For cities to successfully execute the safe return of meetings and events, planners and attendees must have confidence that destinations are fully committed and aligned on public health protocols that will ensure their safety. To that end, the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) has launched the #MeetSafeInBoston campaign.
As a destination that hosts a multitude of medical and health care events, where world-class research hospitals interact with renowned universities and an unparalleled life sciences ecosystem, it is only fitting Boston would pioneer innovative methods to create and communicate safety protocols around meetings and events.
“We have launched the #MeetSafeInBoston campaign to demonstrate how committed we are to the safety of our meeting delegates here in Greater Boston and to instill confidence for future meeting planning,” said Martha J. Sheridan, president and CEO, GBCVB
“Additionally, and to further incentivise the return of group business, the GBCVB has launched a first quarter meetings promotion that provides a 10% rebate for any piece of new group business that books now and takes place by April 15, 2022,” Sheridan added.
Organisations that have held meetings in Boston in 2021 have already seen #MeetSafeInBoston come to life with successful events.
Hearth Rhythm 2021 was the first full-scale business convention to return to Boston since the pandemic began, drawing more than 2,000 people to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) — so the pressure was on to ensure a safe event.
The in-person event made use of social distancing room sets, Heart Rhythm worked closely with the convention center and the GBCVB to develop protocols to keep attendees safe. The 21 hotels in the room block provided their safety protocols to share with guests, and they modeled many of those in the convention center. The Boston community banded together to make this event a success.
Another health care event, HLTH, also took place recently at the BCEC. HLTH convenes key conversations in health care innovation and was coming to Boston for the first time this year. The result was record attendance of more than 6,600 people, with over 700 joining virtually.
HLTH required that the entire community be both vaccinated and required testing. In addition, HLTH worked closely with the BCEC, the GBCVB and the city of Boston on all safety protocols. HLTH felt the blend of the vaccines and testing created the best possible scenario for safety for all involved.
Events of a smaller size are also returning. Destinations East returned in mid-October, hosting 85 people at multiple Boston venues. Attendees not only felt safe throughout the event, but they were able to take part in activities across Boston, enhancing their experience of our event, and their confidence in producing events themselves in and around Boston.
Getting to Boston from the UK is easy, with daily non-stop service on a number of carriers from London to Boston. Logan International Airport is only three miles from the city center, making it easy for attendees once they land.
The closest US city to the UK, Boston offers visitors everything they could want from an authentic US experience – from seafood to shopping to sporting events and sightseeing, the city has it all. And now with #MeetSafeInBoston planners can be confident that all of the precautions and protocols are in place to host a successful in person event.
