Home Posts tagged September
Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

(413) 499-1600; 1berkshire.com

 

Sept. 20: Virtual Dulye Leadership Experience Workshop: “Demystify Digital Currency,” 5-6 p.m. With its dramatic swings, the world of cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and blockchains has been volatile and perplexing. Sort through the confusion with nationally recognized experts Paul Farella and Alexandra Renders of Berkshire-based Willow Investments, who will provide a balanced take on the current landscape, how it works, and where they see digital currency heading. This interactive program features a question-and-answer exchange with the speakers. Register for this virtual event at 1berkshirestrategicalliancemacoc.weblinkconnect.com/events.

 

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 253-0700; amherstarea.com

 

Sept. 8: Amherst Area Internship Fair, 12-2 p.m., hosted by UMass Amherst, Goodell Bernie Dallas Room. Is your business looking for an intern? Meet with UMass students from all majors who can support you in a variety of areas: communications and marketing, data, analytics, statistics, research, technology, security, websites, databases, creative arts, design, finance and accounting, writing, editing, content management, sales, lead creation, database cleanup, metrics evaluation, lab and environmental data collection, and/or analysis. For more information, visit amherstarea.com.

 

Sept. 14: Grillin’ & Chillin’ Under the Pavillion, 4:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Summit View Banquet. Join us for a multi-chamber event with the Amherst Area, Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, and South Hadley Granby chambers of commerce at Summit View Banquet and Pavilion with a BBQ buffet, games, a photo booth, door prizes, and featuring DJ Jay Entertainment, Totally Hitched Photo Booth Camper, and Loophole and Leadfoot breweries. Sponsored by Keiter, Polish National Credit Union, Superior Plus Energy Services, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and the Plan. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Register at amherstarea.com.

 

BRADLEY REGIONAL CHAMBER

(860) 653-3833; bradleyregionalchamber.org

 

Sept. 21: Bradley Regional Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn, 12-1 p.m., hosted by Bobby V’s in Windsor Locks, Conn. Join us as Wayne Lerario, vice president of Sales at Nutmeg Technologies, helps chamber members answer the question, do you have the right tech company for your business? We all rely on technology for our businesses, both for our staff and our customers. Lerario will help us consider the benefits of choosing the right IT partner as he talks about the many important things to consider with this critical partnership. Attendees will pay for their own lunch. To register, email Bob Brawders at [email protected].

 

EAST OF THE RIVER FIVE TOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 575-7230; www.erc5.com

 

Sept. 7: Coffee Hour Connections with ERC5, 8:30-9:30 a.m., hosted by the Yoga Shop, 185 Miller St., Ludlow. Grab a coffee, energize, and flow into a morning of connecting with colleagues and growing your brand. Sponsored by Community Bank. Register online at www.erc5.com.

 

Sept. 23: 20th Annual Golf Classic, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., hosted by Country Club of Wilbraham. Throughout the day, there will be food, raffles, awards, contests of skill, networking, and spirited competition. To purchase a sponsorship or register for the Classic, visit bit.ly/ERC520thGolfClassic.

 

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 773-5463; franklincc.org

 

Sept. 23: Chamber Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Tech School, in the gymnasium, located at 82 Industrial Blvd. in the Turners Falls Industrial Park. Our first breakfast of the season will be the United Way of Franklin and Hampshire Region campaign kickoff. Cost: $20 for members, $22 general admission. Register at franklincc.org.

 

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 594-2101; chicopeechamber.org

 

Sept. 14: Grillin’ & Chillin’ Under the Pavillion, 4:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Summit View Banquet. Join us for a multi-chamber event with the Amherst Area, Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, and South Hadley Granby chambers of commerce at Summit View Banquet and Pavilion with a BBQ buffet, games, a photo booth, door prizes, and featuring DJ Jay Entertainment, Totally Hitched Photo Booth Camper, and Loophole and Leadfoot breweries. Sponsored by Keiter, Polish National Credit Union, Superior Plus Energy Services, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and the Plan. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Register at chicopeechamber.org.

 

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 534-3376; holyokechamber.com

 

Sept. 12: 2022 Chamber Cup Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., hosted by Wyckoff Country Club, Holyoke. Mingle and network, win prizes, make new connections, and enjoy a fun day of golf. Each registration includes lunch, golf, and dinner for four people, and a chance to win prizes. On-course activities include beer and spirit tastings; hole-in-one contests for a car, an all-expenses-paid vacation, and an alcohol-filled YETI cooler; a long-drive contest; and food tastings from local restaurants. Inside are silent auctions on one-of-a-kind sports prizes, with a memorabilia auction before dinner. The dinner will be open to membership and the public and will include a brief annual meeting and the awards ceremony, Register at business.holyokechamber.com/events or by calling (413) 534-3376.

