Latest news with #MeetBoston
Boston Globe
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
After a successful 4 Nations Face-Off, Boston bidding to host World Cup of Hockey in 2028
One of the cities will host the semifinals and championship games. The event will be the fourth edition of the World Cup of Hockey, with the tournament being held in 1996 in Philadelphia and Montreal. Toronto hosted the event in both 2004 and 2016. Advertisement Cities from anywhere in the world are invited to submit bids. Selecting cities anywhere other than North America or Europe would come as no small surprise. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The United States won the first World Cup, and finished as the runner-up to Canada in the next two. In February, TD Garden hosted the 4 Nations Face-Off, a new NHL player-only event played in lieu of the NHL All-Star Game. 'We've made significant investments in TD Garden and The Hub on Causeway to establish ourselves as a premier destination for major national and international events,' said Thornborough. 'The success of the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February — with an electric atmosphere fueled by passionate fans — further cemented Boston's standing on the world stage. We're putting forward a bold, competitive bid and are grateful for the partnership with the City of Boston and MeetBoston to help bring this world-class tournament to TD Garden.' Advertisement The World Cup of Hockey is expected to take place every four years beginning in 2028, alternating by two years with the Winter Olympics. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Initial bids are due July 17, with the National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association overseeing the selection process. Cities making the first cut will begin the official Request for Proposals process in August. A selection announcement is expected sometime in the first quarter of next year. 'The World Cup of Hockey is a showcase of international hockey at the highest level, and we are thrilled to begin the host city selection process for 2028,' said Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, in a statement. 'This tournament offers cities a chance to be part of something truly global, while delivering meaningful economic and cultural benefits in return.' Marty Walsh, the former Boston mayor and executive director of the NHLPA, added, 'The World Cup of Hockey 2028 will bring together the best players in the world, representing their countries with pride,' said Walsh. 'We look forward to working with cities that want to help shape the future of international hockey and inspire a new generation of hockey fans.' The World Cup of Hockey is expected to take place every four years beginning in 2028, alternating by two years with the Winter Olympics. Next February, the NHL will pause its schedule to allow players to compete for their countries in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Advertisement Michael Silverman can be reached at
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
The 2026 World Cup is one year away: How plans for Boston's seven games are progressing and what comes next
Or New England, for that matter. 'It's bigger than I've ever seen in my lifetime and perhaps that we'll see in the next lifetime, I'm not sure,' said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. 'Nothing would compare to this. This is what we would call an outlier.' Next year's World Cup will be the first with 104 games to be played by 48 teams, an increase of 12 countries over the World Cups since 1998, and twice as many games and teams as there were in 1994, when the US last hosted the World Cup. In that World Cup, the six games at the smaller Foxboro Stadium generated some $50 million in revenues. Advertisement Organizers expect this one to create more than 5,000 jobs and for $60 million in revenues for the state and city. Not included in the $1.1 billion, a figure the organizing committee said is based on independent studies, is free media exposure estimated to be worth 'hundreds of millions of dollars,' said Mike Loynd, president and CEO of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026. Also left out of the billion-dollar equation is 'future legacy,' which Loynd said refers to economic growth that will accrue from 'the region being recognized as a great place to do business and visit. Advertisement 'I don't think we've ever seen this sort of density of events this close together with this amount of attention paid internationally. We're seeing hundreds of thousands of viewers per event, at a minimum, on average for the games, and the quarterfinal [on July 9] will be massive. The eyes of the world will be on us.' Before the hordes and cameras arrive, Boston organizers will continue to chip away at a formidable to-do list that's been growing since FIFA included Boston on its list of 16 North American host cities almost three years ago. A few items, such as festooning South Station with 'Boston 26″ paraphernalia and unveiling a countdown clock at Faneuil Hall Wednesday morning, are being activated at one year away. The biggest pieces of the puzzle, such as security, transportation, funding, and FanFest specifics, are still being hammered out. Other items, such as many of the stadium modifications, have to wait for the Patriots' upcoming season to end. There's a lot of legwork left before visitors start swiping and tapping their credit cards. Loynd and Sheridan sat down with the Globe recently to provide a progress report. Pillow talk There are enough beds for everyone. 