Dear members and friends:

  

I hope you are all enjoying our first few weeks of spring! This is generally the busiest time of the year for the hospitality community as local businesses are eager to share their upcoming season's " newest and finest" with our concierges. To that end, everyone knows the BEST place to showcase your goods and services is none other than at the popular GBCA Hospitality Trade Show taking place at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal on April 11, 2016. I hope all of our affiliate members have taken advantage of the huge discount offered to them for a table at this year's event. If you are still in need of a table, please contact Krissy Beal at Krissyb@blueman.com, Remember space is limited, so don't miss your chance to reach over 300 members of the hospitality community. Members without tables who are still interested in attending the trade show may volunteer their time and/or assist Chairwoman, Krissy Beal in hosting the best Hospitality Trade Show ever!!!

  

On March 15, 2016 our concierge members were treated to a fun-filled night of delicious food and beverages hosted by Meghan Harrell of Loretta's Last Call. Attendees listened to great country music while being instructed to line dance. Take a look at all the photos of the amazing dishes and the good time that was had by all! Remember Loretta's Last Call when recommending to your visitors and guests... great food, entertainment and the most accommodating staff! Loretta's offers free line dancing lessons on Tuesday and Sunday evenings at 8:00pm. They also have oodles of special events. Don't miss your opportunity to meet and mingle with country western enthusiasts, you never know whom you're going to meet. Check out their entertainment schedule at www.lorettaslastcall.com and be sure to send your thank you emails to Meghan Harrell at mharrell@lyonsgroup.com.

  

  

Broadway in Boston hosted their annual Season Preview on March 21, 2016. Hundreds of GBCA members, event planners, subscribers and group sales managers packed the historic Boston Opera House to learn about the 2016-2017 season. Exciting shows include now through April 10, The Sound of Music; June 14 - June 26, Matilda The Musical and July 5 - July 17, making its national tour in Boston this year, If/Then.   If you are not a Broadway in Boston member, then you are missing out! Read more about the opportunities you receive as a member and discover how you can become more involved. I have been a group sales leader and subscriber for over 15 years and I literally could not do my job without the knowledge I receive from Broadway In Boston. A big thank you again, to Ann Sheehan, Director of Public Relations & Community Relations and her team for allowing us to experience so many amazing shows here in Boston. For a complete line up of these shows, check out their web site at www.broadwayinboston.com    

  

  

Our March 24, 2016, all-members meeting was held at the incredible Laugh Boston! A huge thank you to the incomparable, Helen Lin, Director of Sales & Event Planning for Improv Asylum and Laugh Boston and her team for a fabulous evening. Also thank you to Alex Marcin, Maître D and Jennifer Wladowski from Del Frisco's and Greg Sherman, General Manager and Sara Jane, Catering Manager from Rosa Mexicano for supporting our event and supplying such a delicious array of fine food. It was so great to see our friends in the Seaport District partnering up to make the night the huge success it was.

  

Our host for the evening was none other than the famous Norm Laviolette; Co-owner and Co-founder of Improv Asylum and Laugh Boston! King of the Boston Comedy and Entertainment Circuit, Norm is well known in Boston for being a comedian, entertainer, television and film personality, writer, director and producer. His Improv Training Programs are legendary in and around Boston. Companies like Fidelity Investments, the TD Garden and the GBCA have benefited from his important work. Thank you so much to Norm for taking the time out of his busy schedule to address our GBCA members. All of us appreciate what he and the Laugh Boston and Improv Asylum teams bring to our city. Laugh Boston serves bar bites, light dinner entrees and Joke themed cocktails.

Laugh Boston is also a great place to host any kind of event. It has meeting, event and hospitality space for 300 people. It is 5000 square feet on the Campus of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The space boasts a brand new state of the art, customizable, flexible sound stage, fully equipped A/V, sound, flat screen TVs, tech booth, stage, box office and full service bar and function space. Laugh Boston's team can customize improvisational shows and entertainment to amaze even the most finicky group. Check out Laugh Boston's upcoming schedule of events and shows. www.laughboston.com.   And be sure to think of Laugh Boston and the Improv Asylum in the North End when making recommendations to your guests.

  

Please friends, on a much more difficult and sensitive note; let's all support the many runners in this year's Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2016. Although none of us will ever forget the tragedy and loss of so many on that dreadful day of April 15, 2013... Let us all do what we do best and band together to show our support by welcoming all our visitors and guests to Boston for this historic event. Let us all show our visitors and guests that we are BOSTON STRONG and we in the hospitality community show it each and every day!!!!

  

Our next time together will be at the GBCA Hospitality Trade Show on April 11, 2016. Be sure you show your GBCA support by being part of this event, whether you are a concierge attending, members showcasing or a volunteer, we need your support.

  

Please reach out to Krissy Beal, our Affiliate Representative and ask how you can give back to the association. We would love to have every member represented at this exciting annual event.

  

With Pride in service,

  

Betty Salemme

GBCA President