CONNECTICUT CONVENTION CENTER HIGHLIGHTS

• Built in 2005, the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford is the Northeast’s newest convention center as well as the largest convention center between New York and Boston.

• The riverfront facility offers 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and a 40,000-square- foot ballroom.

• More than 23 million people live within a two- and-a-half-hour drive from Hartford.

• Connecticut is ranked in the top 10 for its major highways and accessibility to its capital city, Hartford, which was recently ranked No. 13 on Prevention magazine’s “25 Best Cities for Walking” list.

CONVENTION CENTER SPECS

Total space • 540,000 square feet

Flexible facility From the Connecticut International Auto Show to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ new Mfg4 (Manufacturing 4 the Future) conference and exposition, the Connecticut Convention Center has the flexibility to host meetings, conventions, and events of all kinds.

out Hartford, and the Bradley Flyer provides economical, semi-express bus service from the airport to downtown Hartford. At Adriaen’s Landing District, connected

by footbridge to the convention center, attendees can explore a variety of attrac- tions, including the Connecticut Science Cen- ter, which includes interactive, educational games and a 3-D movie theater. Attendees looking for dining and entertainment can peruse Front Street, a nostalgic reference to Hartford’s bustling riverfront that existed in the late-1800s through the 1950s. Spotlight Theatres, one of Front Street’s newest attrac- tions, offers a luxury movie experience with stadium seating and an on-site restaurant, while other diversions include the Riverfront Plaza and Wadsworth Atheneum, featuring works by Monet, Picasso, Dali, Whistler, and other artists. Front Street is also the future home of the Infinity Music Hall and Bistro, a 600-seat live music and restaurant venue, as

PCMA.ORG

well as the Capital Grille’s second Connecticut location. Popular local historical sites in Hartford

include the Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and the Hartford Stage and Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts offer world-class entertain- ment for arts enthusiasts. In downtown, local- ly owned shops, boutiques, and restaurants offer a smorgasbord of retail and culinary indulgences to satisfy every appetite. With local culture and history around every corner, as well as attractions for every interest, the Connecticut Convention Center offers the ultimate backdrop for mixing business with pleasure.

For more information: Connecticut Con- vention Center — (860) 249-6000; ctcon- ventions.com

Exhibit-hall space • 140,000 square feet

Loading docks • 20, with two direct drive-in bays

Ballroom space • 40,000 square feet

Meeting space • 25,000 square feet

Parking • 3,949 total spaces, including an attached, 2,600-space garage

Number of attached hotel rooms • 409, at the Marriott Hartford Downtown • Hotel rooms within 30 miles of Hartford: 6,500

FEBRUARY 2013 PCMA CONVENE

89