 

Sept. 14: Grillin’ & Chillin’ Under the Pavillion, 4:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Summit View Banquet. Join us for a multi-chamber event with the Amherst Area, Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, and South Hadley Granby chambers of commerce at Summit View Banquet and Pavilion with a BBQ buffet, games, a photo booth, door prizes, and featuring DJ Jay Entertainment, Totally Hitched Photo Booth Camper, and Loophole and Leadfoot breweries. Sponsored by Keiter, Polish National Credit Union, Superior Plus Energy Services, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and the Plan. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Register at business.holyokechamber.com/events or call (413) 534-3376.

 

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 584-1900; northamptonchamber.com

 

Sept. 14: Arrive@5 Networking Event, hosted by the Academy of Music, Northampton. Connect with community and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce at the next Arrive@5. Sponsored by United Way of Franklin and Hampshire Region, Kuhn Riddle Architects, and Hampshire Hearing and Speech Services. For more information, visit northamptonchamber.com.

 

Sept. 23: netWORK at ServiceNet’s Prospect Meadow Farm, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Join us for our netWORK series, where we partner with a local nonprofit and invite our Greater Northampton Chamber community to participate in a project to benefit that organization. For this netWORK event, we’ll team up with ServiceNet’s Prospect Meadow Farm, the first therapeutic farming community in the Pioneer Valley, providing meaningful agricultural employment for people with developmental disabilities, autism, or mental-health challenges. Volunteer work for the day will be broken up into two shifts, and tasks will include field work (weeding and harvesting), mushroom work, and animal work. Volunteers should arrive dressed for farm work, with appropriate clothes and shoes. For more information, visit northamptonchamber.com.

 

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 568-1618; westfieldbiz.org

 

Sept. 14: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Results in Wellness LLC at 93 Springfield Road, Suite B, Westfield. Join us again or for the first time to discuss the concerns you may have as a business owner and how we may help each other through these challenging times. You will meet fellow business people from this community, exchange business cards, and discuss what’s happening in your business. Cost: free to chamber members; $5 for non-members. For more information, visit westfieldbiz.org.

 

Sept. 22: September Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by 104th Fighter Wing, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. This is one of our most popular events. Platinum sponsor is Baystate Health. Silver sponsors include A Plus HVAC and ProAmpac. Bronze sponsors include Westfield Public Schools, Armbrook Village, Fly Lugu, Northeast Paving, and BHN/Carson Center. Coffee-bar sponsor is the Westfield Starfires. Cost: $35 to chamber members; $40 for the general public. For more information, visit westfieldbiz.org.

 

Sept. 29: Morning Brew, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Shaker Farms Country Club, Westfield. Introduce your business to the group and take advantage of this networking opportunity. Cost: free. For more information, visit westfieldbiz.org.

 

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 532-6451; shgchamber.com

 

Sept. 14: Grillin’ & Chillin’ Under the Pavillion, 4:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Summit View Banquet. Join us for a multi-chamber event with the Amherst Area, Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, and South Hadley Granby chambers of commerce at Summit View Banquet and Pavilion with a BBQ buffet, games, a photo booth, door prizes, and featuring DJ Jay Entertainment, Totally Hitched Photo Booth Camper, and Loophole and Leadfoot breweries. Sponsored by Keiter, Polish National Credit Union, Superior Plus Energy Services, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and the Plan. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Register at shgchamber.com.

 

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 426-3880; www.ourwrc.com

 

Sept. 8: Job Fair 2022, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern/Carriage House, West Springfield. West Springfield and Agawam businesses, along with other employment opportunities from around Western Mass., will be showcased for the public. High-school students, college students, and adults will be attending this event looking to begin or advance their careers. This event is free and open to the public. To be a participating vendor, register online: at www.ourwrc.com.

 

Sept. 13: September Social & Celebrity Cornhole Tournament, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Trinity Pub/Irish Cultural Center of New England, West Springfield. Join us for a night of networking as you cheer on the mayors, state senator, state representatives, and police and fire chiefs as they battle it out to be the cornhole champs of 2022. Sponsorship opportunities are available. To register to attend or sponsor, visit www.ourwrc.com.

Agenda

Fly LUGU Flight Training Open House

Aug. 7: Fly LUGU Flight Training will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Westfield-Barnes Municipal Airport, located at 110 Airport Road in Westfield. The flight school will celebrate its reopening after the pandemic, and the public is welcome to attend a meet-and-greet with instructors, learn about discounted discovery flights, and enjoy food and music. Interested individuals can call (833) 359-5848 for more information on flight training.

