The Adirondack Sports Council and ORDA presented information about the upcoming World University Games on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Slideshows from the meeting can be found here.If you have any questions about the FISU event please direct them to info@lakeplacid2023.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IP8T-yVbgQ

The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is seeking feedback from residents and business owners within Essex and Hamilton counties, along with the villages of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake regarding their perception of how tourism affects the region. The survey will capture business owners’ and residents’ perceptions and opinions about a number of topics as they relate to tourism within the region. It seeks to uncover sentiment regarding tourism related activities and impacts that contribute positively to the local economy and social environment within the region, along with topics that may be a source of concern. It will be distributed to business owners and residents through email, through social media, and through local news reports. According to Layne Dowdall, data analyst at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, overall community sentiment is more easily gauged by a larger sample size. “We are encouraging those who receive the survey link to share it with family and friends in their local community.” The survey will uncover local perception regarding tourism’s role in many local issues including: housing, local employment, sustainable business practices, population, and the impact of marketing to outside regions. Many questions are structured to elicit an “agree” or “disagree” response to gauge overall opinion. The final questions are open-ended, allowing respondents to provide additional information, in their own words. The final survey question offers an opportunity to share important information that may not have been included within the survey. According to Jane Hooper, communications manager at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, destination management and marketing organizations (DMMOs), such as the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, work to balance the impacts of tourism with the local social and economic needs. “To fulfill our role as a DMMO, it is important that local concerns are clearly identified and understood,” she said. “This survey of residents and business owners will help us identify both positive and negative economic issues, societal and community issues, and overall perceptions and feelings about tourism’s impact on the region. The more we understand about these impacts, the more easily we can help make or suggest improvements and changes within communities.” The 30 question survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The last day to complete the survey is September 14, 2022. A link to the survey can be found here. Those who take part in the survey will be registered for a chance to win a VISA gift card. All entrants will be added to a drawing, taking place in September for three chances to win VISA gift cards valued at $100, $250 and $500 each. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, which includes the Lake Placid region, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state. ## Contact:Jane Hooper, communications managerRegional Office of Sustainable Tourism518-621-3662518-578-6328 celljane@janeroostadk.com Take the Survey

Plans for Main Street during the 2023 Lake Placid World University Games A discussion with the Adirondack Sports Council. Please join ROOST for an in-person presentation by the Adirondack Sports Council on the tentative plans for Lake Placid's Main Street during the Lake Placid 2023 World University Games. Q&A to follow. When: Monday, October 3, 8:30 a.m. Where: Lake Placid Conference Center Board Room, 2nd floor. Please share to help spread the word. If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to Catherine Ericson: catherine@roostadk.com

Downtown Tupper Lake will be hosting a community celebration, dubbed the “Junction Function,” at the Tupper Lake Train Station on Sunday, October 16 from 1 - 3 p.m. The free community event features local businesses, vendors, attractions, live music and artists. Junction Function has been organized by the community of Tupper Lake, in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), to showcase Tupper Lake’s downtown area, businesses and local attractions. The event also coincides with the arrival of the first passenger train at the Tupper Lake Train Station in more than 40 years. Community members and visitors are invited to the free event where they can welcome the train to Tupper Lake, take part in the festivities, learn more about upcoming regional events and area attractions and learn more about development plans for downtown Tupper Lake. Among the many organizations participating in Junction Function include The Wild Center, Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, ROOST, and Adirondack Rail Trail Association (ARTA). 2023 Lake Placid FISU World University Games representatives will also take part in the event and Tupper Arts will present a pop-up Art Show featuring works from the recent Tupper Lake Plein Air Festival. The event will feature live music by Josh Weise; and local craft brewery, Raquette River Brewing, will be offering tastings. Adirondack Mac, the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games mascot and Ollie, The Wild Center otter mascot, will be on-hand to welcome attendees. Games, prizes and giveaways will round out the family-friendly event. One highlight of the event will be the arrival of the first passenger train since 1981. Adirondack Railroad is making its inaugural journey along a scenic route through the Adirondacks from Utica to Tupper Lake. The 11-hour round-trip includes a one-and-a-half-hour stop in Tupper Lake beginning around 1:30 p.m. As passengers disembark they will be met with the local celebration where they can become acquainted with the community and its attractions, meet business and elected leaders, learn about future developments, and visit downtown businesses. ROOST has created a map of the downtown Tupper Lake so that train passengers and visitors to the community can explore the area during their visit. The map indicates local businesses and restaurants that are a short walk from the train station. Some of the downtown businesses have adjusted their hours of operation to coincide with the event and visitors and local residents are encouraged to visit the downtown area before and after the festival. Community members and those who travel to Tupper Lake for the event will also have the opportunity to board and explore the train while it is at the station. According to Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism’s Tupper Lake Regional Manager, Katie Lalonde, Junction Function is an opportunity for the community of Tupper Lake to celebrate all that the village has to offer, along with sharing information about its ongoing revitalization. “Between the village’s recent submission of a NY Forward Grant for the downtown area, the revival of train service, construction of the highly anticipated Adirondack Rail Trail, coupled with the area’s thriving businesses, attractions and events, Tupper Lake is truly at the junction of a really exciting time.” In September, the village applied to the NY Forward program to gain support for 18 transformative projects in its downtown area, positioning it as a vibrant connector of community and business at the junction of the Adirondack Rail Trail and the scenic rail line. NY Forward was established to support and encourage revitalization of small and rural communities, especially villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. Tickets are still available for the Adirondack Railroad’s High Peaks Limited inaugural journey. Those interested should visit Adirondack Railroad for information and pricing. Regular trips from Utica to Tupper Lake will begin in 2023. Businesses and organizations that wish to take part in the Junction Function event should visit the Tupper Lake website to sign up. About The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Essex and Hamilton Counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state. ## Contact:Jane Hooper, communications managerRegional Office of Sustainable Tourism518-621-3662518-578-6328 (cell)jane@roostadk.com

The Lake Placid Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism will host a Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games information session on Monday, November 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lake Placid Conference Center, second floor. Area residents and business owners are encouraged to attend. The event will share information about regional plans and preparations for the 11-day international, multi-sport and multi-location event taking place from January 12-22, 2023. Presenters include representatives from Adirondack Sports Council along with the NYS Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). Information about local and regional business, community resident, visitor and student engagement during the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games will be discussed. Topics will include business-related information, venue information, schedules, traffic impacts, and local celebration venues and activities. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about the games and related events. The games will take place within communities throughout the region including Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Wilmington, Canton and North Creek. The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games are expected to bring more than 2,500 collegiate athletes and delegates from 50 nations and 600 universities to Lake Placid and the surrounding region to compete in 12 sports and 86 events. The Lake Placid region will play host to alpine skiing at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington and curling in Saranac Lake. ORDA will host events at its Olympic venues in Lake Placid including the opening and closing ceremonies, biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating and the medal rounds for ice hockey. Lake Placid’s Main Street will be the center of activity, with nightly events, live music and medal award ceremonies. Frequently asked questions about the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games can be found by visiting https://www.lakeplacid2023.com/about/faqs. Individuals who would like to email questions and comments prior to the information session can do so by emailing info@lakeplacid2023.com. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, along with the communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state. ### ​​ Contact: Jane Hooper, communications managerRegional Office Of Sustainable Tourism518.578.6328 (cell) 518.621.3662 (office)jane@roostadk.com