'We'll be fine,' said Sheridan, citing a high density of hotel properties across Boston and southern New England. FIFA is holding about 3,900 rooms a night for approximately 40 days. Reservations should roughly happen in three waves, beginning this week when hotels open their systems 12 months out, after the draw in December when fans across the globe learn where their team will be playing, and in the weeks and days as the tournament approaches. Advertisement Immigration worries Because the Trump administration's aggressive stance and actions regarding illegal and legal immigrants is well-documented and ongoing, an influx of foreigners in every one of the 11 US host cities will be fraught. However, Boston organizers voiced confidence that the close relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump, as well as the president's desire to pull off a tournament without controversy, will decrease the possibility of problems. 'The administration is hyperfocused on making this event successful; they know they're in the spotlight,' said Sheridan. 'I think the administration is going to be uber-focused on making sure that the inbound process is as smooth as possible.' Safe and sound Each host city has been in talks with the Department of Homeland Security and FIFA over the last two years to coordinate over common concerns and to anticipate trouble spots at the stadium, traffic routes, and fan-gathering sites. Locally, Loynd's organizing committee and the state chair a steering committee on security that has 18 subgroups that include representation from about 30 public agencies, including the Boston and state police, chiefs of staff from the governor and Boston mayor's office, the state's emergency operations center, MBTA, and Amtrak security. The federal government has dedicated $625 million to help with security in the US cities. No texting while idling Nobody should be under the impression that getting in and out of Boston Stadium will somehow be quicker and easier than the usual congestion around Gillette Stadium for concerts and Patriots and Revolution games. Because fewer spectators will be traveling to the Boston area with a car than for normal stadium events, there will be an even heavier reliance on public transportation. Advertisement The frequency of commuter rail trips will increase and bus routes will be added to supplement train service. Boston organizers and MBTA officials are working together on transportation issues. Organizers are still finalizing plans on whether satellite parking lots for buses will be used, plus working on other solutions to mitigate congestion. Stadium makeover In order to provide enough space for a properly sized FIFA pitch, crews will have to make four corner cuts in the curved corners of the lower seating bowl. Those will happen soon, with temporary seating provided during the Patriots season so capacity will not shrink. An exact capacity figure for the soccer games is not available, but with the corner cuts and an extra media tribune being built over seating in the south end of the stadium, capacity will be less than the 65,878 for Patriots games. Whenever the Patriots' season ends, crews will finish installing the subair system that, along with grow lights, will be needed for the new grass field. In addition to removing Gillette Stadium signage, any current corporate signage will be covered so that only FIFA's corporate sponsors' logos can be seen by fans and TV viewers. A Gillette Stadium makeover for World Cup games next year will be completed once the Patriots' upcoming season ends. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Who's got tickets FIFA maintains tight control on the vast majority of tickets for each game and has yet to provide information on sales and pricing. The Boston committee will receive a modest allotment that will be reserved mainly for its sponsors and donors. There will not be more information on tickets before the end of FIFA's Club World Cup taking place in the US now through mid-July. Keep an eye out for Advertisement More than a game There will be a central FanFest site located in Boston, but the big reveal on where and what it will entail is not ready. There also will be public viewing sites across New England. Once the draw is completed, the committee will try, if possible, to focus celebratory activities in any regional area heavily populated by native fans of incoming national teams. On Wednesday morning, a countdown clock for the start of the World Cup will start ticking outside Faneuil Hall. In the afternoon, Governor Maura Healey and assorted soccer luminaries will take part in a soccer demonstration and panel discussion at Boston University's Nickerson Field. There will be costs Loynd said the committee is working on a budget with an unknown final figure but one that is expected to fall between $75 million and $100 million. 