Boston Shines Bright during PCMA Convening Leaders

Transcription

1 News From The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Spring 2014 Boston Shines Bright during PCMA Convening Leaders With a theme of [R]evolution, PCMA Convening Leaders opening session showcased Boston s continued place in the evolution of our nation and the meetings industry.

2 BOSTON SHINES BRIGHT DURING PCMA CONVENING LEADERS What if 4,000 past and potential clients showed up at your front door and expected to see just how good you are at your job? For Boston s hospitality industry, this scenario became a reality when the Professional Convention Management Association s (PCMA) Convening Leaders 2014 annual event descended on Boston and the Hynes Convention Center in January. Over 4,000 of the world s most influential meeting planners attended this year s event a record-breaker for Convening Leaders. Boston s entire hospitality community from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau to Massport spent the past year working with PCMA to plan this spectacular event that would showcase Boston as a leading destination for meetings and conventions. This was a home game for Boston, and the whole team came together to knock it out of the park, said James E. Rooney, the MCCA s Executive Director. We were especially proud to feature Governor Patrick and newly elected Mayor Walsh as keynote speakers at the Hynes. It shows how invested Massachusetts is in the success of our state s hospitality industry. Using the event s theme of [R]evolution, Convening Leaders attendees were immersed in Boston culture from the minute they landed at Logan Airport. The opening reception featured an Olympic-sized skating rink at the BCEC and performances from the Skating Club of Boston, the Boston Children s Chorus and local dance company Phunk Phenomenon. Levy Restaurants, the MCCA s food and beverage partner, designed creative menus that showcased fresh New England cuisine. And staff from the convention center to The Shops at the Prudential Center wore welcome pins and red scarves emblazoned with the 2014 Convening Leaders logo. The event left its own impression on Boston, giving back in a big way. Over 150 attendees participated in a morning of community service at local nonprofit Cradles to Crayons, helping sort and distribute donations in their Brighton Giving Factory, and presenting the organization with a donation of $12,000. Proceeds from PCMA s annual Party with a Purpose event went to College Bound Dorchester, resulting in a $25,000 donation. And, with support from the Boylston Street Walgreens, the event collected over 1,700 new pairs of underwear and socks through their Underwearness campaign, to be donated to Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Convening Leaders created a buzz of activity across the city, Rooney said. And the impact will last far beyond the three-day event. After such a successful event, we re confident planners will be calling to book their own events here in the near future.

3 In June, we will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the BCEC. When we built this building, we knew we would be successful, but didn t realize just how successful in such a short amount of time. And this year is the perfect time to celebrate that success we re on track to break two major records in 2014, hosting events generating more hotel room nights and more economic impact than ever before in the city s history. In just 10 years, Boston has arrived as a premiere convention destination, and this reputation brings tremendous economic benefits to the Commonwealth. In 2014, we re expecting meetings and conventions to create upwards of $680 million in economic impact for our region. While we celebrate our achievements, we re still working hard to stay on top of industry trends and continuing to invest in initiatives that keep Boston ahead of the curve when it comes to hosting meetings. In this edition of Front & Center, you ll read about our new Strategy & Product Development team, as well as our groundbreaking Venue Products program, designed to make planning meetings in Boston a seamless experience. You ll also read about our steady progress with our Top 5 Initiative. In October, we filed legislation that would authorize the expansion of the BCEC, without the need for new fees or taxes. And in December, we broke ground on two new mid-priced hotels located on D Street, just across the street from the BCEC. All in all, 2014 promises to be an exciting year for the Authority and for Boston s hospitality industry. And in the next decade to come, we re looking forward to breaking even more records and continuing to share in those successes with you our clients, visitors, partners and neighbors.

4 Ceremony Kicks off MCCA s Broad New D Street Hotels are shovel ready after a December groundbreaking that featured speakers including Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and former Mayor Thomas M. Menino. On a brisk December morning, the MCCA, CV Properties, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Boston elected officials including State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and former Mayor Thomas M. Menino, gathered on D Street to celebrate the groundbreaking of two new hotels in the South Boston Waterfront. The ceremony took place across from the BCEC, under a large white tent situated on the future site of the 330-room Aloft Hotel and the 180-room extended stay Element Hotel. The groundbreaking marked a giant step forward in the MCCA s overall Top 5 campaign to make Boston a Top 5 destination for meetings and conventions. Hotel development is a major component of the plan which also involves a future BCEC expansion. These hotels will provide much-needed mid-priced hotel rooms not only to the South Boston Waterfront, but to Boston overall, said James E. Rooney, the MCCA s Executive Director. More diverse hotel inventory makes Boston a more desirable destination for event planners and tourists alike. Expected to open in 2015, these two hotels will bring tremendous benefits to Boston residents. Expected to create 370 construction jobs and 175 permanent jobs, the hotels are also expected to generate more than $5 million annually in taxes. In addition, the MCCA engaged a community-based Design Advisory Committee and the Boston Redevelopment Authority during the design-phase of the hotels to include a larger-scale urban design initiative that will transform D Street into a distinctive corridor that connects South Boston to the Waterfront. And when the hotels are open, developer CV Properties and operator Starwood Hotels will work together with the University of Massachusetts Boston to provide scholarships and hands-on internships to local college students enrolled in hospitality programs, making this hotel development a win-win for the Boston meetings industry and the community. Learn More: massconvention.com/about-us/press-releases

