WEST HARTFORD, CT The University of Hartford Construction Institute holds their sixth Annual Oktoberfest event on at the Southport Brewing Company in Southport, Connecticut.

According to the Chairman of the Institute's Fairfield County Council, Gordon Soper, nearly 100 Institute members and their guests from around Connecticut attended last year.

"For the past five years, this is one of the most popular industry events in our area due to the seasonal fare and valuable networking that takes place between design and construction industry professionals," said Soper, who is also Senior Business Development Manager of Gilbane Building Company. "The event allows a preview of the educational and networking opportunities in Fairfield County, building upon our efforts to increase membership and host successful programs in this county since 2010."

The most recent event included a well-attended "Urban Development: The Mayor's Perspective" where local Mayors from Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, New Rochelle, and White Plains, Connecticut, discussed how their cities are addressing economic, infrastructure, and social challenges to renew the urban centers in Fairfield and Westchester Counties.

The Mayors also discussed collaborative efforts being made to create more vibrant and socially conscious urban settings with improved operational efficiencies and wiser use of resources. This event was co-organized with the New York Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.