The National Association of Black Journalists and the National Society of Black Engineers have signed contracts with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to bring their conventions to Boston in 2014 and 2016, the authority said Wednesday.

The National Association of Black Journalists is scheduled to bring its 2014 convention and career fair to Boston in midsummer. This will mark the first time the association visits New England, the convention center authority said. About 2,400 journalists from across the country are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, the National Society of Black Engineers has booked a convention for Boston in March 2016. The event expects 10,000 attendees. The group last came to Boston in 2005, said the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which refers to itself as MCCA.

According to the MCCA’s projections, the two events combined have the potential to pump nearly $12 million into the local economy.

“Over the last several years, the MCCA and city leaders have made a concerted effort to recruit minority events to come to Boston, allowing people from across the country and around the world to see our city in a new light,” James E. Rooney, executive director of the convention center authority, said in a statement. “And it’s working. After the National Urban League and Blacks in Government events in 2011, perceptions about our city are positively changing.”