October Networking Events/Seminars

Networking events, workshops and seminars for the month of October are listed below. Got an upcoming business event? Send it to info@iberkshires.com.

On Thursday, Oct. 7, the Housatonic Heritage History Alliance will hold a free workshop on using social media. The workshop, led by web designer Brent Colley, will be held from noon to 1:30 at the Berkshire Community College South County Center, Great Barrington. Participants are invited to bring their lunch to the workshop if they wish; beverages and snacks will be provided. Although the event is free, registration is required. For more information, call 413-298-3468 or e-mail history@housatonicheritage.org.

The Consulting Alliance will hold a lunch meeting on Friday, Oct. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wolferts Roost Country Club, 120 Van Rensselaer Blvd., Menands, N.Y.

Presenters Tina Chase and Mary George, owners of Chasing George LLC, will discuss The Berkshire Forum, which they produced. The women will describe their decadelong history of producing internationally recognized technology investment conferences in association with Forbes magazine and Gilder Publishing LLC and describe how they parlayed that experience into the development and production of the inaugural Berkshire Forum event, which took place Sept.14 through 16 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.

The cost is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Guests and prospective members are invited to attend. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 518-434-0489 or by e-mailing info@consultingalliance.org.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation will be holding "2010 Fall Seminars in Nonprofit Excellence," a series of seminars designed to provide essential guidance to nonprofits as funding dollars remain scarce and compliance with federal regulations becomes more complex.

Participants must register in advance; the fee is $40 per participant ($60 for "Prove Your Worth") and discounts are available. For more information and to register, go to www.berkshiretaconic.org/nonprofits/Seminars.shtml or call 413-229-0370. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Oct.  5, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Webinar
Don’t Panic! Understanding the new IRS Filing Requirements for Small Nonprofits
Instructor: Eve Borenstein, Borentstein and McVeigh Law Office

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2 to 5 p.m. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Sheffield, Mass.
Get Organized and Boost Your Odds of Landing Grants
Instructor: Cynthia M. Adams, CEO, GrantStation

Thursday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Foundation for Community Health, Sharon, Conn.

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Pittsfield.
Prove Your Worth: Learn How Measurable Results Assert Your Mission
Instructor: Douglas Tanner, New England Network

Thursday, Nov. 18, 8:30 to noon, Berkshire Community College Intermodal Center, Pittsfield.
Compliance is Not An Option: Learn the Tough New Standards of the Massachusetts Data Protection Law
Instructor: Mark R. Adams, director of HR services, Employers Association of the Northeast

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours event on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at WearHouse,  307 Main St., Great Barrington. For more information and to RSVP: visitor@rnetworx.com.

Zonta Club of Berkshire County will meet on Monday, Oct. 18, beginning at 5 at Patrick's Pub on Park Square, downtown Pittsfield. The guest speaker will be North Adams City councilor and soon-to be-state representative for the 1st Berkshire District Gailanne Carridi. The meeting includes a brief networking time, business meeting, speaker and dinner. Guests are welcome at all meetings, but reservations are required for dinner. For more information: berkshire@zontadistrict1.org or call 413-637-2722.

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m., Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Director Betsy Wall and Director of Communications Lisa Simmons will present a question-and-answer session (with coffee) at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington. The event, geared towards area tourism industry professionals, will bring guests up to speed on the office's programming and marketing initiatives, and then open up the dialogue to participants. RSVP to betsy.larkin@state.ma.us.

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host a free Chamber Nite event at Legacy Banks, 331 State Road, North Adams, on Wednesday, Oct. 20,  from 5 to 7 p.m.

Berkshire Chamber members and their employees are invited to attend; complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served. Bring along plenty of business cards for networking and to be eligible for the door prize drawing. Registration for this event by Oct. 18 is strongly encouraged. To register: 413-499-4000,  choyt@berkshirechamber.com or www.berkshirechamber.com.

The Berkshire Visitors Bureau will host a marketing showcase on Thursday, Oct. 21, to assist area businesses explore media options and make informed marketing decisions in 2011. The showcase begins at 3:30 p.m. and will take place at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare and Company, 70 Kemble St., Lenox. Local and national media will be on hand. For more information or to RSVP, call 413-743-4500 or e-mail dmossman@berkshires.org.

The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours event on Thursday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 at Living Well Chiropractic, 140 Pleasant St., North Adams. The event is free to chamber members and their employees. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will be offered; RSVP to 413-458-9077 or info@williamstownchamber.com.

On Friday, Oct. 22, the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a breakfast from 7:45 to 9 at the Egremont Country Club, Great Barrington. Keynote speaker state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, will give an update on the legislative session and other news of interest to South County. Tickets are $20 for chamber members, $30 for nonmembers and walk-ins; to register, send a check to Southern Berkshire Chamber, P.O. Box 810, Great Barrington, MA 01230 or call 413-528-4284 to pay by phone.

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host the fifth installment of its 2010 Good News Business Salute breakfast series on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, One West St., Pittsfield, from 7:45 to 9. This event will be sponsored by The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank and will salute Berkshire Life/Guardian, Hillcrest Educational Centers, Legacy Banks, Normandeau Communications and Pittsfield YMCA.

Joe Scelsi, general manager of the Berkshire Mall, will discuss the opening of the new and improved mall access road and highlighting plans the mall has in place for the holiday season.
Cost is $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers and includes a breakfast buffet. To register: 413-499-4000, Ext. 26, choyt@berkshirechamber.com, or  www.berkshirechamber.com. 

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a social media workshop on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m., at the American Institute for Economic Research, 250 Division St, Great Barrington. The 90-minute workshop will be led by Christina Barrett, director of marketing and public relations at Berkshire Community College, and is designed to help attendees get started in using the latest social media tools to promote their brand, communicate with current customers and market to a new generation of customers.

Advance registration is required; no walk-ins will be accepted. The event is free for chamber members; $15 for nonmembers. To register, send name, business name and phone number to sbcc@rnetworx.com.

Berkshire Young Professionals, a program of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, will host its fourth annual Halloween Bash at Baba Louie’s, located at 34 Depot St, Pittsfield on Friday, Oct. 29, from 9 p.m. to midnight. This year’s party will feature music by Bob Heck Entertainment, prizes, and treats for all attendees. Prizes for best overall costume, male and female, and best duo/group will be awarded during the event.  Tickets can be purchased at the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce for $15 per or $10 for BYP Cardholders.  Costumes are required.

To become a BYP Member, visit www.berkshirechamber.com/byp.