The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) will have a new name come July 12: the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) announced the name change will be in honor of Thomas Menino, who served as Mayor of Boston from 1993 to 2014, and was the city’s longest serving mayor. An event to officially mark the name change will be held on Sat., July 12.
Meanwhile, state dignitaries and politicians released statements about Menino:
“Mayor Menino loved Boston deeply, and he made our city into the global hub for business, commerce and tourism that we know it to be today,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I was honored to sign this law renaming the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center after Mayor Menino because it is a wonderful way to pay tribute to his amazing legacy and send a strong message that Boston is a place to be for people and businesses from around the world.”
“Mayor Menino’s love for Boston, care for every resident and every neighborhood, and belief in our city’s future forever changed Boston,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “He guided our city through some of the hardest times in our history, and led the way for a future generation of leaders. His legacy will now live on in another new way, representing a convention center that welcomes people and collaborations from around the world.”
In the fall of 2024, the Massachusetts Legislature passed H.5100, An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership, which included language to rename the BCEC in honor of Mayor Menino in recognition of his leadership in advocating for the development of the convention center.
“While there are many places and ways we can honor Tom Menino’s legacy of leadership and love for the City of Boston, I can think of none better than to lend his name to the Convention and Exhibition Center,” said State Representative Aaron Michlewitz. “A true expression of his vision to always drive Boston to be a more vibrant, healthy and welcoming city.”
“The Waterfront would not be what it is today without the late Mayor Tom Menino,” said State Senator Nick Collins. “Mayor Menino partnered with legislative leaders like Congressman Stephen F. Lynch and former state Senator Jack Hart, bringing together city and state government with industry and the community to create a lasting impact on our local and state economy. It is an appropriate tribute to the role he played in the BCEC’s creation. That’s why so many of our colleagues in the Legislature joined in supporting the renaming with a near unanimous vote on the economic development bill last session.”
The BCEC offers 2.1 million sf of space including a 40,020-sf Grand Ballroom overlooking the Boston Seaport, 516,000 sf of column-free, contiguous exhibit space and 82 meeting rooms. In 2024, the BCEC hosted 136 events, welcoming over 500,000 attendees to Boston.
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