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Boston 2026 Jury Named

Boston 2026 World Expo will feature a panel of 42 distinguished FIP internationally accredited judges from around the world to adjudicate some 3,500 competitive frames of exhibits and nearly 200 literature entries.

Representatives from Argentina through the United Kingdom are on the list from 26 nations. The largest contingent is from the United States with 11 among the group.

The Boston 2026 Jury Presidium is headed by President Peter McCann [right] from the U.S. and Honorary President Prakob Chirakiti from Thailand. The team includes regional vice presidents, consultants and secretaries.

Photos of most jury members are now posted on the Boston 2026 web site on the Commissioners & Judges tab.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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School Group and Scouting Opportunities at Boston 2026

School groups of all sizes and their teachers can register to participate in several different 50-minute activities and specialized show tours offered daily throughout the morning and afternoon. Stamp and hobby basics will be discussed along with mail handling. Lunchroom facilities and food vendors will be available. Instructors are encouraged to book their visit as early as possible to receive their first choice of date and time slots. The online youth group registration form is accessible at tinyurl.com/2n56fxpd.

Attention Scouting leaders! Stamp merit badge workshops are planned for May 24 (Sunday), 25 (Monday-Memorial Day) and 30 (Saturday) from 10 AM-4 PM. Group registration fees will be waived for workshop attendees. Online registration is at forms.gle/pcuroZ5pGMVSboJRA. Each session is limited to 30 youngsters.

Have questions about any of the above? Contact Boston 2026 Youth Chair, Andrew Oleksiuk, at Andrew.Oleksiuk@Boston2026.org.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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Latest Tariff Information Affecting Boston 2026

With the Supreme Court ruling that the presidential tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 as unconstitutional, the President’s Proclamation of February 20 outlines alternative tariff actions to achieve similar goals, effective 12:01 AM Eastern on Tuesday, February 24.

A thorough review of these latest charges is actually good news for Boston 2026 participants. Paragraph 14(j) exempts from these new tariffs, “information materials, donations, and accompanied baggage.” Stamps and philatelic material were classified as “informational material” through earlier work of Boston 2026 officials.

Annex 1 of the Proclamation mentions HTSUS code 9903.03.11, the new exemption code to be used by Customs officials to exempt informational material from taxation. Boston 2026’s customs broker service is working through these new classifications to ensure exhibitors, commissioners, dealers, postal administrations and others are able to enter the U.S. worry-free.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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TPFoundation Grant

Boston 2026 World Expo has received a $30,000 grant from the TPFoundation to support the show’s youth area and activities.

Based in Dallas, Texas, the family-run foundation was founded in 2005 by philanthropist Molly L. Byrne, a business owner and designer. It focuses on education, cultural and arts projects with community-wide impact. The foundation contributes to pre-selected organizations.

Exhibition President Yamil Kouri said on receiving the grant, “This generous grant will ensure that young visitors to Boston 2026 will have a rich and memorable introduction to stamp collecting.”

President and Director Byrne, speaking on behalf of their Board of Trustees, commented, “I am honored to help facilitate the wealth of knowledge a single stamp offers. History is so valuable for our future.”

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

VSC Note: Boston 2026 did not have much additional information on TPFoundation and a Google web search turned up a number of organizations with similar names. The closest match seems to be Turningpoint Foundation. It does not have its own (public) website and Boston 2026 says it keeps a low profile: “strictly a family-founded private grant organization” that does not “even accept requests for donations, working strictly among the findings of its Trustees.”

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Boston 2026 Medal Details

The official Boston 2026 World Expo show medal has been unveiled, sponsored by The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History, located in Weston, Massachusetts, found online at spellmanmuseum.org.

The three-inch square medal weighs 4.5 ounces and features the show’s logo on one side and a powerful image of Paul Revere on horseback on his famous midnight ride on the other.

Coordinating the artistry and production process was David Ball, Boston 2026 Awards Chair and Security Manager. After seeing the creatives produced for Latvia’s PhilLat26 international philatelic exhibition by Aija Pince, a British ex-patriot living in Riga, he convinced her to consider designing the Boston 2026 medal.

Several themes were considered by the pair to best represent Boston and its environs, while considering the show’s overall theme celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. In the end, it was decided that Paul Revere was most emblematic of that period with the story of his famous midnight ride known by Americans and non-Americans alike. Use of the show logo created by prolific U.S. stamp designer Richard Sheaff on the reverse was a “no-brainer” per Ball.

The Monterey Company, Inc. of Bend, Oregon, received the contract to produce them, the only firm contacted that could overcome the technical challenge of replicating perforations along the medal’s edges. The die-cast base metal was poured into molds, buffed, overlaid with precious metal and antiqued to allow the design to fully flourish. Several finishes are being produced, with a total of 1,300 in all.

