Boston Travel and Things to Do Guide

Boston meeting planning is growing at an amazing pace. In addition to its sheer tourist appeal, Boston is emerging as an attractive destination to meeting and event planners from not only within the city but outside it as well. The city is stepping up its offerings with new developments and upgraded amenities that create a first-class setting for event planning in Boston. Three key convention centers, including the largest in New England, offer a multitude of flexible space choices for Boston event planning professionals. Together, the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center and Seaport World Trade Center offer nearly one million square feet of meeting and exhibition space in addition to a variety of meeting rooms, ballrooms and auditoriums.Making Boston event planning even more appealing are the convenient accommodations abundant in Boston, as the Seaport World Trade Center itself is attached to the elegant 400-room Seaport Hotel, and the Hynes Convention Center is attached to three major Boston meeting hotels. Over 1,600 hotel rooms are within one-quarter mile of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Overall, Boston offers more than 30,000 rooms in the greater city area, including those at the lavish Mandarin Hotel, which opened in 2008 on the heels of the $165 million, 471-room Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, adding another great options for Boston meeting planning pros.In addition to new Boston event venues and lodging options, Boston has been seeing green - in more ways than one. Grow Boston Greener plans to plant 100,000 new trees in the city by 2020, while the Rose Kennedy Greenway continues to expand, bringing more than 900 trees, 14 new parks, public art and fountains to the city, plus the Boston Museum Project and New Center for Arts and Culture. The city is also undertaking various green initiatives, such as CleanAir Cab, an effort to put hybrid-electric or alternative-fuel cabs on the streets. Convention centers are jumping on the bandwagon as well, with the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center installing water-saving bathroom fixtures and placing recycling bins in each meeting room, among other like-minded adjustments.Taking advantage of this outdoor-friendly attitude within the bustling city is not a challenge. Invite up to 250 guests to dine within the ornate Venetian-style palace of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, whose over 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries and rare books surround a breathtaking indoor garden courtyard. Get outside on the water by chartering one of Charles Riverboat Tours' vessels, available for various events of up to 150 people, or explore the aquatic life from indoors at the always-popular New England Aquarium, which can accommodate up to 600 guests. Attendees are sure to enjoy a meeting set against the backdrop of the aquarium's Amazing Jellies Exhibit or the waterfront at the Harbor Terrace.Though it's certainly hard to tear away from the excitement of the city, Boston's New England setting puts it in an ideal spot for day getaways. Plan a whale-watching expedition in Cape Ann towns of Gloucester or Rockport, or explore the fine golf courses and first-class attractions such as Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II at Plymouth. Guests are sure to jump at the chance to stop by iconic New England destinations of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, while the Salem Witch Museum and Peabody Essex Museum offer opportunities for group tours and events in nearby Salem.In addition to being a center for arts and culture, Boston is a leader in high-tech industries. The city serves as the regional headquarters for several distinguished companies including Liberty Mutual, New Balance and Gillette. It is also home to many of America's top colleges and universities including Boston University, Simmons College, Boston College, Emerson College and Northeastern University.Whether you're new to Boston meeting planning or a seasoned professional, no one could deny this historic city as an amazing meeting destination. View the other pages in the Boston Destination Guide to learn more information about event and meeting planning in Boston.