Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com August 29, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 7 WHAT'S AHEAD: ■ 9/5 Focus: Innovative Office Spaces ■ The Lists: Commercial Realty Brokers/Architects ■ Nonprofit Profile: Wadsworth Atheneum CALENDAR FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 The Connecticut Economy The Connecticut Business & Industry Association will hold its annual fall economic conference Sept. 9, which will look at the state's economy both in terms of how it influences and is shaped by global events; workforce, housing, population and education trends; and developments at the state capitol. The conference will take place at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, from 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Attendees will hear from a top official at the Bureau of Economic Analysis along with experts in international trade, workforce and public policy about where Connecticut is headed in light of new data on demographics, foreign direct investment, housing, exports, the rising dollar versus other major currencies, and more. The featured speakers will include Patricia Abaroa, chief of the direct investment division of the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Cost to attend: $95 for members; $115 for nonmembers. For more information go to: http://www.cbia.com/. 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 . NONPROFITS Wadsworth offering free admission to city residents For the first time ever, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art announced last week it will offer free admission to all Hartford city residents, effective immediately. The new initiative, called Wadsworth Welcome, is intended to encourage Hartford residents to enjoy the experience of art in the company of friends and family without the barrier of paid admis- sion. For everyone else, regular admission to the museum is $15 for adults and free to those under the age of 18. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION Hops making a comeback in Connecticut Hidden in plain sight on a farm just off Interstate 91 in Windsor sits one of two Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Stations, where a combination of biologists, entomologists, pathologists and other scientists are helping to grow the future of the beer brewing indus- try in Connecticut. The key to that future is the production of viable varieties of hops plants, a key ingredient that brewers use for flavoring beer. The state-funded facility is researching different varieties of hops to determine how farmers can combat various environmental fac- tors that can hinder their growth in Connecticut, including disease and insects. "We're producing (hops) to provide information to growers so that they can grow the crop," says James LaMondia, a chief sci- entist and pathologist who is working on the project. "We want to yield local hops with higher quality." – Nicholas Leahey | Journal Inquirer ECONOMY & LABOR CT, NY construction industries offer least economic impact in U.S. Connecticut and New York's private construction industries last year offered the least economic impact when measured as a per- centage of gross domestic product (GDP) than any other states, according to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). In its report, the Rocky Hill-based ABC found construction ac- counted for just 3.1 percent of GDP in Connecticut, below the na- tional average of 3.9 percent. This follows an ABC report released earlier this month that found Connecticut's construction unem- ployment rate in June was the fourth highest in the country at 6.9 percent vs. the national 4.6 percent jobless rate. YOUR LIFE'S WORK DESERVES MORE THAN A DEADBOLT. HD Surveillance anD Detection Get Cox Business Security Solutions with HD Surveillance and Detection. View crystal-clear video in high definition, day or night, with our lineup of HD commercial cameras. Receive text and email alerts if an alarm is activated. On call 24/7, it goes the extra mile to protect your business. Security that means business. call ( 877 ) 404-2523 visit coxbusiness.com/securitysolutions *Cox Business Security is available to business customers in Cox Business Connecticut service areas. Service not available in all areas. Service Agreement required. Other restrictions may apply. © 2016 Cox Business. All rights reserved. Downtown Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum. H B J P H O T O | G R E G B O R D O N A R O

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