Expo to Feature Seminar on Innovation in Continuous Improvement

SPRINGFIELD — The Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass., the seventh annual business-to-business show produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, slated for Thursday, Nov. 2 at the MassMutual Center, will feature a wide range of educational seminars and panel discussions.

For instance, what is continuous improvement? Three area experts on the subject will answer that question from their own unique perspectives starting at 2:15 p.m.

Chris Hutchins, continuous improvement expert at Cartamundi East Longmeadow, will discuss his company’s approach to continuous improvement over the past 15 years, and will outline the approach he would take if he were to start again today. He will touch on a few examples of the Lean/Six Sigma tools Cartamundi has employed, and what he wished he knew 15 years ago.

Peter Russo, director of Growth & Innovation at MassMEP, will talk about the new opportunities that exist for startup companies and established manufacturers to work together efficiently and effectively, and the processes that connect both groups on a personal, organizational, financial, and intellectual basis, ultimately contributing to growth in both.

In addition, Peter Reinhart, founding director of the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst, will discuss new models for academic institutions to become more relevant to industry partners in several ways: as hubs for exploring new-product candidates, by providing access to cutting-edge equipment facilities and providing employee training; by interacting on new research and development project; and through early identification of potential employees.

The Expo will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, Wild Apple Design Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing and Go Graphix (show partners), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), Elms College (information booth sponsor), Smith & Wesson (Workforce Support Center sponsor), Savage Arms (JoinedForces parking sponsor), WMAS, WHMP, Rock 102 & Lazer 99.3, and MassLive (media partners), and the Better Business Bureau and Cartamundi (contributing sponsors). Exhibitor spaces are still available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.