The 2015 Mizuno New England Winterfest Volleyball Tournament is taking place this weekend in Hartford and organizers say it will pump more than $3-million into the area economy.
It’s taking place Friday through Monday at the Connecticut Convention Center.
The event is for girls ages 12 to 18 and they come from clubs all over the region.
“We chose Hartford because we thought it really suited us location wise,” says Alex Temkin, Tournament Director.
Coaches, friends, and families come too and they all add up to big numbers of visitors to Harford.
“10,000 visitors, 2,000 players, roughly 200 teams here all through the Northeast,” says Bob Murdock, Director of Sports Marketing at the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau.
Murdock says the tournament-goers spend a lot of money, more than three-million dollars, whether at vendors or in the community.
“Out staying in hotels, spending money in restaurants, using services throughout the capitol region,” says Murdock.
The event is so popular it filled up on opening day for registration and organizers opened up a second location.
The tournament plans to be back for at least a couple more years.
“Hartford has been an incredible, incredible host,” says Temkin.
If you want to watch, best of all, it’s free for spectators.
