During a multi-faceted program (dubbed EP150) developed by the Amistad Center that included observations by community leaders and a range of musical selections, the landmark Emancipation Proclamation’s 150^th anniversary was observed and celebrated, as President Abraham Lincoln was reenacted and recalled. (Including an in-character recitation of the EP.)

First, those gathered from across the region watched live televised coverage of the second inaugural address of President Barack Obama from Washington, DC.  They listened as he declared that “preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action,” having reaffirmed his oath of office with two Bibles – one previously used by Lincoln, the other by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The historic Wadsworth Atheneum, the nation’s oldest public art museum (pre-dating the Civil War), invited the community in at no charge to reflect on the life’s work of Dr. King on the anniversary of his birth.  The day-long kid-friendly programming included a recorded video of the renowned “I Have A Dream” speech, 50 years ago this summer, played within sight of an audience of local school children – many of whom had just completed a special activity – creating visual remembrances (hand-drawn lunch bags) honoring the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown last month.

They were guided by Americorps Community Healthcorps volunteers from throughout the state.  Special collections inviting retrospection while invoking the memory of Sandy Hook were highlighted by the Atheneum, and musical performances drawing on themes related to MLK  Day drew appreciative visitors amidst the traditional and contemporary works on display.

The most poignant moments, given the intersection of historic figures and events, may have come in the poetic words delivered by about a half-dozen local students, winning participants in “What Emancipation/Freedom Means To Me” a competition sponsored by the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, the Amistad Center for Art & Culture, and the state's African American Affairs Commission, for grade-schoolers through high school.

Freedom, they passionately and powerfully described, is not only historic - it is personal.  The convergence of the day’s events was reflected in the eloquence of their original poems, which had been selected by a panel of local judges responsible for reviewing more than 100 entries.

“Where Freedom Lives,” written and recited by Kassidi Jones, a student at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, vigorously issued a challenge not inconsistent with that outlined earlier from the steps of the National Capitol.  A few phrases of her work convey the tone and tenor:

It is imperative that we all start shattering shackles

Incumbent on every man of every color to crack the locks of the barriers between us

Freedom will not come just because we need it to; we have to want it too

A balance must be established because justice and liberty go hand-in-hand

 And in whichever place the colors of all of our skins smudge into one people

There… there is where freedom lives.

The Amistad Center plans to add each of the winning poems to their website, www.amistadartandculture.org   The Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission co-chair, Matthew Warshauer, a member of the history faculty at Central Connecticut State University, served as emcee for the EP150 program, which was supported by Travelers.  The Wadsworth Atheneum's Community Engagement Initiative is supported by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Consulates in Connecticut Promote International Connections

Connecticut is home to numerous international corporations and many more domestic companies that routinely conduct global business, but the number of official consulates in the state can be counted with just a few fingers. The Consulate General of Brazil is located at Constitution Plaza in Hartford, quite visibly on the corner of Market and State Streets just a block from the University of Connecticut School of Business downtown.   The Consulate General of Peru is also located in Connecticut’s Capitol City, on Main Street.

New Haven hosts the Consulate General of Ecuador, on the corner of Church Street and George Street in the heart of the city.  Just last year, Ecuadorian ambassador Nathalie Cely Suarez visited New Haven City Hall to meet with Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and New Haven’s Ecuadorian consul, Raul Erazo Velarde. New Haven is home to one of 19 Ecuadorian consulates in the United States, and the most recent U.S. census found that 21,000 Ecuadorians live in the state.

The state also has numerous honorary consulates – often no more than an individual and a mailing address – representing nations including Finland (in Norwich), France (in Middlebury), Romania (in Fairfield) and Italy (in Hartford).

The political title "Consul" is used for the official representatives of the government of one nation in the territory of another, normally acting to assist citizens of the consul's country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.  There may be several consuls,  in several main cities, providing assistance with bureaucratic issues to both the citizens of the consul's country travelling or living abroad and to the citizens of the country the consul resides in who wish to travel to or trade with the consul's country.  A consul is distinguished from ambassador, who is the official representative from one head of state to another.

Travelers Championship Selected for Three PGA TOUR Awards

If you thought the Travelers Championship did a superb job during last year’s tournament in accommodating fans, involving players and utilizing its name sponsor, you’d be right on all counts.  The PGA TOUR has honored the Travelers Championship with three of its "Best of" Awards for "Most Fan Friendly Event,"  "Best Use of Players" and "Best Title Sponsor Integration" for the 2012 tournament, held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. "On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Travelers Championship has received for its efforts," said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. "The tournament should be extremely proud for being recognized as the best among their peers on the TOUR." The awards were presented this month, after a selection process by PGA TOUR officials and tournament directors from around the country.

