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Washington, D.C.—In a classic case of going where the market is, the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) has opened a Washington, D.C. office, because more than half of the meeting planners that have booked the Nutmeg State’s new state-of-the-art 540,000-square-foot Connecticut Convention Center, have come from our nation’s capital. "Our experience in this market, which represents more than 59 percent of our convention business, has shown us that we need to have a day-to-day presence," explains Michael Van Parys, Vice President of Sales, GHCVB.

The new sales office, located at 1211 13th Street, will be headed by Karen Staples, National Sales Manager, GHCVB. "Karen will be able to reach more meeting planners and attend the necessary conferences and events that will make the difference in our success going forward," said Van Parys.

Numerous Washington-based organizations and associations have held, or are planning to hold, conferences in Hartford, including the National Science Teachers Association,  the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,  the National Association for Music Education,  the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses,  the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Snow & Ice Management Association. "We consider Hartford to be an ideal location in Southern New England and we provide meeting planners with access to over 23 million people within a two-hour driving radius," says Van Parys. "Hartford is undergoing a complete transformation as a convention city and the Connecticut Convention Center, located on the riverfront at Adriaen’s Landing in Hartford, has drawn trade shows, conventions and business meetings from across the country."

"In its first year alone, the Connecticut Convention Center hosted 380 events and more than 260,000 visitors, generating approximately $60 million in economic impact for the region," says Jeanne O’Grady, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Connecticut Convention Center. "This far surpassed original projections of 167 events and 192,000 attendees for the first year."

The GHCVB has seen a substantial increase in bookings throughout the region since the opening of the convention center. "From June 2005 until May 2006, the sales force booked an increase of 33,471 room nights and 19,392 attendees than the previous year," explains H. Scott Phelps, President of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The average convention delegate spends $278 per day and stays 3.6 days, according to industry estimates."