Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com June 19, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 5 Worcester champions CT with pro tennis tourney By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com I n tennis terms, it's advantage Connecti- cut Open, New Haven and the state with Anne Worcester running the pro- fessional women's tennis tournament and also overseeing city marketing. Worcester is the Connecticut Open tournament director and chief market- ing director at Market New Haven Inc., with two-sided business cards reflecting her complementary roles. She serves as a champion ambassador for the tourna- ment and its host city. "She is a driving force, she's extremely professional and extremely passionate, extremely enthusiastic about what she does … ," said Tony Rescigno, president of the Greater New Haven Chamber. "She's been just perfect in both jobs. She's a real asset to this community." Worcester, 56, is in her 20th year as tour- nament director and 13th year marketing New Haven. As someone who marketed and promoted a major sporting event, Worcester was approached 13 years ago to help tout a New Haven renaissance that some area leaders felt wasn't widely enough recognized. She was reluctant because the tournament was successful and a full-time job. "So I took it on for one year to sort of get it set in the right direction and here we are 13 years later," Worcester said from the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. This year's tournament is Aug. 18-26. A Premier WTA event in the U.S. Open Series, it typically averages four to five of the top 10 players and more than half of the world's top 50, she said. Already com- mitted are Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 10, and Petra Kvitova, No. 17. This year also includes PowerShares Series men's legends matches featuring James Blake, Michael Chang, John McEn- roe and Mark Philippoussis. While New Haven-based, the tourna- ment is a worldwide promotion for Con- necticut — televised in 160 countries. Sponsors include Hartford-area compa- nies. The biggest, United Technologies Corp., is in its fourth year as presenting sponsor and final year of its second two- year contract at $1 million annually. Sponsorships comprise about $3 million of the tournament's $4.3 million budget this year. Ticket revenue is the next largest rev- enue source, followed by international TV revenues, concessions and retail. The event drew about 52,000 fans last year and has more than a $10 million eco- nomic impact on the region and about $700,000 in TV media value for the state, just from its on-court signage, she said. Worcester is always selling the event, which is owned by the state, and main- tains year-round contact with players and agents — a job eased by social media. "Recruiting is a 365-day-a-year job," Worcester said of constant birthday, holi- day and other wishes, congratulations for victories and consolations for losses. She tries to visit players each March at the Miami Open when they're setting sum- mer schedules, and each July in London at Wimbledon, where she does last-min- ute recruiting. "My pitch is very simple: The Con- necticut Open is a great way to prepare for the U.S. Open (Aug. 28-Sept. 10 this year) because it's the same surface, the same climate, the same time zone, the same ball, the same big-stadi- um look and feel," Worcester said. The tournament offers players red-car- pet treatment, including free meals at New Haven's many fine restaurants, gifts and a ride to their U.S. Open hotel afterward. She visits the U.S. Open to watch match- es, show support and review players' New Haven experience. Worcester is married to Tom Worces- ter, global head of sponsorship and endorsement for music at Creative Art- ists Agency in New York. They have two college-age children. Whenever Worcester calls game, set, match on her career, she hopes the tourna- ment is so financially viable that it can be more generous to important community causes than it is today. The Travelers Cham- pionship golf tournament is her role model. "It's not about a tennis tournament, it's what we do with the tennis tournament and that's why I'm here 20 years later. … That's what's most fulfilling to me," she said. n H B J P H O T O | J O H N S T E A R N S Tourney director Anne Worcester stands inside the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale, where the Connecticut Open is played. Anne Worcester Tournament director, Connecticut Open; chief marketing director, Market New Haven Inc. Highest education: Bachelor's degree in economics with a concentration in international public policy, Duke University, Durham, N.C., 1982. Executive insights: "As our former CEO Mike Davies always told me, companies are people, so it's all about the people you hire and how you value them." EXECUTIVE PROFILE Check out a video clip of Anne Worcester's interview at hartfordbusiness.com. PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. New England Air Museum | Windsor Locks, CT This project is a memorial museum hangar at Bradley International Airport. The museum houses restored B-29 Superfortress "Jack's Hack" air crafts. There is a 120 foot clear span pre-engineered building which is 30 feet high to accommodate the large tail section of the air craft. Also, a 90 foot wide hangar which allows easy access to the display. Total Project Size: 20,000 SF 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 www.pdsec.com DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS SPOTLIGHT ON: Aviation PDS ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. 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