In the area of "Most Fan Friendly Event," the Travelers Championship has continually improved its SUBWAY® Fan Zone for fans of all ages, which includes a kid's area, concert stage, Travelers Chipping Challenge and a host of other activities. In addition:

• The tournament builds fan awareness through the BlumShapiro 5K race, held two weeks prior to the tournament.
• During tournament week, fan enhancements include Military Appreciation presented by Saint Francis Care, Farmington Bank Fan and Family Day, Golf Digest Junior Pro-Am, Women's Day presented by Travelers, Powerstation Events Concert Series, Travelers Championship Challenge online game, the Travelers "Call the Shots" Twitter contest, as well as daily giveaways to fans through the tournament's social media channels.
• The Travelers Championship also offers a number of affordable ticket packages and promotions in conjunction with area charities, on-site parking for the majority of fans, an ambassador program, free water and sunscreen, lockers for fans, Travelers-branded tote bags, welcome station and a prize patrol.

For "Best Use of Players," the Travelers Championship created eight events with 14 players that involved charity, fans, sponsors and volunteers.

• The tournament hosted defending champion Fredrik Jacobson for a media day where he participated in a networking breakfast with 150 area business leaders and a Q&A with ESPN's Chris Berman.
• On Monday during tournament week, the Travelers Championship brought Masters Champion Bubba Watson to Citi Field in New York City to throw the first pitch and help promote tournament week to fans in the New York market.
• To build relationships with the future stars of the PGA TOUR, the tournament also gave sponsor's exemptions to young, up-and-coming players like Ryo Ishikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Kelly Kraft, Bryden Macpherson and Patrick Rodgers. The previous week's U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson kept his commitment to the Travelers Championship, due in part to the fact that he received a sponsor exemption in 2008.

For the "Best Title Sponsor Integration" award, there were a number of activities throughout the year.

• With Japan's Ryo Ishikawa competing at the Travelers Championship, the title sponsor provided cultural training for employee volunteers and tournament staff, offered Asian-inspired cuisine for the media in attendance and printed tournament staff business cards in English and Japanese.
• The title sponsor and tournament worked on an integrated marketing plan with Travelers tagging national ads with broadcast tune-in information and supplementing tournament buys with additional media spends in outlying markets.
• Travelers also held a Travelers Championship Employee Day prior to the tournament in dozens of field offices across the U.S. and internationally, which included a number of golf-related activities. Travelers Championship Employee Day generated 90,000 views on the company's internal website, raised $34,000 for Birdies for Charity, generated $17,000 in ticket sales and recruited a company-record 1,252 employee volunteers.

"We are so fortunate to have Travelers as our title sponsor since 2007. Their commitment to making the tournament better each year has made the difference in the popularity of our event," said Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship tournament director. "We are thrilled to receive recognition in these categories, because it represents how much this tournament means to our title sponsor and the community that supports the Travelers Championship every year."

The 2013 Travelers Championship will be held June 17-23.

International Air Travel Connections Drop in Hartford, Jump in New Haven

The Brookings Institute has released data on the flow of international passengers in and out of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.  The web-based data, drawn from a new report primarily comparing 2003 with 2011, highlights the scale of passenger traffic flows and points to the international markets where these ties are particularly strong. The report, “Global Gateways:  International Aviation in Metropolitan America,” released in October 2012, found that:

• International air travel in and out of the United States more than doubled between 1990 and 2011. The growth in international passengers during the 21-year period was more than double the growth in domestic passengers and real GDP
•  Since 2003, international air travel grew between the United States and every global region, with the strongest growth coming from emerging markets.
• Just 17 metropolitan gateways captured 73 percent of all international passengers starting or ending their trip in the United States as well as 97 percent of all international transfer passengers.
• As metropolitan economies expand their global reach through trade and investment, international avia­tion plays a pivotal role in the movement of people across national borders.

The national growth was not uniformly reflected in Connecticut.  Of all passengers flying to or from an international destination in Hartford, 17.9% flew direct.  The remainder required connecting flights.  The number of passengers flying internationally thru Hartford dropped from 347,311 in 2003 to 278,997 in 2011, a downward change of nearly 20 percent.  In 2003, Hartford was 40^th of 90 airport locations; by 2011 that had dropped to  47^th of 90.  The change was a 19.7 percent drop.

By way of comparison, Providence ranked 49^th in 2003 in international travelers and 69^th in 2011, reflecting a drop in passengers from 187,819 to 126,423, a drop of 32.7 percent.

The numbers for New Haven were considerably smaller, but tell an interesting story nonetheless.  The number of international travelers touching New Haven jumped by 133.5 percent between 2003 and 2011, from 1,645 passengers to 3,841 passengers.  That’s the largest percentage increase of any of the 90 locations in the nation.  In terms of the number of passengers, however, New Haven nudged upward from dead last (90th out of 90) to 89^th.

The Brookings data “goes beyond describing where passengers are going and tells us how they get there.”  Using data on transfer points and a map that visualizes each leg of each international route, it paints a portrait of how the global aviation infrastructure rises to meet the demand of international passengers.