Bright Nights
Nov. 21-Jan. 1: Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield opened Nov. 21, and will run Wednesdays through Sundays until Dec. 9. Bright Nights will then be open nightly from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1. Buses run nightly from 5 to 6 p.m., and cars from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. For more information on admission, call (413) 733-3800 or visit www.brightnights.org.
ACCGS Government Reception
Nov. 28: The Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, will be the setting for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc.’s annual Government Reception. The 5 to 7 p.m. event allows ACCGS members to meet socially with local, state, and federal elected officials and begin or renew commitments to work together. For more information on tickets, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.
Day of Health
Dec. 5: The YMCA of Greater Westfield and Noble Hospital will team up for a Day of Health from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 5 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA on Court Street, Westfield. A series of free screenings will highlight the festivities, including blood pressure, body-fat analysis and BMI, foot care, pulmonary function, and sun and skin damage. Also, a fasting full lipid profile, a blood test for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, will be available for $25. Appointments for the cholesterol screening are available from 7 to 9 a.m. and can be made by calling Noble Health Beat at (413) 568-2328. In addition, Therapeutic Massage of Greater Westfield will treat participants to a five-minute mini-massage, and Beauty by Jeunique Custom Bras and Shape Ware will be on hand to ensure women have the perfect fit. For more information on the event, contact Charlene Call, member retention/wellness director, at (413) 568-8631, ext. 305.
Entrepreneurial Boot Camp
Dec. 7: The Regional Technology Corporation (RTC), in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, will stage the half-day “Entrepreneurial Boot Camp & Flavors of Capital” seminar at the Kittredge Center for Business & Workforce Development at Holyoke Community College, starting at 8 a.m. The first half of this event will feature a workshop on “How to Speak Investorese,” presented by Paul Silva, managing partner at Angel Catalyst. Banks, investors, and funding agencies use specialized language to describe and analyze companies. Companies that don’t speak this language have much more difficulty in securing funding. This lecture will teach attendees the basics of how to talk to bankers, investors, and granting agencies so they will hear the actual potential of their business. Attendees will also be shown how to identify weaknesses in their business before they become a problem — and stop them from being funded. The focus of the second half is a panel discussion on the “Flavors of Capital,” moderated by Joseph Steig, managing director of Innovation Path Inc. and co-founder of the River Valley Investors angel group. Attendees will learn which types of funding source are a good fit for a given opportunity. The panel will include experts from venture capital, angel investors, regional banks, the Western Mass. Enterprise Fund, and others. Following these presentations, attendees can talk one-on-one with the presenters and visit their tabletop displays for helpful literature and handouts. Cost of the event is $25 for RTC members and $50 for non-members. Advanced registration is required, and seating is limited. Contact April Cloutier at acloutier@rtccentral.com to register.
UMass Dinner Forum
Dec. 11: The UMass Family Business Dinner Forum will host two topics, “The Starbucks Experience: Lessons in Leadership to Spark You and Your Business to Unimaginable Success,” and “Should We Grow Our Business by Acquisition?” Registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Ira Bryck at (413) 545-1537 or via E-mail at bryck@contined.umass.edu .
