Boston may be one of the most historic and traditional U.S. cities, but it’s also one of its most dynamic and progressive. The Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighborhoods, with their stately red brick townhouses and willow-draped green spaces, would still be recognizable to a visitor from the 19th century. But areas such as the fast-growing Seaport District—Boston’s main convention hub—would astonish anyone who hasn’t been to the city within the past decade.
Boston, along with Cambridge just across the Charles River, is a center of science and innovation, possibly boasting more prestigious colleges and universities per square mile than any other place on the planet. When its cultural and historical attractions—many of which offer inviting spaces for special events—are factored in, it’s little wonder that this relatively compact area is a powerhouse destination for meetings.
“We’re a magnet for meetings related to education, medical and life sciences, which are the kinds of industries that contribute to our local economy,” says Patrick Moscaritolo, president and CEO of the Greater Boston CVB. “The wealth of colleges and medical schools that we have here are huge resources for these meetings.”
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Ainsley Onstott, CMP, DMCP (MPI New England Chapter), director of event management for CSI Boston, a destination management company, has a similar observation, adding that group business is booming in the city.
“We’re known for healthcare, pharma and biotech, so we do a lot of conferences in those areas,” Onstott says. “In general, we’re seeing a lot of business on the books for 2019 and 2020. In particular, we’re seeing more incentive groups coming to Boston.”
While Boston’s popularity makes it one of the more expensive cities in the U.S., there are good values to be found, particularly during the first quarter and the month of August, according to Moscaritolo.
“During the first quarter of the year, we offer a lot of incentives for meetings, particularly smaller groups who don’t book that far out,” he says. “The hotels and the CVB have identified that time as one where we want to drive more business. August, while a good month for leisure travel, is another time when we have good availability for groups.”
Photo source: https://www.signatureboston.com/bcec
Boston’s meeting facilities can handle a wide range of requirements. Its major venues are the 1.3 million-square-foot Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), with 516,000 square feet of continuous exhibit space and 82 meeting rooms; the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, with 175,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 25,000-square-foot ballroom and a 4,000-seat auditorium; and the Seaport World Trade Center, featuring a 118,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 200,000 square feet of meeting space and a 396-seat amphitheater.
Located in the Seaport District, the BCEC is the nucleus of a fast-developing area with some of the city’s hottest new restaurants, visitor attractions and other commercial ventures. The district’s Liberty Wharf is a waterfront dining complex with several group-friendly restaurants, including Legal Harborside, part of the popular Legal Sea Foods chain; Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House; Temazcal Tequila Cantina; and Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill, named for Red Sox legend Tony Conigliaro.
Hotels near the convention center include the Westin Boston Waterfront—which is attached to the facility—Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, Seaport Hotel and InterContinental Boston.
“Now there is really a ‘there, there’ to the Seaport District,” Moscaritolo says. “There’s plenty to do outside the convention center, including great new restaurants that have been standing-room-only since the day they opened. But as much buzz as there is happening about the Seaport District now, its best days are still ahead.”
Among major developments under construction is the 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, which is set to open in early 2021 with 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including the city’s largest hotel ballroom, and direct access to the convention center.
“This is a very exciting development that will lessen the need to bus groups into the convention center from hotels elsewhere in the city,” Onstott says.
The new Omni is only part of a massive hotel building boom in Boston in which more than 35 new properties with more than 5,000 guest rooms are expected to open over the next few years.
Construction is under way on Encore Boston Harbor, a luxury gaming resort scheduled for completion in mid-2019 with 671 guest rooms, 13 restaurants and lounges, 50,000 square feet of meeting space and an outdoor events area with a scenic harborwalk. A year-round water taxi system will connect the property with Logan International Airport and points across Boston Harbor.
Among other properties expected to open later this year are a 163-room Hyatt Centric slated for downtown, 159-room Cambria Hotel in South Boston, 211-room Four Seasons Hotel in a downtown mixed-use tower and 340-room Marriott Moxy Hotel in the Theater District. Also in the works are the Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel and Residences set for 2021 and a 294-room Hyatt Place set for 2020.
