Once Beantown makes it through the DNC later this month, it’ll just have two years to recuperate before the American Society of Association Executives comes to town in August 2006. In news just released today, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority announced the coup, which, while far short of the madding crowds expected when the dems come to town, still will bring an influential 5,500 attendees and 450 exhibitors, all eager to see what Boston has to offer for meetings (and probably to see with their own eyes that the Big Dig has finally been Dug).

Unlike the Democratic National Convention, ASAE plans to use the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. I haven’t toured the BCEC since it opened a month ago, but even during a hard-hat tour a year or so ago, it looked pretty darn good. My boss did go to the opening, and she had some serious raves about it. The BCEC will cut its teeth on MacWorld and SAP this month, then will host the Democratic National Convention’s press reception for more than 15,000 guests. The main events will be held at the Fleet Center in downtown, as you’ve probably heard—cause of many a kerfuffle in this most kerfuffly town.

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An article from azcentral points to something that might help keep people within the housing block–rising hotel rates. That’ll work, of course, as long as rate structures continue the current trend of evening out across the board, rather than have huge discounts in some channels, spikes in others. If the whole ocean rises, then it probably won’t do much to bust attrition, though I hate to admit it.

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