Agenda

Fundraising for Nonprofits Workshop
May 25: The Association of Fundraising Professionals will present a workshop titled “Strategic Planning for the Development Office” from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the Delaney House, Route 5, Holyoke. Nat Follansbee, associate head for external relations at the Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Conn., will lead the hands-on training. Follansbee will demonstrate how to maximize fundraising success through effective strategic planning. The cost is $50 for members, $65 for non-members in advance. Breakfast is included. For more information or to register, visit www.afpwma.org.

Paradise City Arts Festival
May 28-30: The Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton will once again come alive with one of America’s most spectacular fairs of fine crafts, paintings, and sculpture during the Memorial Day weekend. The Paradise City Arts Festival is also a great way to spend a holiday weekend at the height of spring, with live music, food, and an outdoor sculpture garden. Festival organizers note that there’s new work by all 260 artists, and performers scheduled include Ameranouche, Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils, Roger Salloom, and Jessica Freeman. Additionally, Salloom will present an award-winning documentary about his career that is airing nationally this spring. Restaurants participating in the festival include the Eastside Grill, India House, Spoleto, Mama Iguana’s, Great Wall, Amber Waves, Pizzeria Paradiso, and Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream. Food offerings will include strawberry tartlets, pomegranate chicken kabobs, fish tacos, and Thai green curry, as well as the standards, blackened short ribs, blackened scallops, and bananas foster bread pudding with spicy chocolate sauce. In addition, Paradise City’s silent art auction will benefit the Breast Form Fund, which offers financial assistance to uninsured and under-insured women to purchase breast prostheses and post-mastectomy bras after breast-cancer surgery. A special themed exhibit titled “The Nature of Beauty” is also planned in the arena. Hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for students, and free for ages 12 and under. For more information, visit www.paradisecityarts.com.

HR and Social Media Workshop
June 16: Representatives from Royal LLP and the Vann Group will present a free seminar titled “Social Networking Media and the Workplace: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the NUVO Bank community room, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. Seating is limited. To register, contact Ann-Marie Marcil at
[email protected] or (413) 586-2288.

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. 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 Mass. Chamber of Business and Industry of Boston. Nominations are being accepted for the Mass. 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.

Jazz & Art Festival
July 8-10: A Mardi Gras theme will kick off the 5th annual Hampden Bank Hoop City Jazz & Art Festival on July 8, featuring Glenn David Andrews with the Soul Rebels, and hosted by Wendell Pierce, star of the HBO series TREME. The celebration, planned at Springfield’s Court Square on the Esplanade, continues throughout the weekend with a lineup of world-class entertainment. On July 9, performances are slated by Marcus Anderson, the UK Kings of Jazz Groove, Down to the Bone, 17-year-old jazz newcomer Vincent Ingala, and Gerald Albright. On July 10, performances begin with the Eric Bascom Quintet, followed by Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils. Kendrick Oliver and The New Life Orchestra will also perform, and Latin jazz performer Poncho Sanchez will close out the festival. Organizers will also be increasing the number of merchandise vendors, artisans, and crafters, as well as food vendors. For more information, visit www.hoopcityjazz.org.

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. 100.