steve wozniak ap.JPG

Steve Wozniak (File photo)

(AP)

SPRINGFIELD -- The upcoming speaking engagement with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is a major win for the Springfield Public Forum, an organization that often flies under the radar.

President Stephen Brand said the event, set for May 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center, came together through a combination of luck and an outpouring of community support. And it's a terrific way to kick off the Forum's 80th anniversary.

"This is just a great statement about where we are as an organization," said Brand. "We're an organization that not a lot of people know about, and this will change that."

Wozniak is speaking in Buffalo and then Boston a few days apart, and he had some free time in his schedule, so he agreed to a moderated question-and-answer session in Springfield followed by questions from the public. This is unusual for the Forum, which to date has put on events in the fall.

The addition of a spring speaker will not be an anomaly, said new Executive Director Michelle Morash. Originally, the plan was to start a spring series in 2016, but the deal with Wozniak pushed that up to now.

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and can be obtained through the Forum's website, www.springfieldpublicforum.org.

"We're thrilled. It's great to see so much excitement in the community about the event," said Morash. "There are a lot of things happening in our community that we want to showcase and we hope this brings some excitement about the innovative activities in Springfield."

Innovative activities include the rapid birth of tech startups in and around the city, as well as mentoring, acceleration and funding programs offered by groups like Valley Venture Mentors and River Valley Investors.

MassMutual is the lead sponsor of Wozniak's appearance, and others include The Markens Group, Paragus Strategic IT and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. MassLive is the media sponsor for the event.

"Thanks to the sponsors and our community, who rose to the occasion to make this happen," said Morash.

Brand said he was pleased with the diversity of the sponsors.

"It's everything from entrepreneurs to a school and then MassMutual; that's across the spectrum. It's somewhat unheard of," he said. "You just don't have people jumping on something like this that quickly."

The purpose of a Springfield Public Forum event is not entertainment; rather, it's education that can be applied by individuals in their own lives. Brand said they want to inspire people to make differences in their families and communities.

Even though Wozniak averaged Cs and Bs in school, that didn't stop him from helping to revolutionize the tech industry with ideas that have become essential to many societies around the world.

"Some of the most successful people are a bit out of the box, and we need to support them like we support people in the box," said Brand.

The event also speaks to the notion that Springfield is a city on the rise, both in terms of its business community and its cultural and educational offerings.

"It's not a city that's lying dormant at night," said Brand.

Nor is the Springfield Public Forum lying dormant. Now in its 80th year, the Forum's offerings are rich and relevant.

On Sept. 5 at 6 p.m., politics and the 2016 election will be the topic of discussion with columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks. Bestselling author Wes Moore is scheduled to speak on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Both events are at Symphony Hall and represent just a hint of what's to come for the fall season.

Brand said the Forum is a "treasure" and the speakers "spark our imaginations."

"Many of the people we've brought are change-the-world kind of people," he said.