WEST HARTFORD MAN HONORED WITH AWARD FOR SUPPORT OF GREATER HARTFORD’S CONVENTION AND SPORTS EVENTS INDUSTRY

On the eve of the establishment of the new Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, convention and hospitality industry professionals from around the state gathered as the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) presented its 2012 Leadership Awards.

The June 26 awards event, held as part of the GHCVB’s Annual Meeting at Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, honored three Connecticut residents for their leadership in making the Greater Hartford region a successful convention and major events venue.

The Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau presented the following 2012 awards:

• Thomas J. Shortell Memorial Award to West Hartford's Jay Sloves of Elkinson & Sloves, Inc.;
• The Founders Award to Robert J. Martino of the law firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C.; and
• Volunteer of the Year Award to Neletta Cochrane of CTTransit.
  

“These three individuals have worked tirelessly to help make Greater Hartford a successful convention and sports event market,” explained Michael Van Parys, President of the new Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau. “They are tremendous advocates of our industry, and we look forward to their continued support as our Bureau expands its focus.”

This year’s awards ceremony was particularly meaningful because these were the final awards presented on behalf of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau, added Van Parys, who also was the President of the former GHCVB. The next morning, July 27, the GHCVB and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) announced the formation of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, an entity dedicated to increasing the state’s convention, meeting and sports events business. “We are expanding our presence throughout Connecticut and look forward to developing new partners we can honor at next year’s awards event.”

► Curt Jensen, Director of Sports for the GHCVB, presented the 2012 Thomas J. Shortell Memorial Award to Jay Sloves. Jensen explained that the late Shortell was an active member of the GHCVB’s Executive Committee and a great supporter of the Bureau’s efforts to bring sports-related conventions and events to Greater Hartford.

Sloves is a longtime advocate of showcasing Greater Hartford and Connecticut as the site of major sports events. His full-service marketing firm, Elkinson & Sloves, Inc., has been involved in bringing and marketing many of the State’s largest sports and community-based events. The West Hartford, Conn. resident has worked on some of the most iconic brands in the state – from the Sammy Davis Jr. Greater Hartford Open to today’s Travelers Championship, and from the Hartford Whalers to Mohegan Sun. Over the years, Sloves has been involved in many of the state’s highest profile sports events: the 1986 NHL All-Star Game; the 2003 State Games of America; the 2006 SkateAmerica; and the record-setting Whale Bowl last winter. His annual marketing projects include the Nutmeg State Games and the Ahmad Rashad Celebrity Golf Classic.

Jensen added that Sloves also was a friend of Shortell’s, making the award presentation in his memory especially significant.

► The 2012 Founders Award was presented to Robert Martino by Robert F. Flynn, the current Chairman of the Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau. Martino, a Principal in the law firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C., had been a member of the GHCVB’s Board of Directors for a dozen years. He resigned from the Board and was applauded for his service earlier that evening at the Annual Meeting.

Martino was Chairman of the GHCVB during a pivotal time in its history. He was instrumental in the Bureau’s early relationship with the Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA), which set the stage for the development of the Connecticut Convention Center. Flynn noted that Martino, a Glastonbury, Conn. resident, has been a tireless worker and was responsible for bringing a number of dynamic new members to the Board. He noted that Martino’s legal insight and expertise were invaluable to the GHCVB’s efforts. 

► The presentation of the 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award to Neletta Cochrane was made by Jessica Jones, Business Development Manager & Convention Services Director for the GHCVB. The annual award recognizes the superior efforts of one community partner who has supported the Bureau, its clients and event attendees by helping to ensure that they have a memorable experience.

Jones explained that providing services for the tens of thousands of attendees at the many convention and sporting events held in the region requires the work of many hands. She told how Cochrane has stepped forward to volunteer to help the GHCVB staff with many of the Bureau’s major projects. This has included the recent National Association of Sports Commission’s Sports Event Symposium at the Connecticut Convention Center, the 2012 Trinity College Home Fire Fighting Robotics Competition at Trinity College, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s 2011 Aviation Summit, the weeklong 2010 USA Gymnastics VISA Championships in Hartford, and yearly BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championships at the XL Center and Travelers Championships at TPC River Highlands. Jones noted that the Hartford resident is a dynamic individual who has involved her young adult children in her volunteer activities ever since they were in grade school, and she is a wonderful role model for other local residents who want to get involved.

The Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau is a public-private partnership formed by the former Greater Hartford Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The new Bureau works with Connecticut's businesses, institutions, nonprofit organizations, and sports industry leaders to market the state as a premier destination for national, regional and statewide conventions and sports events. The GHCVB’s membership of close to 300 businesses and organizations is growing as the new Bureau expands. Its Connecticut Sports Convention Advisory Board will focus its efforts on attracting and serving international, national and regional sporting events. For information about the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, call 860-882-1102 or visit www.ctmeetings.org.