For Immediate Release
October 2, 2008
CT Convention Center Associates Set Food & Beverage Record!
17,400 Meals Served Last Week, The Most In One Week Since 2005 Opening
HARTFORD, CT –Associates at the Connecticut Convention Center set a food and beverage record last week by serving 17,400 plated meals in a seven-day period – the most meals served in a week since the facility’s June 2005 opening.
“Our associates served an average of 2,480 meals a day for seven days,” said Diane St. Jean, Director of Food and Beverage Services. “To serve 17,400 meals in one week is a great accomplishment, and we are extremely proud of our team.”
“But the real success is making the first person we served feel as great as the 17,400th person we served, and I believe we also accomplished that with outstanding service,” St. Jean added.
From September 20-27, the CTCC hosted five events that required intense food and beverage services for approximately 5,000 guests, including:
- St. Francis Miracles Ball (1,200 guests for a banquet on Sept. 20)
- Price Chopper (1,500 guests for a tradeshow, Sept. 22-24)
- Microsoft Corporation (120 guests for a meeting Sept. 25)
- Business Women’s Forum (1,200 guests on Sept. 26)
- The Village for Families and Children (500 guests for a banquet on Sept. 27)
Price Chopper is one of the CTCC’s largest tradeshows, with 750 booths that fill the center’s 140,000 square foot exhibit hall. The three-day event also included several breakfast, lunch and evening banquets for 1,500 guests, requiring back to back functions in the CTCC’s 40,000 square foot ballroom and ballroom pre-function area.
Price Chopper, based in Schenectady, NY, donated more than 30,000 pounds of food to Foodshare, a regional food bank for Hartford and Tolland Counties, and the Damien Center, a community center in Albany for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.
Similarly, the Business Women’s Forum included a breakfast and lunch for 1,200 that featured Goldie Hawn.
“Precision planning is required for any back to back meal functions,” said Roger Morgan, the center’s executive chef. “But the key to our recent achievement is team work across all departments. We call it all hands on deck.”
To augment the culinary staff, associates from all departments volunteer to reset tables and plate food, he said, adding that the extra help also ensures the highest quality food is served at each function.
In addition to serving 17,400 meals last week, CTCC Associates also accomplished the following:
- Washed 70,700 pieces of china, glassware and silver
- Prepared 6,000 shrimp, 3,000 filet mignons and 1,700 pounds of poultry
- Collected 9 tons of trash
- Installed 3,300 ft of electrical cable
- Sold 424,000 sq. ft of meeting space
- Set up 7,000 tables and chairs
About the Connecticut Convention Center
The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford is the state’s premier meeting venue and the largest full-service convention facility between New York and Boston. Overlooking the beautiful Connecticut River, it features 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as ample sheltered parking. The facility is served by more than 6,500 local area hotel rooms, including the 22-story Marriott Hartford Downtown, adjacent to the Convention Center. The venue is professionally managed for the State of Connecticut by Waterford Venue Services, an affiliate of Waterford Hotel Group. For more information, visit www.ctconventions.com
About Waterford Hotel Group
Waterford Hotel Group, Inc., with headquarters in Waterford, CT, currently manages 24 properties in 7 states, including the 540,000 square foot Connecticut Convention Center. Waterford Hotel Group has experience operating virtually every type of hotel property, including limited services properties, all-suite hotels, conference centers, and large full service and resort properties. The company’s approach to hotel development and operations is hands-on, and features frequent site visits and constant communication with customers and partners. Additionally, Waterford Hotel Group offers centralized accounting, financial reporting, strategic marketing, human resources, and day-to-day operations management systems to increase market share and profitability at all properties. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.waterfordgroup.net