This week, Robert Murdock started work as the President of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) in Middletown, Conn., the State’s official meetings, and sports event sales and marketing organization. On January 1st, Murdock stepped into his new job upon the retirement of longtime industry leader H. Scott Phelps, who had steered the CTCSB since 2014. In his new job, Murdock will continue to manage the Bureau’s sports marketing and serve as its Director of National Accounts for S.M.E.R.F. (Social, Military, Education, Religious, Fraternal) and Affinity Groups.

 

On January 1st, Murdock also began his newly elected position as the President of the Board of the New England Society of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (NESCVB). The NESCVB is a cooperative organization comprised of CVBs throughout New England that collectively markets the region as a premier destination for meetings, conventions and sports events, and offers complimentary services to planners.

 

“I am excited that the CTCSB Board has selected Bob as its new President,” explains Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau Chair Thomas Madden, who also is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Stamford. “He has the knowledge and experience for this position and will do a great job moving the organization forward. Bob will continue to build essential partnerships and new business as he did with his terrific predecessor, Scott Phelps, and will coordinate the management of the organization’s new strategic plan.”

 

In addition, Murdock serves as a Board Member for the Fairfield County Sports Commission and is a longtime member of the National Association of Sports Commissions’ (NASC) Mentoring Committee.

 

Murdock joined the Connecticut CTCSB in September 2014 as Director of Sports Marketing and later expanded his responsibilities to include marketing for the SMERF and Affinity Groups. Previously, he spent seven years as Director of Sales at Destination Worcester (Mass.), responsible for promoting and selling the City and Central Massachusetts region as a destination for meetings and events. Before that, he was Director of Administration for the Massachusetts Sports Partnership, and was Event & Sales Manager/Director of Business Operations for a variety of Boston-area organizations including professional athletes’ foundations, promotional tours and the World Curling Championship that was held in Lowell, Mass.

 

The Clinton, Conn. resident received both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bucknell University (Penn.), and holds a master’s degree, majoring in Sports Management, from Springfield College (Mass.). Two Fun facts: Murdock was one of only 108 Americans invited to try out for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team in 1988 and has a marathon personal best of 2:17:45; and as a Greenwich High School senior, he was the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s (CIAC) 1978 State Champion in the Indoor Track Two-Mile competition.

 

To contact Robert Murdock, email robertm@ctcsb.org or call 860-882-1103.

  

Working in partnership with the state’s businesses, institutions, nonprofit organizations, and their surrounding communities, the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) markets all of the state – convention and meeting venues, hotels and attractions, and sporting venues – as a premier destination for international, national, regional and statewide conferences, conventions and major sports events. The public-private partnership is funded by dues from members and by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The Connecticut Sports Advisory Board, a division of the CTCSB, focuses its efforts on attracting and serving international, national and regional sporting events. Events booked by the CTCSB in the last fiscal year alone are projected to result in: $54,181,589 in spending by convention, meeting and sports events attendees during their visits to the state, generating 3,653,731 in Connecticut taxes. In addition, 17,246 Connecticut jobs in the hospitality industry will be supported by these events as a result of these bookings.* For more information about the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, visit www.CTmeetings.org or call 860-728-6789.           (*Destinations International’s economic calculator FY 2017-18).