Hartford Business Journal

84 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2015 By Sarah Wesley Lemire A lmost a decade ago, Dan Hincks sought to add new dimension to his life as the owner and CEO of Data Management, Inc., a specialty product printing business located in Farmington. He wanted to find a way to combine his love of business with his passion for music by establishing an intimate, high-quality music destination in Connecticut. Fast-forward to today. Hincks has seen that aspiration come to life in the form of In- finity Music Hall & Bistro, a wildly successful concert venue and four-star contemporary restaurant located in Norfolk. Constructed in 1883, the music hall once served as a combination opera house, barber- shop and saloon before undergoing a major renovation to restore the building to its original splendor while transforming it into the richly inviting, 300-seat theater it is today. Since opening in October of 2008, Infinity Hall Norfolk has played host to hundreds of iconic musicians on its grand stage, including the likes of Waylon Jennings, Los Lonely Boys and Jose Feliciano. "ere's been a lot of music happening in Norfolk for the last six years," said Hincks. "ere've been tremendous artists and it's been a lot of fun." So much fun, in fact, that Hincks partnered up with CPTV in 2011 to produce the television series Infinity Hall Live. e program features not only live perfor- mances at the music hall, but also backstage access and conversations with the various performers. "e first year, we did eight episodes. By the second year, it was very popular and about 80 percent of public stations were carrying it live," said Hincks. "It's now nation- ally syndicated and broadcast into 80 million households in all major markets." On the heels of his success with Infinity Hall and the ensuing Emmy Award- winning program, Hincks initiated plans to open a second venue — this time in Hartford. "I knew right away that I wanted to put it on the Front Street Entertainment District," he said. "It's an emerging district with convenient parking, a lot of restau- rants and a lot happening there." In August of 2014, Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, Hartford, opened its doors, welcoming locals and visitors alike to enjoy great music in its 500-seat theater, and dine at the on-site contemporary restaurant. "We've had a tremendous number of great bands in Hartford — bands like Toad the Wet Sprocket and America. We've had a lot of shows since we opened up at the end of August and it's been a very busy place," said Hincks. Moving forward, Hincks wants to continue fostering the success of the Infinity Halls and intends to focus his energy on ensuring that both are as good as they can possibly be. "It's been a good road, and I'm looking forward to the future as well." ❑ Dan Hincks is the owner of Infinity Hall. The Music Man A former data management company owner charts a different path PHOTO/L.E. AGNELLI "Similarly, the hotels have been great," he added, with several area hotels offering the theater discounts and cost savings. Goodspeed, which has sent 19 productions to Broadway and won more than a dozen Tony Awards, is also dependent on strong govern- ment and business support, like most nonprofit theaters, Gennaro said. "While all of us in Connecticut have strong years in sales or fund raising, we also have down years and none of us are able to cover all of our expenses just by the box office. at's why we definitely need not only support from patrons and donors but the state has a huge, critical role to play, along with corporations and founda- tions, and that is a changing landscape. Our job is to try to build relationships so they know the value of what we clearly bring to the state as an economic engine." In addition to attracting local theatergo- ers, the two are always looking to draw more tourists. Last year, Connecticut's six large professional theaters and the state Depart- ment of Tourism partnered in a collaborative promotion called "Play Connecticut." e promotion included Goodspeed, Hartford Stage, Westport Country Playhouse, Yale Repertory eatre and Long Wharf eatre in New Haven, and Eugene O'Neill eater Center in Waterford. "People had the oppor- tunity to see multiple plays, visit our restau- rant partners and stay at hotels for the week- end," Stotts said. "We're talking with Tourism about making it a bigger, six-week event this fall, and pairing it with leaf peeping." Gennaro explained while there's some level of competition among Connecticut's theaters, "it's friendly competition. I think us joining forces only adds to the amount of revenue that we can generate for ourselves and for the state." Gennaro, who created a statewide coali- tion among arts organizations while serving as the executive director of Trinity Reper- tory eatre in Providence, R.I., also forged a partnership with Brown University to create an MFA degree in directing and acting, a program that became one of the top three in the country. At Goodspeed, "I would love to see us have a relationship with a college or university where we are able to provide a BFA or MFA in musical theater. I don't think there's a bet- ter place in the country than Goodspeed to develop that. ere are so many great schools in Connecticut; if an administration sees that as part of its mission or future, I know how to be a partner because I've done it." ❑ PROFILE Continued from page 81 >

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