Boston & Cambridge Win Top Destination in USA Award for International Meetings
Boston, August 14, 2009 - For the second time in three years, Boston & Cambridge, MA have been named the Top Destination in the United States for International Association Meetings by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). According to the ICCA report in 2008, Boston & Cambridge hosted a record number of meetings, making it the number one destination for international association meetings in the United States.
"Boston's top ranking is the direct result of the Bureau's partnerships targeting the international meetings market," said Patrick B. Moscaritolo, President & CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB). "Over the past three years the GBCVB and the Cambridge Office for Tourism have been collaborating on programs to grow our international meetings market share. Clearly, as this top ranking for 2008 demonstrates, our dedicated sales and marketing campaign is paying dividends."
The GBCVB's overall meetings campaign includes attendance at international tradeshows, sales missions with GBCVB members, educational trips and a dedicated senior staff member to head up the overall sales and marketing effort. In addition, the campaign includes special client events built around Boston sports teams and performing arts groups as they play and perform in key overseas markets. In 2007 the Boston Symphony Orchestra toured Europe, the Celtics played in Rome, and the Boston Ballet performed in South Korea and Spain. In 2008, the Boston Red Sox opened their season in Tokyo and the American Repertory Theatre performed in Hong Kong. Three time Super Bowl Champion, the New England Patriots will play in London this fall and the Boston Ballet will tour Ottawa in January 2010.
The centerpiece of the GBCVB and Cambridge Office for Tourism initiative revolves around partnerships that have been developed with Boston & Cambridge hotel members, Massport, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism in an effort to leverage resources. "Partnering with the GBCVB in these international sales and marketing programs affords us an outreach that we could not obtain on our own. This top ranking for Boston & Cambridge confirms that the partnership has worked well for our cities," said Robyn Bell, Executive Director, Cambridge Office for Tourism.
GBCVB President & CEO Patrick B. Moscaritolo pointed out that the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and Logan International Airport play an important role in Boston & Cambridge's international meetings initiative: "The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism's international marketing team and their representative firms in eight overseas markets have significantly contributed to the success of this partnership." Logan International Airport currently provides international service to 36 destinations with more than 1,500 flights a day arriving and departing from the airport.
"This summer," Moscaritolo added, "a Spanish corporate incentive group visited Boston as a direct result of an initial contact made by the Bureau's staff. This booking generated over 2,400 room nights at six Boston properties, as well as numerous dinners, shopping excursions and sightseeing trips in and outside of Boston. They chartered four 747's and the group spent over $4 million on this one incentive trip."
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Press Contacts:
Larry Meehan, VP, Media Relations & Tourism Sales; Tel: 617- 867-8231; lmeehan@bostonusa.com ;
Stacy Shreffler, Media Relations & Tourism Sales Manager, Tel: 617-867-8203; sshreffler@BostonUSA.com; www.BostonUSA.com/Plan is Boston's Official Information Website for Meeting Planners
