Connectivity
Three faces of connectivity for conferencing Stateside
THEO REILLY ANALYSES TRAVEL CONNECTIVITY IN THREE CITIES : BOSTON , HOUSTON AND LAS VEGAS
T he USA mostly runs on cars and jet engines . Its huge landmass and pride in private ownership have made planes and automobiles the currency of travel .
But bustling airports and highways aren ’ t the only gauge of connectivity in US conferences . Some American cities have approached urban planning from an entirely different angle , and none more so than Boston , Massachusetts .
Big Digs , boondoggles and business events Frederich Engels once said that “ Boston is just a village … more human than New York City ”. This localised , interconnected quality is what makes the New England capital a major player in business events .
Boston is a small city – about a third of the size of Chicago and San Francisco . Downtown is a compact area , criss-crossed by bus links , footpaths and a subway system . The city ’ s iconic early-American architecture is packed into the centre , and you can see most of it in a 4km walking tour .
But there ’ s more to connectivity than closeness . In the 50s , central Boston was a very different city – suffering from neglect and an exodus of professionals to the suburbs . Out of resignation came one of the worst
Left : Houston : meeting super highway decisions in Boston city planning history : the construction of a huge , elevated freeway that cut through the heart of the city .
Not only was it a terrible eyesore , it actually made traffic worse . Writer and historian Bill Bryson said at the time : “[ The freeway ] wasn ’ t a road system , it was mobile hysteria .”
The decision to demolish the ‘ Central Artery ’ and replace it with an underground highway has made Boston the city it is today . The project certainly wasn ’ t without its dramas – marred by corruption , soaring costs and a deadly tunnel collapse . Now , however , the city can see the positive side : the road system has completely revitalised South Boston .
Before the Big Dig , the waterfront area of South Boston was cut off from the rest of the city . Now , a new extension feeds into the Seaport in South Boston and across the harbour direct to Logan International Airport .
The project caused a development boom . In 2014 , the Seaport District of Boston was considered “ the hottest , fastest-growing real estate market in the country ”.
Among the new developments in South Boston is the BCEC – the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre . The largest of its kind in Massachusetts , the centre has over 500,000 sqft of exhibition space .
We asked Martha Sheridan , CEO of Boston ’ s convention and visitors bureau Meet Boston , what she thought of the Big Dig and Boston ’ s connectivity . She told us :
“ The Big Dig created a more efficient and effective wayfinding system for Boston , improving transportation and navigation .
“ All these factors matter when it comes to hosting events . The Greenway , for example , serves as a conduit between Chinatown , Downtown , Fort Point , the Financial District , the Waterfront , Faneuil Hall , the North End and West End .”
Kristin Schoenstein , chief of staff at
24 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 132