Agenda Departments

Agenda

Mobile Marketing
April 12: Stevens 470 at 470 Southampton Road, Westfield, will host a coffee hour from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on mobile communication. During the coffee hour, the pros and cons of creating a mobile Web site will be featured, as well as discussion on the technology behind mobile Web sites and different ways to generate a mobile Web site. Stevens 470 Coffee Hours are informal discussions on current marketing-communications and Web-development topics. For more information on the event or to register, contact Tina Stevens at (413) 568-2660 or [email protected]. Seating is limited.

Performance Appraisals Workshop
April 12: Attorney Susan Fentin of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. of Springfield will present a workshop titled “Performance Appraisals: Rewards and (Yes) the Risks” at the Human Service Forum Nonprofit Risk Management Conference at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton. The daylong event includes breakfast and a keynote address, followed by workshops in which Fentin and participants will analyze the top risks facing human-services and nonprofit organizations. Other workshop topics include “For EDs/CEOs Only: Let’s Talk About Risk,” “Financial Risk Management,” and “Facilities/Property Management.” For more information on the program, visit www.skoler-abbott.com.

Mobile Technology Workshop
April 13: Chris Amato of Knectar Design and Jeff Hobbs of Advanced Internet will lead a workshop on the various critical aspects of the shift to a mobile technology landscape from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The workshop is sponsored by the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC). Amato and Hobbs will discuss how mobile and smart-phone technology has surpassed expectations to become the leading communications and application-technology platform for users in many market sectors. The cost is $40. For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

Public Health Lecture Series
April 13: Dr. Leonard Morse will be the keynote speaker as the Desmond Tutu Public Health Lecture Series continues at American International College, 1000
State St., Springfield. The 10 a.m. talk in Griswold Theatre will focus on education to address patterns of behavior that promote and preserve one’s health. The event is free and open to the public. A reception for Morse will follow in the west wing of the Sprague Cultural Arts Center. For more information, call (413) 205-3231.

Royal LLP Open House
April 14: Royal LLP will conduct an open house for the public from 5 to 8 p.m. to celebrate its new offices at 270 Pleasant St., Northampton. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Side Street Café. For persons planning to attend, RSVP by April 4 at [email protected] or call (413) 586-2288.

Marketing Basics Workshop
April 20: A workshop led by Dianne Doherty of the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC) will focus on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research — primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative. Topics will include advertising, public relations, and the importance of developing a marketing plan. Doherty’s presentation is planned from 3 to 5 p.m. at the TD Bank community room, 175 Main St., Northampton. For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

CPA Workshop
April 26: Timothy Murphy, partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., of Springfield, will present a workshop titled “Continuing Legal Education” to certified public accountants from 3 to 5:40 p.m. at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College. For more details, visit www.skoler-abbott.com.

Not Just Business as Usual
April 26: Al Verrecchia, retired CEO and chairman of the board of Hasbro Inc., will be the keynote speaker for a program titled Not Just Business as Usual, presented by the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation. The STCC Foundation will capture the energy and excitement of the college’s past, present, and future at the unique affair that will be staged at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. In addition, two past Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame inductees, Balise Motor Sales and Smith & Wesson, will be honored for their continued success and contributions to the local community. A cocktail and networking reception is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by a dinner program from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $175 each or $1,500 for a table of 10. Proceeds raised from the event will benefit STCC. For more information on the event, visit www.notjustbusinessasusual.net.

Understanding Financial Reports
April 27: Robb Morton of Boisselle, Morton & Associates will lead a workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on how to read financial statements. Following the presentation at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield, a lunch is planned as well as a question-and-answer session. The program is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC). The cost is $40. For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

Cash-flow Workshop
May 4: Robb Morton of Boisselle, Morton & Associates will present a workshop on the basics of cash flow, how to improve cash flow, the timing of cash inflows and outflows, how cash flow is different from profit, and how to determine your company’s cash flow. The cost is $40. The 9 to 11 a.m. program is planned at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield, and is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC). For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

