Choose Boston

Choose Boston

Choose Boston is an economic development and destination marketing organization focused on promoting the Greater Boston region to businesses, students, and talent. The organization operates at the intersection of municipal, academic, and private sector interests to attract investment, multinational corporations, research institutions, and international students. Its activities connect Boston-area assets such as universities, hospitals, technology clusters, and cultural institutions with global markets and talent pipelines.

History

Choose Boston's roots trace to a tradition of civic boosterism and regional development that includes entities like Boston Planning & Development Agency, Massachusetts Port Authority, and legacy chambers such as the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The organization emerged in the early 2010s amid competition with global metros including New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto for corporate headquarters, research facilities, and international students. Early strategic partnerships drew on the region's concentrations at institutions including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, and Tufts University, as well as medical centers such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Choose Boston's trajectory intersected with statewide initiatives led by figures connected to Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and economic strategies promoted by administrations associated with Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker. Throughout its development, the organization engaged with nonprofit development networks such as Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and collaborated with consortia like the Biogen Foundation and corporate actors such as Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Biogen to leverage life sciences growth.

Organization and Governance

Choose Boston is structured as a public-private partnership that brings together municipal leadership from City of Boston officials, private sector executives from firms like State Street Corporation and Fidelity Investments, and academic representatives from institutions including Northeastern University and Simmons University. The board and advisory councils historically included leaders with ties to civic organizations such as the Boston Foundation and economic intermediaries like MassChallenge and New England Council. Governance reflects coordination with state-level entities including Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and regional planning authorities such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Operational leadership interfaces with destination marketing organizations around the United States, comparing models used by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, NYC & Company, and Visit Orlando to inform accountability, strategic planning, and performance metrics. Funding streams combine contributions from corporate sponsors, institutional partners, philanthropic supporters such as the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation-affiliated donors, and municipal appropriations through Boston City Hall budget processes.

Services and Programs

Choose Boston offers a portfolio of services aimed at business attraction, talent recruitment, and student enrollment support. Business-facing programs provide site selection assistance, incentives navigation aligned with Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and tax credit programs influenced by policies tied to Massachusetts General Court, and introductions to real estate markets anchored by developers like Boston Properties and Hines. Talent initiatives engage with career pipelines at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College, Suffolk University, and community partners including Bunker Hill Community College to link international students and domestic graduates with employers such as General Electric and Raytheon Technologies. Student recruitment programs collaborate with international education networks and university admissions offices to amplify Boston’s appeal alongside cities such as Cambridge, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts. Choose Boston also runs targeted campaigns for sectors including life sciences, fintech, robotics, and clean energy, coordinating with incubators and accelerators like Spark Capital and Greentown Labs. Event services involve hosting delegations, trade missions, and conference attraction in coordination with venue operators at locations such as the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and cultural partners including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Economic Impact and Partnerships

Choose Boston measures impact by tracking job creation, capital investment, and student enrollment trends that influence regional clusters across biotechnology, higher education, and finance. Partnerships with institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and corporate research centers such as Novartis contribute to cluster expansion that mirrors patterns seen in regions supported by Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Silicon Valley ecosystems. Collaboration with workforce development organizations including Jobs for the Future and retraining initiatives linked to MassHire seeks to connect underrepresented neighborhoods in Boston to opportunities created by incoming firms. Public-private investment models involve stakeholders such as John Hancock Financial and regional venture funds alongside philanthropic partners like The Boston Foundation to underwrite programs and economic development projects. Impact assessments often reference benchmarking against metrics used by international peers including London & Partners and Invest in Germany to quantify foreign direct investment and cross-border research partnerships.

Marketing and International Recruitment

Choose Boston's marketing emphasizes the region’s educational assets, research hospitals, innovation districts, and cultural offerings to recruit multinational firms, international students, and conferences. Campaigns showcase anchor institutions such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab, and clinical research centers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to appeal to decision-makers in sectors represented by companies like Google, Amazon, and Pfizer. The organization conducts overseas outreach through trade missions and partnerships with consulates and trade offices connected to countries such as China, India, United Kingdom, Germany, and South Korea, and coordinates with university international admissions teams to attract students from markets including Brazil, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. Promotional work aligns with conference bidding and convention services to bring events to venues like the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and cultural festivals in partnership with institutions such as Boston Center for the Arts and ICA Boston.

Category:Organizations based in Boston