State Spotlight:
Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a natural choice for sporting events, blending rich history with world-class facilities. As the birthplace of both basketball and volleyball, the Bay State pairs its legacy with modern venues that welcome everything from international skating championships to championship golf tournaments. Add in premier athletic brands, top-tier universities, and a fan base that lives and breathes competition, and you’ll find a destination where every event feels bigger than the game itself.

State Spotlight:
Massachusetts

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area annually hosts junior and amateur alpine ski races and terrain park events. Courtesy Visit North Central Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a natural choice for sporting events, blending rich history with world-class facilities. As the birthplace of both basketball and volleyball, the Bay State pairs its legacy with modern venues that welcome everything from international skating championships to championship golf tournaments. Add in premier athletic brands, top-tier universities, and a fan base that lives and breathes competition, and you’ll find a destination where every event feels bigger than the game itself.

Boston

Boston is the state capital and the state’s largest city. The city offers rich history, top-notch venues and thousands of hotel rooms, not to mention plenty of attractions for pre- or post-event fun.

Hotel Rooms: 26,000
Major Facilities:
  • TD Garden is a multipurpose arena with a capacity of 19,600
  • Fenway Park is a 37,731-seat ballpark
  • Gillette Stadium is a football stadium with a capacity of 65,878
Convention Center:

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center boasts 516,000 square feet of column-free, contiguous space. Hynes Convention Center features 176,480 square feet of flexible space.

Contact:

Greater Boston CVB, bostonusa.com.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is strategically located between Boston and New York, with seasonal air access from both to Hyannis Gateway Airport A modern network of highways (Route 95, Route 195, Route 3 and Route 93, Route I-90, Route 495, Routes 28 and 6, and Route 250) also provides ready automobile access to Cape Cod.

Hotel Rooms: 17,100
Hotel tax rate: 5.7 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Cape Cod offers a number of fields for baseball, softball, field hockey, soccer, and football, as well as gyms, ice hockey rinks
Contact:

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, CapeCodChamber.org.

Central Massachusetts

Central Massachusetts offers a blend of rich sports history, diverse facilities, and a vibrant community that embraces a variety of sports. Its central location in New England makes it accessible for regional tournaments and events.

Hotel Rooms: 2,000
Major Facilities:
  • DCU Center in Worcester houses 300,000 square feet of space and can seat up to 13,000 for sports events
  • Polar Park is a 9,508-seat baseball stadium
  • Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field is a 3,000-seat ballpark
  • Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center includes 100,000 square feet of space and includes two NHL-size rinks
  • Lake Quinsigamond features a 2,000-meter rowing course
Contact:

Central Massachusetts, discovercentralma.org

Marlborough

Located at the crossroads of New England, Marlborough is a unique location between Worcester and Boston with access to major interstate highways such as I-495, I-290, and I-90. Home to 11 hotels, Marlborough houses close to 2000 hotel rooms, along with the Apex Center of New England, the region’s largest entertainment complex and Solomon Pond Mall, the area’s largest fashion-shopping destination.

Hotel Rooms: 1898
Hotel tax rate: 11.7 percent
Major Facilities:
  • New England Sports Center has eight full-size indoor rinks and two studio rinks
  • Fore Kicks Outdoor & Indoor Sportsplex is a multi-sport facility with a 135,000-square-foot indoor Megaplex with seven indoor sports fields, as well as two outdoor synthetic grass turf fields
  • Williams Street Baseball fields has three baseball fields
Contact:

Visit Marlborough, visit-marlborough.com.

Merrimack Valley

The Greater Merrimack Valley has a rich cultural and historical heritage and boasts a scenic natural setting along the Merrimack River and its canals. The area hosts a variety of sporting events throughout the year.

Hotel Rooms: 7,000
Major Facilities:
  • Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell is a multipurpose indoor venue
  • Merrimack River hosts rowing races
Contact:

Greater Merrimack Valley CVB, merrimackvalley.org.

MetroWest

MetroWest is comprised of numerous cities and towns that are just a 20- to 40-minute drive from Boston or Worcester. It’s location makes it a big draw for the region.

Hotel Rooms: 6100
Major Facilities:
  • Bowditch Athletic Complex is the largest stadium between Boston and Worcester and hosts football, soccer, lacrosse, track, baseball, tennis, and basketball
  • Team Works is a 70,000-square-foot indoor facility with four indoor turf fields
  • New England Baseball Complex has three lighted fields also suitable for softball, soccer, and lacrosse
Contact:

MetroWest Visitors Bureau, metrowestvisitors.org.

North Central Massachusetts

Located just 30 miles from Boston, North Central Massachusetts is a scenic and dynamic New England region that offers an abundance of four season activities for families and groups. From the many farms and orchards and hiking trails, to the world class museums and budding craft beverage industry, the region has something for everyone.

Hotel Rooms: 1400
Hotel tax rate: ranges from 9.7 percent to 11.7 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Massachusetts Youth Soccer Fields at Progin Park has 11 natural grass and five synthetic turf fields
  • Devens Recreation manages 1700 acres of outdoor space
  • Game-On Sports and Performance Center has seven outdoor turf fields
Contact:

North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, northcentralmass.com.

Springfield

Springfield is located in Western Massachusetts, which boasts great access via Interstates 90 and 91, along with Bradley International Airport close by.  There are also numerous attractions to enjoy before, during, and after the event.

Hotel Rooms: 1366 downtown; 6000 regionwide
Hotel tax rate: 13.45 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Eastern States Exposition is a 175-acre facility with 355,000 square feet of space on one level, including a 5000-seat arena, and outdoor space
Convention Center:

Downtown Springfield’s MassMutual Convention Center houses an 8,000-seat arena that hosts a variety of indoor sports, including volleyball, gymnastics, and cheer and dance.

Contact:

Greater Springfield CVB, explorewesternmass.com.