From the downtown core to the outlying neighbourhoods, visitors find that Boston is a city of intriguing diversity. With a mixture of colonial charm and urban sophistication, the city is rich in history, as well as great dining and nightlife, extraordinary shopping, championship, professional and college sports teams, and a vibrant arts and cultural community, making it a dynamic meeting and convention destination.
Well connected
Several factors make it such a great destination for international meetings and events. The first is the ease of access into and around Boston. Logan International Airport is served by major domestic and international carriers and currently offers domestic service to 79 destinations and international service to 36 destinations. More than 1,500 flights a day arrive at and depart from the airport, and Boston continues to be the shortest non-stop flight from Europe into the US. Logan International Airport is just three miles from the city and has now completed its $4bn modernisation project, including new terminals, new roadways, and a new harbour tunnel connecting the airport to the city centre.
Once in the city, delegates find that Boston has excellent access to air, rail, and bus connections. Its two convention centres feature the fastest airport links in the country.
Boston is known as ‘America’s walking city’, but when you can’t get around by foot, the city is easily accessible by the ‘T’ − Boston’s public transportation system. What’s more, planners and delegates find that Boston is a very safe city to move around in.
Knowledge and nourishment
Boston is also a world centre for education, technology and life sciences. Known also as the ‘Athens of America’, Boston’s medical and educational institutions have helped make it an international hub of intellectual activity. The metropolitan’s 35 hospitals and more than 60 colleges and universities can be a vast resource for your meeting or organisation. There is also access to world-renowned financial and biotech institutions located in the Greater Boston area.
Boston and Cambridge offer upscale, international, and eclectic options for the taste buds, and each unique neighbourhood is home to a whole different dining scene. Great new restaurants join the mix on a regular basis, keeping things fresh and cutting-edge. The area also boasts a variety of hotels to suit the needs of any group – from five-star boutique lodges and independently owned properties, to all of the major domestic and international chains, Boston offers something for everyone.
Corporate vision and ethos
The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) strives to continually position Boston as a world-class destination for meeting planners, delegates and leisure visitors. By offering exceptional, award-winning customer service, the staff and community never fail to give clients and visitors inspiring and sustainable experiences.
The award-winning GBCVB makes it easier than ever for professionals to meet in the Greater Boston area. No one knows more about the region than staff at the GBCVB; from assisting with putting together requests for proposal (RFP) to sending them out through the online RFP system that distributes directly to hotels, attractions, transportation companies and over 1,200 GBCVB members, the GBCVB sales department ensure all of a planner’s needs are met. GBCVB staff can assist planners with: complimentary RFPs for all of your meeting needs; site inspection; attendance building promotions, including participating in your convention one year prior; destination collateral; housing services; and a concierge and restaurant services desk during your convention.
Leader in international meetings
The GBCVB has unveiled a five-year strategy to double the number of international visitors to Boston and Cambridge. In 2011, Boston welcomed an impressive 1.3 million overseas visitors – an 11 percent increase on 2010, according to the US Department of Commerce. Boston and Cambridge also hosted a record number of 44 international meetings in 2011, according to the International Congress and Convention Association.
In 2012, Boston was named Best Destination for MICE, North America by Business Destinations magazine and, most recently, the GBCVB was named Best Convention Bureau in North America in the Annual MICE Report Awards 2012. Boston is on track for another double-digit growth year with international visitation numbers up 12 percent year-on-year to September 2012.
“Our double-digit growth hasn’t happened by accident,” said Pat Moscaritolo, president of the GBCVB. “Six years ago, we formed a partnership with the Cambridge Office for Tourism, the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Massachusetts Lodging Association, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and Mayor Menino’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events, for the purpose of attracting more international meetings and visitors to the region. We also collaborated on marketing programmes with member hotels, attractions and venues. Clearly this effort has paid off for our destination.” Moscaritolo added that it is not enough for the hospitality community to work together: “While we have been successful in our collaborative efforts, we can not reach our goal of doubling international arrivals without increased airline service to the region and continued visa reform. Reforms and expansion of the visa waiver programme could represent 800,000 new overseas visitors and $1.5bn in new visitor spending for New England alone.”
Specific targeted initiatives have been customised for each market and new partners will be sought out to help create demand for the region in an effort to drive increased air service. Working collaboratively with existing partners, the GBCVB will incorporate marketing, public relations and direct sales efforts to double international visitor growth to the region. Strategic initiatives include: a new tradeshow booth and expansion of participation in major tradeshows such as IMEX, EIBTM, AIBTM and IMEX America; the creation of an international client advisory committee; in-market client events as well as the coordination of sales missions and other public relations activities, which serve to build awareness for Boston as a meetings and leisure destination.
Sustainable practice
The cities of Boston and Cambridge have invested millions of dollars in cross-sector conservation initiatives, involving massive energy efficiency implementation. The GBCVB are committed to sustainable practice and are able to promote the efforts of area hotels, restaurants and convention centres in making the region green.
Work is also being done with ‘T’ to promote the use of public transportation to and from events, as well as the commitment to providing digital and online resources for delegates and planners, thereby reducing printing costs. GBCVB now offers an iPhone app version of the Visitors’ Guide to Boston, allowing users to find great deals, search the event calendar and purchase tickets to attractions. Meeting attendees can search ‘what to do’ while they are in town, and quickly purchase advance tickets to many of Boston’s great tours, cruises, excursions, museums, the Red Sox and more. Delegates can purchase tickets on their mobile device and simply show the page for electronic entry to a number of attractions.
This American city has it all. Whether it’s great dining, world-class shopping, or the vibrant arts scene, it’s easy to see why Boston is the ideal place for any meeting or event.
For more information: email: spappas@bostonusa.com; Tel: 001-617-867-8222
