Springfield Creative City Collective

Congratulations to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox and Governor Healey on a multifaceted and thoughtfully curated Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism last week!

The opening plenary shared current travel trends and named expected challenges. Currently, travel remains one of America’s top exports, generating over $250 billion annually and contributing more than $300 billion in tax revenue. Domestic travel is steady, while international visitation has slightly declined due to visa delays, rising costs, and global perception challenges.

The presentation also emphasized that there is a significant gap between perception and reality. The United States is still one of the most desired destinations, and visitors report positive reviews, even though media narratives can misrepresent what visitors ultimately experience. This should be considered a marketing issue as well as an honest reflection on how policy, infrastructure, and storytelling are dependent on which part of America we’re amplifying.

This conference connected to research ideas found in the Creative Economies and Economic Recovery Report by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: NASAA which explains that tourism is increasingly shaped at the intersection of travel and the creative economy. An underlying theme of the day included the interconnection of travel, creative economies, cultural infrastructure, public policy and digital storytelling. Sessions like “Mutual Survival: Partnerships with the Creative Sector” and “From Silos to Shared Spaces in Beverly” reinforced that artists and creatives play a central role in how places are understood and experienced.

Western Massachusetts was well represented and celebrated, with leaders including Kristen Elechko, Western Massachusetts Director, Jessye Deane, Executive Director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Lauren Brennan, Executive Director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Angelle Lopez, Springfield Business Improvement District (Springfield Downtown) Event and Program Coordinator, and Laurie Norton, who served as the Norman Rockwell Museum Director for 40 years, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the states tourism industry.

This is another example of how Western Massachusetts is continuing to actively break down long-standing geographic silos and move toward full integration with statewide goals, strategies, and comprehensive planning efforts.

After the conference, SCCC Executive Director Tiffany Allecia M.Ed. And Executive Committee Member Evyan Diaz had the opportunity to spend time in thought partnership with Danielle Payant, Executive Director of Beverly Main Streets, Becki Greene, Community Engagement Manager, and John Andrews, Founder and President of The Creative Collective MA, at Delphine's Kitchen in Downtown Beverly. Liz DiFiore, Community Engagement Manager at BevCam, also stopped by to connect. It’s clear that cross-regional and cross-state partnerships will be central to our continued and sustainable progress.

Congratulations to all involved!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Creative Sector Advocacy Week 2026 Kick Off - 24 Hour Live Stream on Monday! Seeing artists, cultural leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates, and community members come together from across Massachusetts was incredibly powerful!

The Springfield Creative City Collective wholeheartedly believes that our societal solutions are deeply interconnected. Arts, culture, economic development, education, policy, and community wellbeing all move together. When we bring people into thoughtful conversation across disciplines and communities, new possibilities begin to emerge and inspire.

Throughout the day we were able to elevate research on the creative economy, highlight artists and cultural workers, discuss important policy priorities, showcase live performances, share resources for creative entrepreneurship, and strengthen connections between creative leaders across the Commonwealth.

Most importantly, the day publicly showed the power of thought partnership. When creatives, advocates, and organizers collaborate, we build the collective imagination needed to move our communities forward and strategically design sustainably thriving societies.

Stay Tuned! Recorded sessions from the 24-Hour Live will be available soon on our website: sccc413.com/24hourlive.

Finally we would truly like to thank everyone who contributed their time and insight to the livestream, including our hosts Tiffany Allecia M.Ed., SCCC Executive Director, Terrance Mack M.A. , Author and Founder of the Polemic Peoples Podcast; Aaron St. Louis - AJoeSaint, poet and lyricist; and Evyan Diaz, singer-songwriter. We are also deeply grateful to our guest leaders Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative; Danielle Amodeo, Founder & Principal of Arts Equity Group; Tatiana Cole, Founder & CEO of Free to Flourish LLC; Kelly Thadison, Business Navigator at Common Capital; Margo Saulnier, Director of Creative Strategies and Arts-Based Initiatives at the New Bedford Economic Development Council; Luis Edgardo Cotto, Transformative Development Initiative Fellow; Derek Craig, Fitchburg Creative Cities Lead and Chief Visionary Officer of Coff33 Corp.; and John Andrews, Founder & President of Creative Collective MA, along with the many artists, organizers, photographers, writers, designers, musicians, and cultural leaders from across the 413 and the Commonwealth who helped shape this statewide conversation!

The 24-Hour Live Kickoff was funded through the 2022 Creative Cities Grant by MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) and the Barr Foundation, as part of a broader “Creative Cities” effort to strengthen arts-based economic development across Massachusetts.

Congratulations to CEO Jim Klocke and the entire team at the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network for a powerful 2025 Annual Conference, “Stronger Together.” In a year that has tested the nonprofit sector through funding cuts and public misconceptions, MNN created a vital space to recognize these challenges and celebrate our collective resilience.

The conference organized space for a variety of impactful conversations, including a spirited and complex discussion about nonprofit identities in today’s climate. We vulnerably explored the issue of whether organizations should “scrub” their digital footprints to fit new federal expectations or stand firmly in their existing identities and navigate the consequences. MNN’s commitment to fostering these candid dialogues was distinctly empowering.

I also want to highlight the timely and purposeful workshop led by Danielle Amodeo, George Emilio Sanchez, and DJ McDonald entitled, “Defending the First Amendment: Lessons From the Arts on This Critical Role for Nonprofits”. They discussed the growing tension between censorship, fear, and the civic responsibility of nonprofits to uphold free expression. The session urged participants to view the First Amendment as a living practice that requires courage, context, and collective action.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell highlighted that her office is both a legal safeguard and a partner in ensuring nonprofits can serve without fear. She emphasized that defending our constitutional rights is central to protecting democracy and that her team is committed to tackling systemic and targeted inequities head on. She discussed how this work is rooted in our commitment to our values and our courage to uphold and defend our social contract and inalienable rights.

AG Campbell spoke with bravery and strategic vision which is necessary as the non profit sector fights to sustain itself. I’m grateful to have been part of such a thoughtful and galvanizing event. The MNN conference left me indescribably proud to continue this work specially within our beloved Commonwealth.

Thank you MNN!