The city of Boston, the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and one of the oldest municipalities in the United States, is the most populous city of New England. This municipality is the economic and cultural anchor of Greater Boston. Spanning just over 48 square miles, it was the scene of several key historical events of the American Revolution and boasts a rich history that draws over 20 million tourists and visitors every year. In addition to holiday makers, Boston also attracts thousands of corporate travellers year-round. Read on to discover why business in Boston makes it a key destination for corporate travel.
1. Location
Since gaining American independence from Britain in 1783, business in Boston has continued to thrive. Expanding beyond its original peninsula, this oceanfront city has maintained its position as a significant trade port since primarily engaging in shipping and fishing during its colonial days. Later developing into a manufacturing hub, as well as a hotspot for education and culture, Boston has seen significant growth as a business hub.
Home to the country’s first subway system, Boston spearheaded the concept of convenient transport and currently holds the fourth highest rate of public transport usage in the US. Regarding international travel, one of Boston’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. A gateway to Europe, Bostonians can get to London faster than they can from other major US business hubs such as San Francisco, making corporate travel in Boston ideal for businesses managing multiple teams and time zones.
2. Infrastructure
The city of Boston, compared with many major US cities, is geographically small and logistically manageable. A self-proclaimed ‘walkable city’, the sights and activities of principal interest to travellers are contained within a compact location. If travelling to the city on a flying visit, corporate travel in Boston is made extremely convenient thanks to the impressive transport infrastructure. Introduced in 2017, Go Boston 2030 is the city’s comprehensive transportation plan to provide efficient and equitable transportation networks that create economic opportunity while combating climate change.
The long established MBTA operates the USA’s oldest subway. Built in 1897 and locally known as the ‘T’, it offers the easiest and quickest way to get around the city. Running from 5:30am through to 1:30am, these four lines radiate from the main downtown stations: Downtown Crossing, Government Centre, Park St and State.
Recently, Boston has made vast improvements to its infrastructure for cyclists, painting miles of bicycle lanes, upgrading bike facilities on public transport, and implementing a highly effective bike-share program - Blue Bikes. Constructive schemes such as Blue Bikes are essential for providing equitable opportunities for all business in Boston to prosper, enabling individuals to travel to and from work hassle free
With such a diversified economy and robustly diversified workforce, it is no surprise that there is a significant number of corporate venues that are ideal for business in Boston. The Boston Convention Centre is one of the largest venues of its type in North-eastern United States and is regularly filled for large-scale business events and occasions. Similarly, the Seaport World Trade Centre Boston contains facilities suitable for a multitude of conferences and conventions and is easily accessible from Boston Logan International Airport, ideal for corporate travel in Boston.
3. Opportunities and Recruitment
Boston was the birthplace of many of today’s iconic start-ups. Facebook was famously built in Mark Zuckerburg’s Cambridge dorm room and ZipCar, EdX and Trip Advisor all call this innovative city home. With a thriving academic ecosystem focused on entrepreneurship, the education institutions in Boston form a formidable presence that is continuously evolving.
The state of Massachusetts has the highest concentration of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, as well as the highest concentration of science and engineering degrees in the country. The distinct focus on engineering at many of these universities manufactures a steady flow of highly qualified engineers for local start-ups. Business in Boston saw almost eleven years of economic expansion pre-pandemic and continues to hold the fifth strongest economy in the country.
With such a high-quality talent pool, the state’s technology sector has flourished, alongside its education and health services which continue to employ the most people in Massachusetts. Boston made the top 10 markets in the US and Canada for technology talent, according to CBRE’s annual “Scoring Tech Talent” report.
A city that is home to exceptional talent, Boston also ranked in the top five global start-up ecosystems. Set apart by its positive climate for women, 29% of start-up founders in this city are female, second only to Chicago. Several institutions separate to the universities also invest significantly in research and development in the area with companies such as CARB-X pledging up to $550 million in antibacterial research between 2016 and 2021.
As business in Boston continues to flourish, why not discover some of our best serviced apartments in Boston and take a trip to this oceanfront city? Check out our blog on The Best Corporate Venues in the City and plan ahead for your next corporate visit.
