Meet our affiliates

Amherst Business Improvement District

35 South Pleasant St., Amherst amherstdowntown.com

The Amherst BID in downtown Amherst was founded in 2014. Formed as a way for property owners to pool their resources to fund and coordinate improvements and supplemental services in commercial areas. The ultimate goal: to promote business and cultural activity and create a thriving, accommodating destination for visitors and the local and regional communities. During the pandemic, the Amherst BID's work for small businesses was used as a case study by the state of Massachusetts. Their marketing efforts have been recognized widely as a bar for other municipalities to rise to. The BID created a separate not-for-profit arm, the Downtown Amherst Foundation, which conceived and built The Drake, Amherst's first dedicated live music and performance venue. The BID continues to see and fill needs, create Amherst as a destination, support current businesses, advocate for incoming businesses and work closely with the town of Amherst, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts on Amherst-wide economic development and empowerment.

Erc5 East Of The River Chamber Of Commerce

280 North Main Street, Suite 2, East Longmeadow / erc5.com

The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce fosters the economic growth in East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow, and Wilbraham through the creation and expansion of businesses and jobs. It brings hundreds of member businesses together for events and helps its members invest in the community, get involved, and stay connected. The chamber provides various opportunities to showcase its members and their brands through its biweekly email newsletter, member spotlights on all its social media platforms, its podcast, “Conversations with the ERC5”, and its networking events. The Chamber offers Lunch & Learn events, providing business education workshops featuring topics of interest that benefit business owners.

FOCUS SPRINGFIELD

1200 Main St., Springfield focusspringfield.com

Focus Springfield is a collective of public access television stations, offering Channel 12, public access tv; Channel 15, for educational programming; and Channel 17, which provides government news. The mission of Focus Springfield is to improve the quality of life for Springfield residents through stimulating economic development, community building, education, training, and promoting the benefits of living, learning, and working in the city. The organization showcases the cultural and educational achievements of its residents over the airwaves, on the internet, and in the downtown gallery space. Focus Springfield also provides training that encourages individual and community-based programming, as well as activities that enhance the downtown streetscape.

GREATER SPRINGFIELD CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

1441 Main Street, Springfield explorewesternmass.com

The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) is a membership-based Destination Marketing Organization promoting the Western Mass region. The GSCVB collaboratively leads promotion and development for Western Massachusetts as a compelling visitor destination to drive economic vitality and enhance quality of life in our communities. Key target markets include leisure visitors, group tours, meeting planners and sports groups. Strategic partners include the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Invest in the West Partners and EDC.

MAKE-IT SPRINGFIELD

168 Worthington St., Springfield makeitspringfield.org

Make-It Springfield began in the fall of 2015 as a one-month, pop-up makerspace in a vacant storefront in downtown Springfield. In that one month, volunteers hosted over 40 workshops in technology, art, engineering, bicycle repair, cooking, and sewing, and over 450 community members took part in the offferings. Given the wide show of support, founders stretched the initial seed money to keep the space open for several more months, and DevelopSpringfield, the Springfield Business Improvement District, and Silverbrick Lofts collaborated to help Make-It find its current home, which opened in 2016. Make-It Springfield is a growing and thriving organization that serves the creative needs of a diverse community.

Springfield Business Improvement District

1243 Main St., Springfield springfielddowntown.com

Visit the website for the Springfield Business Improvement District, and you will get a feel for all that is available in downtown Springfield. A Business Improvement District (BID) is a formal organization made up of property owners and commercial tenants who collaborate to promote business development and improve an area’s quality of life. The goal of a BID is to restore or promote business activity in targeted commercial areas with management, marketing, and economic development services and programs. Springfield’s BID offers district management services, maintenance and security, promotion and marketing services, and other business services, and physical improvements and property management. The Springfield BID covers the 26 blocks of downtown Springfield.

Springfield Cultural Partnerships

127 State St., fourth floor, Springfield springfieldculture.org

Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP) is a memberbased nonprofit with a diverse mix of individuals and organizations all committed to supporting a vital, local cultural economy. The SCP also oversees the Springfield Central Cultural District. The partnership’s mission is to foster civic engagement and arts education in Springfield by creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural environment and engaging institutions, artists, and the community. It fosters synergy and alignment of cultural resources that create an enriching, welcoming experience for Springfield visitors and residents and operates through collaboration, community, innovation, and respect, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

Springfield Regional Chamber Of Commerce

1441 Main Street, Springfield springfieldregionalchamber.com

The mission of the Springfield Regional Chamber is completely aligned with that of the EDC. For over a century, the chamber has worked to strengthen and improve the region’s economy as “the voice of business” for hundreds of members. The organization develops the region’s workforce and provides legislative advocacy. As supporters for innovation and prosperity, the regional chamber drives economic vitality through leadership, advocacy, and partnerships and by convening leaders and influencers and championing local business growth. Its members work across all industries in the for- and nonprofit sectors. As part of its work, the chamber promotes members through events it hosts and through media outreach and the sharing of member news and information on its website.

Westmass Area Development Corporation

One Monarch Place, Springfield westmassdevelopment.com

Launched in 1960 by the commonwealth as a nonprofit economic and real estate development firm, the Westmass Area Development Corporation has a mission to promote, stimulate, develop, and advance the business prosperity and economic welfare of Western Mass. Drawing on professional and technical expertise in the region’s public and private sectors, Westmass shapes and manages large-scale development projects, prepares district development strategies, and has successfully developed financing and incentive packages. Over the course of its history, Westmass has developed over 2,500 acres in 13 industrial parks and projects; enabled the build-out of over 12 million square feet of commercial space and residential units; leveraged $400 million in invested resources on developments; and helped create over 10,000 jobs. It also provides targeted, innovative development strategies and guidance on public infrastructure financing, tax incentives, urban design, historic revitalization projects and real estate development management.

WESTOVER METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (WMDC) 255 Padgette St., Chicopee westoverairport.com

Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation is a quasi-public development corporation created in 1974 to convert former military property at Westover Air Force Base to civilian use. The corporation has acquired over 1,300 acres and has developed them into 4 industrial parks and the civilian airport. Over 50 companies have located in the parks, employing over 3,200 people.

Today, the corporation manages the highly secured day-to-day operations of Westover Metropolitan Airport, the maintenance of 4 industrial parks, and the continuing development of commercial and industrial real estate at each of the parks.