'We're never going to build anything more than what we can financially afford,' said Loynd. Besides security and transportation costs, there are costs associated with FanFest and other celebratory sites, none of which have been finalized. Ronald O'Hanley, chair and CEO of State Street Bank, is chairing an honorary board with members, many of whom will be donors, being announced in the coming weeks. Meet Boston provided $5 million for Boston 26, said Sheridan. What's left behind It's too early for details, but Boston 26 will be building multiple soccer fields in underserved communities, said Loynd. Boston 26 also intends to develop programming for a 'collective group of social impact programs that exist across New England to work together,' he said. Advertisement Boston's World Cup games Boston will host seven games in the 2026 World Cup. The matchups and details will come after the draw is announced in December. Saturday, June 13 : Group C game Tuesday, June 16 : Group I game Friday, June 19 : Group C game Tuesday, June 23 : Group L game Friday, June 26 : Group I game Monday, June 29 : Group E winner vs. Group A/B/C/D/F third-place game Thursday, July 9 : Quarterfinal game Michael Silverman can be reached at
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rhode Island should not follow Massachusetts' tax mistakes
Eight ducklings follow their mother in Nancy Schön's 'Make Way for Ducklings' statues in Boston Common. Rhode Island would be wise not to follow Massachusetts when it comes to taxing high earner, according to the Tax Foundation. (Photo by Kyle Klein/Meet Boston) Rhode Island lawmakers are debating raising the state's top income tax rate. Though billed as a tax hike on high earners, the consequences would manifest across the state's entire economy — creating a risk that Rhode Island will tax its way into uncompetitiveness. The two identical bills — H5473, sponsored by Rep. Karen Alzate, a Pawtucket Democrat, in the House and S329, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, in the Senate — would raise the state's top marginal individual income tax rate from 5.99% to 8.99% on income above approximately $625,000 (in 2025 dollars), adjusted for inflation. Though structured as a surtax, this proposal effectively creates a fourth income tax bracket, and one that doubles down on the marriage penalty that already puts married couples at a disadvantage compared to single filers. It erodes whatever tax advantage Rhode Island currently has against higher-tax peers elsewhere in New England. If enacted, Rhode Island would have the eighth highest top marginal state individual income tax rate in the country (excluding the District of Columbia), up from the 14th highest currently. Millionaire's tax proposal is getting a warm reception from new R.I. Senate leadership Had these changes been in effect last year, Rhode Island would have clocked in on Tax Foundation's 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index at 43rd overall, down from its current rank of 39th. But a poor ranking shouldn't be the only deterrent to lawmakers who are on the fence about this proposal. Small businesses would be among the biggest losers under this tax increase. In 2022, over half of Rhode Island individual income tax filers with adjusted gross income exceeding $500,000 had income or losses from a pass-through business. Such businesses are often small stores or family operations that fuel their communities' Main Streets. This tax hike would make it more difficult for businesses to stay afloat, forcing many to raise prices, lay off employees, or move out of state to escape an increasingly punitive tax climate. New investment, likewise, would be more difficult to attract since Rhode Island would no longer be a relatively tax-friendly beacon in the Northeast. Currently, Rhode Island outcompetes Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont in tax structure, and Massachusetts' recent tax increase gives Rhode Island another opportunity to position itself as a superior competitor. Instead, proponents of this tax increase seem eager to imitate their neighbor's mistake. Massachusetts, in 2023, abandoned the state's previously enviable flat income tax by imposing a similar surtax. The impacts didn't take long to manifest. According to recent Census data, Massachusetts saw among the highest rates of net outbound migration in the country in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. And at a time when uncertainty stemming from White House orders is putting additional strain on businesses, millionaire's taxes are a strong deterrent to entrepreneurs and businesses with slim profit margins. Still, some try to say tax hikes don't matter or that this data is overblown. Some believe Massachusetts has been impervious to the adverse economic consequences states like California, New York, and Washington experienced when they raised taxes on high earners, pointing to higher-than-expected revenues from the state's new tax on high earners. But Massachusetts is not defying gravity. Years of stock market gains have boosted income for high earners across the country, and those income increases are more than enough to obscure the outmigration and reduced investment caused by the higher tax. When, inevitably, those