Boston Selected as 2009 AAJA Convention Site

December 8, 2006

The AAJA Governing Board at its Dec. 1-2 meeting in San Francisco voted to accept the AAJA New England Chapter's bid to host the 2009 AAJA National Convention. The convention will take place at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston on August 12-15, 2009.

In their proposal, the chapter described Boston as one of America's oldest cities "in the midst of reinventing itself as diversity's new hub ... today Boston is a city in which minorities are the majority -- and Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group."

During a site visit to the Boston-Connecticut area last November, AAJA executive director Rene Astudillo met with officials and representatives of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau as well as major media companies like The Boston Globe, The Hartford Courant and ESPN. "They were all very excited and supportive of AAJA bringing its convention to Boston," Astudillo said.

The chapter pointed out the city's hospitals, medical schools, biotech firms, universities, museums and theatres, law schools and law firms as possible resources for the journalism convention. Conventiongoers can also look forward to "outstanding dining, vast public transportation, stunning parks, pre-eminent museums, and energetic nightlife."

"We are delighted and honored to have the AAJA national convention return to Boston," said Shirley Leung, president of the New England chapter and senior assistant business editor at The Boston Globe. "When we hosted in 1997, the convention drew for the first time more than 1,000 attendees. We hope to break another record in 2009."

The convention hotel is located on Boston's vibrant and historic waterfront. All guest rooms have complimentary Internet access at T-1 speed, and all public spaces are equipped with wireless technology.

Chapter members submitting the proposal included those from The Boston Globe, ESPN, Channel 5, The Hartford Courant and "The World"/BBC World Service.