As the Red Sox embark on what Bostonians expect will be another championship season, officials at CVBs from the hills of the Berkshires to the shores of Cape Cod hope that the team’s success will rub off on meeting and convention business across the state. History, culture, sports, and recreation combined with top-quality venues for groups make Massachusetts a preferred destination for planners, and the performance of the meetings and conventions market is key to making 2008 a successful year.
Boston/Cambridge
A strong second half of 2007 propelled the Boston/Cambridge market into its fourth consecutive year of record growth, notes Pat Moscaritolo, president and CEO of the Greater Boston CVB.
“Expansion of convention business coupled with a stronger than expected increase in corporate and incentive meetings were key drivers behind our success,” Moscaritolo says.
The average room rate in 2007 was a record $209, compared to $194 in 2006, while room nights sold soared to a record 5.9 million, up from 5.6 million in 2006.
Boston’s overall appeal stems from the role it played in shaping American history that is unique among all other cities. Visitors from across the nation and around the world come to see places where the American Revolution began, from Paul Revere’s House to the Boston Tea Party Ship to the Old North Church. Boston’s No. 1 attraction, The Freedom Trail, is a walking tour through historic Boston encompassing 16 of the most treasured sites in U.S history.
“America’s Walking City” is especially appealing to planners since there are 13 major hotels located within walking distance of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. Following a complete refurbishment, the center looks better than ever, with more than 300,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.
Enhancing its stature as a destination is the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), a 516,000-square-foot meeting and exhibition facility located in the city’s South Boston Waterfront district that has been booked to capacity since opening in 2004. In addition to being ideally located, it is also connected to more than 3,100 hotel rooms and two upscale malls.
Boston’s third major facility is the Seaport World Trade Center on the waterfront, with 118,000 square feet of function space and a 400-square-foot amphitheater.
Situated across the Charles River from Boston, Cambridge is the birthplace of higher education in America and home to world-renowned Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Industries associated with healthcare, biotech and biomedical research attract a substantial number of meetings and conferences every year, and the city is well equipped to handle the meetings market with the largest hotel inventory in New England outside of Boston.
In order to meet the growing demand for hotel space, the Boston area is expanding its property lineup, according to Moscaritolo.
“There will be five new properties with more than 1,100 rooms coming online to serve the Boston/Cambridge market over the next two years,” Moscaritolo says.
The latest newcomer, which opened in February, is the 471-room Boston Renaissance Waterfront Hotel, situated one block from the BCEC and across the harbor from Logan International Airport. Other major meetings-ready properties that have recently come on-line include the Westin Boston Waterfront, attached to the BCEC, and the InterContinental Boston, both of which opened in 2006.
Upcoming debuts include the 150-room luxury Regent Hotel at Battery Wharf, which will open in April with an 18,000-square-foot spa, an 80-seat restaurant and bar, and a Coast Guard museum. The 149-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay, situated adjacent to the Prudential Center, will be unveiled in June, while the 235-room, $200 million W Boston Theater District, located next to the Shubert Theatre, is scheduled to open in May 2009.
North of Boston
While much of its appeal is due to its proximity to Boston, this scenic, historic region made up of 34 cities and towns does very well compared with other regions in the state.
“North of Boston is easily accessible by train, ferry and automobile, and our proximity to Logan International Airport is ideal for groups visiting the area,” says Susan Middleton Campbell, convention sales manager for the North of Boston CVB.
Campbell says 2008 looks very promising for the region’s meetings market due to the overflow demand for space at the BCEC and Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston that has spilled over into the area.
“We also offer a reasonably priced range of accommodations in contrast to the ever-increasing hotel rates in downtown Boston, and our properties do very well with association, SMERF and local corporate markets as well as with international visitors,” Campbell notes.
Programs can be customized to suit the needs and requirements of groups, she adds, with museums and historic homes, for example, capable of hosting off-site events.
Among the region’s many properties catering to groups are the IACC-certified Richard E. Wylie Conference and Education Center in Beverly, with 22,000 square feet of function space; the Essex Conference Center and Retreat in Cape Ann; the Sheraton Ferncroft Conference Resort in Danvers, with 30,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,000-square-foot ballroom; and the Sheraton Colonial Hotel and Golf Club in Wakefield, with 26,000 square feet of meeting space.
Roughly 30 minutes northwest of Boston, the Greater Merrimack Valley is another inviting, meetings-ready region with 4,000 hotel rooms and more than 230,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
Cape Cod and the Islands
Fringed by 300 miles of beaches, Cape Cod has been a resort destination since the earliest days of the automobile. Known for its oceanfront properties and historic inns, it offers a refreshing alternative to typical cookie-cutter properties and aims to provide planners with a customized experience tailored to the interests of attendees.
“Projections for meetings are strong for 2008 and short-term booking windows are still very much the trend here,” says Patti Lloyd, vice president of sales for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
A few properties on Cape Cod are particularly well suited to meetings. The 266-room Seacrest Oceanfront Resort and Conference Center in Falmouth features the largest group facilities on the Cape, with over 30,000 square feet of function space. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, the 258-room Cape Codder Resort and Spa in Hyannis upgraded its 16,000 square feet of meeting space. The Ballymeade Country Club in Falmouth is a high-end property where attendees are treated like members of a private club.
