In 2004, the new Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) will open in Boston. A critical feature of the new BCEC is advanced information technology infrastructure. This backbone would allow event planners of to integrate emerging technologies with all aspects of conventions, exhibitions and meetings. In a 2001 report, Strategic Advisory Group, a consultant to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, indicated that the convention industry has yet to adopt “today’s technology” to facilitate on-line management of operations.

In anticipation of the BCEC’s opening, it was considered important to test whether there might be a relationship between new convention centers coming on line in the U.S. and internationally, and the “Convention of the Future.”

The MCCA turned to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the answer to the question “What is the Convention of the Future?” -- defined as the possibility to bundle the industry’s legacy computer infrastructure with emerging network service applications.