Ironman event weekend: success under fire -originally published in the Lake Placid News The stage was set: thousands of volunteers at the ready; thousands of competitors awaiting the early morning start of a long, grueling, but rewarding day; and a resort community welcoming them all, with all types of lodging at peak capacity. And then the sirens sounded the alarm that indicated the unthinkable at any time of year: a fire on Lake Placid’s historic Main Street. This was a test of a truly seasoned resort community, and it will stand out as yet another reason that Lake Placid has remained a successful year-round destination for more than a century. From the lacrosse fields to the ice sheets in the Olympic Center to the Conference Center, and a range of accommodations, Lake Placid offers the facilities and infrastructure to host what we often refer to as “weatherproof” and “economic proof” events throughout the year. But this resort has a commodity that is as valuable as the infrastructure. It possesses a region full of can-do residents, organizations and volunteers. This past Ironman weekend, they were all activated at a moment’s notice. Foremost, the Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department, under the leadership of Chief Torry Hoffman, and mutual-aid assistance from neighboring volunteer fire companies battled the blaze for more than 12 hours to prevent what could have been a much greater disaster — damage to even more of the structures on Main Street, which is one of the major draws for visitors to the destination. Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall, town of North Elba Supervisor Roby Politi and Ironman Lake Placid Race Director Greg Borzilleri were all on the scene throughout the night, and at meetings with state departments of Health and Environmental Conservation (DEC) at 5 a.m. to determine the safety of the water for athletes set to swim at 6:30 a.m. Local restaurants and hotels provided water and food to fire and emergency personnel. Support and shuttle transportation were offered by the United States Olympic Training Center. The Visitors Center at the Conference Center at Lake Placid was buzzing with more than a dozen members of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism and Olympic Regional Development Authority staff, working to identify available rooms for any displaced residents or visitors. The NYS DEC jumped into action and, by midnight, had placed booms in Mirror Lake to protect the water from debris and water used to put out the fire. Many Ironman competitors and volunteers, some inconvenienced by temporary evacuations from nearby hotels, pitched in to help, too. In the end, a historic building and the businesses it contained sustained devastating damage. According to a Red Cross press release, an estimated 16 local people were displaced by the fire, and all those affected by the fire had a safe place to spend the evening. The Red Cross is working with individual residents to provide emergency assistance on a case-by-case basis. And the Ironman Lake Placid race went on as planned. Ironman is one of the most significant events that the region hosts. And more important than the direct economic benefits, Ironman really keeps Lake Placid and the Adirondacks’ names in the limelight, providing significant marketing through major worldwide media — it’s really a built-in marketing mechanism for Lake Placid and the Adirondacks. The competition is consistent with the healthy lifestyle we enjoy here, has positively influenced many local youth, and supports our brand as a world-renowned sports tourism destination. As a region that so depends upon tourism’s economic impact, it is imperative that we balance the responsibilities of being a world-class sports center with the needs of the residents who make it all possible. The juxtaposition of such a huge emergency in the midst of an event of such significance to the destination was unthinkable before it happened. But in hindsight, it was a striking demonstration of the amazing collaborative spirit of the region’s residents, organizations and municipalities. On behalf of the destination marketing organization responsible for promoting Lake Placid, thank you to the emergency personnel, the business community, dedicated volunteers and residents. It’s no miracle that this year’s Ironman event weekend in Lake Placid was successful! -Kim Rielly, director of communications for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST)

Success under fire, Google+ changes, and yield management - check out this week's ROOST news!

Our destinations in the media Linda Lange and Steve Ahillen write about their trip through the Adirondacks, mentioning many local businesses, organizations and events including Lisa G's, Blue Moon Cafe, the Lake Placid Blues and Heritage Festival, Great Camp Sagamore, The Wild Center and the Adirondack Museum. READ THE ARTICLE The Wild Center's Tracey Legat points out peaks from the top of the Wild Walk to Linda, Steve and ROOST Communications Director Kim Rielly.