gains subside, Massachusetts will face the realities created by its high taxes. Similarly, a report from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), for example, claims Massachusetts has 'seen tremendous growth in the number of people with more than $1 million in total wealth since raising taxes on higher earners.' The IPS study, unfortunately, is deeply flawed. To begin, it only looks at 2018-2022 — a period when inflation surged and incomes grew rapidly across the country (up almost 12% in nominal terms). Not to mention, a time when Massachusetts didn't have a millionaire's tax. But even conceding that overall wealth grew during that period, IPS gives no context to Massachusetts' performance, which is quite poor compared to the national average. Every state saw an increase in total millionaires after the pandemic, but Massachusetts' 36% increase from 2018-2022 was the fifth lowest in the country. Some states saw triple-digit increases. This raises the question: Why are Rhode Island lawmakers using this legislative session to try and emulate Massachusetts instead of trying to outcompete them? Rhode Island should take this opportunity to distinguish itself from the rest of New England by resisting harmful tax increases and instead reinforcing its current position as a more attractive alternative to its ultra-high-tax neighbors. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
02-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Michael Busack steps into the spotlight as new head of Club Passim
Advertisement With the Trustees, music was a part of the bigger job. Now, as executive director of Passim, one of the country's most prominent folk music venues, it's his entire job. He oversees a $1.5 million annual budget with 10 full- and part-time administrative staffers, as well as a roster of around 40 part-time servers, teachers, and event workers — with shows and classes happening almost every day of the year. Among his challenges will be figuring out how to expand Passim's presence beyond the walls of the cozy basement club and its offices and classrooms on a floor above the club, in a Harvard University -owned building at the corner of Church and Palmer streets. 'There's no room to grow in this current space,' Busack said. 'We're programmed to the max.' Advertisement Passim's leaders are in active conversations to help present shows at bigger, different venues across Greater Boston. The goals: to broaden the number of people who can come to the shows, expand the programming beyond the traditional folk music the club is known for, and reach different audiences. 'We have to think a little bigger and bolder about how we continue to operate in the future,' Busack said. Most staffers sing or play an instrument of some sort, and usually show off their talents at a quarterly show put on by Passim employees and board members. Busack said he hopes to pick up an instrument at some point so he can join in. 'The team here is encouraging me to take lessons,' Busack said. 'This will give me the right amount of pressure to figure something out. I don't want to not contribute as the new guy.' New role for Meet Boston exec Hilina Ajakaiye is taking a new job as chief strategy officer at the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. HANDOUT Meet Boston 's Hilina Ajakaiye is stepping into a new national role, but she's not stepping away from Boston. This week, Ajakaiye takes a new job as chief strategy officer at the Staying in Boston allows her to maintain her roles at local nonprofits, including as board chair of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and a board member of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts . Ajakaiye joined Meet Boston, the region's tourism bureau, in 2020 as its executive vice president. As the world reopened from the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped chief executive Martha Sheridan reposition Meet Boston to better support the industry's recovery. Advertisement Ajakaiye — a first-generation Ethiopian immigrant — strengthened Meet Boston's connection to communities of color and helped spearhead the 'There's a huge opportunity,' Ajakaiye said. 'A lot of folks don't know how to galvanize the community and how to make people feel welcome, so that'll be my focus.' Nonprofit law firms team up Pioneer Law president Frank Bailey. Photo courtesy of Pioneer For the past few years, Boston has essentially had two free-market-oriented, nonprofit law firms, the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center and the New England Legal Foundation . Now, there will be only one, as the Pioneer law center acquires some of NELF's assets, including the brand name. The Pioneer law center will be rebranded as the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation , or PNELF, and led by Frank Bailey , a former federal judge who became Pioneer's first president in 2022. (The Pioneer law center is a separate nonprofit from the Pioneer Institute led by Jim Stergios , though they share back-office services, among other connections.) Bailey said NELF's board decided to wind down its operations, so it reached out to Bailey and Pioneer chair Brackett Denniston to propose what Bailey calls a 'strategic