ROOST, in conjunction with the Malone Chamber of Commerce, business and community leaders, and the Franklin County Economic Development Office, created a multi-page guide aimed at travelers in the Malone Region. The guide offers suggested itineraries in several categories - from outdoor recreation to historical tours, with the goal of assisting visitors by showcasing all that the region has to offer. The guides are available for pick up at the Malone Chamber of Commerce at 497 E. Main Street.

Travel Unity Announces Speaker Lineup for the 4th Annual Travel Unity Summit. Event in the Adirondacks will focus on Economic Development Through Diversity September 30, 2018 – New York, NY. In anticipation of its 4th Annual Travel Unity Summit, Travel Unity, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing diversity in the travel space, is pleased to announce the speaker lineup for its 2018 Travel Unity Summit. With a focus on “Economic Development Through Diversity,” the 4th annual Travel Unity Summit will be held October 27-28, 2018 in New York State’s Adirondack region. On Saturday, October 27, Travel Unity will welcome attendees to Conference Center in Lake Placid and on Sunday, October 28, at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The summit's extensive speaker lineup includes: Markly Wilson, Director of International Marketing for the New York State Division of Tourism (I Love NY); Stephanie Ratcliff, Executive Director, Wild Center; Laura DiBeta, Director of Outdoor Recreation at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Michelle Clement, Director of Marketing for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) and Ernest White II, a producer and host of the global reality based TV series Fly Brother. The summit's theme of “economic development through diversity” reflects how demographic shifts across New York State, like those nationally, demand changes in how destinations and attractions market and prepare for new visitors. "Travel Unity is extremely excited to be working with such an illustrious group of thought leaders to discuss this topical and needed issue," said Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity. "This is a big step for Travel Unity. Our summit is expanding our footprint outside of New York City, bringing our network to the benefit of the rest of the state. We look forward to this being the start of the deepening of relationships with our friends from New York State's various regions." The workshops and sessions on Saturday, October 27, look first at the state of accessibility, diversity and inclusion in tourism before shifting to how businesses, non-profits, and tourism professionals can address the needs of changing populations in an authentic and welcoming manner. The presentations on Sunday, October 28, will feature speakers looking at the intersection of sustainability and diversity, along with cultural exchange in the Adirondacks. For a complete list of speakers on both days, visit: travelunity.org/speakers. For more information about the Travel Unity Summit, including online registration and the summit agenda, go to travelunity.org. ###

October 30, 2018 Saranac Lake, NY - The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism encourages community organizations and businesses to include Saranac Lake’s new brand in their promotional materials and signage. The new brand, with the logo decidedly different and corresponding graphic represents the unique blend of heritage, natural beauty, and creative spirit. It was created by ROOST and a brand advisory panel comprised of Saranac Lake stakeholders who worked through the data and research and developed the final brand. The end result is the building a unified message that increases awareness of the community for both tourism and economic development. The brand has been integrated into the destination website for the community, SaranacLake.com, and will be incorporated into ROOST’s Saranac Lake marketing materials. Signage? Ask Kelly what/where the brand will be used. “The overall goal is to create a unique image in the minds of our travelers and ultimately help differentiate Saranac Lake from other destinations,” said Saranac Lake Regional Marketing Manager Kelly Brunette. “To that end, businesses and organizations are encouraged to use the brand mark to promote their establishment as part of the overarching Saranac Lake brand.” However, to maintain a strong and effective identity means that the brand elements must be presented in a consistent manner. A complete description of the brand concept and guidelines, including approved uses of the logos fonts and colors, are outlined in a guide that is available for reference and download here. Please feel free to contact Kelly Brunette at 518.621.3649 or kelly@roostadk.com with questions on using the brand. For more information on the brand and the process in which it was created, click here: http://www.saranaclake.com/brand. ###

November 15, 2018 LAKE PLACID, NY — The Lake Placid Village Holiday Decorating Contest Committee is alerting all decorators that this year, the annual contest will coincide with the Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll slated for Dec 7-9. The winners will be announced at the tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, December 8. Residents and businesses who would like their property to be judged should be fully decorated by Monday, December 3rd for judging on December 4-5. Judging will begin around 5 p.m. A panel of judges will select the properties whose decorations, in their collective opinion, represent the best of Lake Placid. Winners will be selected from several criteria, listed below. Judges are volunteer representatives from the community. The committee is supported by staff from the Lake Placid CVB/Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. The 2018 themes are: Residential -Best lights -Best overall decorations Lodging Properties -Best lights -Best overall decorations Business (non retail/ non lodging) -Best lights -Best overall decorations Retail -Best lights -Best window display Residential participants should contact Bethany Valenze, events and service coordinator, at the Visitors Bureau by Monday, December 3 to ensure they are not missed. Contact her at bethany@lakeplacid.com to be added to the list if you’re off the beaten path or outside the boundaries, or with any questions. This is especially important for those who are located outside the main village area, roughly bounded by Old Military Road, Route 73 to the ski jumps, Saranac Avenue to Price Chopper or past Cobble Hill Road. ###