Recently opened properties include the 205-room AC by Marriott Boston, 220-room Courtyard Boston North Station, 164-room Revolution Hotel and The Row, a 158-room Autograph Collection by Marriott hotel.
Boston’s hotel scene is also experiencing major renovation projects, including a recently completed $100 million redo of the iconic Boston Park Plaza. The Langham Boston, which is located in an elegant former Federal Reserve Bank building, is scheduled to begin a property-wide renovation in April that will close the property down for a year. Expansion plans were recently approved for the Doubletree Boston Hotel, which will include 86 new guest rooms and additional meeting facilities.
Nights at the Museum
Looking for a Boston event venue that provides a truly inspirational setting without the need for further embellishment? The region’s stellar array of art museums and historic attractions, among the richest and most varied assortment to be found anywhere, provide endless possibilities, whether it’s a gala reception in a stunning waterfront atrium or an intimate gathering in a sculpture garden.
“Cultural and historical tourism is a huge part of what we’re all about,” Moscaritolo says. “Recent museum expansions are strengthening this, while also bringing new options for meetings.”
Located near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is a glass-walled, cantilevered building that is as dramatic and imposing as the art collection inside. Its spacious waterfront plaza and sweeping harbor views make it ideal for creative events that take full advantage of its spectacular setting, according to Lindsay Goneau, general manager of PRA New England, a destination management company.
“People are always looking for a great venue within walking distance of the convention center and the ICA really answers this,” she says. “We’ve done New England clambakes there and Taste of Boston events with mini lobster rolls. We’ve tugged a barge out into the harbor and done fireworks shows.”
Event spaces at the museum include a plaza that can be tented, a spacious lobby with harbor views and large-scale works by contemporary artists and a 325-seat theater equipped for product introductions, awards presentations and other special events.
One of Boston’s most unique and important museums for more than 100 years, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses a stunning European art collection in a mansion designed to resemble a 15th-century Venetian palace. A few years ago, it added a stunning Renzo Piano-designed wing offering such event spaces as a 300-seat, cube-shaped performance hall. Historic areas include The Cloisters, an enclosed courtyard filled with flowers and fountains that can host receptions for up to 225. Groups of up to 425 can rent the entire museum.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, one of the nation’s premier art museums, is also a stellar venue for events, according to Onstott. Event spaces include the museum rotunda, decorated by John Singer Sargent in 1917, a glass-enclosed courtyard and the flexible Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art.
“It’s available for buyouts in the evening, which gives guests exclusive access to exhibits that they wouldn’t get during the day,” Onstott says.
Another of her favorite venues is the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum, which is located on Dorchester Bay, not far from the Seaport District convention center. The inspiring waterfront structure is filled with objects from Kennedy’s life, including the tattered flag from PT-109, his famous rocking chair and a replica of his desk in the Oval Office with the same objects on it that were there when he left for Dallas. There are exhibits on the space program and the Peace Corps and videos of press conferences where Kennedy banters with reporters, handling their questions with ease.
The library’s stunning Museum Pavilion, with its sweeping views of Boston Harbor, accommodates receptions for up to 500. Other spaces include the Library Grounds and Harborside Plaza, a spectacular summer setting for New England clambakes and other gatherings.
North of Boston in Salem, the Peabody Essex Museum offers an architectural collection of historic buildings, including an 18th-century Chinese merchants house and galleries devoted to American, Asian, African, Oceanic, Native American and maritime art. The museum is set to complete a major expansion later this year that will provide additional space for its massive collection of 1.8 million artistic and historic objects. Its main event space is an atrium with a three-story glass ceiling and curved wall.
“We can bring in a curator or docents for tours and can also arrange for entertainment that complements special exhibitions,” says Natalia Laskaris, manager of private functions and rentals.
