Chamber Corners

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Dec. 2: 40th Year Merry Maple Celebrates, 3-6:30 p.m., on the Amherst Town Common. Please come join us during the traditional lighting of the downtown tree on the Amherst Commons. The Amherst Fire Station will have an open house, followed by hay rides from Muddy Brook Farms, crafts in the Amherst Town Hall for children, the Amherst Regional Middle School Chorus will join us on the front steps of the Town Hall and warm the air with holidays songs. All can enjoy the UMass Marching Band followed by the big moment, the tree lighting. Hot apple cider and cider doughnuts will be sold by the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, donated by Atkins Farms Country Market.
Cost: Free and open to the public. There are still sponsorship opportunities available for this event; please contact the Chamber office (413) 253-0700 or e-mail [email protected].

• Dec. 12: Holiday After 5 & AmherstWorks Ribbon Cutting 5 p.m.-7 p.m., at AmherstWorks, 11 Amity St., Amherst. Sponsored by: PeoplesBank and Young Professionals of Amherst. Please join the Amherst Area Chamber and the Young Professionals of Amherst at our annual holiday party sponsored by PeoplesBank. Mid-December is an ideal time of year to see familiar faces, build fresh relationships, and be part of the fun as we welcome new members to the chamber. As a special feature that evening, we’ll also be cutting the ribbon of Amherst’s new co-working space, AmherstWorks. Tours of the facility will be available and everyone will have a chance to win one of our special holiday raffle prizes.
Cost: $10/members, $15/non-members. Register online at www.amherstarea.com or call (413) 253-0700

EAST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/ERC 5
www.erc5.com
(413) 575-7230

• Dec. 6: ERC5 Holiday Government Party, 5-7 p.m., at Pasquale’s Restaurant and Tavern, 642 North Main St., East Longmeadow. Come one and all for a fun-filled and informative night of networking at Pasquale’s Restaurant & Tavern in East Longmeadow. The ERC5 has invited elected officials and department heads from our five towns. Cost: $25/members, $35/non-members. Register online at www.erc5.com Sponsorships available.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

• Dec. 16: 34th Annual FCCC Holiday Breakfast & The Recorder “Citizen of the Year” Award, 7:20-9:05 a.m. Hosted by; Deerfield Academy Dining Commons, Albany Road, Deerfield. Come celebrate the holidays with Franklin County Chamber of Commerce members, employees and guests, at a sumptuous breakfast buffet provided by Deerfield Academy. Gary Maynard & Friends will perform seasonal musical entertainment before and during breakfast through the generosity of The Skip Hammond Family.  Cost: $25/members and their employees, $28/non-members. All breakfast reservations must be paid by Dec. 12 unless other arrangements are made with the chamber office. Reserve by Dec. 10; call (413) 773-5463.

• Dec. 1: Workshop: Business Basics, 9-11:15 a.m., at the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 395 Main St., Greenfield — Masonic Hall Condominium Building. Learn the whole nine yards of starting a business. This free workshop, presented by Allen B. Kronick, Senior Business Advisor, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network Western Regional Office, will focus on business fundamentals, from startup considerations to business plan development and funding sources. It is designed for owners of existing businesses as well as those who are planning to start one. The workshop will help entrepreneurs write a business plan and provide structure to starting/managing their venture. Cost: No charge, but pre-registration is required. Register online at www.franklincc.org.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Dec. 1: Holiday Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at the Collegian Court, 89 Park St., Chicopee. Sponsored by PeoplesBank. Enjoy hors’ douevres, cash bar, door prize, and wish each other a wonderful holiday season and New Year. Door-prize entry with business card, win a beautiful holiday decoration made by  Heidi. Cost: Free for all chamber members to attend. Register by emailing [email protected]

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• Dec. 21: Chamber After Hours December 2016, 5-7 p.m. Sponsored and Hosted by the Delaney House, Three Country Club Road, Holyoke. This business networking event in a festive atmosphere includes a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and money (scratch ticket) wreath. Cost: $10/members, $15/non-members. Public registration has closed. Call (413) 534-3376 for more information.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Dec. 9: Microsoft Excel: Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts, 9-11 a.m., at the
Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 325A King Street, Northampton, MA 0106. Sponsored by: Pioneer Training. This workshop will present our favorite tips, tricks and shortcuts that we have collected and developed over 15 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Topics will include shortcuts for selecting ranges, using Autofill to create a series of dates or numbers, setting the print area, using page break preview, adding headers and footers, and using page layout view. This workshop is full.

• Dec. 7: Arrive @ 5, 5-7p.m., at Silverscape Design, 1 King St., Northampton. Sponsored by: BusinessWest, Johnson & Hill Staffing Service, PeoplesBank, and WEEI. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with your colleagues and friends. Cost: $10/members. Register online at www.explorenorthampton.com.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Dec. 5: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at Behavioral Health Network, Inc., 77 Mill Street, Westfield. Please join us for our monthly Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. Cost: Free and open to the public. Call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register for this event so we may give our host a head count.

