Western Mass. Business Expo Opens Tomorrow Morning
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News.
The day-long event is crammed with programming designed to promote awareness of the depth and breadth of the region’s economy and help business owners and managers better navigate the myriad challenges they face.
The day will get off to an entertaining start with the Springfield Regional Chamber’s October breakfast and keynote speaker Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, who will engage in a “casual conversation” with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien. Later, at the luncheon hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber, Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice, will present a program based on a report she co-authored and edited titled “Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution.” She will discuss the challenges facing this resilient, innovative sector, particularly a persistent skills gap and a lack of brand awareness, and how they present real opportunities for workforce development in New England.
Throughout the day, there will be informative seminars across four tracks: Sales & Marketing, Workforce Development, Hottest Trends, and Entrepreneurship. Also slated are robotics and machine-tooling demonstrations, a Technology Corridor, a Business Support Center, the ever-popular Pitch Contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors, the day-capping Expo Social (always a great networking opportunity), and much more.
Sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor; Peerless Precision, Smith & Wesson, the NTMS, and the Larry A. Maier Memorial Educational Fund, robotics and manufacturing sponsors; and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, entrepreneur sponsor. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.