Meanwhile, golf is a major draw for corporate groups, with 29 golf courses situated between the towns of Truro and Sandwich.
History comes alive on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, which offer attendees secluded getaways far removed from the hectic distractions of the day-to-day business world. Situated off the coast of Cape Cod, both islands were important whaling centers dating from the early 19th century, and nowadays are two of the premier vacation spots in New England.
A favorite for groups on Martha’s Vineyard is the 130-room Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown, with 4,700 square feet of meeting space, while the 100-room Nantucket Inn offers 4,000 square feet of function space.
Worcester
With links to the Revolutionary War, historic Worcester, the second-largest city in New England, is also one of America’s original “green” cities, home to the first public park in the nation and built around 1,200 acres of public parklands.
Worcester is a favorite for midsize gatherings due to its array of lodging establishments at all price points, along with trendy new restaurants, world-class museums and an abundance of outdoor recreational activities.
“We are in the midst of a huge downtown transformation, with over $1.6 billion being invested in the city,” says Donna McCabe, president of the Central Massachusetts CVB. “New products such as the Hanover Theatre for Performing Arts, a magnificent theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places, complemented by our state-of-the-art DCU Convention Center, have enhanced our status as the No. 1 meetings destination in Central Massachusetts.”
Worcester is currently promoting the accessibility of its many amenities and services with the slogan “So Much So Close,” since it is only 40 miles from Providence and Boston and 65 miles from Hartford.
The DCU Center, which contains 100,000-plus square feet of exhibit and arena space, is conveniently located in downtown Worcester across the street from the Crowne Plaza and Hilton hotels.
Two other quality properties in the vicinity are the 431-room Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center in Marlboro, with 47,500 square feet of exhibit space and 22,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Sturbridge Host Hotel Conference Center, with 32,000 square feet of meeting space, 18 meeting rooms and three restaurants.
Meanwhile, the latest news concerns the 245-room Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center in Fitchburg, which was recently reflagged a Courtyard by Marriott. The property features 60,000 square feet of function space.
Springfield/Pioneer Valley
Established as a trading post on the Connecticut River in 1636, Springfield evolved into a major commercial hub by the 18th century. It played a prominent role in the development of the automobile industry, as the Duryea Motor Wagon Company was among the first motorcar companies in the U.S.
Nowadays, Springfield is the gateway to the Pioneer Valley, where picture-postcard towns are set amid parks, forests, lakes, and rivers.
Affordability is a key selling point for Springfield, which offers big-city amenities minus big-city hassles.
“We offer a reasonably priced option for trade shows and conventions, and planners who book our convention package can take advantage of the user-friendly environment and attentive service of the MassMutual Center (MMC),” says Todd Greenwood, vice president of sales and marketing for the Greater Springfield CVB.
Since opening in December 2005, the MMC has steadily increased attendance at meetings and conventions with its 40,000-square-foot exhibition hall, 15,000-square-foot ballroom, 9,000 square feet of meeting space, and 6,667-seat arena.
Both the Sheraton Springfield and the Springfield Marriott are connected to the MMC via skywalk and offer a combined total of 590 guest rooms and nearly 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
There are 1,000 hotel rooms in downtown Springfield within walking distance of the MMC and another 6,800 in the Pioneer Valley, and several valley properties host small to midsize groups.
Larger consumer trade shows and events book space in the 334,000-square-foot Eastern States Exposition, located on 175 acres in West Springfield.
The Berkshires
The picturesque section of Western Massachusetts that is bordered by the foothills of the Taconic and Hoosic ranges is one of the most sought-after resort areas in New England. Natural beauty combined with a wealth of cultural attractions and recreational pursuits make the Berkshires an appealing year-round destination for small conferences, meetings and executive retreats.
“The Berkshires meetings market has grown substantially in recent years since expansion of the meetings industry became a high priority for us,” says Roy Smith, acting CEO of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau. “We now have a new tagline, ‘Nature, Culture, Harmony,’ and an ever-increasing number of our cultural venues are catering to a variety of groups.”
Among the region’s top properties with meeting facilities is Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club in Lenox, which can accommodate conferences of up to 250 attendees and features a championship golf course and a 35,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.
For More Info
Berkshire Visitors BureauCOC 413.743.4500
www.berkshires.org
Cambridge Office for Tourism 617.441.2884
www.cambridge-usa.org
Cape Cod COC 508.362.3968
www.capecodchamber.org
Central Massachusetts CVB 508.755.7400
www.worcester.org
Greater Boston CVB 978.459.6150
www.merrimackvalley.org
Greater Merrimack Valley CVB 262.728.5095
www.delavanwi.org
Greater Springfield CVB 413.787.1548
www.valleyvisitor.com
Martha’s Vineyard COC 508.693.0085
www.mvy.com
Nantucket Island COC 508.228.3643
www.nantucketchamber.org
North of Boston CVB 978.977.7760
www.northofboston.org
