CRMA virtual meeting ready to launch
Full agenda to inform and educate
Other news and notes from around the state
- We are pleased to inform you today that CRMA will bring members together to celebrate retailing. Only this year, it will be a COVID-style get together.
- Please mark your calendar for November 19th from 10:00 am– 12:00 noon and plan on spending some time with us as we welcome guests ranging from political reporters, a United State Senator and national industry leaders to talk about election results, legislative preview and how retail is dealing with a new world.
- Look for a formal invitation to attend the free virtual event and ways that you can help CRMA, if you’re able to. The CRMA Board and Leadership are determined to continue to hold an annual gathering to celebrate retail and, with all things considered, are excited about this year’s event.
- Hope you can join us!
Full Agenda to inform and educate
- As you will see when you receive our invitation – which will arrive in your email box early next week – we will have a full, and very informative, agenda.
- We expect to begin the morning with a lively discussion between three of the State’s leading political journalists.
- We are pleased that Christine Stuart of CTNewsJunkie, Chris Keating of The Harford Courant and Kevin Rennie, former State Senator and current co -host of Face the State, have agreed to be our lead-off panelists to review the election results and a engage in some instant political analysis.
- Following that panel, we will spend some time hearing about what we can expect from the upcoming 2021 Legislative Session – directly from legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle.
- We are also very excited that U.S. Senator Chris Murphy will join us to share his perspective from Washington DC.
- We will also visit with industry experts who will give us some insight – both a short-term and long view – into the retail industry during the unprecedented circumstances we are all dealing with.
- And we will wrap-up the morning by hearing directly from the Executive Branch of Connecticut state government.
- We have invitations out to both the Governor and DECD Commissioner David Lehman to give us the final word on what we expect from the State for the reminder of the 2020 and what 2021 might look like.
- All of this will be laid out in our invitation for the event, which we will be sending to you next week. We hope you will carve out some time to join us.
News and notes from around the state
- Businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees or a 2019 payroll of under $1.5 million will be eligible for one-time $5,000 grants under a new program announced by Gov. Ned Lamont this week. Hartford Business Journal has the story here and the official state website can be seen here.
- Connecticut got some good fiscal news this week as increased tax receipts helped to take nearly 40% off the state’s projected $2 billion deficit, increasing the likelihood Gov. Ned Lamont can avert major tax hikes next spring. CT Mirror reports the news here.
- Two Connecticut economists are predicting a long haul for the state’s economic recovery. Fred Carstensen and Peter Gunther of UConn’s Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis look at the state’s job growth and the impact of coronavirus. Hartford Courant has the story here.
- The median home price in Fairfield County rose by 33% last month compared to a year earlier, giving Fairfield County the fastest-rising real estate prices in the country. Fairfield County Business Journal has the story here. The Hartford area was also one of the hottest residential real estate markets in September, according to a new report by RE/MAX. Hartford Business Journal has that story here.
- More than 4,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 at Bradley International Airport since testing began in September. The airport has now stepped up testing. New Haven BIZ has the story here.
- The state’s coronavirus rate has been steadily climbing in recent days, prompting what CT Mirror described as a worried appeal from Gov. Ned Lamont for public vigilance. Here’s their story. The state is also sending federal funds to local health districts to support local efforts. Hartford Courant has that story here.