Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com August 29, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 17 CT casinos investing to draw convention business By Matthew Broderick Special to the Hartford Business Journal W hen the Connecticut Governor's Conference on Tourism was held this past April, both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun were among its list of platinum sponsors. Serving as joint headliners signi- fied that both casinos realize that, just as they are coming together to ward off competition from a new casino in Springfield, there are some things — like helping the state attract convention business — that are worth unit- ing around. And with good reason. In fiscal year 2015-2016, more than $61.6 million was spent in Connecticut by conven- tion, meeting and sporting event attendees, generating over $4.7 million in tax revenue for the state, while supporting more than 22,000 jobs in the hospitality industry, according to statistics compiled for the Connecticut Con- vention and Sports Bureau, which focuses on attracting state, regional, national and international conferences to the state. As two of the state's largest convention destinations, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun — which have both seen the bottom-line benefit of their convention business — are investing heavily in expansion and new attractions to, in part, draw new group business like trade shows, conferences and conventions. For Mohegan Sun, convention business — which represents less than 20 percent of the casino's total revenue — has consistently averaged nearly 450 group bookings each of the last five years, according to Gary Baker, director of convention sales and service for the Uncasville-based casino. "They can range from small groups of 10 to 12 to groups as large as 1,200 to 1,400," Baker said, noting that a three-day auto auction held at the casino in June attracted more than 90,000 visitors. While conventions help generate rev- enue from room nights, particularly during slower mid-week periods, they also provide ancillary revenue drivers as well, says Bobby Soper, president and CEO of Mohegan Sun. "Convention attendees help generate gaming revenue, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and take in our shows," Soper said. And Mohegan Sun is continuing to invest in its properties to meet consumer and con- vention demand. This fall, the casino will open its new 400-room, $130 million Earth Tower and start work on a $50 million reno- vation to its existing Sky Tower, including a multi-million-dollar revamp to its current 22,000-square-foot spa and the creation of a new spa. Additionally, new restaurants — including Tom's Urban, which will feature a travel inspired menu and 40 craft beers — are slated to open in late summer and early fall. The amenities expansion has been an important part of both casinos' growing appeal to convention planners, said H. Scott Phelps, president of the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau. "[Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun] have been wise to broaden their casinos beyond gaming to include new entertainment selections, first-class golf courses and varied retail shops," he said, noting both casinos — and Connecticut in general — draw a lion's share of convention business from neighbor- ing New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "There are more than 23.5 mil- lion people that live within two hours of Con- necticut's capital," Phelps said. "That's a major selling point [of Connecticut] for conventions, trade shows and sporting events." And convention business has been trending upwards in recent years at Foxwoods, accord- ing to Fexlix Rappaport, president and CEO of the Mashantucket-based casino. "After the Great Recession, lots of companies cut back on travel and conventions, but that part of our business is healthy again," he said, "because there's nothing like face-to-face business." Rappaport estimates that conventions account for about 10 percent of the more than 723,000 room nights his casino filled last year. He also notes that unlike personal visitors, his convention attendees typically stay longer. "On average, a convention guest stays about three days," Rappaport said. That's double the 1.5-day average stay of weekend visitors. But Rappaport sees the potential benefits of both audiences to his casino's success. "I hope that someone who visits [our casino] with their family thinks about the value of hosting a business event or convention here," he said. "And I hope that people who visit here on business, choose to bring their family back for a personal visit." Foxwoods, like Mohegan Sun, is also investing in upgrades and new attractions — including a new 366-foot-high, mile-long zip line and a handful of eateries from high-pro- file television personalities, including Food Network's Guy Fieri, "Iron Chef" host Cat Cora and Richard Rawlings of "Fast n' Loud" fame on Discovery Channel. "We're living in an era where people gravitate toward culi- nary personalities," Rappaport said. But it's not just the restaurant selection being upgraded; the casino's 2,200 rooms have been too. "We've renovated every room and kept up with technology as well," Rappaport said. "We have to in order to stay competitive." And that's a big step in keeping Connecti- cut's convention industry competitive too. Both casinos are betting on it. n making the city more exciting. This growth helps greatly as we sell to meeting planners in Washington, D.C., New York City, throughout New England, and across the country. Q: The Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau recently sponsored Con- nect New England. What was the event and why did the Bureau sponsor it? A: Connecticut's convention and hospitality leaders were thrilled when Connect, a national leader in meetings, travel and tourism, chose Hartford for its first-ever "Connect New Eng- land" appointment-only trade show. This event brought together the most active planners, sup- pliers and experts in association, sports and specialty meetings who focus on New England destinations for meetings and events. The June event was hosted in partnership with the Connecticut Convention Center, Con- necticut Convention & Sports Bureau, and Hartford Marriott Downtown/Waterford Hotel Group, with Mayor Bronin welcoming attend- ees. We helped many influential professional meeting planners from across New England discover what makes Connecticut an attrac- tive choice for their groups. They visited Hart- ford as their meeting attendees would, meeting at the Connecticut Convention Center, staying at the Marriott, enjoying a New England sea- food dinner, and walking downtown. Q: What were some of the major take- aways from Connect New England? A: Attendees told us what we often hear when other professional meeting planners visit, that Hartford is a clean, walkable and friendly city with impressive meeting venues and attrac- tions — for many, it was their first visit. Our experience has long been that if we can get plan- ners to come see Hartford, and most everywhere else in Connecticut, they find it's what they are looking for, and we tend to get their business. In fact, there was immediate interest from several planners who wanted to learn more about booking area meeting and hotel rooms for future conventions — one a major citywide event. That's exactly what we were hoping for. n Q&A: H. Scott Phelps Race Book Rainmaker Casino Rainmaker Casino Smoke Free Slots Fox Theater Grand Theater To Lake of Isles The Fox Tower Garage The Fox Tower Great Cedar Hotel Grand Pequot Tower Great Cedar Garage Two Trees Inn To Route 2 To Route 2 Rainmaker Garage Bingo Fox Tower Casino Bus Lobby Great Cedar Casino Poker Room Rainmaker Square Tanger Outlets Entrance Tanger Outlets Entrance Grand Pequot Casino Foxwoods is preparing to open several new restaurants to woo convention and other business, including a wine bar by Cat Cora and a kitchen and grill restaurant by Guy Fieri. Mohegan Sun is preparing to open its $130 million Earth Tower hotel (left) this fall. Mohegan competes with Foxwoods Resort Casino, whose convention (center) and hospitality rooms (right) are featured above. P H O T O S | C O N T R I B U T E D R E N D E R I N G | C O N T R I B U T E D CT MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS GUIDE 2016

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