Boston convention centers and trade show venues

Boston has two convention centers in our guides, both run by the MCCA. The BCEC, now formally the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, sits on the South Boston waterfront with 516,000 contiguous sq ft. The Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay has 176,480 sq ft. Two connected hotels also host shows: the Westin Boston Seaport District beside the BCEC and the Sheraton Boston beside the Hynes.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Hynes Convention Center, Westin Boston Seaport District and Sheraton Boston Hotel guides

The BCEC. Its single exhibit level has 516,000 contiguous, nearly column-free sq ft in Hall A (170,000), Hall B (184,000, divisible into two 92,000 sq ft halls) and Hall C (162,000), in a 2.1 million sq ft building on about 60 acres. Ceilings are 35 ft at the low points, rising to 100 ft in Hall A. It was renamed for Mayor Thomas M. Menino in July 2025; show kits now say MCEC.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center guide

Yes. Massachusetts is not a right-to-work state. At the BCEC the center has jurisdictional agreements with the Teamsters and the IBEW electricians for move-in, installation, dismantle and move-out, and forklifts are run by the general contractor's union crew. Our Westin and Sheraton guides say Boston's union jurisdiction applies there too, with terms that vary by show, so confirm with the decorator.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Westin Boston Seaport District and Sheraton Boston Hotel guides

At the BCEC, yes, with your own bona fide full-time employees. The MCCA's guidelines let them unpack, assemble, dismantle and pack the booth with power tools. Outside display-house crews may only supervise unless they belong to the appropriate local. One 2026 kit at the building was stricter, so read yours. The MCCA's Hynes rules also let full-time employees set up and dismantle their own booth.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and Hynes Convention Center guides

Our BCEC planning figure is about $324 per hundredweight, the crated advance-warehouse rate in one published 2026 kit for the building, which also listed $360.23 crated direct, a 200 lb minimum and $52.50 for small packages up to 30 lbs. Our older guides plan about $190 at the Hynes and $185 at the Westin and Sheraton. These are planning numbers, not your show's tariff.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Hynes Convention Center, Westin Boston Seaport District and Sheraton Boston Hotel guides

In the 2026 kit our guide cites, the warehouse was cheaper: about $324 per hundredweight crated, against $360.23 crated direct to the show site. Direct freight comes in through the dock after check-in at the general contractor's marshaling lot. Big covered or multilevel builds also need plans in about 90 days before move-in, so lock the design early either way. Your kit sets the rates and deadlines.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center guide

At the BCEC, the Society of Women Engineers conference and the Rockwell Automation Fair come in November 2026. Yankee Dental Congress and the New England Boat Show follow in January and February 2027, Seafood Expo North America in early March, and PAX East, the building's biggest show at more than 100,000, in late April. The Hynes hosts Advanced Therapies USA in early November 2026.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and Hynes Convention Center guides

The Westin Boston Seaport District connects to the BCEC by a skybridge on Level Two, and the 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is across Summer Street. In Back Bay, the Sheraton Boston and the Boston Marriott Copley Place both connect indoors to the Hynes, and the Sheraton also links to the Prudential Center.

From our Westin Boston Seaport District, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Sheraton Boston Hotel and Hynes Convention Center guides

Logan International is about three miles from the BCEC, a short run through the harbor tunnels, though our guide says to allow more at rush hour. The MBTA Silver Line SL1 runs from the terminals to World Trade Center station, about a block from the building. The Westin is about seven minutes by car, and the Hynes and Sheraton in Back Bay about 15 to 20 minutes.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Westin Boston Seaport District, Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel guides

The Hynes Convention Center's 176,480 sq ft suits mid-size national trade shows and association conventions, with the Green Line at the door. Hall B at the BCEC can also split into two 92,000 sq ft halls. For a hotel show, the Westin has more than 95,000 sq ft in 45 event rooms and the Sheraton more than 70,000 sq ft, both carpeted, so confirm floor protection.

From our Hynes Convention Center, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Westin Boston Seaport District and Sheraton Boston Hotel guides

Staff unloading at the dock get 20 minutes with a dock parking pass on the dashboard, or risk a tow. The South Parking Lot has 1,345 spaces plus 200 valet, with no overnight or 24-hour parking; for big shows, nearly 10,000 spaces in nearby garages can be blocked. No one under 18 is allowed on the docks or in the halls during move-in and move-out.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center guide

At the BCEC, yes. The lowest level of any multilevel exhibit, and any single-story covered area over 300 sq ft, needs a temporary sprinkler from an MCCA-approved licensed company, and Massachusetts does not accept a fire watch instead. Our guide notes that open mesh with 70 percent openings, fusible-seam fabric or open-grate ceilings can avoid it. Plans are due at least 90 days before move-in.

From our Boston Convention & Exhibition Center guide