Meet Boston President & CEO Martha J. Sheridan will be presented with the annual ICON award by the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) at the School of Hospitality's marquee event, the Hospitality Leadership Summit. The Summit takes place at BU's Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences (665 Comm Avenue) on April 3.
The ICON recognizes an "Experience Innovator" each year who creates new and transformative paradigms in hospitality. BU SHA deemed that Martha J. Sheridan has reimagined Boston's tourism landscape since assuming her role at Meet Boston in 2019.
As a seasoned tourism leader, she now guides a 1,000-plus partnership organization dedicated to fostering a robust and equitable visitor economy in the region. Her leadership has been pivotal in securing major events, including seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at Gillette Stadium and the historic hosting of the 2023 Army-Navy Game in New England. Since taking the reins, Sheridan has quadrupled the operating budget of Meet Boston, an organization she rebranded from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2022.
"I'm incredibly honored to receive the ICON Award. I share this recognition with my Meet Boston colleagues and all of the industry partners who enrich our work and make it possible," said Sheridan. "Boston's sports and entertainment scene is a vital vertical within the travel sector, helping to drive the regional economy while shining a light on Greater Boston as a world-class destination. These major events bring residents and visitors together in a unifying spirit that benefits everyone."
The Hospitality Leadership Summit brings together students and faculty with hospitality industry colleagues for a day-long conference of inspiration and networking. For 2025, the Summit's theme focuses on hospitality in Sports and Entertainment—creating unforgettable fan experiences. The full Summit speaker line-up and registration information is available here.
"We are proud to recognize Martha J. Sheridan with the prestigious ICON Award," stated Arun Upneja, Ph.D., Dean of BU SHA, who will join Sheridan for a fireside chat conversation at the Summit. "Through her visionary leadership, Martha has redefined what it means to create truly memorable experiences. Her seamless integration of sports, entertainment, and hospitality has not only reimagined our region's tourism landscape but also serves as an inspiration to our students—especially as our School prepares to launch a new graduate program in Sports and Entertainment."
Sheridan will also moderate the morning panel of the Summit, "Winning Experiences: Hospitality's Game-Changing Impact on the Fan Journey at Sports & Entertainment Events."
Past School of Hospitality ICON awardees include Padma Lakshmi, an Emmy-nominated producer, television host, food expert, and a New York Times best-selling author, as well as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People (2023); Niki Leondakis, CEO of CorePower Yoga; the co-founders of Airbnb Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia; restaurant pioneer Danny Meyer, Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack; and Richard L. Friedman, President and CEO of Carpenter & Company Inc., credited, among a long list of accolades, for reshaping the Boston skyline with The Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences at One Dalton. For a list of ICON awardees, visit: ICON Award Winners.