As sponsor of the 12th U.S. international exhibition medal, the Spellman’s logo will grace the red presentation boxes lined in blue velvet. Brian Howard, its Executive Director, said, “We are proud to partner with the Boston 2026 World Expo, and are eagerly anticipating the show’s opening this May. I encourage all show visitors to include the Spellman on their list of stops during their time in town.” The Spellman has promoted stamp collecting and philatelic heritage at its home near Boston since 1963. The museum is open all year and welcomes collectors, families, and the general public for exhibits, programs, and special events.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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Volunteer Chair Appointment

The Boston 2026 Executive Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Jere Dutt as the exhibition’s Volunteer Chair.

A resident of Doylestown, Ohio, Jere is a well-respected exhibitor and national judge best known as a specialist in the philately of Dahomey/Bénin and greater French Colonies. He has shared his knowledge of these areas through numerous in-person and virtual presentations, as well as published works.

Jere is a current board member of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, an APS/APRL finance committee member, former corresponding secretary and now president of the France & Colonies Philatelic Society.

Reflecting on his new responsibilities and the work ahead, Chairman Dutt said, “Volunteers are the heartbeat of any stamp show, especially one on the scale of Boston 2026. The size of this event will be a challenge to ensure all goes smoothly and is a great experience for both volunteers and attendees alike. I know with the amazing team assembled it will be an Expo to remember! I am privileged to be a small part of the team and able to work with such excellent philatelists to bring Boston 2026 to life.”

Outside of the hobby he is a third-generation officer of Dutt Enterprises, specializing in personal and household products, an active Rotary member in his community, and a patron of both the Akron Art Museum and Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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International Post Office Relations Chair Named

Armağan Özdinç has been selected to coordinate the various non-U.S. post office administrations participating in Boston 2026 World Expo, taking on the role of International Post Office Relations Chair.

Explaining the appointment, Boston 2026 Executive Director Mark Butterline commented, “As the list of participating postal administrations from around the world continues to grow, it was time that a dedicated manager handles their needs and recruit others to join them now that importation and tariff hurdles are cleared. Armağan, who has been helping us in our recruiting effort for some time, was the most appropriate person to be appointed for this role.”

Mr. Özdinç is perhaps best known in philatelic circles as a specialist in the study of engraved issues by the two foremost stamp designers of our time, the late Czesław Słania and Martin Mörck. Both have produced over 1,000 items for postal administrations around the world, especially those of Nordic countries. His interests go beyond stamps to include sketches, drawings and die proofs of the engraved stamps from those two master engravers. Over the years, he has authored several works and given presentations on the subject many times.

A Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London since 2024, he is very active in Scandinavian philately, serving as a Board of Directors member of the Scandinavian Collectors Club for the past four years, First Vice President and Contributing Editor of The Posthorn, its quarterly journal.

In his professional life, Armağan has close to 40 years’ experience in software development, medical device design controls, along with project and quality management, much of that time with Siemens Healthineers in Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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Additional Boston 2026 Hotel Space Available

Reservation demand for discounted Boston 2026 hotel accommodations has been so great that two hotels are already sold out and the rest have limited availability, necessitating additional options for show visitors.

A new hotel close to the waterfront and three blocks away from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center has joined the ten properties offered earlier. Marriott’s Renaissance Boston Seaport District is a four-star hotel that has earned high ratings from guests. Reviews from just the past month say it all: “Great location on the harbor/Seaport – walk to all the best restaurants. The views from the room are great, staff provides excellent personalized service,” and “The service was excellent, and the family-friendly atmosphere made it a great place to stay. The rooms were clean and up-to-date, and the beds were incredibly comfortable.”

The regular standard room rate is discounted to $329 only when reserved through the special link found on the Hotel page on the Boston 2026 web site. All discounted hotel offerings are managed through Boston 2026’s partner, onPeak.

The Aloft Boston Seaport District, another Marriott property already offered to Boston 2026 visitors, has released an additional block of rooms, doubling its original room night contract. It is adjacent to the convention center and the discounted room rate remains at $270 per night.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

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Boston 2026 Sponsorships Available

Boston 2026 World Expo is offering a variety of promotional sponsorships to individuals, organizations and businesses. Many involve signage opportunities, small and large, throughout the show floor, including the various regional pavilions and the Minuteman Club.

Event sponsorships are also available. These include the Palmares Award Banquet and the Vernissage show preview, where sponsors will gain the greatest exposure to the most prominent philatelists from around the world. Beer, wine, coffee, iced tea and water sponsorships at various show locations are available as well.

Logo opportunities abound, whether on award medal boxes, dinner menus or the show catalog cover. All sponsorships will receive prominent recognition on the show website, in the show catalog and on our social media.

Mark Butterline, Boston 2026 Executive Director, is coordinating all sponsorships and welcomes inquiries at Mark.Butterline@Boston2026.org. The current sponsorship list can be found on the Sponsorship webpage on www.Boston2026.org. Do note that the organizers are also open to sponsorship ideas beyond the preliminary list.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.