Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 16, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 11 Polar Park will attract more events to Worcester F L AS H P O L L No, Polar Park will only take events from other Worcester spaces like the DCU Center and Beechwood Hotel. 23% Yes, the novelty of the space will bring a flood of new interest. 25% Will Polar Park's conference space attract new events to Worcester? COMMENT: Polar Park is planned to have an event and conference space to help Worcester's $132-million public baseball stadium be actively used when the Worcester Red Sox are on the road or in the off-season, part of a trend in the minor leagues for such amenities in newer ballparks. When polled online, the majority of WBJ readers felt the stadium would bring extra events to the city, rather than simply stealing ones from other venues. "As long as there is enough parking and it isn't too expensive to park or rent, as DCU is a cold/ugly venue but is near Union Station." The stadium will attract a mix of new & relocated events, but the net impact will be more events. 52% Increase your business's visibility and support our veterans! Become a Veterans Inc. event sponsor today! For sponsorship packages please contact Tracy Dill at golf@veteransinc.org or 508-791-1213 ext. 1142 All proceeds will support Veterans Inc. & benefit veterans & their families in need. MAY 6, 2020 Cyprian Keyes Golf Club Boylston, MA M E E T I N G S & G O L F G U I D E F O C U S Fitting into Worcester In Worcester, Polar Park is planned to be used on lots of days when the team is on the road or in the off-season. An agreement between the city and the team said the publicly-owned stadium will host at least 125 events per year, but with a goal of using it every day of the year. at'll include about 68 Red Sox baseball games starting in April 2021 and concerts, road races, fire- works, collegiate or high school baseball games. Polar Park will join a Central Massa- chusetts convention industry branching out beyond the old mainstays, like the Beechwood Hotel or the DCU Center. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, for example, can fit gath- erings of up to 3,000 with an outdoor tent. Southwick's Zoo in Mendon can accommodate up to 1,000. Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, known more for its indoor swimming park, can still book gatherings of up to 500, even if it's not nearly as large a meeting venue as when the site was the Central Massachusetts Expo Center. Stephanie Ramey, the executive director of the regional tourism office Discover Central Massachusetts, sees Polar Park's planned events space as giv- ing a "Wow!" factor meeting planners are oen looking for. "Polar Park will provide an opportu- nity to host an event in an unconven- tional space and will also afford the op- portunity for more experiences," Ramey said. "Guests will be able to customize activities that complement their event, such as stadium tours, team building activities and photos on the field." To Stephani Robson, a professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, the ballpark space isn't as likely to compete with traditional business gatherings better suited to typical hotel banquet rooms, where hotel rooms are under the same roof and light can be better controlled for presentations. e ballpark will have a better advantage with more social events or for gatherings where the appeal of a baseball stadium makes more sense, Robson said. In part because the ball- park's events are likely to be somewhat seasonal, she doesn't foresee Polar Park adding new demand for gatherings that wouldn't have already been held in or around the city. "When planning an event, people think of the event first and they look at venue second," she said. "It's not the oth- er way around of, 'Oh, there's this venue, let's have an event.'" W What does financial freedom mean to you? At Bartholomew & Company, we believe it comes down to sound financial planning and investment advice—expertise you can trust to keep you on track at any stage, whether you're just starting your business or getting ready to retire. It's the kind of guidance we've been delivering for more than 25 years. So that when those important moments come along, you can experience every one of them with confidence. Call us for a complimentary consultation at 508.753.8807, or visit www.bartandco.com. Financial Planning Today for All of Tomorrow's Firsts 370 Main Street, Suite 1000, Worcester, MA 01608 | 508.753.8807 Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, ® Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

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