ECONOMIC IMPACT
"The Bushnell is a cultural powerhouse pumping an 'energy flow' of exciting benefits – emotional, social, spiritual, and economic – into our community."
As a downtown arts organization, The Bushnell is truly an anchor for Hartford, supporting the local economy, contributing to the quality of life and increasingly helping to fashion Hartford as a destination for visitors, tourists and investment dollars.
Spending by arts and culture organizations and their audiences supports jobs and generate government revenue. Excluding the cost of admission, arts event-related spending in Hartford totaled $82 million in 2013. The Bushnell was the single largest contributor to that total providing:
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$30 million worth of annual economic impact
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$6.9 million in the event-related spending on area hotels, restaurants, and other retailers by our audience members
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100 employees
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$23.4 million in salaries, wages, and entrepreneurial income paid to local residents
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$2.5 million in local and state government revenue.
Working with many other artists and arts organizations, The Bushnell seeks to perpetuate Hartford's position in the top 10% of all metro areas for cultural richness, and ensure the extraordinary "quality of life," which has long served as an enticement for development and a key factor in a healthy regional economy.