Agenda

Yidstock 2014
July 17-20: Boasting an array of films, concerts, lectures, and workshops, Yidstock 2014: The Festival of New Yiddish Music lands in Amherst for four days. The third annual festival will bring the best in klezmer and new Yiddish music to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center at Hampshire College. The $185 festival pass ($145 for Yiddish Book Center members) includes admission to all concerts, lectures, and workshops.
The weekend will offer an intriguing glimpse into Jewish roots and jazzy soul music through popular Yiddish bands like the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Klezmatics, Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, and more. Friday and Saturday feature dance workshops as well. In addition to the festival-pass option, tickets may be purchased for individual events as well. See www.yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock for more information.

NECBL All-Star Game
July 20: The Valley Blue Sox will host this year’s New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, with events — including a home-run derby, a 60-yard dash, and an accuracy throwing competition — starting at 12 noon, and the game’s first pitch at 5 p.m. Tickets range from $5 to $8. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 533-1100 or e-mail [email protected].

Leadership Skills for Supervisors, Managers
July 24: Ensure the future of your organization by providing leadership skills for your supervisors and managers. The Principles of Leadership II series, sponsored by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, emphasizes team-building skills. Participants will learn how to develop high-performance teams, lead change, and take their time-management and interpersonal skills to the next level. The series follows on the heels of Principles of Leadership I, which focused on the one-to-one relationship between the supervisor or manager and each of his or her direct reports. Participants in Principles of Leadership II, which begins on July 24, must complete five core programs — on topics ranging from team dysfunction to problem-solving skills; from time management to emotional intelligence — to receive the certificate of completion. To register, contact Sue Miller, director of Learning and Development at the Employers Assoc., at [email protected] or (877) 662-6444, ext. 3013.

Jazz & Roots Festival
Aug 9: Following in the footsteps of the Hoop City Jazz and Arts Festival, which drew more than 20,000 people to downtown Springfield, is the inaugural Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, intended to celebrate the emergence of Springfield’s Cultural District and promote an arts-driven, community-oriented, and sustainable revitalization of the city. The free, outdoor festival, to be held in Court Square in downtown Springfield, will feature locally and internationally acclaimed musical artists, a variety of ethnic cuisines and local food producers, and more. This inclusive event aims to bring people from Springfield and the surrounding region together to foster connection, stimulate the local economy, and highlight positive initiativescontributing to the betterment of Springfield’s residents, and uniting the city with the rest of the Pioneer Valley. The organization’s mission is to use music and art to celebrate community and culture, build shared purpose, and catalyze social and environmental change. For more information, contact Stephanie Killian at (413) 303-0101, ext. 102, or [email protected].

Western Mass. Business Expo
Oct. 29: BusinessWest will present its fourth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. The business-to-business show, which last year drew more than 2,000 visitors, will feature more than 100 booths, seminars, and Show Floor Theater presentations; breakfast and lunch programs; and a day-capping Expo Social. Details about specific events, programs, and featured speakers will be printed in future issues of BusinessWest. Comcast Business will again be Presenting Sponsor, while the social will be sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and MGM Springfield. Current Silver Sponsors are Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and DIF Design, and additional sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600.