Business owners and entrepreneurs get together for a night of networking

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – As you walked into the Marriott ballroom Thursday evening, life-size cutouts immediately caught your eye. Each one of those cutouts displayed a cocktail creator who designed a drink with the help of the Marriott bartenders for the annual 'Fire and Ice' networking reception. Hosted by the Springfield Regional Chamber, 'Fire and Ice' brings together business owners, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, and others for their greater benefit. Across the room, different cocktails and mocktails were offered along with bar bites as professionals got to know one another. 22News also took part in the annual fire and ice reception. Reporters Nicole and Victoria Buddie designed a mocktail called the 'double axel'. The drink was on brand with the ice theme, their passion for figure skating, and a double for their identity. The double axel is known as a figure skating jump. Other cocktail creators were inspired by their roots, like the Caribbean. 'I'm from the mountains, so I'm like I want a mountain-ness, coconut-infused drink that will bring the people, taste testers back to the island,' shared Maria del Carmen Rodriguez. Also in the room were local mental health services and recreation opportunities like the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club. The Springfield Regional Chamber supports businesses year-round. They serve as the voice for the community and push for economic growth in the region.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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