CONNECTICUT CTMEETINGS.ORG

Overview

Connecticut is known for its richness of historical and cultural arts attractions, most of which can be used as unique venues for events. The state has more than 1,500 sites on the National Historic Registry, and this abundance of locations appeals to groups and associations with specific industry themes or focus areas.

Scenic Connecticut is compact, yet offers many different types of meeting venues and hotels (including dozens of bed-and-breakfasts) in a wide range of picturesque locations. Its size makes it easy for groups to meet and daytrip to numerous off-site attractions.

“From the sandy beaches of the Long Island Sound to theaters and museums in exciting cities to entertainment at two of the world’s largest casinos to cruising on the Connecticut River to hiking the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Litchfield County, there is something here for everyone,” proclaims Robert Murdock, president of the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau (CTMEETINGS).

WHAT’S NEW

Opening in September 2023 is Bristol Event Center, just 19 miles west of Hartford in the town of Bristol, will feature a campus with state-of-the-art meeting space, the cornerstone of which will be its chic and innovative Century Ballroom. This new building will feature 50,000-square feet of flexible function space that includes a ballroom, two hospitality suites, a lecture room, and an expansive outdoor area. Two on-site hotels include the Bristol DoubleTree by Hilton, and the new Bristol Home2 Suites by Hilton.

Slated to open early 2025, the 549-room Great Wolf Lodge will be located on 13-acres adjacent to Foxwoods Resort and Casino and will feature an indoor water park and a family entertainment center with dining and shops.

The Delamar Mystic, a new luxury boutique hotel, the newest in the group of upscale Delamar hotels in the state, plans to open in the fall of 2024 along Mystic River on the Mystic Seaport Museum campus. It will offer 33 guestrooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, a waterfront restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, plus a ballroom with waterfront event lawn. There are additional Delamar hotels in West Hartford, Greenwich Harbor, and Southport section of Fairfield, as well.

Hotel Marcel in New Haven opened in 2022 as the nation's first net-zero hotel, featuring iconic Brutalist design, curated artwork, and a sustainability-focused operation. Its carports and roof are covered with over 1000 photovoltaic panels that generate solar power for its very own microgrid. A Power-over-Ethernet lighting system and one megawatt hour of battery storage keep all operations running smoothly. The hotel also boasts 12 Tesla Superchargers and 12 level-two destination universal EV chargers to power electric cars.

Rainmaker Expo Center at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket is an 80,000-square-foot venue that opened in November, 2022. A new High Stakes Bingo Hall opened at the resort in July of 2022, as well.

Mohegan Sun in Uncasville kicked off the summer season on Memorial Day Weekend by inaugurating its new Sun Patio Bar. This new outdoor patio features a 50foot-long full-service bar, six hi-def screens, and plenty of outdoor seating for guests 21 and older to enjoy drink specials, on-site food truck meal options, and live music performances.

When it opens later this year, Pickleball America in Stamford will be one of the largest indoor pickleball venues in the U.S. with 28 indoor courts, taking over an anchor space in the downtown Stamford Town Center.

Dudleytown Brewing Company in Windsor will brew and serve craft beer on site in its taproom, and will feature a front-entry patio with a fire pit, a beer garden with fire tables, and a wood-fired pizza oven, all less than 10-miles north of downtown Hartford, adjacent to largest dedicated fastpitch softball complex in the Northeastern U.S. (with 11 fields) that draws thousands of athletes and their families for tournaments throughout the year.

Things To Do

Numerous historic, arts, and science-related attractions include: Mark Twain House and Museum, Connecticut’s Old State House (site of the historic Amistad Trial), Connecticut Science Center, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford; Mystic Seaport Museum, and Mystic Aquarium in Mystic; the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk; Essex Steam Train and Riverboat; and the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton.

Foxwoods outdoor adventure activities include ziplining and Monza World-Class Karting. Brownstone Adventure Sports Park in Portland offers swimming and water obstacles, zip lines, cliff jumping, rock climbing, kayaks and paddleboards, and more. Lime Rock Park offers street car, race car, or rental on the track driving experiences.

Argia Mystic Cruises in Mystic, Connecticut River Cruise and Charter in Middletown; plus, eagle-watching cruises, fishing boat charters, sailing excursions, and more are available, as well.

In addition, Connecticut’s Cornerstones Northeast Team Building has strong partnerships with meeting planners, hotels, and other business and academic institutions looking for high impact team building programs. Other venues throughout the state also offer an array of team building activities, as well.

Additional things to see and do in the state include opportunities to enjoy live theater, a variety of sports and recreational activities, major live music venues like Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, West Haven Music Bowl, XL Center and the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, and the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.

Places To Meet

Connecticut offers a wide range of meeting and event venues, including: the 540,000-square-foot Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford and, right next door, the Marriott Downtown Hartford; the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale; Western Connecticut’s Ethan Allen Hotel; Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa and the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center; Heritage Hotel & Conference Center in Litchfield Hills; Southeast Connecticut shoreline’s Saybrook Point Resort & Marina, the Water’s Edge Resort & Spa, and Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa; Mohegan Sun with its two convention centers, and Foxwoods Resort Casino.

FOOD & DRINK

Farm-to-table dining options have been popular in green Connecticut for the past decade and that trend is only growing stronger.

Every year, Connecticut pizza parlors are listed in top national rankings for best pizzas, especially the “Apizza” eateries on New Haven’s Wooster Street. An emerging, hands-on trend is “make your own pizza” experiences, including The Pizza Gavones’ New Haven Pizza School, offering pizzamaking classes for team building, classroom, and “lunch & learn” sessions.

Situated on the sparking Southern New England shoreline, fresh seafood is abundant here. Connecticut likes to celebrate its fish with public Oyster festivals and seafood boils. The Town of Windsor even hosts an annual parade, fishing competition, road race, and other related activities in honor of the American Shad – the State fish.

The state also is known for its ever-expanding variety of micro-breweries and its selfguided CT Beer Trail. There has been a recent surge of newly constructed breweries with full-dining menus or on-site eclectic food trucks, entertainment, and outdoor seating with firepits.

Food Truck Festivals and Food Truck Parks are popping up across the state, too, and meeting planners seeking something different for their attendees are hiring them for off-site social events.