BCC Presents AI Summit on Sept. 23

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Workforce and Community Education department at Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents "AI for Hospitality & Tourism," part of the Berkshire Summit Signature Series, on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Arts Center, located at 1350 West Street.
 
The summit is designed for tourism and hospitality leaders, solo business owners and small teams who want practical, strategic ways to use AI to save time, improve operations, enhance guest experiences and stay competitive. 
 
The fee for the summit is $75. To register, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/summit. 
 
Through expert keynotes, real-world demonstrations and an open Q&A, attendees will learn how AI is moving beyond basic prompting into custom solutions, workflows, and buy-versus-build decisions that can create lasting business impact, stated a press release. 
 
Rather than focusing only on basic prompting or generic AI tools, this workshop gives attendees a practical look at the next stage of AI adoption: identifying real business problems, evaluating buy-versus-build decisions, and understanding when custom AI-integrated solutions can create stronger results than off-the-shelf platforms.  
 
The half-day of events includes an opening keynote presented by Kate Fox, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism; "Innovating with Chatbots" with Jeremy Branstad, a software engineer and technical leader; "Practical AI for Hospitality: Lessons from Building an AI Teammate" with Susie Arnett, a strategist, storyteller, and innovator; "Beyond Prompting in Hospitality" with Adam Graney, co-founder of Gold Flamingo AI Solutions; a closing keynote presented by Matt Mervis, director of AI strategy at EdAdvance; and a Q&A session. 

 


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Pittsfield Holiday Inn Temporarily Closes

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Holiday Inn & Suites is temporarily shut down, and 101 Restaurant & Bar has closed its doors until further notice. 

The hotel has been closed since Sept. 25, after its last working elevator of three broke down.  The Berkshire Eagle reported that guests were forced to evacuate because an elevator broke down. 

On Wednesday, 101 Restaurant & Bar posted on Facebook that they would close until further notice due to circumstances beyond their control and the closure of the Holiday Inn. 

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. We thank you and our staff for your patience. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we are able," the owners wrote. 

The central downtown, 12-story hotel has nearly 180 guest rooms.  Massachusetts requires public multi-level buildings and facilities to have elevator access. 

The Holiday Inn recently demolished its crumbling parking garage and is replacing it with a smaller one.  The building at 1 West Street was constructed in 1972; it was formerly known as the Crowne Plaza. 

101 Restaurant opened five years ago within the hotel.  It is owned by John and Tucker McNinch, who formerly operated the Olde Heritage Tavern in Lenox. 

Signs on the hotel's entrance explain that the doors are temporarily locked.  Anyone with questions is encouraged to call (413) 499-2000. 

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