Agenda

‘Music for the Eyes’
Through April 7: The artwork of Preston Trombly, host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s nationally broadcast Symphony Hall channel, titled “Music for the Eyes,” will be exhibited through April 7 at the Arno Maris Gallery in Ely Hall on the Westfield State University campus. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (413) 572-4400 or visit www.westfield.ma.edu/galleries.

Author Lecture
March 28: Internationally acclaimed author Tom Perrotta will read from his upcoming novel, The Leftovers, at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. Two of Perrotta’s books, Election and Little Children, have been made into movies, and five novels have been national bestsellers. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.

ADA, FMLA Workshop
March 29: Royal LLP, in conjunction with the Human Service Forum, will present a workshop at the Delaney House in Holyoke on the compliance issues involving the ADA and FMLA. The interactive workshop addresses some of the most common questions that upper management faces each day. Attendees will learn skills and strategies that can help reduce the risk of employment litigation. For more information on the 8:30 a.m. to noon event, contact Ann-Marie Marcil at (413) 586-2288 or visit www.humanserviceforum.org.

Not Just Business as Usual
April 5: Former NBA player and businessman Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman will be the guest speaker at the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation’s third annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. A cocktail and networking reception is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program from 7 to 9 p.m. Bridgeman spent most of his 12-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, but also played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the current franchise owner of more than 160 Wendy’s and 120 Chili’s restaurants. The event encourages local businesses to come together for an evening to network, learn from one another, and support student success. Funds from the event will provide students access to opportunities through scholarships, technology, and career direction to be successful future employees and citizens. “It’s a time to celebrate innovations, change, and our region’s success,” said STCC Foundation Interim Director Robert LePage. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, and individual tickets are $175 each. For more information, contact LePage at (413) 755-4477 or [email protected].

Constitution Café
April 10: Author and philosopher Christopher Phillips’ latest book, Constitution Café, draws on the nation’s rebellious past to incite meaningful change today. He proposes that Americans revise the Constitution every so often, not just to reflect the changing times, but to revive and perpetuate the original revolutionary spirit. He will present a free lecture at 8 p.m. in the dining hall at Blake Student Commons, on the Bay Path College campus, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. The lecture is part of the annual Kaleidoscope series. For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu.

Marketing Basics Seminar
April 11: The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will host a lecture titled “Marketing Basics” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Dianne Doherty of the MSBDC Network will present the workshop that will focus on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research (primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative). For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass. The cost is $40.

RetireSmart Seminar
April 11: MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division continues its web-based RetireSmart interactive participant education series with “Understanding Target-Date and Target-Risk Investments” at noon. The 30-minute presentation will cover taking charge of your retirement-investing strategy in today’s market environment; the ABCs of target-date and target-risk strategies, and how these investments may fit into your overall plan. Space for the live online seminar is prioritized to retirement-plan sponsors and participants on MassMutual’s platform. MassMutual retirement-plan clients can register by logging into their retirement-plan account at www.retiresmart.com or by visiting www.retiresmartseminars.com.

Slam Poet Lecture
April 13: Taylor Mali, a former high-school teacher who has emerged from the slam-poetry movement as one of its leaders, will discuss his performances at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.

Christo to Keynote Riverscaping Conference
April 19-22: An international conference on the art, history, and science of the river will feature the celebrated artist Christo, whose latest project will be to install 5.9 miles of fabric over a stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado. The Five College Riverscaping Conference also includes lectures, gallery openings, student poster sessions, and a two-day symposium opened by Jonathan Lash, Hampshire College’s new president and the former president of the World Resources Institute. The conference marks the conclusion of the 18-month Five College Riverscaping project, funded in large part by a grant from the American delegation to the European Union and in partnership with river experts from Hamburg, Germany. Aimed at developing sustainable approaches to reconnecting people with the river, the Riverscaping effort has brought together students, policy makers, artists, academics, entrepreneurs and environmentalists in a series of ‘laboratories.’ Centered around education, research, and design, the laboratories focus on Massachusetts’ stretch of the Connecticut River and the Elbe River in Hamburg. Christo’s address, at Smith College’s John M. Green Hall, will open the conference on April 19. He will discuss the two current projects that he and Jeanne-Claude (who died in 2009) have initiated: “Over the River” on the Arkansas River and “The Mastaba,” in the United Arab Emirates. The river installation, planned for the summer of 2015, will involve suspending nearly six miles of luminous fabric panels over a 42-mile stretch of the upper Arkansas River in Colorado. The project, while controversial, has received federal and state approval. Lash will open Saturday’s symposium sessions with his comments on “Why the River Matters.” Other highlights of the symposium on Friday and Saturday include papers by a wide range of designers, scientists, and scholars from around the world, including Jinnai Hidenobou of Hosei University in Tokyo, Johan Varekamp of Wesleyan University, and T.S. McMillin of Oberlin College, author of The Meaning of Rivers. A student session takes place on Friday evening, and a performance of music and readings will follow on Saturday. The entire conference, including Christo’s address, is free and open to the public, but online registration is required. Visit www.riverscaping.org for a complete schedule and to register for the Christo address and all the other events.

Comedy Night to
Benefit Charities
April 21: Smith & Wesson Corp. will host a benefit comedy show to support two local children’s charities, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Ronald McDonald House, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 419 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Tickets are $30 per person, and include the show, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres prior to the show, a cash bar, raffles, fund-raising, games, and music. Teddie Barrett of Teddie B. Comedy will emcee the event, featuring professional comedians Bill Campbell, Dan Crohn, and Stacy Yannetty Pema. For tickets or more information, contact Phyllis Settembro, Smith & Wesson, (413) 747-3597; Karen Motyka, Shriners Hospital, (413) 787-2032; or Jennifer Putnam, Ronald McDonald House, (413) 794-5683.

‘Adapt, Diversify,
Reinvent & Grow’
May 16: Local business owners will talk about what they have done to keep ahead of the many demands on their time, and at the same time adjust for the economic environment, during a workshop titled “Adapt, Diversify, Reinvent & Grow” at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Presenters include Paul DiGrigoli of Digrigoli Salon & School of Cosmetology; Tara Tetreault of Jackson & Connor; Kate Vishnyakov of Kate Gray Inc.; and Rick Ricard of Larien Products. The 9 to 11 a.m. session is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

NYC Bus Trip
June 30: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host a bus trip to New York City, leaving the chamber parking lot at 7 a.m. and returning around 9:30 p.m. Participants are on their own for the day in New York City. Tickets are $45 per person. For more information, contact Lynn at (413) 594-2101.

40 Under Forty
June 21: BusinessWest will present its sixth class of regional rising stars at its annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The June 21 gala will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Tickets are $60 per person, with tables of 10 available. Early registration is advised, as seating is limited. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.

Western Mass.
Business Expo
Oct. 11: BusinessWest will again present the Western Mass. Business Expo. The event, which made its debut last fall at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, will feature more than 180 exhibitors, seminars, special presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the year’s most extensive networking opportunity. Comcast Business Class will again be the presenting sponsor of the event. Details, including breakfast and lunch agendas, seminar topics, and featured speakers, will be printed in the pages of BusinessWest over the coming months. For more information or to purchase a booth, call (413) 781-8600, or e-mail [email protected], or visit www.wmbexpo.com.