OCTOBER 9, 2014 | Issue 56

Chamber Partners to Host Gubernatorial Debate in Worcester

Baker, Coakley to address issues that affect the business community

Friday, October 27, 2014

8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
1 Southbridge Street, Worcester, MA

A panel consisting of Chris Sinacola from the Telegram & Gazette and Alison King from New England Cable News (NECN) will ask questions of the candidates; while NECN's Latoyia Edwards will moderate the debate. Questions will focus on topics and issues that matter to the voters and business community of Worcester and our region.

Tickets available today - FREE and open to the public

Chamber Takes "No" Position on Four Ballot Questions

All four of the ballot questions were deliberated by the Public Policy and Executive Committees of the Chamber. It is the Chamber's opinion that these four ballot initiatives would create policies harmful to the business community and our members. Therefore, the Chamber is opposing these four questions.

The following provides a summary of the ballot question and a brief reasoning for the Chamber's positions:

Question 1 seeks to repeal the indexing provision recently applied to the gas tax in Mass.

Question 2 seeks to expand the coverage of the bottle bill to include water, flavored water, sports drinks and juices.

Question 3 seeks to repeal the Casino Law (or expanding gaming law) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Question 4 seeks to mandate that businesses offer paid and unpaid sick time to their employees.

New England Regional Veteran Small Business Opportunity

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014 | 9 AM

Location: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA

Meet Procurement Decision Makers from the federal government and the governments of Mass., Conn., Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Certified and procurement ready veteran-owned small businesses can speak directly with procurement decisions makers to discuss contract requirements. And, for veteran owned small businesses that are not quite ready to bid on contracts, this is a great opportunity to learn how to become certified and procurement ready. Meet Representatives From:

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Department of Defense offices
State Procurement and Development offices
Federal and State Procurement officials
Small Business Administration
State Directors of Veteran Affairs

COST: $50

MORE INFO | READ MORE

New President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Laurie Leshin to speak at Chamber's Annual Meeting

Friday, December 12, 2014

Noon

DCU Center, 50 Foster Street, Worcester, MA

Sponsored by

Be part of the Chamber's New Website!

Tell us how you use your Chamber membership to boost your business, keep abreast of the latest business developments, mentor the next generation, influence policy, or to make a difference.

We're looking for Chamber members to be part of our new website by telling their Chamber story in our, "What Our Members are Saying" section of the site.

Submit your brief (50 - 60 word) description to be considered to [email protected]

Request for Interest for the Property Sale and Redevelopment of the Former Worcester County Courthouse

The City of Worcester has issued a Requests for Interest ("RFI") for the former Worcester County Courthouse located at 2 Main Street in Downtown Worcester.

The City is seeking a qualified purchaser/developer to redevelop the property in accordance with the North Main Economic Development Strategy.

The former Worcester County Courthouse consists of approximately 246,252 square feet of gross building area located on 4.28 acres in the North Main Street area of Downtown Worcester. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Institutional District (NRHP District No. 80000554).

The historic building consists of several sections that were constructed between 1843 and 1954.

DOWLOAD THE PDF FOR COMPLETE DETAILS

Join Us or WIN!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

446 Main Street, Suite 200 | Worcester, MA

Speakers:

Kate McEvoy-Zdonczyk

Vice President for Corporate Community Affairs

and the Central & Western Massachusetts Markets

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Diane M. Giampa

Senior Vice President

Human Resources & Marketing

Bay State Savings Bank

Contact Virginia Parent for more information.

REGISTER

SCORE Celebrates 50 Years of Service to America's Small Businesses

On November 10, SCORE will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a dinner event at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, MA. A night of networking, dinner, social media learning will celebrate SCORES's half century of assisting more than 10 million of America's entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Networking begins at 5:30 with dinner and the program from 6 - 9 pm.

The keynote speaker will be Ellen M. Brezniak, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations for Constant Contact who will talk about Engagement Marketing: Small is Powerful. The ticket price is $25 per person and includes hors d'oeuvres and dinner with a cash bar available. REGISTER HERE

InternHub

Looking for an easier and better way to build your future talent?

The Worcester Regional Chamber is proud to bring you a new member benefit - InternHub.com. This online website allows Worcester area employers and students to connect on internship opportunities.

Intern Hub is an expansion of the Boston Chamber -Federal Reserve Bank of Boston talent retention initiative. Intern Hub is not just a job board - it's a one-stop-shop to maximize the effectiveness of your organization's internship program. It will help you streamline the recruitment process, improve the quality of available talent, and access invaluable resources. No matter your industry or internship type, we encourage you to try it today. InternHub.com