Top 10 from 2018

2018 has been eventful for Boston and as the year is coming to an end, we wanted to take a few minutes and glance back on all the great things that happened!

In today’s blog, we share with you our ten favorite things of 2018 (in no particular order):

1. New MCCA General Manager
   In July, Joyce Leveston joined the MCCA as the new General Manager overseeing the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), the Hynes Convention Center, and The Lawn On D. Previously, she served as Director of Convention Services at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. where she managed all aspects of convention services, event and facility operations, and coordination between the facility and its contract partners.

2. Official groundbreaking of the new Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
   The new Omni hotel across the street from the BCEC officially broke ground in May. When it opens in early 2021, it will be the largest hotel in the South Boston Waterfront with 1,054 guest rooms and suites, and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

3. New GBCVB President & CEO
   After 28 years of extraordinary service leading the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB), Pat Moscaritolo announced his retirement. He played a key role in putting Boston on the map as a global destination and bringing events such as the World Cup, Democratic National Convention, the MLB All-Star Game, multiple Tall Ships processions, and more to Greater Boston. In November 2018, the GBCVB elected Martha Sheridan as the next President & CEO effective February 2019.

4. New awards for The Lawn On D
   In 2018, The Lawn On D garnered several awards and accolades including its third “Boston’s Best” award by The Improper Bostonian - “2018 Boston’s Best Place to Feel Like a Kid”. It was also named “Insanely Innovative Meeting Space” by PCMA Convene, and “Best Outdoor Play Space” by Winnie.

5. BIO 2018 set records in Boston
   The 2018 BIO convention drew over 18,000 biotechnology industry leaders – the most in the last ten years – from 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and over 67 countries.

6. Halo Swing at The Lawn On D
   In May, The Lawn On D introduced an exciting new addition to the Signature Pavilion – the Halo swing. Designed by Swing Time 3.0 creators Eric Höweler and J. Meejin Yoon of Höweler + Yoon Architecture, the new 6-person swing is outfitted with solar-powered LED lights that change color when in motion.

7. Boston was named best summer vacation spot by U.S. News and World Report
   Boston took the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 list of “Best Summer Vacations in the USA”. The list ranks destinations based on a number of categories, including: sights, culture, people, food, shopping, family, nightlife, adventure, romance, value, and accessibility.

8. TSA names Logan “Airport of the Year”
   The agency says Boston had the speediest security lines in the nation this summer. In fact, Logan set a record for the number of passengers screened in one day this past April with more than 75,000 people passing through a security checkpoint.

9. TD Garden’s Transformation
   The first major expansion of the iconic Boston arena was announced in November. The project is expected to take up to two years to complete and will provide a combined 50,000 square feet of additional space on all levels of the building and a long list of additional upgrades.

10. Last, but not least, we are thankful for all of our clients and for the opportunity to host your Boston events!