2001

WHAT's NEW: 2001

New Project Manager Joins the Practice

POSTED: August 24, 2001

We are pleased to announce that Karen Barone will be joining City Square Associates, Inc. in the role of Project Manager, effective September 4, 2001. She fills a vacancy left by Steven Westort who has left City Square Associates and the city of Boston in pursuit of new experiences in New York City.

Karen comes to us from Upromise, Inc., where she managed consumer research, designed and implemented a variety of marketing initiatives, and created the company’s volunteer program. With a background in sociology and women’s studies from Brandeis University and experience as a Harvard Business School research associate, Karen brings outstanding analytic, interpersonal, and organizational skills to the work of City Square.

Meanwhile, we're sad to see Steven leave. He was City Square’s first permanent full-time employee, having joined the firm in 1998 as a Research Assistant. Since then, he has distinguished himself as a superior project manager and a prime contributor to research design and analysis. We will especially miss his skill at client and vendor relations.

Join us in wishing Steven well on his new adventure and making Karen feel welcome!

City Square Study Reveals Economic Impact of Convention Center Events

POSTED: July 30, 2001

Fulfilling a corporate commitment to bring the practice of marketing research to the public sector, City Square has just released the findings of year-long study designed to measure the economic impact of events held at Boston's Hynes Convention Center.The chart below tells the story: $348 million dollars spent by out-of-state delegates while in the Boston area for events held at the Hynes Convention Center.

Economic Impact at Hynes
click to view full image.

The study was front page news in The Boston Business Journal and received prominent notice in The Boston Herald, which emphasized visitors' favorite attractions in the Boston area. The Boston Globe covered the story too, juxtaposing the good news about the economic impact of the Hynes with the not-so-good news about rising construction costs at Boston's new convention and exhibition center in the Seaport District. City Square is now in the process of designing a three year research plan to help the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority [MCCA] track its performance in both quantitative and qualitative terms. We are proud to be the MCCA's research partner!

Research Director Takes New Position

POSTED: April 01, 2001

At the end of April, Senior Research Director Vivian Harris will be leaving City Square Associates to take a position at a research firm located closer to her home in Maine. Vivian joined us in 1999 and since then has distinguished herself as a manager, analyst, writer, and interviewer. We wish her well in her new job.

Effectively immediately, Project Manager Steve Westort will assume responsibility for the management of our overall project calendar. All inquiries regarding the availability of dates for new research as well as the status of work in progress should be directed to him. Steve will continue to provide field management and supervise data entry.

Mandi Logan who joined us in the Fall as an Administrative Associate will assume the position of Research Associate. In addition to taking your calls when you dial City Square, Mandi will now be providing project support, including data entry, report production, and facilities management. Steve, Mandi, and I will make it our top priority to maintain the standards of responsiveness and care that you’ve come to expect from City Square Associates.

In the coming months, we will be adding another full-time research professional to our staff. This is not just a matter of “filling a slot,” but rather of finding and inviting another person to shape City Square through the application of his/her own unique interests and gifts. In the interim period, our Adjunct Research Analysts Michael Ialacci and KJ Ward will help us to stay on top of things. We have collaborated with KJ and Mike for several years now and are confident you’ll be pleased with their work.

So, as our media clients might say: “Stay tuned!”

Another New Face on the Square

POSTED: January 05, 2001

We are happy to welcome to City Square our new Administrative Associate Mandi Logan. In this position, Mandi is responsible for many of the administrative tasks associated with City Square project work, including data entry and tabulation, report editing and formatting, client and vendor interactions, travel coordination, recruit update preparation, Web searching, and other support work. Mandi contributes to both qualitative and quantitative projects for all of City Square’s clients. She is also the voice of City Square--more often than not, the person who will answer the phone when you call.

Mandi brings both a background in the social sciences and excellent administrative skills, having worked as Administrative Assistant to the Managing Director of KPMG Consulting, after graduating from Suffolk University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.

She assumes the position previously held by Honor Lydon, who has since moved to a full-time position with our sister company USAchefs.com. As author of "Restaurant News" and Director of Client services, Honor knows about as much as anyone when it comes to celebrity chefs and fine dining in cities like Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. Be sure to visit the site!