exclusive Harvard Club and the Harvard Medical School Conference Centre. At the Community Rowing Boathouse on the Charles River, events can be preceded by team-building crewing lessons on the water. Private whale-watching trips can be
arranged in season, taking advantage of the migration hotspots rich in excellent sightings of humpback, finback and minke whales.
MEETINGS FRIENDLY Another boost to business here, says the GBCVB, is that it’s switched on to making buying meetings here as streamlined as possible. The bureau has more than 1,200 members and Moscaritolo says it helps planners with complimentary requests for proposals (RFPs) which it can distribute online for all aspects of an event. It can also help with site inspections, promotions to generate attendance and destination collateral for delegates. Another factor is geographical
location. It’s one of the shorter transatlantic routes from Europe, with eight flights a day from London. It’s also a short hop to New York, with flights on average every hour, plus there’s the option of Amtrak’s
business-class Acela Express train service – 3 hours 20 minutes compared to around 45 minutes flying, but without the attendant airport hassles and transfers. Bottomley says: “Grass Roots’ finds a number of US-based financial and professional services clients choose Boston for events, as it’s an easy destination, especially in terms of access – great air lift and train access.” He adds that room prices average 10-15 per cent cheaper than New York at most times. However, all this is not to say Boston has been exempt from the effects of the economic strain – the GBCVB says it is seeing meetings booking shorter, both in lead time and length of stay. But it claims that the destination’s strategic advantages mean those that do book “experience record-breaking attendance levels”.
DEFYING CONVENTIONS The Greater Boston area has more than 150 hotels and 30,000 guest rooms and, as you’d expect, all the major brands are represented, plus some well-regarded independent properties. However, Grass Roots’ Bottomley warns: “Annual graduation ceremonies for Boston and Harvard
Universities take place during mid- to end-of-May, when hotel availability is limited and room rates can be high. Also, a number of annual city-wide conventions take place throughout the year, so it’s worth checking this when enquiring about dates.” Moscaritolo cites the city’s compact size as an advantage to bookers. “A comment we hear often is how accessible the city is, and how easy it is to get around,” he says. “You can put all of Boston proper in New York’s Central Park – that puts the size in perspective. It’s easy to walk from end to end in a little over an hour.” Bottomley agrees: “It’s a safe, walkable city, so it’s easy to manage a programme in Boston, with short transfers from the airport. When delegates have free time, they can easily get around by foot and find great restaurants and bars themselves.” And, of course, a few minutes from the city centre, just over the Charles River in Cambridge, is America’s oldest university, Harvard. It is the most famous of more than 60 universities and colleges in the area, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The wealth of educational and medical institutions has led to another sobriquet – the ‘Athens of America’ – and is both a source of venues for bookers and MICE business for the local economy. GBCVB says education, medical and biotechnology are key sectors for meetings, with finance another major client. In the 1770s Boston fired the first shots that “were heard around the world” and sparked the American Revolution. However, the message seems to be that attitudes towards the British have mellowed in the ensuing centuries and, now, MICE buyers, at least, are definitely welcome back. ■