Mayor Walsh launches review of city event management to ensure best practices

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today a comprehensive review of the city's management of large scale events, in order to ensure that the Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment has access to the right outside resources and expertise, as well as the right internal protocols and policies in place. The review will draw upon experts in all facets of events production and management.

"With increasing frequency, Boston has become a sought-after location for events, often large scale multi-day events such as concerts and races," said Mayor Walsh. "We have also seen increasing demand for Boston as a location for film and TV production. These have proven to be powerful marketing and tourism opportunities for the city. We have also recognized that the bigger the event, the more complex it is to manage properly. And, I want to make sure that our agencies and staff have the right training and tools to do so properly." 

Mayor Walsh has asked three local professionals with deep expertise in various facets of event management to serve on a committee that will oversee a top to bottom review of the city's event management. The local professionals are Larry Moulter, Executive in Residence at the Center for Collaborative Leadership at UMass Boston and CEO of the New Boston Garden Corporation, who is regarded as among the most knowledgeable of sports management experts and formerly served as CEO of Best of Boston, the largest event management company in the state; Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events, a premier event planner and designer in the country; and Colette Phillips of Colette Phillips Communications, a strategic public relations and event production firm.  

In addition, Attorney Brian Kelly, who reviewed the city's interaction with Top Chef and has continued to provide advice on policies and procedures, will serve as a consultant to the committee to ensure an ethical process for all event managers. 

"My intent is to build on what we learned from the review that Attorney Brian Kelly conducted of interactions and permitting procedures related to the filming of Top Chef in Boston. That report on Top Chef brought transparency to how the city interacted with that particular production and I want to make sure that we build on that knowledge, learn from it and are using best practices in this field," added Walsh. "I have a team of young energetic and dedicated professionals in this area. They need the right tools and some guidance to ensure that they know how to manage high-profile events."

The city hosts numerous high-profile events every year, such the Boston Marathon, Sail Boston and an upcoming Adidas track meet that will be held in Boston for the first time this summer. Additionally, Boston serves as a filming location for feature films, currently Patriots Day and Stronger, and television programs.