Director, Convention and Continuing Education Operations
Massachusetts Dental Society
Southborough, Mass.
Describe your event
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Yankee Dental Congress is a regional convention held annually in Boston and is the fifth-largest dental convention in the U.S. With over 600 continuing education courses, a 100,000-square-foot trade show and special events featuring the likes of Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld and Sheryl Crow, Yankee attracts over 28,000 dental professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Why did you decide to host the meeting in Boston?
Massachusetts Dental Society, a constituent state society of the American Dental Association, had its annual meetings each spring in Boston. When the society started Yankee in 1976, Boston was the natural choice.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most?
Certainly not the weather! Our meeting is at the end of January, and we have seen ice storms, snow, rain, and below-zero temperatures. Yet our attendees return because Boston has become an exciting city with something for everyone, no matter what the weather. Our attendees love the food, the sights, the safety, the shopping, and the entertainment, all of which have contributed to the success of our meeting. Our attendees make coming to Yankee a mini-vacation, with the education and trade show during the day and the city at night.
Was anybody particularly helpful?
Boston is a friendly city. People in the shops, restaurants, and hotels tend to go out of their way to make our attendees feel welcome and comfortable in their city.
What were some of the challenges you experienced?
Parking in the Back Bay and traffic in general are always the major challenges, especially on weekdays. Due to our continued growth, we moved our 2008 meeting from the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center to the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and expect to eliminate our parking issues.
What other types of groups would fit well with the property?
For groups of about 25,000 or less, the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center alone or along with any of the three connecting hotels is ideal. The convenience of having nearly 3,000 sleeping rooms, two shopping areas, several restaurants, and a subway entrance all under one roof assure the visitor of perfect conditions no matter what time of year. Attendees wanting to venture out find that they are right in the heart of where it’s all happening!
Would you return?
We have—every year for 33 years!