HARTFORD, CT (April 19, 2012) – Mitchell College Students, who are studying hospitality and tourism, had the opportunity to visit the Connecticut Convention Center on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. Michael Costelli, General Manager of the Connecticut Convention Center, who also serves on the Hospitality Advisory Board at Mitchell College, along with David Goldstein, Director of Human Resources, welcomed the students, where they met in one of the Center’s boardrooms to view an opening presentation.
The students then had a chance to tour the facility with Jaime Testa, Director of Events and Julia Miller, Director of Catering. The students were accompanied by their professor, Denise Braley, who is the Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at Mitchell College. The purpose of the visit was to have the students get a feel for the actual experience of a convention center versus just learning from a textbook point of view. The visit was enhanced when the students received a grand tour of the facility. According the Denise, “The students were overall very pleased with the day’s event. They didn’t think they were going to get an extensive tour and luncheon, nor a question and answer period, which was an even more exciting opportunity for them.”
“Going through the Convention Center allowed them so see firsthand what we discussed in class. We’ve used the CT Convention Center website for looking at forms and going through the events, but being able to walk through the symposium, and receive information from the people who run the event, along with a nice lunch portion as well, helped them to take all of that in, and now they will be able to use all of that moving forward for their future,” said Denise Braley, Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at Mitchell College.
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, please visit www.ctconventions.com.
About Waterford Hotel Group
Waterford Hotel Group has experience operating virtually every type of hotel property, including select service 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.waterfordhotelgroup.com.
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