Agenda

Obamacare and Employers
April 24, May 2, May 9: Royal LLP — a law firm specializing exclusively in management-side labor- and employment-law litigation and preventative practices to avoid litigation — will join experts on the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare) in presenting an informational series of workshops that will provide an interactive, step-by-step analysis of how the act applies to both small and large employers, including what employers should be doing now to prepare for the 2014 mandates. All sessions will be held at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee. Session 1, which will be held on April 24, will provide a general overview of the law, including key components, potential implications, and impact on employers. Session 2, which will be held on May 2, will address the shared responsibility requirements. Session 3, which will be held on May 9, will detail the impact of the law. For more information, contact Ann-Marie Marcil at (413) 586-2288 or [email protected].

Elevator Pitch Competition
April 24: Five local community banks will sponsor a live elevator pitch competition at the awards banquet for the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, starting at 5 p.m. at Log Cabin in Holyoke. Representatives from each bank — Berkshire Bank, Country Bank for Savings, First Niagara Bank, PeoplesBank, and United Bank — will also serve as judges. An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a new business. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the timespan of an elevator ride. The term is used when an entrepreneur pitches an idea to a venture capitalist to receive funding. The competition will feature a student representative from each of the participating local colleges: American International College, Amherst College, Bay Path College, Elms College, Greenfield Community College, Hampshire College, Holyoke Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, UMass Amherst, Western New England University, and Westfield State University. The judges will choose the top three students, who will receive cash awards. All participants will receive a stipend for participating. This is the eighth year that an elevator pitch competition will be held at the event. Other program highlights include keynote speaker Stanley Kowalski, founding CEO and chairman of the board of FloDesign in Wilbraham; an Entrepreneurs & Awardees Exhibit featuring 59 student entrepreneurs from area colleges; and the announcement of the Grinspoon, Garvey & Young Alumni Spirit Award. For more information about the banquet, e-mail Cari Carpenter at [email protected].

Strategic Investments in Owner-Operated Companies
April 25: Peter Doyle, chief investment strategist at Kinetics Mutual Funds, will deliver a presentation titled “A New Paradigm: Strategic Investments in Owner-operated Companies” at 4 p.m. at the Colony Club in Springfield. The event, sponsored by Martinelli Discenza Investment Counsel, was postponed from its original date of Feb. 25. Owner-operators are broadly defined as corporate management teams that have considerable personal wealth invested alongside their shareholders. The actions of these management teams over the past several years — actively allocating capital into attractive opportunities and engaging in various actions to enhance shareholder value — stand in stark contrast to those of agent managers, who have focused on cost-cutting measures to maintain margins at the possible expense of future growth. To RSVP for the event, call Lisa Kozak at (413) 567-8411.

EANE Management Conference
April 25: The Employers Association of the NorthEast will hold its ninth annual management conference, “Leadership and Mentorship in Action,” at the Holiday Inn in Enfield, Conn. The conference will address the direct impact of mentoring and leadership development on the growth and success of organizations. Keynote speaker Doug Dvorak, a contributing author to the bestselling book The Masters of Success, will present his popular program “The Magic of Mentoring.” Additional presenters include Ravi Kulkarni and Lynn Turner of ClearVision Alliance. A panel of representatives from area companies will discuss next-generation mentoring. Conference breakout sessions include “Leadership Behavior and Employee Engagement,” “Building Effective Teams,” and “DiSC Work of Leaders.” For more information about the conference, contact Karen Cronenberger at (877) 662-6444 or [email protected]. To register, call (877) 662-6444 or visit www.eane.org.

A Heart Healthy Toast
April 26: Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a recreational wine drinker, you will find something pleasing to your palate at “A Heart Healthy Toast,” sponsored by the Holyoke Hospital Auxiliary Assoc. from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hamel’s Summit View Banquet House in Holyoke. The tasting will spotlight a variety of wines from around the world that have been carefully selected by Liquors 44. Everyone attending will be provided with a personal program booklet where notes can be taken for each wine, noting likes and dislikes. Vendor representatives will be available to give their tips for using all the senses to taste wine and how to call out subtle variations. The funds raised will be used toward the “Extreme Makeover” of the Work Connection located at Holyoke Medical Center. The Work Connection is an occupational health clinic located at the medical center that provides health services to local businesses in the area. Tickets for the wine tasting are $40 per person and will include a selection of Hamel’s hot and cold appetizers, fruit, and cheeses. Call Deborah Long Smith at (413) 534-2568 to order tickets.

EASTEC 2013
May 14-16: EASTEC, the premier manufacturing exposition in the Northeast will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on May 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will offer a variety of exhibitors, educational offerings, tours of nearby facilities, and much more. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.easteconline.com.

40 Under Forty
June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners, who are profiled at length in this issue. Look for event details in upcoming issues of BusinessWest, or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.

Western Mass Business Expo 2013
Nov. 6: Planning is underway for the Western Mass Business Expo 2013, a day-long business-to-business event to take place at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. This fall’s show, the third edition of the Expo, which is again being produced by BusinessWest, will feature more than 100 exhibitors, seminars on timely issues of the day, special Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the wrap-up Expo social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking event. Details of the specific programming will be printed in upcoming editions of BusinessWest, and can also be seen online at www.wmbexpo.com or www.businesswest.com. For more information on the event or to reserve booth space, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.