• Dec. 16: Holiday Chamber Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., at Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Sponsored by: Westfield State University, Baystate Health, Savage Arms, Easthampton Savings Bank, and Walmart. A 50/50 raffle will support two Citizen’s Scholarships. As this event gets closer, online registration will be made available.  Cost: $25/members, $30/non-members, For more information or to donate a door prize for the event, please call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Dec. 13: Ladies Networking Night, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by: Cooper’s Curtains & Gifts 161 Main St, Agawam. This event will be featuring special sale items from their extensive collection of gifts, home and women’s apparel. Make new friends, create business contacts, enjoy the refreshments and celebrate the season. Cost: Free admission

QUABOAG HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.qhma.com
(413) 283-2418

• Dec. 4: Holiday Open House, 1:30-3:30 p.m., at Keep Homestead Museum, 35 Ely Road, Monson. Holiday Open House with Gay Palach at the piano for a sing-a-long Cost: Free, donations accepted.

• Dec. 8: Christmas Concert and Dinner, 6-9 p.m., at Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Experience an evening of festive cocktails, fine dining and a special holiday concert presented by The Worcester Chamber Society, a mixed classical chamber ensemble performing selections of Baroque music with a holiday theme. Learn more about The Worcester Chamber Society at http://worcesterchambermusic.org/ Menu: 1st course: Tossed mixed greens with Parmesan Tuile; entrée: Braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables (vegetarian entrée available by request); dessert: Chocolate peppermint cake. Cost: $55/Old Sturbridge Village members; $65/non-members. Register online at https://www.osv.org/event/christmas-dinner-concert-2016.

• Dec. 10 and 11: Fall Workshop Showcase 2016, 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, at the Palmer Historical & Cultural Center 2072 Main St., Three Rivers. Greene Room Productions acting students and the GRP Professional Youth Acting Troupe Kids Tour join to perform a wonderful evening of family friendly entertainment. Visit  www.qhma.com for show details. Cost: $6-$15. Contact Erin Wallace at (413) 668-7284 for more information.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER
www.shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• Dec. 2: 28th Annual Holiday Stroll — Photos with Santa, 5:45-7:30 p.m., at South Hadley Town Common at the Intersection of Route 116 and 47. The event begins at 5:45 p.m. with the Michael E. Smith Middle School Choir, then Santa lights the Holiday Tree at 6 p.m. There will be a parade down Route 116 with Santa and the elves. The evening includes music from the South Hadley Community Band and the Berkshire Hills Music Academy. Parents can take a photograph of the kids with Santa, and more. It’s a great family event.

• Dec. 7: Networking event, noon, at Yarde Tavern 3 Hadley St, South Hadley. Network and meet new people. We suggest you bring some business cards. If you really want to make your mark, have a one-minute elevator pitch ready during introductions. Show up with a friend or colleague if you like, and make some new friends and business relationships. Who knows what positive results will happen next. Cost: Free to attend. RSVP to [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Dec. 7: SRC December 2016 Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the
Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by United Personnel. ‘Generational Differences in the Workplace,’ panel presentation. Millennials in the workplace — how are you changing your recruitment and on-boarding processes to attract this new population? Once they are on board, what steps are you taking from an employee engagement perspective to keep them happy? Learn from some of the senior HR professionals in the region on how to integrate Millennials into your workplace with the GenX and Baby Boomer employees, the positive impacts the generation is having on your workplace, and the biggest challenges you face as you integrate multiple generations to work together. Saluting Robinson Donovan — 150 years & Collins Electric — 110 years. Emcee, Ryan Smith, “The Voice the Thunderbirds.” Cost: $22.50/members in advance ($25 at door), $30 General admission in advance ($35 at door). Public registration is closed.

• Dec. 14: Springfield Regional Chamber “The Art of Networking” After 5. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Hosted by: Ninth Floor Art Gallery, 1350 Main Street, Springfield
Cost: $5/members, $10/non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

WEST OF THE RIVER
www.ourwrc.com
413-426-3880

• Dec. 7: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Wicked Wednesday, hosted by: Farmington Bank, 85 Elm St., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to social network in a laid-back atmosphere. Cost; Free/member, $10/non-members (Event is open to the public-must pay at the door if you’re a non-member) For more information contact the chamber office at 413-426-3880 or email us at [email protected]

• Dec. 15: 12 p.m.-2 p.m., Google Lunch Seminar/SCORE, Hosted by: West Springfield Public Library-Community Room, 200 Park St, West Springfield, Let SCORE give valuable tips on how to effectively use GOOGLE to market your business. Cost: Free
Register online: www.westoftheriverchamber.com or call 414-426-3880

• Feb. 9: 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Multi-Chamber Lunch N Learn Seminar on Roberts Rules of Order, hosted by: Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield. Enjoy lunch while learning about Roberts Rules of Order with guest speaker, Robert MacDonald. Cost: $35 per guest – Sponsorship Opportunities are available for this event. For more information contact the chamber office at 413-426-3880 or email us at [email protected]

• Feb. 22: 7 a.m.-9 a.m., Legislative Breakfast, hosted by: Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield. The Breakfast will have a panel of various legislatures and our Mayors discussing community concerns, giving updates on our towns, and taking Q&A from the audience. Cost: $30/members $35/non-members. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com or contact the chamber office at 413-426-3880 or email us at [email protected]