Page 7 - BusinessWest August 18, 2021

the fair’s 17 days, and even concerns about whether one of the organizers of his massive car show can get into this country (he’s been given the AstraZeneca vaccine, which isn’t recognized in the U.S.).
“I have a fear ... that the long arm of the government can sud- denly change our lives — we lived through that in 2020, to be sure,” he noted. “And the Eastern States Exposition is surviving on a very thin thread; we cannot withstand being shuttered for another fair because the vacuum that would occur in our econo- my is nearly three quarters of a billion dollars, and there’s no way that anyone is going to able to replace that.”
Gene Cassidy says there is pent-up demand for the Big E, but because of the pandemic and fears among some people about being in crowds, he’s not expecting to set any attendance records this year.
As the Big E enters the final countdown before it kicks off on Sept. 17, there are equal amounts of anticipation and anxiety. The former is natural given the fact that the region hasn’t gone with- out a fair, as it did in 2020, since World War II; Cassidy noted that advance ticket sales are “off the charts,” and running 80% higher than in 2019, which was a record-setting year for the Big E.
The fair will offer a welcome escape for all those who have spent much of the past 18 months cooped up and not doing the things they would traditionally be doing. And it will provide a
“I have a fear ... that the long arm of the government can suddenly change our lives — we lived through that in 2020, to be sure. And the Eastern States Exposition is surviving on a very thin thread; we cannot withstand being shuttered for another fair.”
much-needed boost for businesses in several sectors, from hotels and restaurants to tent-renting enterprises, for those homeown- ers in the area who turn their backyards into parking lots, and for countless vendors who had a big hole in their schedule (actually, lots of holes) last year.
People like Sharon Berthiaume.
The Chicopee resident has been coming to the Big E with
Richard F. Burkhart, CPA and Salvatore J. Pizzanelli, CPA, JD, PFS
The talented team at Burkhart Pizzanelli
Accounting
Julie M. Quink, CPA and Deborah J. Penzias, CPA
The talented team at Burkhart Pizzanelli provides
provides expertise in a full range of accounting
and financial services. Feel free to call on us at Consulting 413.734.9040.Feel free to call on us at 413.734.9040.
expertise in a full range of accounting and financial services.
201 Park Avenue, Suite 2, West Springfield, MA
201 Park Avenue, Suite 2 • West SpringfieldR, eMtAir0e1m08e9nt Plans T: 413.734.9040 • F: 413.781.5609
T: 413.734.9040 • F: 413.781.5609 • www.bppc.com www.bppc.com Tax Planning
ACCOUNTING • CONSULTING • LITIGATION • RETIREMENT PLANS • TAX PLANNING
Litigation
You want your business to go places.
And your bank to never go anywhere.
You are in business for a reason. To build something. To grow something. And to reward your employees for all their hard work. That’s why Florence will always be here for you. Because as a mutual bank, we believe that when local business prospers, the whole community prospers. Talk to us about what we can do for you and your business.
FlorenceBank.com/ChooseAlways
Member FDIC / Member DIF
Staff Photo
Photo courtesy of The Big E
BusinessWest FEATURE AUGUST 18, 2021 7