ACS Gala
May 7: “The Legends of Hope” is the theme for the American Cancer Society’s 2011 Evening of Hope Gala at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. This year’s gala will pay special tribute to members of the Sarat family of Agawam, who will receive the annual Omar T. Pace, M.D. Award, a prestigious honor awarded to community leaders who have made a significant difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families throughout Western Mass. The evening will include dinner, a silent auction, celebrity impersonators, and music by the Prime Time Players. For more information about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Regina Pattison at [email protected], or call (802) 257-8908. Details about the Evening of Hope are also available at gala.acsevents.org/eveningofhopegala.
Online Tools Seminar
May 11: From FourSquare to YouTube, Yelp, Groupon, Facebook, Google Places, Twitter, MagCloud, and Issuu, there is an array of low-cost, easy-to-use online tools that allow small-business owners to attract new customers and enhance relationships with existing ones. Larri Cochran of Fresh Table, LLC will present a talk from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield, on who is using which tools so you can identify where your customers are online and which tools fit your business. The seminar goal is to create an integrated marketing strategy that maximizes returns for manageable efforts. The cost is $40. The program is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC). For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

AIM Annual Meeting
May 13: Gov. Deval Patrick will be the keynote speaker for the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Associated Industries of Mass. (AIM) at the Westin Hotel in Waltham. Highlights of the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. event also include a panel discussion titled “Health Care Cost Control Solutions.” AIM’s 96th annual meeting will seek solutions to the health-cost crisis that is threatening employers, citizens, and municipalities across the state. For registration information, visit www.aimnet.org.

Springfield 375th Parade
May 14: The Spirit of Springfield is seeking community involvement for the city’s 375th birthday celebration, which will include a parade that represents all that Springfield has to offer, its roots, and its future. If you have a business or group that would like to get involved in the festivities, call (413) 733-3800 or e-mail [email protected].

EASTEC 2011
May 17-19: EASTEC, the East Coast’s largest annual manufacturing event, will once again be staged at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. For exhibition and registration information, call (866) 635-4692 or visit www.easteconline.com.

Using New Media
May 18: Gretchen Siegchrist of Media Shower Productions and Robert Malin of Malin Productions will lead a presentation from 9 to 11 a.m. that will teach participants how they can use new media to grow their social-media reach and influence. After an overview of different types of online videos for businesses, they will look at various platforms for sharing videos online, including YouTube. The cost is $40 for the presentation at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC) is sponsoring the event. For more information, contact the MSBDC at (413) 737-6712 or www.msbdc.org/wmass.

Taste of the Valley
June 9-12: Restaurants and sponsors are needed for West Side’s Taste of the Valley, which is planned on the West Springfield Town Common. The Rotary Club and the Town of West Springfield are once again presenting the event, along with Chicopee Savings Bank, the title sponsor. The Taste event features local restaurants, as well as two stages for entertainment, rides, games, a petting zoo, a BMX exhibition, a 5K road race, and a “Saturday Cruise” showcase of antique, classic, and special-interest cars. For more information, visit www.westsidetaste.com.

40 Under Forty Gala
June 23: BusinessWest will present its 40 Under Forty Class of 2011 at a not-to-be-missed gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, beginning at 5 p.m. The 40 Under Forty program, initiated in 2007, has become an early-summer tradition in the region. This year’s winners will be announced in the next issue of BusinessWest. For more information on the event or to order tickets ($60 per person, with tables of 10 available), call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or visit www.businesswest.com.
Summer Business Summit
June 27-28: The Resort and Conference Center of Hyannis will be the setting for the Summer Business Summit, hosted by the Massachusetts Chamber of Business and Industry of Boston. Nominations are being accepted for the Massachusetts Chamber, Business of the Year, and Employer of Choice awards. The two-day conference will feature educational speakers, presentations by lawmakers, VIP receptions, and more. For more information, visit www.masscbi.com.

Western Mass.
Business Expo
Oct. 18: Businesses from throughout Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties will come together for the premier trade show in the region, the Western Mass. Business Expo. Formerly known as the Market Show. The event, produced by BusinessWest and staged at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, has been revamped and improved to provide exposure and business opportunities for area companies. The cost for a 10-by-10 booth is $700 for members of all area chambers and $750 for non-members; corner booths are $750 for all chamber members and $800 for non-members; and a 10-by-20 booth is $1,200 for all chamber members and $1,250 for non-members. For more information, log onto www.businesswest.com or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10.