20 Years at the BCEC: A Classic Boston Comeback (Part III)

The Seaport District surrounding the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) is thriving with newly developed hotels, venues, restaurants and more—but to get there through a global pandemic required a classic Boston comeback. The BCEC and Seaport District not only navigated the recent globally challenging chapter, but served the community and played an active role in building a more socially equitable future.

Prior to the global pandemic, events at the BCEC were shattering records year after year. From 2017 to 2020, the BCEC saw 42 record breakers, including 15 new bests set in 2019. As momentum built inside the walls of the BCEC, socially and economically ground-breaking development was happening within the surrounding Seaport neighborhood.

In 2018, Omni Hotels & Resorts broke ground on the first building to incorporate new Massachusetts Port Authority diversity requirements—the Omni Boston Hotel at Seaport, across the street from the BCEC. The Port Authority’s requirements place value on minority and women-owned firms and equitable partnerships in any new building the authority oversees. During the planning and construction process, the participation of minority and women-owned architectural and construction firms had a combined 30 percent involvement in the design and building phases.

With 1,054 rooms, the Omni hotel serves convention attendees looking to stay in close proximity to the BCEC. In 2021, the Omni was completed and operational. Along with the Omni, the nearby Hyatt Place (opened 2020), Hampton Inn (2021), and Homewood Suites (2021) have brought the number of hotels rooms within a mile of the BCEC to nearly 6,000.

But during the construction process of the Omni, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the building process and brought events at the BCEC to an abrupt halt.

The city of Boston utilized the BCEC as a field hospital, “Boston Hope,” to treat over 1,000 patients. The relief effort was a collaboration between the state, the city, Partners HealthCare, and Boston Health Care for the Homeless. in conjunction with medical professionals around Boston, the BCEC showed the versatility and strength of the building as part of the community.

By 2022, events were returning and showing great promise toward the future. American Academy of Dermatology, TCT Annual Meeting, Nike Boston Volleyball Tournament, PAX East, and Specialty Coffee Expo were just a few events that kicked off a new era for the BCEC post-COVID.

The BCEC continues to show its commitment to the Boston community with ongoing support for social change through events committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of the most recent events focused on this goal was the 114th NAACP National Convention hosted at the BCEC in 2023. Originally scheduled for July 2020, this event gathered roughly 10,000 delegates and many more community members, where workshops and conversations tackled key issues surrounding racial justice, economic inclusivity, education, and more. Prominent public figures such as Vice President Kamala Harris, New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, Grammy-nominated rapper Meek Mill, and many others provided deep insights through moderated discussions about equitable change.

As the city of Boston thrives, so does the BCEC. The surrounding Seaport District is now an established neighborhood with a growing and diverse slate of restaurants, shopping, and experiential venues.

Our convention calendar is strong, with events booked as far out as 2041. We celebrated eight record-breaking events in 2023 and three more in the first quarter of 2024! Boston is booming—check out the link below to see why event planners are choosing Boston and shattering expectations.