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Why New Haven Is 'Greater'
The region blends New England charm with cosmopolitan delights
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Business New Haven
8/23/99
By: Karolyn Kirchgesler
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Greater New Haven has all of the components needed to host successful conventions and meetings. From unique meeting sites and luxurious sleeping accommodations to memorable restaurants, world-class attractions, architectural delights, historic districts, sporting events, gaming activities, unique shopping opportunities and attractions unlike any other, greater New Haven has it all!
Whether you want a small brainstorming session in a charming downtown inn, an elegant hotel, or a meeting of the minds in a Yale classroom, greater New Haven can provide you with first-class accommodations and meeting facilities. With 3,980 sleeping rooms, the region offers a range of choices that run the gamut - from full service conference facilities and extended-stay properties to unique meeting sites and everything in between, the choices are endless.
Rich with a kaleidoscope of activities, New Haven has been dubbed Connecticut's entertainment and cultural center. Greater New Haven blends New England charm with sophisticated cosmopolitanism; its broad cultural heritage is reflected in spirited festivals and memorable restaurants serving up international flavors. An exciting diversity of entertainment at award-winning theaters, world-class museums, centers for visual, literary and performing arts await conference attendees.
Since its founding, New Haven has been profoundly influenced by Yale, an old and prestigious university. Yale has contributed museums, art galleries and performing-arts centers, instilling the city with cultural and academic richness. Convention delegates can journey through the acclaimed collection of world-class architecture that distinguishes New Haven's cityscape and explore the awe-inspiring beauty of Yale University's Gothic architecture. Yale's diverse student body has kept the urban spirit youthful and dynamic.
For the better part of a century, greater New Haven has been a veritable hotbed of innovation. In addition to becoming America's very first planned city, ingenious residents also invented toll bridges, submarines, cotton gins, vulcanized rubber, friction matches and a number of important inventions that shaped and enhanced the quality of life.
Greater New Haven continues to be the birthplace of new and innovative ideas. Local research laboratories and academic institutions play a vital role in bringing new technology to the forefront. Meeting planners bringing conferences into the area can rely on a wealth of local expertise when looking for speakers to present at their conferences.
Greater New Haven's central location between New York and Boston is ideal for groups looking to draw large attendance at their conference or event. New Haven, located at the juncture of I-95 and I-91, is easily accessible by car, bus, air or rail. Union Station in New Haven is one of the few stops in Connecticut for Amtrak's new high-speed rail, making travel time to and from either of those cities even shorter.
For convention groups coming from outside New England, service is provided by Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport, and Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. A number of other airports within reasonable driving distance include JFK, LaGuardia and Newark International airports.
Meeting planners who choose greater New Haven as a conference location can rely on a variety of complimentary support services offered by the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitor Bureau. The bureau serves as a liaison for all of the properties in the New Haven region and acts as a non-biased resource for accommodation information.
After determining the particular needs of a group, the GNHCVB can send referrals and RFPs to local businesses for hotel accommodations, meeting and banquet facilities, and event suppliers and services. Welcome banners, name badges and informational packets containing promotional materials and maps are made available through the bureau to convention and meeting groups.
In addition, the bureau may sponsor a visitor information booth or assist with on-site registration at the conference. Arrangements are often made for local dignitaries to give a special welcome to larger groups. The bureau can provide a computerized delegate housing service for groups using two or more hotels, as well as sample housing forms and associated reports.
For specialized tours, events and children's activities for delegates and accompanying persons, the GNHCVB will provide information on local tour planners and services, bus companies, and local visitor attractions. Bureau staff will help plan activities of general interest to meeting guests, such as golf outings, shopping trips, baseball games, clambakes and a host of other special events.
Local civic and fraternal organizations often rely on the bureau to help them bring in special meetings or conferences. The bureau will assemble a specialized invitation or bid packet that fits the specific needs of the group being solicited, and will even travel to other cities to make formal bid presentations. The Bureau also provides support in the form of press releases and media contacts to encourage attendance at conferences coming into the region.
To discuss the possibility of bringing a group into the Greater New Haven region, or to get more information on the services offered by the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitors Bureau, contact its office at 203-777-8550 or 1-800-332-STAY (7829).
Karolyn Kirchgesler is executive director of the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Greater New Haven Tourism District encompasses Ansonia, Bethany, Derby, East Haven, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Prospect, Shelton, Trumbull, West Haven and Woodbridge.
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