5 From January 4-11, the BCEC s Hall A was home to the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event brought an Olympic-sized ice rink and champion skaters of all ages, including Sochi-bound Olympic competitors Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Boston natives and Pairs Pairs team Jimmy Morgan and Alex Shaughnessy represented Skating Club of Boston well at the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Champions, Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir. We took advantage of the rink for PCMA as well; during the event s opening reception at the BCEC, talented performers from the Skating Club of Boston dazzled attendees with coordinated spins and jumps. The Skating Club of Boston dazzled PCMA attendees during the opening reception of the 2014 Convening Leaders event at the BCEC.

6 the boston common garage so green, you ll think you parked on the common! Located conveniently under the Boston Common, the 1,300- space Boston Common Garage (BCG) is inspired by the acres of green parks above us. When it comes to being environmentally friendly, our goal is to be as green below as we are above. In the past few years, we ve significantly invested in greening our garage, making us one of the most environmentally sound garages in Boston. Learn More: massconvention.com/ about-us/boston-common-garage ground level 50 acres of park land the oldest public park in America below ground level bcg green zone commingled recycling program 2-ton increase in diversion rate co 2 reduced by 5.4 million pounds energy-efficient HVAC system energy-efficient lighting 4 new Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrids Zipcars; 2 electricvehicle dual-charging stations; Priority Parking for hybrid and electric vehicles. Bins located throughout BCG and each of the 12 entry/exit kiosks Monthly diversion rate increased to 22% Automated pay stations have reduced car idling times by 80% Energy-efficient HVAC systems including air sampling and analysis to help us focus on air quality Energy-efficient lighting installed throughout the garage (these bulbs cut our energy usage in half!)

7 Employee Spotlight Stacey Church, Assistant General of the Stacey Church is celebrating an anniversary. The South Bend, Indiana native is one year into her role as the Assistant General of Springfield s (MMC), and she is loving every minute of it. Church has been working for Global Spectrum, the organization that operates the MMC, for nearly seven years, relocating to Western Massachusetts in 2013 after six years as the Finance Director of Indiana s Century Center. Now on the operations side of the business, Church is thriving in Springfield and enjoys overseeing a facility with a large arena. After just one year, she s already seen just how flexible the MMC can be. One night we re cheering on the American Hockey League s Springfield Falcons and the next day we re prepping the arena for a rodeo, Church said. Church may be a long way from South Bend, but she s not too homesick. She viewed the move to Massachusetts as an exciting opportunity. In my new role, I am taking my career to the next level, gaining more responsibility and learning more about the meetings, convention and entertainment industries, she said. My background is in accounting/finance and it s not a discipline that usually grooms General s within our industry. I m proud of the fact that I was chosen for the job here in Springfield and I am hoping to do both Global Spectrum and the MCCA proud. Church lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nate and their two children, Jackson, 10 and Reese, 7. She loves baking, scrapbooking and exploring her new home in scenic New England particularly by foot. In fact, Church is an avid runner and spent much of 2013 training to run her first marathon in Her job keeps her running around as well. With the potential for a major gaming resort development just a stone s throw from the MMC, she has a lot to look forward to professionally in But she s most excited about the opportunity to focus on developing an even stronger relationship between the MMC and the Springfield community. With a strong vision for the future of the, I have the opportunity to engage a whole new group of people who may or may not be familiar with our venue. That is a big interest of mine and I already have a lot of ideas!

8 Commitment to Excellence INTRODUCING THE VENUE PRODUCTS MANAGER Chief Strategy Officer Johanna Storella oversees the Strategy & Product Development team including the new Venue Products s. The MCCA is known for being a game changer in the meetings and conventions industry from our world-class technology infrastructure to our customer service initiatives. In 2013, the MCCA broke the mold with the creation of its Strategy and Product Development department, a team assembled to find ways to leverage existing services and products and create new ones, with the goal of delivering personal and successful events beyond meeting planners expectations. The Strategy department has already been hard at work with projects ranging from strategically positioning the Hynes to attract even more international events, to developing our own in-house events. The first event, the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange is an international tradeshow conference and social network exchange focused on the new technologies that are transforming the music industry, scheduled to take place at the Hynes Convention Center in September.

