Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1494985
wbjournal.com | March 20, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 3 may not jump out at you the way Boston or Cape Cod do, but this region's offerings have substance and plenty to explore. – Brad Kane, editor W hen my wife and I first moved our young family from Florida to Central Massachusetts in 2008, tourism in this region was not at the fore- front of our minds. We had been attracted to the Bay State by the glow of Boston, so most of those initial nights and weekends were spent exploring the city. But even within the first two months of us living in our then adopted home of Marlborough, we were hitting some of this region's highlights, starting with apple picking at the Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton. Eventually, we would find our way to places like the Southwick's Zoo in Men- don, the EcoTarium in Worcester (where this year's Business Leader of the Year pho- tos were shot), the Discovery Museum in Acton, Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, and Hanover eatre in Worcester. Now, when people come to visit us, I tell them they have to go check out Seed To Stem and Crompton Collective in the Canal District. My son and I took his friend to a Worcester Red Sox game at Polar Park, where the kids mostly just ran around the playground. One of my wife's favorite meals in New England was at Armsby Abbey on Main Street. e New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston ranks as one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. I haven't yet been to Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, but enough people have told me it is their favorite place in New England that it remains as one of my few lingering must-do's in the region. is edition's Meetings Guide & Tourism focus covers a lot of ground for what Cen- tral Mass. has to offer visitors and business- es. We have comprehensive lists of meeting venues, tourist attractions, and golf courses. Staff Writer Timothy Doyle writes in his story "A new home for arts and community" on page 10 about how an artist couple has taken over e White Room meeting facil- ity in the Canal District and infused their own spin to create a unique space. On page 16, Correspondent Emily Micucci writes in her story "As occupancy rebounds, hoteliers say hiring isn't far behind" about how the long drought in workers in the hospitality industry may be inching toward normalcy. ere's much to love about what Central Massachusetts venues and attractions have to offer businesses, visitors, and residents. ey Tourism in Central Mass. W I N T H I S I S S U E Editor, Brad Kane, bkane@wbjournal.com Staff Writers Timothy Doyle tdoyle@wbjournal.com (Real estate, higher education) Kevin Koczwara kkoczwara@wbjournal.com (Manufacturing, energy & environment) Isabel Tehan, itehan@wbjournal.com (Health care, diversity & inclusion) Contributors Giselle Rivera-Flores, Laura Finaldi, Monica Benevides, Alan Earls, Susan Shalhoub, Livia Gershon Photgraphers Matt Wright, Edd Cote Research Director, Stephanie Meagher, smeagher@nebusinessmedia.com Research Assistant, Heide Martin, hmartin@nebusinessmedia.com Production Director, Kira Beaudoin, kbeaudoin@wbjournal.com Art Director, Mitchell Hayes, mhayes@wbjournal.com Senior Accounts Manager Christine Juetten, cjuetten@wbjournal.com Senior Special Accounts Manager Mary Lynn Bosiak, mlbosiak@wbjournal.com Senior Account Executive Yasmin Nasrullah, ynasrullah@wbjournal.com Marketing & Events Manager Kris Prosser, kprosser@wbjournal.com Human Resources Manager, Tracy Rodwill, trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Accounting Manager, Sara Ward, sward@nebusinessmedia.com Accounting Assistant, Rae Rogers, rrogers@nebusinessmedia.com Account Receivable Specialist, Patty Harris, pharris@ nebusinessmedia.com Audience Development Manager, Leah Allen, lallen@nebusinessmedia.com Business Office Assistant, Nicole Dunn, ndunn@nebusinessmedia.com Publisher, CEO, Peter Stanton pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Associate Publisher, Mark Murray mmurray@wbjournal.com President, Tom Curtin tcurtin@hartfordbusinessjournal.com Worcester Business Journal (ISSN#1063-6595) is published bi-weekly, 24x per year, including 4 special issues in May, September, October, and December by New England Business Media. 172 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604. Periodicals postage paid at Worcester, MA. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Worcester Business Journal, PO Box 330, Congers, NY 10920-9894. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions are available for $84.00. For more information, please email circulation@wbjournal.com or contact our circulation department at 845-267-3008. Advertising: For advertising information, please call Mark Murray at 508-755-8004 ext. 227. Fax: 508-755-8860. Worcester Business Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and in general does not return them to the sender. Worcester Business Journal 172 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA 01604 508-755-8004 tel. • 508-755-8860 fax www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal WBJ A division of: NMLS# 403265 | Member FDIC | Member DIF Meg McIsaac | President & CEO Bluestone Bank is proud to have Meg McIsaac as our President and CEO. Meg's commitment to community banking is the foundation of her career. She provides strong leadership for a team dedicated to providing leading-edge service and support for our customers' banking and financial needs—and dedicated to giving the very best to the communities we serve. With our committed team working for you, you're always backed by Bluestone. Meet Meg McIsaac > Shared Vision. [ backed by Bluestone ] TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 16 As occupancy rebounds, hoteliers say hiring isn't far behind Employment in the Greater Worcester leisure and hospitality industry has reached 93% of its pre-COVID levels. 23 10 Things I know about … Keeping a small business moving forward Advice columnist Gicelle Brito from Workers Credit Union offers tips for business owners to keep their value high and their operations running smoothly. 4 Central Mass. In Brief 10 Focus on Meetings Guide & Tourism 12 The List: Top tourist attractions 15 The List: Toughest golf courses 18 The List: Largest meeting venues 23 Know How 24 Movers & Shakers 25 Opinion 26 Shop Talk: The Center for Arts in Natick CORRECTIONS: A Business Leader of the Year story in the March 6 edition entitled "Klein never stopped growing Greenwood" about David Klein misspelled the last name of David Brunelle, the manag- ing director of North Pointe Wealth Management. The Movers & Shakers column in the March 6 edition incorrectly said Estate Preservation Law Offices is based in Milford. The law firm is based in Worcester.