From the days of colonial Plymouth on up through 2004, when the Red Sox clinched the World Series, Massachusetts has always been a place that inspired a tremendous amount of passion and pride within its residents. Whether it’s Boston, regularly dubbed "America’s Favorite City," the idyllic strands of coastline and islands that make up Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, or the bucolic mystique of the inland Berkshires, it doesn’t take long for visitors to understand where these strong feelings originate.
For such a relatively small state, it is blessed geographically. The vast nature of the coastline endows it with a considerable amount of sea and bay access, while the west is blanketed in forest and rises gradually up into the picturesque Berkshire range. And much of the state—particularly Boston—is so enriched in American history that it is a virtual outdoor museum.
Massachusetts is a wealthy place, and planners can expect to find a premier level of accommodations, dining, services and staff no matter where they go. Combine this with a fascinating history, beautiful natural settings and nearly limitless outdoor recreation, and you have all the right elements for ideal and stress-free meetings.
Greater Boston
Even New York Yankees fans visiting Boston have to admit there is something special about this New England city. While many visitors are originally drawn here for the fascinating colonial history and its role in the birth of the U.S., they come away almost more impressed by how much personality the city has, how livable it is, and how hard it is to leave.
"Our history and culture definitely help us attract meetings," says Beth Stehley, vice president of sales and convention services for the Greater Boston CVB. "Yet Boston is so diverse in its offerings to the meeting attendees that it meets the needs of many. World-class museums and some of the best chefs and dining in the United States all help contribute to the success of our destination."
It’s important to remember that the various city districts are distinct in personality, and each brings a different flavor to group outings and events. Back Bay is known for its upscale boutique shops and fine dining, as well as being home to the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. Downtown is where much of the tourist attractions are found, with sites like the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Boston Common, as well as several excellent hotels and restaurants. Beacon Hill is a must-see, with real gas-lit street lanterns, original brickwork and Federal-style houses. North End is another popular destination, known for its Italian demographic and excellent restaurants. The Irish, on the other hand, are more typically found in South Boston, home of the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center.
Of course, Boston would not exude its unique energy without the more than 100 colleges and universities, making it the ultimate college town. Two of the most important on this list, Harvard and MIT, are located just across the Charles River, technically in the city of Cambridge. The two campuses, each with excellent museums and beautiful grounds, help make Cambridge a beautiful and inspiring destination for groups, and the city hosts a number of hotels with meeting space. Diana Schoenberg, marketing and operations manager of the International Ultraviolet Association, booked a five-day event in May at one of these hotels, the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, for an event that drew 320 attendees.
"Boston as a central location made it very convenient to tour the sites, swing back through the airport for those heading out directly at the conclusion of the tour, and then return to the hotel for those staying on longer after our event to explore all that Boston has to offer," Schoenberg says.
When it came to after-hours recreation, the city had no problem keeping her attendees entertained.
"Guests raved about their excursions on Duck Tours, the Museum of Science, the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, great dining and more," she says. "As a meeting planner, I couldn’t have been happier."
As far as hosting meetings and conventions, Boston has an impressive range of venues. Among the biggies are the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, with 516,000 square feet of exhibit space and 84 meeting rooms; the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, with a 24,000-square-foot ballroom and 41 meeting rooms; and the Seaport World Trade Center, with a 118,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 200,000 square feet of meeting space and a 396-seat amphitheatre.
When it comes to hotels, there are a host of quaint boutique and luxury properties ideal for small upscale groups, such as The Langham Boston and Taj Boston, while larger groups are in good hands at properties like the 793-room Westin Boston Waterfront, connected to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, or the 471-room Boston Renaissance Waterfront Hotel.
Recently joining the collection are the 114-room Ames Hotel by Morgan Hotel Group and the 234-room W Boston Theatre District Hotel. The 150-room Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel on Boston’s waterfront and 148-room Mandarin Oriental in the Back Bay are each just over a year old. The 30-room Hotel Veritas, a new $10 million independent upscale property in Cambridge, is planning an April opening.
Existing properties are also significantly enhancing their offerings. The Hyatt Regency Boston is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation that will include upgrades to the lower lobby meeting rooms, third-floor function rooms, all public areas and the front desk. Meanwhile, Boston Marriott Copley Place, Sheraton Boston Hotel, Millennium Bostonian Hotel and The Colonnade Boston Hotel are among the other properties that recently finished extensive renovation projects.
In other big news, the New Rose Kennedy Greenway, formerly known as the "Big Dig," is finally completed, offering 15 acres of manicured parks. Additionally, the new 44-mile Boston HarborWalk is also finished.
North of Boston
With 34 small towns and cities sprinkled between Boston and the state’s northern border with New Hampshire, the North of Boston area presents a more tranquil—and more affordable—alternative to Boston proper. Yet with 3,500 guest rooms, plenty of coastline and easy access to Logan International Airport, it can also surprise planners with how much it has to offer.
The town of Salem, famous for its days as the witch trial capital, makes for a fascinating visit, while boating enthusiasts will delight in Marblehead, the "Yachting Capital of the World."
With seemingly endless bed-and-breakfast properties, family-owned restaurants and boutique shops, not to mention small and midsize conference centers, the area is ideal for groups looking for a more intimate experience.
