ince 29 May 2021 , all pandemic restrictions have been lifted in the city of Boston , Massachusetts . As a result , the city ’ s two convention centres , Boston Convention & Exhibition Center ( BCEC ), and the John B . Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center ( Hynes ), were able to resume hosting events and meetings at full capacity .

Both venues did actually stay open throughout the pandemic . The BCEC hosted Boston Hope , a full-service medical facility operated in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston Medical Center , and Beth Israel Lahey Health . The Hynes served as a vaccination centre providing up to 7,000 vaccinations per day . The venues also hosted exams , a school , a movie production company , and more .

Following the latest guidance from the State of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Department of Public Health , the BCEC and the Hynes no longer impose Covid-19 related restrictions on event organisers . Instead , they work on a case-by-case basis with organisers to define event rules .

The latest Heart Rhythm Society conference , hosted by the Boston Convention Marketing Center ( BCMC ), a body of the Signature Boston agency , saw organisers handing out three types of lanyards to attendees , depending on their comfort level with Covid-19 precautions . Green lanyards meant any greeting is fine . Yellow lanyards indicated they ’ d prefer an elbow bump over a hug . Red meant keep your distance . Masks were not required for attendees , but event staff were required to mask up . Chairs were set up with spaces to separate them , and panellists didn ’ t share microphones .

Facility upgrades The BCEC has 47,938sqm of exhibition

space , 82 meeting rooms , and a 3,716sqm column-free ballroom . It also has free Wi-Fi throughout the building and is located a handy three miles from Logan International Airport , the first North American airport to be accredited under the Council ’ s Airport Health Accreditation programme .

The Hynes has 16,396sqm of customisable exhibit space , 38 meeting rooms , a 4,000 + seat auditorium , and a 2,280sqm column-free ballroom . Hynes is also connected to over 3,100 hotel rooms and two shopping destinations under one roof .

Over the past year , the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority ( MCCA ) has also invested over USD $ 14m in various capital improvements to enhance the user experience at the BCEC and Hynes .

The capital improvements included escalator upgrades , new carpeting in all public areas , a renovated Green Room for speakers and performers , repaved parking lots and roadway around the building , and a new canopy from the nearest public transit station to the BCEC .

There have been upgrades in the Lutron lighting system allowing for better lighting control and easier monitoring of energy usage , and the

Below : Current trends point to a slow ramp back to events business in Boston

installation of Show Network Firewall , designed to protect clients ’ important Internet traffic .

Both centres also can improve airflow using HVAC system capabilities . This allows both centres to comply with the guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), and the American Society of Heating , Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers ( ASHRAE ) for HVAC usage .

Business slowly returning The latest big event hosted by BCMC , Heart Rhythm 2021 , was about 40 % of its size in previous years and included a hybrid component . BCMC has said they expect the upcoming Fan Expo event in September to have good attendance as those attendees skew younger and are eager to get back out , but it ’ s unlikely that it will reach the same numbers as previous years .

With regards to the industry ’ s recovery , BCMC says : “ Current trends are pointing to a slow ramp back up , but the impact the Delta variant might have is still unknown . Meetings and events fall in the grey area between tourism and business travel , so it is likely for that segment to perform better than business travel , but probably not at the level that leisure travel currently is .”

BCMC concludes : “ We no longer see the same volume of clients wanting to cancel or reschedule their Boston events thanks to high vaccination rates , low number of hospitalisations , and the overall handling of the pandemic in the state of Massachusetts .”