One of the funniest films ever and one of my favorites is This Is Spinal Tap, the 1984 mockumentary about the misadventures of a fictional rock band. It includes a number of classic lines including this gem of an exchange between the group’s manager and its guitarist/singer:
David St. Hubbins: What?
Ian Faith: Yeah. I wouldn’t worry about it though, it’s not a big college town.
Of course, the line is absurd given the city’s status as the preeminent college town. Beyond the youthful vitality its students bring, the steady stream of well-educated graduates available for the regional workforce, the valuable research that is conducted, and many other benefits that the wealth of schools makes possible, the colleges and universities offer an additional, perhaps under-the-radar resource: conference host.
The organization, Campus Conference Solutions, capitalizes on the concept by partnering with a number of schools in the region and offering a full range of services to meeting planners. Let’s say you are responsible for putting together a conference and have targeted Massachusetts as the location for your event. Imagine inviting your attendees to spend a few days at Wheelock College, Babson College, or Stonehill College, to name a few of the schools that CCS represents. The organization can help you identify a host university, coordinate meeting spaces, arrange for audio-visual equipment and services, secure overnight accommodations (in lovely dorms, suites, and townhouses no less), and plan tours and activities in and around Boston.
Consider taking advantage of the city’s reputation as the foremost college town for your next conference. On a 10-point scale for unique and memorable ways to experience Boston, the rating for a meeting coordinated by Campus Conference Solutions would, as Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel might put it, “go to 11.”
Photo: Campus Conference Solutions
Surely, but oh-so-slowly, the days are getting warmer here in Boston, and that means our minds turn to baseball (actually, that’s a year-round passion in these parts), ice cream (actually, ditto on the year-round obsession. Fun Massachusetts fact: We have one of the highest per-capita consumption rates of the cool, creamy stuff despite the cold weather we endure), and cars. Mind you, we’re not as car crazy as California, but after months of digging out our vehicles from snow banks and suffering with a constant patina of road salt on our finishes, we enjoy giving them a good scrubbing and hitting the open road. As soon as the temperature rises into the balmy 40s, many diehards will lower the tops on their convertibles — and stop for an ice cream cone.
Usually, Bostonians join together at Fenway Park to commiserate about the beloved Red Sox and to share hot dogs, popcorn, sausage subs, and cups of beer. On May 15, folks will gather at the baseball shrine and, while they will likely commiserate about the hometown team, the food they will share will be considerably more sophisticated. That’s because in yet another impressive demonstration of the Boston Strong spirit and sense of community, 100 (100!) of the city’s top chefs will be dishing out signature dishes at the mother of all tasting events. Called Boston Bites Back (love the name), proceeds will benefit 
The Boston I love has been abundantly evident in the days and weeks following the senseless and tragic Patriots’ Day bombings. From the emotional and inspiring rendition of the national anthem at the first Bruins game after the marathon to the comforting tradition of the Swan Boats returning to the Public Garden, I’ve been constantly reminded why I’m proud to say, as The Standells so eloquently put it, “Oh, oh, Boston, you’re my home.”
Would you like to star in your own reality TV show? Short of marrying a Kardashian or having a set of pipes like Massachusetts’ own American Idol, Angie Miller (go Angie!), you have two chances: slim and nada. But you could play the game, 
The response to the Marathon bombings has been remarkable. In ways large and small, the Boston community as well as the world community have let it be known that we will remain strong — Boston Strong — and stand by the victims. 
There have been countless examples of the city’s strength, united purpose, and resiliency in the face of the Marathon bombings. Here are some more reasons why we are Boston Strong. Dedicated to providing the highest levels of hospitality to guests, hotels and restaurants near the site of the tragedy extended their legendary hospitality to law enforcement officials — and to one another.
From rousing renditions of The Star Spangled Banner and Sweet Caroline to a Shubert string quartet or a captivating dance program, the arts have a way of stirring souls, uniting audiences in appreciation, and, in the case of a post-Marathon broken community such as ours, helping us heal and shining a beacon on the positive, beautiful, and profound things that bind us. We have plenty of homegrown and Boston-based artists, such as James Taylor, Aerosmith, the Boston Pops, and American Idol‘s Angie Miller. (Go Angie! Don’t forget to vote.) But we also heartily welcome visiting performers, such as Neil Diamond, to help us be Boston Strong.
Performances include 