Empire State Winter Games return to Adirondack and North Country regions in January New sports and venues, expanded torch relay, festival returns to downtown Lake Placid FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Carrie Gentile ROOST Communications Coordinator cgentile@roostadk.com 518-523-2445 Jon Lundin ORDA Director of Communications jlundin@orda.org 518-523-1655 Sarah Warren Community Bank, N.A. Public Relations Specialist Sarah_Warren@dixonschwabl.com 585-899-3271 December 20, 2019 Lake Placid, NY - The 39th running of the Empire State Winter Games, presented by Community Bank, N.A., will bring the spirit and excitement of traditional and adventure winter sports competition back to the North Country and Adirondack regions of New York state. “We are thrilled to once again be the title sponsor of the Empire State Winter Games, and all the tradition they bring,” said Mark Tryniski, CEO of Community Bank, N.A. “As our name suggests, we support our communities we serve, and these games bring tourism and provide economic support to the region. We’re proud to be a part of this almost 40-year tradition.” From Jan. 31 - Feb. 3, over 2,300 athletes of all ages from across the state and beyond are expected to participate in more than 30 sports, giving these amateur athletes the chance to compete on a world-class stage. Olympic alpine skier Andrew Weibrecht, lugers Chris Mazdzer and Emily Sweeney, biathletes Lowell Bailey and Tim Burke all competed at the ESWG early in their careers before earning their place on Team USA. “Competing in the Empire State Winter Games early in my career was such a wonderful experience for me. They have the feel of an Olympic Games, with the opening ceremonies and parade of athletes, a chance to meet athletes from all regions,” said Emily Sweeney, 2018 Winter Olympian. “It gave me a chance to push myself and test my skills on a large stage.” “It’s so important that young athletes have the support of their community, and these Games provide that to its athletes,” said Andrew Weibrecht, 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winter Olympian, and Lake Placid native. The opening ceremony on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. is free and open to the public, and will be held in the Herb Brooks Arena in the Lake Placid Olympic Center. A live performance by the high-flying aerial and acrobatic duo, Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion of the circus-inspired theatrical act Nimble Arts will entertain the audience and set the tone for the ESWG as not only a competition but a celebration of winter. The arena will begin to glow as all the athletes parade in wearing LED bracelets that are timed to the music, a new addition to this year’s event. Spoiler alert: one bracelet will turn a different color than the rest. The wearer of that bracelet will be given the honor of lighting the cauldron, signifying the opening of the games. As the headquarters for the Games, Lake Placid will once again welcome the public to the ESWG Village, which has relocated to Mid’s Park on Main Street, drawing crowds to the heart of Lake Placid’s downtown district. The family-friendly village is open Thursday from 4-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon-7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Award ceremonies will be held there daily, along with free hot chocolate, s’mores, music, and games for the kids. While Lake Placid serves as the basecamp for the weekend, sporting venues throughout the region are being used for ESWG events, such as Paul Smith’s College, which will host the debut of Esports to the Games. The competitors will be playing Madden NFL on both PlayStation and XBox. “This provides us the opportunity to bring prospective students on campus and expose them to the beauty and assets of the college, while aligning the Games with the cutting edge innovation and rapidly growing movement of Esports,” said Molly Rose Mayer, director of the ESWG. Cross-country skiing has been expanded and will now be open to ages 7-11, with a mass start 1 kilometer freestyle race the night of Friday, Feb. 1 at Dewey Mountain Recreation Center in Saranac Lake. After the resounding success of last year’s torch relay, organizers announced this year’s version is expanded and will now include two routes — one beginning in Buffalo and one from New York City — that will meet in Malone, thus uniting the state of New York before traveling together to the opening ceremony. The torch run begins January 27, and ends January 31 when it converges at the soccer field at Franklin Academy in Malone before continuing on to opening ceremonies that evening. Minutes from Malone’s downtown is Titus Mountain Family Ski Center, home to the ESWG Ski Festival at Titus. The day will begin with a competitive downhill race and will follow with an opportunity to watch the Terrain Park Rangers put on a rail jam exhibition and Ride with a Ranger, which is a chance to learn how to hit rails from the professionals. More about the ESWG The Empire State Winter Games is a community-driven event, courtesy of a partnership between the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST); the towns of North Elba, Wilmington, Tupper Lake, Harrietstown, Malone, and Brighton; the villages of Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Paul Smiths, Malone, Wilmington, and Saranac Lake; the counties of Essex and Franklin; the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority, and New York State Senator Betty Little. Sport venues are located in Lake Placid, Wilmington, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Malone, and Paul Smiths. Venues include: Lake Placid Olympic Center Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid Olympic Jumping and Sliding complexes, Mid's Park in Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain, Paul Smith's College, Paul Smith's College VIC, Saranac Lake Civic Center Ice Rink, Dewey Mountain Recreation Area, Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center, Olympic Cross Country and Biathlon Center, Titus Mountain, and Mount Pisgah. left to right: Molly Rose Mayer, director of ESWG, Mark Tryniski, CEO of Community Bank, N.A. , Emily Sweeney, Olympian, Andrew Weibrecht, Olympian