BOSTON — The convention season is off and running and one of the biggest events all year is underway this weekend at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Tens of thousands of people will attend the PAX East video game convention. The Boston Wine Expo is also back for the first time since the pandemic.
Inside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center gamers were pouring in for PAX East. The four day gaming convention is drawing pre-pandemic crowds. “The numbers are way up and everyone is back and having a great time,” said one attendee.
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority is leaving masking protocols up to each event as their convention season kicks off. MCCA General Manager Diane DiAntonio told us they have had a great turnout at all of their events this year. “Here in Boston it’s come back faster than anyone anticipated. People want to be here,” said DiAntonio. “The hotels are full, the restaurants are full, we’re full. We are busting at the seams. It’s wonderful.”
For the first time since the pandemic, The Boston Wine Expo is back at its new venue inside the Park Plaza hotel. Raffaele Scalzi is the director of the event that runs both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Masks are not required but there are some precautions. “We are splitting the days into sessions just so we are not overcrowding the events and there is plenty of room for people to walk and sample,” said Scalzi.
Event organizers say overall the convention business is back. “Most of the events coming in now have attendance in the size they had pre-pandemic,” said DiAntonio. During the pandemic everything went virtual which was okay for a lot of these gamers but they say these in person conventions are very important. “You get to see all this cool stuff around gaming and gaming culture. It really makes you feel like you are at home,” said one woman.
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