Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com October 12, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 7 WHAT'S AHEAD: ■ 10/19 Focus: Family Business Awards ■ The List: Commercial Contractors ■ Nonprofit Profile: Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters CALENDAR TUESDAY, OCT. 20 International Investing Conference The CFA Society of Hartford is hosting a series of five speakers on the topic of international investing followed by a networking and social hour. The Oct. 20 event, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Hartford Club, 46 Prospect St., Hartford, will cover trends and opportunities in equity and fixed income investing in international developed, emerging and frontier markets. Included will be a segment on currency overlays and their applicability in portfolio management. Speakers include: Joseph A. Filicetti, Western Asset Management Co.; David Lundgren, Wellington Management; Timothy Morris, J.P. Morgan Asset Management; Lawrence S. Speidell, Frontier Market Asset Management LLC; and Ashwin K. Thapar, AQR. Cost to attend is free for CFA Society members; $50 for nonmembers. For more information contact: Rebecca Taylor, 860.604.1411, administrator@hartfordcfa.org. F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F G R E A T E R H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S E V E N T S , G O T O W W W . H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M A N D C L I C K O N ' C A L E N D A R . ' A L L C A L E N D A R I T E M S M U S T B E S U B M I T T E D E L E C T R O N I C A L L Y V I A O U R W E B S I T E , H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M . TOURISM CT tourism sees increase in summer visitors, dollars spent It was a good summer for Connecticut tourism. The governor's office announced last week that the state's 23 leading attractions saw a 12 percent increase in visitors duing the June to August period compared to a year earlier. These visitors were also opening up their wallets more than in the past. Tourism destinations in the state reported an increased level of spending this summer, rising to $906 per party — up 4 percent when compared to last year. The increased tourism is also apparently benefiting the state's hotel industry. The state reported lodging occupancy increased 4 percent compared to last year. That's compared to 1 percent growth for the entire nation. Lodging revenue exceeded $285 mil- lion this summer — an indication of higher demand — which is up 7.1 percent compared to last year. Foxwoods signs deal with social casino Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket said it has signed an exclusive deal with a social online casino to attract new gamblers to its Connecticut gaming floor. The deal with social casino platform Greentube Pro enables Foxwoods to use Greentube's library of games to engage play- ers remotely. The platform is fully customizable and enables Fox- woods to use online and mobile games to keep players interested in Foxwoods offerings. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Players will be able to tie their Greentube play into offers, re- wards and promotional events from Foxwoods. All the online and mobile games will carry the Foxwoods brand. GOVERNMENT State workers cost 25 percent more than private sector equals While state employees earnings are on par with the private sector, their benefits far outpace their public counterparts. The discrepancy is at least 25 percent and could reach 46 percent. That's the findings of a study commissioned by the Yankee In- stitute, a Connecticut think tank that favors smaller government. The study compares similar government and non-government workers — excluding public-safety — while considering for edu- cation, work experience and other factors. Although the average private-sector worker in Connecticut earns a slightly higher salary ($71,112 vs. $70,970), the average state employee receives ben- efits worth nearly twice as much as the non-government worker ($54,561 vs. $29,371).The Yankee Institute said the study values state retirement benefits using cautious assumptions versus more realistic assumptions. Lake Compounce is one of Connecticut's biggest tourist attractions. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D

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