Lake Placid, adirondacks, usa - The business community in Lake Placid invites all to participate in a fundraising event, “Beyond the Blaze: A Benefit for Main Street Fire Victims,” from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Alpine Mall and Lake Placid Center for the Arts Main Street Gallery. The Alpine Mall and LPCA Main Street Ticket Office will host appetizer, beer, wine and spirit tastings while attendees participate in a silent auction and raffle for the benefit of victims of the Main Street fire that occurred on July 25. The event will be followed by the final Songs at Mirror Lake concert of the season in Mid's Park. Individuals who would like to bid early, donate or purchase raffle tickets may do so online at https://m.biddingforgood.com/auctions/244478965. For more information, contact Cathie Cusick at cathie.cusick@gmail.com. To donate items or for more information related to the silent and online auction, contact Catherine Bemis at HSAC111@yahoo.com. ###

PRESS RELEASE August 4, 2015 Contact: Tracey Legat, tlegat@wildcenter.org WILD WALK LOOKING LIKE A WILD SUCCESS Center says attendance breaking all previous records Regional impact felt Tupper Lake, NY - It was eight years in the planning. Now, one month after it officially opened to the public on July 4th, all the planning seems to be paying off for the Center and surrounding towns. The Center reports that it has broken every single attendance record set over its 9 year history. It has more members than at any time in its existence, admitted more customers in its first 30-days since the Walk opened than it did in any other 30 day period, including its big initial opening in 2006. Local food emporium Well Dressed Food owner David Tomberlin says he is seeing 30 percent more people in his shop wearing their Wild Center admission stickers. “It’s been a great boost.” Local restaurant owner Ted Demarais of Little Italy says his lunch business has doubled from both prior years since the Walk opened. In Lake Placid, Jim McKenna, who heads the Regional Office for Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), said “The Wild Walk addition to the Wild Center has already proven to be an engine that helps the whole region. There’s absolutely no question that this new attraction-within-an-attraction has emerged as a real driver of new visitors to the Adirondacks.” Wild Walk, with more than 1,250 feet of bridges and platforms that rise up into and eventually over a living Adirondack forest, was featured in New York State’s I Love NY television advertising campaign. It continues to get wide coverage from national media with stories in Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and ABC News to name a few. The experience includes a giant spiders web visitors can hang out in, a four-storey tree house, and a treetop bald eagle’s nest that offers a 27-mile view on a clear day. “A walk around our parking lot looking at license plates is like a tour of America,” said Stephanie Ratcliffe, Executive Director of the Center. “We’re seeing people from everywhere.” Ratcliffe says a survey of visitors shows that more than half of the people are coming because a friend told them about the Walk. “That means the most to us. We know I Love NY gave us this huge boost, and now we’re seeing another boost from all the people who seem to really enjoy the whole experience, and are telling others to come see for themselves.” The resulting numbers are outsized, and on some days the Center turns into one of the biggest population centers in the area. “In a single 10 day window,” said Ratcliffe, “we’ve had more that 18,000 people visit. To put that in perspective, it’s a good deal more than the entire year round population of Tupper Lake, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Old Forge, Inlet, and Lake George combined.” In the month of July, more than 50,000 people visited the Center. Dave St Onge, the facility manager of the Center says they are keeping up with the crowds. “The experience here is almost twice the size we used to be, with people using the trails, coming inside, hanging out on the Walk, taking canoe rides. We have a huge crew of interns this year, and while some of them are clocking up to ten miles a day showing people around, the end result feels less crowded than in years past when everyone would come inside for a movie screening or when rain watered the campus.” The Center has plans to maintain the momentum by boosting leaf peeper visits with a ‘Climb into the Color’ promotional campaign starting this month. “National Geographic Traveler and others have been by with cameras and reporters,” said Tracey Legat, who has guided more than 50 press visits. “We’re looking forward to next summer, when more stories about Wild Walk will be published internationally, and seeing what happens when all the people who came this year spread the word to their friends and families.” Legat said reviews in places like Tripadvisor were already drawing new visits. “We’re getting reviews like this one - ‘Wild Walk is unprecedented’, or this ‘I highly recommend this place as a must visit’ and we’re listening to feedback to make the experience better and better, so we’re really hopeful that Wild Walk will have a lasting impact.” # # #