Welcome to All Things Boston!

With Spring finally in full swing, it is time to discover what is new around us, and this issue of All things Boston will do just that (without forgetting our old friends of course!). In this issue, we introduce what events are planned for the coming summer months, highlight the newest hotel projects in the City, spotlight one of our favorite vendors, discover the Boston art scene for the upcoming season, bring you some "food for thought" on wine, and offer up the latest and great news from NXTevent!

In every newsletter, NXTevent provides you with the latest and greatest that the area has to offer! So take a minute and read on to learn more about Boston from one of its leading experts! NXTevent. Extraordinary Events. Remarkable Results. On Target. On Budget. Every time. It's all we do. Everyday, all day here in the heart of Boston for our clients around the world.

The New England PCMA Chapter takes you out to the ball game with their 2nd Annual Summer Event.

This annual event, scheduled for July 29th, promotes the chapter, membership, social networking and of course the RED SOX! A pre-game reception will be held followed by transportation to the Red Sox Game.

Stay tuned for more details regarding location and tickets for reception and Red Sox.
Photography courtesy by Mike Ritter

Photography courtesy by Mike Ritter

Boston's hotel industry boasts several recently completed new additions with more to come. Here a just a few of the projects that have the industry buzzing:

The Liberty Hotel, which opened this past September, is a 300-room boutique 4 star hotel rich in history. The hotel was once home to the Charles Street Jail, a prison that housed some of Boston's most notorious criminals. The Liberty Hotel infused its unique story into the design of the property, and offers dramatic river views and flexible meeting space

The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, located in the South Boston Waterfront district, is open and has already had its share of events and clients! The hotel will feature 471 rooms with 21 suites and more than 20,700 square feet of meeting space.

The Regent Boston at Battery Wharf Hotel and Residences is scheduled to open in late 2008 near Boston's North End and will feature a 150-room full-service hotel and 103 luxury residential condominiums as well as an 18,000 square-foot spa.

The $200 million Mandarin Oriental Boston, scheduled to be complete in July 2008, is being developed as part of a premier mixed-use complex within the Prudential Center in Boston's Back Bay. The hotel plans to have 168 hotel rooms, 40 condominiums and 48 rental apartments.

A 2009 addition to the theater district will be The W Boston Hotel. The hotel will house residences in addition to its 235 guest rooms as well as 12,000 sq.ft. of retail, restaurant and spa space.

Photography courtesy of the Liberty Hotel

As one of New England's largest privately owned full service caterers, Gourmet Caterers has been a leader in the event industry since 1973. Gourmet is the exclusive caterer at both the JFK Library and Museum and Granite Links Golf Club, as well as a preferred caterer at over forty Greater Boston event sites.

Fortunately for us, NXTevent has had the pleasure of working very closely with owner Bob Wiggins and his dedicated team to produce several mouthwatering menus.

Gourmet Caterers is devoted to making sure each event is all about the unique needs, tastes, desires, and preferences of that individual occasion. NXTevent knows first hand! They work tirelessly with our account managers to ensure that our clients are satisfied with a menu that meets their budget and satisfies their tastebuds.

Photography courtesy of Gourmet Caterers

Spring has Sprung and there are few popular events and hidden gems that signify the official change of seasons!

A springtime staple in Boston is the annual "Arts in Bloom" Exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. The Exhibit will take place this year during April 26-29, 2008 and celebrates the season and the fine art of flowers. The MFA transforms its galleries into more than sixty extraordinary arrangements inspired by magnificent works of art. Truly a one of a kind experience!

For a more hands on encounter, be prepared for the SoWa Art Walk May 17-18, 2008. During this weekend long affair, members of the Boston's South End Art Community invite fellow artists and visitors alike to come and experience art in its truest form. The neighborhood is turned into an open air market where crafts people and artists place their masterpieces on display for all to see and purchase.

Photography courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts

Recently, there has been a shift in American Culture as interests and appreciation of wine steadily increases. According to the Wine Market Council, who's most recent research was conducted in 2006; wine consumption has reached an all time high of 250 million cases per year. Just to put this fact into perspective, this equates to 3 billion bottles of wine!

People are now more aware that wines are not just broken into two categories of red and white; rather there are numerous selections from countless regions around the world to explore. Interestingly enough this translates into unique opportunities for the event industry to present clients with distinctive additions to enhance their programs.

NXTevent can offer some memorable experiences that allows groups to develop and expand their appreciation for wine:

• Jonathon Alsop's Boston Wine School: Listen while Alsop, a noted wine writer, entertains with witty repartee over hors d'oeuvres and a champagne reception before participating in a wine tasting the offers an educational exploration into the world of wine. class of wines and their tastes effect the palette.
  
  
• To incorporate wine into a daytime activity, groups can visit the Nashoba Valley Winery. While there, guests will take in the breathtaking views of the family-owned grounds. They will then depart on a tour of the winery and learn about the process behind the creation of their amazing wines. At the end of the tour you will be able to enjoy a few samples of their most popular wines, in your own Nashoba Valley Wine glass, which you can take home as a keep sake
  
  
• To experience a true food and wine pairing, guests can enjoy a private dinner at Les Zygomates, recipient of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston Award for "Affordable Wine List." Here guests will be able to savor a sophisticated dinner with sommelier hand-selected paired wines.

Photograph courtesy of Liberty Fleet Tall ships

NXTevent has been known about town as "All Things Boston," and now we are about to become "All Things New England!"

NXTevent, Inc. has been named the official
in-house Destination Management Company at MGM Grand at Foxwoods, located in Connecticut, scheduled to open May 17, 2008. We will have a division of the NXTevent team on-site at Foxwoods to manage transportation, special events, teambuilding and off-site activities / events. We are very excited for this new opportunity and we look forward to great success at the new MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

For more information please visit our website at www.nxtevent.com/mgmgrandfoxwoods.

Prestige Resorts and Destinations, Ltd.
"Prestige" is in our name. NXTevent is the exclusive Boston DMC of Prestige Resorts and Destinations, Ltd., an organization dedicated to representing clients from the Mid-West Area. We have decided to not only expand our reach to Connecticut, but we are now diving into the urban and mid-west areas of the US. We look forward to a successful 2008 with our new partners!

Tradeshows and Membership Organizations

NXTevent can be found at a variety of upcoming meetings and tradeshows. Below is a schedule of where NXTevent and Boston is represented via our partners at USA Hosts.

• April 22 - 24, 2008
  IMEX Conference, Frankfurt Germany
   
• June 2008
  GMC PCMA Quarterly Meeting and Sales Mission, Chicago
   
• June 21-24, 2008
  Healthcare Convention and Executive Association), Salt Lake City