By Greg Reibman

Each year the chamber likes to launch the new year with a cocktail party at a location most of our members have never been before.

This January we’re planning a variation on that theme.

We’ve decided to return to a location that’s familiar to many, but is about to undergo a significant transformation. Our Jan. 9 “New Year’s Bash” will be held at historic Shaw Hall on the bucolic Mount Ida College campus in Newton, which was acquired last spring by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

From an economic development perspective, UMass Amherst's plans to create an innovation-economy-focused research institution in Newton promises to be transformative for our economy. The concept has already generated a lot of excitement from employers in the N2 Innovation District and across our region who are anxious to work with the interns and co-op students who will begin moving into the campus’ dorms in a matter of weeks.

We're excited to be bringing our chamber members and future members to UMass Mount Ida campus just as this exciting new endeavor is beginning. We’re grateful to our new friends at UMass Amherst for hosting our party and to Cambridge Savings Bank for sponsoring this special evening.

Please join us as we enjoy freshly-prepared hors d'oeuvres from the award-wining team at UMass, while making lots of new connections, reuniting with old acquaintances and having a chance to meet the UMass leadership at this pivotal time.

See you Jan. 9.

The Chamber’s New Year’s Bash, sponsored by Cambridge Savings Bank, will be held at Shaw Hall on the UMass Mount Ida campus, 777 Dedham Street, Newton on Weds. Jan. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.