ROOST in the news The Lake Placid News covers the Legislative Roundtable Discussion ROOST co-hosted with the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association at the Lake Placid Club Boat House. READ THE ARTICLE

Our destinations in the media Family Fun Magazine lists Lake Placid in its Top 10 Northeast Regional Favorites. READ THE ARTICLE

LAKE PLACID — Hundreds of people attended Tastes of Maple in the Conference Center at Lake Placid on Saturday. They enjoyed a wide range of maple creations like maple cheddar fondue, smoked maple wings, maple cake pops, and maple-glazed Canadian bacon from a variety of local businesses: Dancing Bears Cake Placid Centerplate, who donated their proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Generations Tap & Grill Lake Flour Cakery Lake Placid Spirits Lisa G's The Breakfast Club, Etc. The Cottage The Wild Center Smoke Signals A maple syrup tasting competition took place with syrup provided by: Black Rooster Maple Works South Meadow Farm Sugar Works Cornell Uihlein Sugar Works ​G & G Maple Sugar Works Paul Smith's College Paul Smith's Visitors Interpretive Center ​The Wild Center Attendees voted on their favorite syrup, and Paul Smith's College took First Place in the tasting competition. ​The celebration also included a cash bar and music from local band Le Groove. Attendees at Maple Weekend also enjoyed local maple producers' sugarbush tours, maple tastings all weekend at Whiteface Mountain and lots of family fun activities. Local restaurants provided maple-inspired menus throughout the region. Don't miss this sweet, fun event next year!

CONTACT: Kim Rielly Director of Communications kim@roostadk.com Lake Placid, adirondacks, usa — The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) applauds Governor Cuomo and the state legislature on a an on-time New York state budget that means great news for communities and tourism in the Adirondacks. Budget highlights that directly affect the 6 million acre park include broadband funding, an increase in I Love New York Matching Funds, a renewed commitment to the Market New York program, and the new Upstate Revitalization Fund, and an increase of $15 million in the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) above last year. The budget includes an increase in funding for the I Love New York Matching Funds program, which provides cooperative allocations for the state’s designated tourism regions. “We extend special thanks and recognition to Senator Little for her support of increased funding for Matching Funds,” said James McKenna, president of ROOST. “ROOST now represents three of the Adirondack region’s eight counties, and this funding increase will really boost the cooperative marketing initiatives that our organization and our partners at the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council can implement, such as gotourny.com startup website directed to motorcycle enthusiasts." Governor Cuomo’s new Upstate Revitalization Fund, in which seven Regional Economic Development Council regions will compete for three $500 million allocations, was also included in the budget. “We’re especially excited about the potential that the Upstate Revitalization Fund offers for our region,” said McKenna. “Many of the North Country region’s communities have been working for months on tourism development plans, and they we are now well-positioned to compete as a region and take advantage of these much-needed resources. Combined with the fifth year of the Regional Economic Development Council’s programming, this gives us the ability to customize the state’s economic development programs to increase the number of jobs and improve the quality of life in the Adirondacks.” Broadband is essential to Adirondack communities as they seek to gain a competitive position in the travel marketplace. “The funding match allocated for broadband projects is extremely important. The rural communities in Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties need to provide what is now considered a basic amenity for visitors,” McKenna said. McKenna cited the big increase in Smart Growth planning grants as having an impact throughout North Country region and the Adirondacks, and he said that increasing the EPF will help protect the important resources of the Adirondacks. “Revitalization of our hamlets is of utmost importance,” McKenna said. “From smart growth planning to invasive species control, these programs are of great importance in the ongoing protection of the product that attracts the traveling public — our pristine mountains and lakes.” “The Governor’s ongoing commitment to tourism and appreciation of its economic significance is a great boon to the North Country,” said McKenna.“From the renewed interest shown with initiatives like the Governor’s Adirondack Challenges to providing funding for both promotion and development, this budget will spur even more momentum toward economic prosperity through tourism in the Adirondacks.” ROOST is a 501(c)6 nonprofit corporation, and the accredited destination marketing organization responsible for promoting Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties, the villages of Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, and the towns of Harrietstown and Piercefield in the Adirondacks to the traveling public. They operate offices in Lake Placid, Crown Point, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. For more information, visit their corporate website at www.roostadk.com. ###

SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce plans to host a series of workshops to train business owners and front-line staff on the ins and outs of great hospitality. The Chamber has recently applied for and received funding through the Workforce Development Institute to create the curriculum for the first Saranac Lake Community Hospitality Excellence Experience (CHEX) series of workshops for our typical and atypical hospitality staff. Business owners and front-line staff attending the program will bring back valuable knowledge to help train their co-workers and employees. The CHEX Series will be offered in three half-day sessions from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 17, May 8 and May 22 at the Best Western Conference Room in Saranac Lake. While the CHEX series is intended for participants to attend all sessions for a price of $60, participants may attend separate sessions for a fee of $25 per session. Who are typical and atypical hospitality staffs? A visitor's first conversations arriving in the area may very well be with an atypical hospitality employee — a gas station attendant, coffee shop barista, liquor store employee — not the typical hospitality front desk personnel at a hotel. The Chamber hopes to create a warm, welcoming first impression to visitors as we all tell the “Saranac Lake Story,” encourage repeat visitations and great word-of-mouth publicity for the area. The CHEX workshops, offered to front-line workers, business owners, volunteers, and other interested community members, will increase the economic and community benefits of tourism. CHEX will foster regional collaboration and enhance Saranac Lake’s image as an Adirondack destination. To achieve these goals, each interactive half-day session will develop different skills in two key areas: Community Connections–shared knowledge, sources of information, and familiarization with local and regional historic, recreation, wellness, and arts and crafts experiences and events, as well as resources for shopping and personal needs. Quality Hospitality and Service—key components of superior hospitality and communications skills that help improve connections and interactions with visitors, and within work environments. To develop the Saranac Lake CHEX program components, Susan Day Fuller, president of Fuller Communications, met with a focus group of Chamber members and other community leaders. Fuller will facilitate the three interactive training sessions.