Courting Greatness

Mark the date: June 18.

That’s when BusinessWest will celebrate its third class of 40 Under Forty winners at a gala to be staged at the Basketball Hall of Fame on Springfield’s revitalized riverfront.

Kate Campiti, associate publisher and advertising director for BusinessWest, said the magazine wanted to bring the event to the Hall of Fame in 2009 to showcase some of the exciting developments there and be a part of that revitalization process.

“We’re spotlighting some of the bright, young talent in this region at our festive celebration, which has become a not-to-be-missed event,” she explained. “But we also wanted to turn the spotlight on Springfield, its riverfront, and the Hall of Fame complex. We’re excited to be bringing our event to this great venue.”

The Hall’s Center Court will be the site for the gala, which will honor a diverse class of under-40 leaders, as chosen by a panel of five judges. The scores were tabulated early in March, and the winners were notified a few weeks ago. They will be presented to BusinessWest’s readers in the magazine’s April 27 issue.

To maintain a level of suspense, we’ll reveal only that this group of winners represents sectors ranging from manufacturing to technology; from law to financial services; from retail to construction. Overall, it is a very entrepreneurial group, with many business owners, as well as others who bring a spirit of entrepreneurship to their company or nonprofit agency.

While not all the details of the June 18 event have been hammered out, many things are known, starting with corporate sponsorship of the event. Several companies have agreed to take a lead role in presenting the gala, including Bay Path College, Comcast, Fathers & Sons, Hampden Bank, and Moriarty & Primack.

Tickets to the event, which will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, lavish food stations, and entertainment, will be $50 each and may be obtained by calling (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or via E-mail at[email protected].