alliance.' Several NELF board members are joining the Pioneer law center's board, as is NELF president Natalie Logan ; NELF attorney Ben Robbins is now on Pioneer's four-person legal staff. And Pioneer will also take over the John G. L. Cabot Award Dinner, an annual NELF fund-raiser that will return in 2026. Advertisement Both groups get involved in legal cases related to economic fairness and free enterprise, Bailey said, though Pioneer also works on cases that advance educational opportunity or government transparency. Unlike NELF, which focused on appellate cases, Pioneer will also initiate complaints, and follow them through to trial, if necessary. Pioneer also has welcomed members of the various NELF advisory councils in New England, who help surface legal causes worth championing. 'We're going to be more effective,' Bailey said. 'We have been involved in matters outside of Massachusetts already [but] the best way to do that is to have people on the ground in those other states. That's what the advisory councils bring us.' 'First big milestone' for Holocaust museum At the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Holocaust Museum Boston, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, center, spoke with Jody Kipnis (left), and Todd Ruderman (right), cofounders of the Holocaust Legacy Foundation and Holocaust Museum Boston. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Jody Kipnis has been working on the concept of Here were Boston Mayor Michelle Wu , city Councilor Ed Flynn , and State House power brokers — including Senate President Karen Spilka , House Speaker Ron Mariano , and House Ways and Means chair Aaron Michlewitz — gathered to salute this once-crazy dream Kipnis and Todd Ruderman had, a dream that's getting much closer to reality. 'I don't think it hit until today, the gravity of what we're doing,' Kipnis said afterward. 'This was the first big milestone for us, publicly.' When general contractor Lee Kennedy Co. completes the project in late 2026, the Holocaust Museum Boston will stretch across six floors of a 33,000-square-foot building at 125 Tremont St., facing Boston Common. Kipnis, a former dental hygienist, now leads the Holocaust Legacy Foundation , a nonprofit she formed in 2018 with Ruderman to keep the stories and lessons from the Holocaust alive for new generations. Advertisement Their foundation bought a three-story building on that site for $11.5 million in 2022, using money that Ruderman and Kipnis contributed. Their initial plans called for retrofitting the structure, but then they decided to build something new, and twice the size, to fulfill their ambitious vision. They say they have raised around two-thirds of the $100 million construction cost; a supplemental budget under consideration at the State House could provide up to $10 million in state funds. It all started with a trip they took in 2018 to Auschwitz with Holocaust survivor and friend David Schaecter , who told them: You've seen Auschwitz, so now what are you going to do? The foundation they created was initially intended to fund fellowships for teens to learn about the Holocaust. The COVID-19 pandemic paused that plan. Kipnis and Ruderman came up with a more ambitious one. The museum will feature a donated Nazi-era rail car, personal artifacts from the Holocaust, as well as an interactive holographic exhibit featuring interviews with Schaecter. 'This is not a Jewish museum, this is a museum for everyone,' said Ruderman, owner of the Value Store It chain. 'We're using the Jewish people as an example of what happens when democracy breaks down.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
02-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Hilina Ajakaiye is leaving Meet Boston for big role with national convention trade group
Staying in Boston also allows her to maintain her roles at local nonprofits, including as board chair of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and a board member of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts. Ajakaiye joined Meet Boston, the region's tourism marketing bureau, in 2020 as its executive vice president. It was a pivotal moment when COVID-19 decimated the travel industry, and as the world re-opened, she helped CEO Martha Sheridan reposition Meet Boston to better support the industry's recovery. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ajakaiye — a first-generation Ethiopian immigrant who understands how travel can provide economic opportunity — strengthened Meet Boston's connection to communities of color and helped spearhead the Advertisement That's a key reason why the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals wanted to bring Ajakaiye on board – to build the pipeline of Black travel professionals and bring awareness to the size of the Black travel market in the US, Advertisement 'There's a huge opportunity,' said Ajakaiye, who also wants to attract more Black tourists here from abroad. 'It's really a win and win for everyone. But a lot of folks don't know how to galvanize the community and how to make people feel welcome so that'll be my focus.' This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene. Shirley Leung is a Business columnist. She can be reached at
