The Continental Basketball Association is the grand daddy of pro hoops worldwide. The CBA, founded in 1946, is the oldest professional basketball league in the world, predating the NBA by just a few months. Considered minor league play, the CBA fields ten teams, located primarily in the Midwestern US with names like the Albany (New York) Patroons, Atlanta Krunk, and the Minot (North Dakota) Skyrockets. Most CBA players try to use the league as a launching pad into the NBA, about 600 have succeeded. It also serves as the training ground for officials and coaches who want to make the jump to the big leagues.The CBA is the "World's Oldest League," dating its origins back to April 23, 1946, when it was called the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League (1946-47). The league began with six franchises - five in Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Allentown, Lancaster and Reading) and a sixth team in New York (Binghamton, who later moved in mid-season to Pottsville, Pa.). In 1948, it was renamed the Eastern Professional Basketball League. Over the years, it would later add franchises in several other Pennsylvania cities, including Williamsport, Scranton and Sunbury, as well as place teams in New Jersey (Trenton, Camden, Asbury Park), Connecticut (New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport), Delaware (Wilmington) and Massachusetts (Springfield).

The Bistro Group was formed in 1989 by the Ruth & Robert Conway Family along with long time business partner and friend, Karl Davis. Their original acquisition has grown to 31 T.G.I. Friday’s® Restaurants and 5 McAlister’s Delis over the past 20 years. Today, The Bistro Group remains a family owned business employing more than 2,800 employees in the two restaurant divisions.

NY SKYRIDE is New York’s one and only virtual tour simulator. It is an adventure tour of New York City narrated by actor Kevin Bacon , who takes guests soaring through Manhattan and the Big Apple skyline, gliding past the Statue of Liberty, dodging city cabs in Times Square, popping over Yankee Stadium, and buzzing past the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport and United Nations, among the 30+ New York places to see. Guests are seated on a specially designed platform, enjoying an HD adventure synchronized to an 18 foot/6 meter large format screen. NY SKYRIDE is located on the second floor of the Empire State Building. Not only are we a great NYC Tourist Attraction but Empire State Building Tours are greatly enhanced with our unique New York sightseeing trip.

The Cincinnati Reds LLC owns and operates the Cincinnati Reds professional ball club, a storied franchise in Major League Baseball. Founded in 1866 as the Cincinnati Base Ball Club, the team gained the nickname the Red Stockings in 1868 and became the first all-professional baseball franchise the next year. The Reds earned four National League pennants during the 1970s and won back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976 with players such as Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. CEO Robert Castellini heads a group that owns 70% of the team. Former CEO Carl Lindner owns the rest.

Thanks to this company, you don't have to travel to Texas to get some Houston flavor. Hillstone Restaurant Group operates a small portfolio of about 50 upscale casual-dining restaurants, including its flagship Houston's chain. With more than 30 locations mostly in big city markets around the country, Houston's offers a menu of classic American foods, including burgers, ribs, and seafood dishes. The restaurants are distinct from one another by utilizing different exterior and interior designs. Hillstone also operates about a dozen other eateries under such names as Bandera, Cafe R+D, Gulfstream, and Rutherford Grill. CEO George Biel opened the first Houston's in 1977.

Benjamin "Bud" Denihan, Sr. founded the company's first hotel, Lyden Gardens, in 1962, and the Denihan family still owns and operates DHG Management Company, LLC. DHG Management Company (doing business as Denihan Hospitality Group) has an affinity for luxury accommodations. The company owns Affinia Hotels, which has four locations in Manhattan (Affinia 50, Affinia Dumont, Affinia Gardens, and Affinia Manhattan). Affinia also has a fifth hotel in Chicago (Affinia Chicago, on the city's Magnificent Mile) and a sixth in Washington, DC (The Liaison Capitol Hill). DHG Management also owns The James luxury hotel in Chicago and The Benjamin luxury hotel in New York City.

The Colorado Rockies Baseball Club joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as an expansion team in 1993. Thanks to the rarefied air in Denver, the franchise's Coors Field home has developed a reputation as a hitter-friendly park where even ordinary pop-ups can drift into the bleachers. Colorado earned its first National League pennant in 2007. CEO Charlie Monfort and his brother Dick have controlled the team since 2005. FOX Sports Net also owns a 14% interest in the franchise, as does brewer Molson Coors.

BridgeStreet Worldwide bridges the gap between business trips and home. The company provides corporate housing -- serviced apartments for guests requiring short-term temporary housing or fully-furnished extended stay accommodations. Its more than 15,000 corporate apartments, which are typically 700 square feet or larger, are located throughout the US and nearly 50 countries internationally. BridgeStreet targets individuals, corporations, families, and government travelers. The company is owned by Dublin-based privately-held investment group Sorrento Asset Management, which purchased BridgeStreet Worldwide from previous owner Interstate Hotels & Resorts for more than $40 million in 2007.

Kinseth Hospitality began in 1963 when Ken & Cyrena Kinseth bought the Cliff House, a small hotel located in Decorah, Iowa. With a lot of hard work and support from their children, (Les, Linda, Bruce and Gary) they expanded the property into a thriving 120-room hotel and restaurant. After selling the Cliff House in 1977 the Kinseth family bought a Best Western in Council Bluffs, Iowa and then another in Clear Lake. They gained considerable experience in all areas of the hotel and restaurant industry. The four siblings set out to expand the organization their parents had founded.

Noble Investment Group was founded in 1979 by former chairman Dr. Bharat Shah. (Shah retired in 2005.) Noble Investment Group holds its head high when walking through a hotel lobby. Noble Investment Group company owns or manages more than 30 upscale hotels under the Starwood, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott brands. Another sector of the Noble operation is its development arm, Noble Development Group, which develops hotels, convention centers, conference centers, and resorts; it also acquires existing hotel properties. In addition, the firm manages several golf courses and restaurants.

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