 

Three County Fair

Sept. 3-6: The Three County Fair is back, returning on Labor Day weekend. Last year, the COVID-19 health crisis forced the fair to be closed to the public while hosting only limited arts, baking, crafts, and livestock competitions to comply with capacity restrictions. This year, the 204th consecutive fair returns to normal operations and capacities with discounted general admission and four-day passes on sale exclusively at 3countyfair.com. The fair’s attractions include carnival-style rides and games; adult and youth livestock, agricultural, and arts and crafts competitions; live music concerts; area food trucks; comedy variety shows; plus the ever-popular demolition derbies each day. General admission to the fair is $15 for ages 12 and up and free for ages 11 and under, with discounts for seniors and veterans. Further discounts are available by purchasing tickets online and in advance on the fair’s website. For example, the four-day pass, sold online only for $30, is 50% off the gate price for a general-admission adult ticket for four days.

 

RVCC Golf Tournament

Sept. 10: River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), a multi-faceted mental-health agency, will hold its sixth annual golf tournament fundraiser at East Mountain Country Club in Westfield. The event is presented by Action Ambulance Service Inc. Funds raised will support the programs RVCC provides to children and teens in the community, in schools, and through local partnerships. The cost per golfer is $100 and includes greens fees, a golf cart, a gift bag, lunch, and dinner. Golfers will also be able to participate in course contests and a raffle. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with a 10:30 a.m. shotgun start. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit rvccinc.org/golf for more information and to register or sponsor online.

 

Free Concerts at the Big E

Sept. 17 to Oct. 3: The lineup for the Big E’s Court of Honor Stage has been announced. The tented venue, located in front of the iconic Coliseum at the heart of the fairgrounds, hosts more than 85 shows over the 17-day run of the Big E. All events on the Court of Honor Stage are free with admission to the fair. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Concerts include Modern English (Sept. 17-19, 3 p.m.), Jesse McCartney (Sept. 17, 8 p.m.), Tom Franek (Sept. 17-26, 11 a.m, 1 and 6 p.m.), Foghat (Sept. 19, 8 p.m.), Rainere Martin in the Donna Summer Experience (Sept. 20-21, 3 p.m.), the Yardbirds (Sept. 20-21, 8 p.m.), Exile (Sept. 22-23, 3 p.m.), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Sept. 22, 8 p.m.), 10,000 Maniacs (Sept. 23, 8 p.m.), the Bar-Kays: Soul 2 Soul Revue (Sept. 24-26, 3 p.m.), Ying Yang Twins (Sept. 25, 8 p.m.), Don McLean (Sept. 26, 8 p.m.), the Outlaws (Sept. 27-28, 8 p.m.), the Everly Set (Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, 11 a.m., 1 and 6 p.m.), Big Brother and the Holding Company (Sept. 29-30, 3 p.m.), Lisa Lisa (Sept. 29, 8 p.m.), Tribute to the King featuring Taylor Rodriguez (Oct. 1-3, 3 p.m.), Hoobastank (Oct. 2, 8 p.m.), and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC (Oct. 3, 8 p.m.). Look for more concert announcements at thebige.com.

 

40 Under Forty Gala

Sept. 23: BusinessWest’s 15th annual 40 Under Forty gala will take place at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The class of 2021 was introduced to the region in the magazine’s May 12 issue, and the profiles may be read online at businesswest.com. Tickets cost $80 per person. This is expected to be a sellout event, and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a spot, call (413) 781-8600, or e-mail [email protected].

 

Class of 2020 Event Galleries Special Coverage

It was a different kind of event, to be sure, but BusinessWest’s Difference Makers class of 2020 was celebrated in style on Sept. 24 at the Upper Vista at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. Honorees, their guests, and sponsors were in attendance at an event where safety and social distancing were paramount, while hundreds more took in the ceremonies remotely. Download the Program Guide HERE

Difference Makers is sponsored by Burkhart Pizzanelli, Mercy Medical Center, The Royal Law Firm, and TommyCar Auto Group, while the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, MHA, and United Way of Pioneer Valley are partners.

The 2020 Virtual Event

Scenes from the 2020 Event

2020 Difference Makers

Christopher ‘Monte’ Belmonte

DJ at WRSI the River Radio

His March is Changing
The Conversation
on Food Insecurity

Ira Bryck

Consultant and Former Executive Director of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley

He’s Helped Create
Fun, Imaginative
Learning Experiences

Sandy Cassanelli

CEO of Greeno Supply

She’s Fighting to Find a Cure for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Dianne
Fuller Doherty

Retired Director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center

She’s Retired … but Not from Her Role as a Difference Maker

Ronn Johnson

President and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc.

This Community Leader
Has Tackled Many Roles
With a Sense of Purpose

Steve Lowell

President and CEO of
Monson Savings Bank

Giving Back Has Always Been a Big Part of His Life — and His Work

Rick’s Place

This Unique Nonprofit Provides Support, Light in the Darkest of Times

2020 Sponsor Videos

2020 Sponsors

Pay it Forward Non-Profit Partners


Photography for this special section by Leah Martin Photography