9 COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE In January, the MCCA and the Strategy team announced another new approach to event management with the introduction of Venue Products s (VPM), new members of the MCCA s award-winning client relationship team. The VPMs will serve as the guide to the MCCA s extensive array of services and products, allowing our customers to choose the right services for their events. We are constantly seeking to improve the way we partner with clients, said James E. Rooney, the MCCA s Executive Director. Dealing with multiple service departments and vendors can be overwhelming for meeting planners. This is our way of streamlining that approach and focusing on helping the client make the most of everything we have to offer. As part of the January launch, the VPMs are focused on helping clients navigate three specific MCCA products including the Digital Displays from the BCEC s marquee and video wall to the hundreds of networked plasmas at both the BCEC and the Hynes Public Safety, and Transportation. Over time, the VPM model will continue to evolve and will support the launch of future products and services throughout 2014 and beyond. Our clients are already excited to collaborate with our newest staff members. As a meeting planner, it is refreshing to have a convention team that thinks beyond basic event execution and considers the overall meeting planner experience when making decisions about their new and existing products and how we can implement them to make our show better and better each year, said Liz Plizga, trade show and event director for Diversified Business Communications, which runs the International Boston Seafood Show, Seafood Processing America that is coming to the BCEC in March of Learn More: massconvention.com/planners/bcec/vpm

10 features morning exercise classes. In 2007, these sessions were led by celebrities including hip hop artist LL Cool J and famous fitness personality Richard Simmons. If Betty White has taught us anything, it s that having fun is possible at any age with the right attitude. That perspective will be reinforced by the fun-filled schedule of the Life@50+ conference hosted by AARP, coming to Boston May 8-10 this year. Last in Boston in 2007, speakers for the 2014 Life@50+ event range from Whoopi Goldberg and Jay Leno to Laura and Barbara Bush, and even the real-life Captain Phillips, played by Tom Hanks in the eponymous Oscar-nominated film. Combatting the myth that those over 50 won t be active, there will be a community service activity, morning fitness sessions, and a recurring Movies for Grownups film festival. AARP has also scheduled over 14 tours of Boston and the surrounding area, including walking tours of the Freedom Trail, Harpoon Brewery, and Fenway Park. Sure to be a highlight of the three-day event is the Friday night dance party at the BCEC, featuring The Spinners and Mary Wilson of The Supremes. Judging by the schedule of events, Life@50+ will be one of the most action-packed events at the BCEC in 2014! Who says young people get to have all the fun, anyway? Tickets for Life@50+ are $25 for AARP members and $35 for non-members. View the full event schedule and register to attend at boston/.

11 KEY: HYNES BCEC Attendance MARCH st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 4, th Annual Conference on Pediatric Healthcare 2, Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America 18, New England Food Show 8, Directions , Anime Boston , Boston Gift Show , SecureWorld Expo , BIOMEDevice 6, American Burn Association Annual Meeting ,500 APRIL 3 4 American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineering Institute Structures Congress National Science Teachers Association Annual Convention 20, Harvard University Ballroom Dance VisionSource! 2014 Annual Meeting 4, PAX East Boston Marathon Tribute 1, The Vision Show Sports and Fitness Expo 60, O Reilly Media Strata RX 1, American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Annual Symposium and Congress ,000 MAY 1 2 Boston National College Fair 16, Investment Management Consultants Association Annual Conference 2,500 8 MGH Institute Commencement 2, AARP National Event & Expo Life@ , Massachusetts Teachers Association 1, HOW Design Live 3, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala 1, American Society for Microbiology 2014 General Meeting 11, Naturejobs Career Expo 1, th American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Session 4,000 JUNE 5 7 Society for Vascular Surgery Annual Meeting 2, American Water Works Association Annual Conference & Exposition 13, Health & Fitness Expo 20, Drug Discovery & Therapy World Congress/Global Biotechnology Congress 1, Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management Show 2, Official Star Trek Convention 3, Solar Energy Trade Shows PV America East 4, UNITE HERE Constitutional Convention 1, July 1 Electrical Apparatus Service Association International Convention & Expo 2,500 JULY 7 11 World Congress on Biomechanics 2, School Nutrition Association Annual Meeting 6, Sigma Pi Phi, Beta Beta Boule Grand Boule Dinner 1, Ameriprise Financial Inc. National Conference 2, Campus Technology 1, Massachusetts Bar Examination 1, ICSC N.E. Idea Exchange Aug 2 National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention and Career Fair 2,400 See More: massconvention.com/ events 30 May 1 athenahealth User Conference , American Academy of Physician Assistants Annual Meeting 9,000

12 @BCECNav /MassConvention Boston Convention & Exhibition Center 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210