Sheraton Colonial Boston North Hotel & Conference Center in Wakefield and the IACC-certified Wylie Inn & Conference Center in Beverly are meetings favorites.
On top of this, there are numerous unique venues, such as a 1768 Georgian mansion, classic schooner charters, the oldest museum in the country or a chartered yacht setting out from the country’s oldest seaport.
Northwest of Boston, additional options are available in the Merrimack Valley, featuring historic sites, culturally rich communities and 230,000 square feet of meeting space at a variety of properties.
Cape Cod and the Islands
From corporate retreats to artist retreats to presidential retreats, Massachusetts’ ornate extension into the Atlantic Ocean is all about getting away from it all. A satellite view of the Cape Cod peninsula makes it seem like the land itself is trying to "get away from it all," but the result is more than fantastic. Much like the Florida Keys, Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are epicenters for easy living, and treating your group to even a day trip here could bring out the most inspired of meetings.
Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises are experts in corporate events, offering everything from group clambake cruises, barbeque cruises and fully catered corporate meetings to sunset cruises and whale-watching excursions. For landlubbers, the Cape is also famous for its many historic inns, such as the turn-of-the-century Chatham Bars Inn or the oceanfront Lighthouse Inn. For larger groups, the Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space with 15 recently renovated meetings rooms, an 18-hole golf course and 232 guest rooms.
Out on Nantucket, the Nantucket Island
Resorts collection offers several distinguished venues that work well for groups, including The Wauwinet (a Relais and Chateaux property), the historic 1845 Jared Coffin House and the landmark White Elephant. The collection also includes some of the best dining in New England.
If presidents regularly head to Martha’s Vineyard for a little R&R, the island must be doing something right. Several stunning resorts and inns, such as Winnetu Oceanside Resort, Island Inn and Harbor View Hotel & Resort, have hosted premier corporate groups and demanding celebrities for decades, so you can be sure your group will be treated quite well.
Worcester
The state’s second-largest city, Worcester is only 40 minutes from Boston, making in an attractive place to live for both city commuters and those craving big-city access from time to time. As a result, Worcester and surrounding Central Massachusetts offer a considerable amount of cultural appeal, with numerous performing arts venues and museums. Additionally, nearby rolling hills, forests and multiple lakes promise easy access to nature and outdoor recreation.
For large events, the DCU Center offers nearly 60,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space, two ballrooms and a 14,800-seat arena. The center began a multiyear improvement project last year, which will include upgraded suites and club seats, and renovated restrooms, concession areas and facility accessibility.
A few of the major meetings hotels include the new Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg; CoCo Key Water Resort and Trade Center, with 245 guest rooms and 73,000 square feet of meeting space; the 431-room Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center Marlborough, with nearly 70,000 square feet of meeting space; and the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center, with 223 rooms and 35,000 square feet of meeting space.
Springfield/Pioneer Valley
While tucked even farther into inland Massachusetts, Springfield is extremely accessible, with Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport just 20 minutes away and sitting at the intersection of major interstates 90 and 91.
As the first of many Springfields that the U.S. would eventually see, this one claims quite a few other notables, such as being the birthplace of basketball, Dr. Seuss, Campfire Girls and the first publication of Emily Dickinson poems.
Opportunities for amusement in the Pioneer Valley are numerous. While Springfield proper provides all the hotels, dining and nightlife of a large city, such lively college towns as Northampton and Amherst—not to mention several traditional New England towns and historic villages—provide endless options for unique day trips.
Adding to Springfield’s impressive list of cultural institutions, The Museum of Springfield History opened in October, paying particular attention to the city’s major contributions to the manufacturing and automotive industries.
For large meetings, the new MassMutual Center offers a 40,000-square-foot exhibition hall and 15,000-square-foot ballroom. Nearby, the Marriott Springfield and Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel support the center with nearly 600 guest rooms combined.
Significant renovations are currently under way at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. All public spaces, guest hallways, and preregistration and exhibit spaces have already been upgraded, and the hotel is currently renovating all of its guest rooms.
The Hampton Inn Springfield/South Enfield is the newest hotel in town, with 108 guest rooms and 957 square feet of meeting space.
The Berkshires
As Boston is considered one of the most intelligent cities in the world, it makes sense that the state’s backyard getaway would have an equally prestigious reputation. Nearly as close to New York City as it is to Boston, it’s no surprise that literary and artistic heavyweights have long retreated to the idyllic rural setting of the Berkshires for solitude and reflection. Inspiring the likes of Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, this magical environment can likewise do wonders for meetings.
Aside from peace and quiet, however, the Berkshires is renowned for its concentration of stellar visual and performing arts. Museums include the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and the Williams College Museum of Art. For performing arts, there is the Tanglewood Music Center (summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Shakespeare & Company in Lenox and America’s first and longest-running dance festival, Jacob’s Pillow.
Outdoor recreation is another major draw, and groups can look forward to everything from winter skiing to summertime white-water rafting and mountain biking. For more leisurely pursuits, premier golf courses and peaceful fishing holes abound.
The Berkshires offers a number of truly unique properties, all with gorgeous settings. A few that work well with larger groups are the 114-room Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club and the 200-room Canyon Ranch, both in the town of Lenox. In Great Barrington, the 80-room Comfort Inn & Suites just finished significant renovations.
—Hunter Holcombe is a freelance writer who covers leisure travel and the meetings, conventions and incentives industry.
