December 28, 2017 Update: The Holiday Fun Zone at Mid's Park has been busy all week with visitors stopping by for complimentary s'mores and hot chocolate. To help during this recent cold weather, ROOST added a heated tent and outside heaters to help keep guests warm as they enjoy the festive atmosphere. ROOST's Lake Placid Regional Marketing Manager Catherine Ericson said the sub-zero temperatures has not dampened the spirit or fun on Lake Placid's Main Street. HOLIDAY FUN ZONE IS RETURNING TO LAKE PLACID'S MAIN STREET December, 20, 2017 Lake Placid, NY - The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) and the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) is partnering to bring the Holiday Fun Zone back to Lake Placid’s Main Street this December. From Dec. 26 to 31, families can head to Mid’s Park after a day of playing, from 4 to 6 p.m., for some holiday fun. Community members will be welcoming visitors to the village and providing free hot chocolate and s’mores. Families can warm up by crackling fires while enjoying traditional Adirondack treats, a live DJ and giveaways. ###

For Immediate Release December 19, 2018 Reasons to visit the Adirondacks this winter Adirondacks, USA - Winter in the Adirondacks is one of the most festive and beautiful times of the year. This 6.1 million acre region in upstate New York is comprised of 5,000- foot mountains, glacial lakes, towering pine forests, seemingly endless system of recreation trails, and quaint towns and villages. And when the snow falls, a foundation is created for outdoor recreation and winter-inspired events. From November through March, revelers find ways to celebrate and play in the snow with traditional pursuits like downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, pond hockey and ice fishing. Somewhat more unconventional activities include riding a toboggan down a 30-foot high slide, competing in a cardboard sledding race, and watching fireworks set above a colorfully-lit palace made from two-ton bricks of ice. A day can be skiing at one of our five downhill ski centers or riding on a dogsled on Mirror Lake while soaking up the views of the nearby High Peaks. Enjoy a locally-brewed beer and heart meal at one of our brew pubs, and end the day in front of a fire in your cabin in the woods, or room at a full-service resort. Why now? Because we have a winter packed with events, from world cup competitions to winter carnivals. There are also some new activities, events, and lodging options. What’s New? The ski areas of Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, Oak Mountain and Titus Ski Center have all received attention and upgrades to enhance the skiing and riding experience. Whiteface is renovating and expanding its lodges and learn to ski area. Gore Mountain is also upgrading and adding new lodges, increasing their snowmaking, and Oak Mountain added a Sunkid lift, a conveyor belt type lift at its bunny hill. Titus Mountain Family Ski Center built four new ski-in, ski-out cabins. The iconic Hotel Saranac, built in the gilded age, is getting a makeover and will re-open at the beginning of January of this year. Originally opened in 1927 and visited by New York City magnates, the hotel will retain much of its original architecture and offer upscale and full-service amenities. February 24-25: Inaugural Adirondack Snowshoe Fest - a weekend of snowshoe competitions, guided tours, strolls along trails with stops at bonfires with hot chocolate, live music inside the lodge, and more. Winter Events: November 9-10 World Cup Bobsled and Skeleton November 24-26 Skate America December 1-2 World Cup Para Bobsled December 8-10 Lake Placid Holiday Stroll weekend December 30: Stars on Ice Legends December 15-16 World Cup Luge January 19-20 World Cup Freestyle February 1-4 Empire State Winter Games February 2-11 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival February 3 Northern Challenge Fishing Derby February 24 USOC PyeongChang Olympic Winter Fest March 4-10 USCSA Ski & Snowboard Championships March 18 Lake Placid Nordic Festival and Loppet March 16-17 ECAC Hockey Men’s D1 Championships March 25-26 Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp ###

December 22, 2017 ROOST SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR 2018 EMPIRE STATE WINTER GAMES For Immediate Release Lake Placid, NY - The 2018 Empire State Winter Games multi-sport winter festival, scheduled for Feb. 1-4, will include ambitious expansion plans that will make this year's Games the largest annual multi-sport destination festival in the Northeast. They are projected to draw a record breaking 2,500 athletes and new events such as a torch relay from New York City, a central village that will host athlete and spectator sports, family activities, an athlete lounge, food, and live music and media coverage. ROOST is looking for volunteers who are interested in being an integral part of this exciting event and to help ensure this sports festival is a success. Volunteers are needed in the following areas: Athlete Check-in – Conference Center at Lake Placid - Assisting with checking in the Empire State Winter Games Athletes. Wednesday, Jan. 31: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2-6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2-6 p.m. Empire State Winter Games headquarters/ Athlete Village - Main Municipal Lot, Lake Placid - Giving out free s’mores, hot cocoa and information. - Assisting with athlete games/activities and Tastes of the Games. Friday, Feb. 2: 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 3-8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Marathon Skate – Mid’s Park, Main Street, Lake Placid - Assist in the marathon skate course set-up. Saturday, Feb. 4: 10 a.m.-noon Please contact Bethany Valenze at bethany@roostadk.com or by phone at (518) 621-3662. CLICK HERE to see a complete schedule of ESWG events. ###

December 24, 2017 Malone, N.Y. — The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) invites all interested Malone area municipal leaders, businesses, organizations, and individuals to attend a brief regional destination marketing review, followed by a reception. The review will take place Thursday, Jan. 11 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Donovan's Steak & Ale, 3853 State Route 11. The agenda will include a brief presentation by ROOST staff and time for Q&A, followed by a networking opportunity with light refreshments and a cash bar. “I encourage our marketing partners to attend this informative, casual gathering,” said Tim Lamay, Malone regional marketing manager for ROOST. “It is a great opportunity to continue our ongoing dialogue about ROOST’s marketing strategies on behalf of this region." All those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to Tim Lamay at tim@roostadk.com. The regional destination marketing review is one in a series ROOST has been hosting throughout its destination regions, including upcoming events in the Whiteface Region on Jan. 25 at Pourman’s Tap House and dates to be announced in Hamilton County and Schroon Lake Region. ROOST is the accredited destination marketing organization (DMO) responsible for promoting Essex, Hamilton and Franklin counties in the Adirondacks of New York. For more information about ROOST and its team, visit roostadk.com. ###

Saranac Lake just wrapped up it's annual First Night celebration. Hundreds of visitors braved the cold temps to bring in the New Year in style, and for the second year in a row, they were able to secure their tickets in advance thanks to First Night's use of ROOSTS new booking system. This year saw a 35% increase in online sales, with 81 First Night Buttons being sold online. This made up for 13% of total adult button sales for this event. Buttons were sold to visitors as far away as Texas. "Booking online through ROOSTS system has been a perfect fit for us," says Sue Patterson, First Night Chairperson, "We didn't really have an avenue for online sales before this. It's been very successful, particularly for people coming from out of town." ROOSTS launched their new booking platform in May of 2016 and it is now available on lakeplacid.com, saranaclake.com, and whitefaceregion.com; with tupperlake.com, adirondackexperience.com, and visitmalone.com coming soon. You can read our first year booking report here. It is available to any business or event across the Adirondacks. It provides the opportunity to sell nearly any type of product and package multiple products together to maximize the guest experience. You can find out more by clicking here and/or contacting Glenn Pareira at glenn@roostadk.com.