As part of a year-end informational meeting, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) representatives provided a marketing program status report to Saranac Lake area officials at the ROOST Lake Placid office in early December. In 2013, ROOST entered into an contract with the Town and Village of Saranac Lake, the Town of Harrietstown, the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Franklin County to provide destination marketing services for the Saranac Lake area. As part of that contract, ROOST manages paid and earned marketing campaigns, associated social media accounts and the destination website, saranaclake.com, providing content updates, search engine optimization and hosting. The status report provided a snapshot of marketing results for Saranac Lake, featuring website statistics for saranaclake.com year-to-date, including: 229,592 unique website visitors 73.24 % site visitors are NEW 95+ original blogs added to site 2,300 original content pages added 2000+ high quality images taken 100+ 360-degree spins depicting Saranac Lake and Harrietstown on adirondacksusa.com Social media followers have quadrupled As part of the informational meeting, ROOST marketing director Jasen Lawrence also highlighted some projects slated for implementation in 2016, including: A new website for the Adirondack Regional Airport in Harrietstown Events at the Civic Center, Mount Pisgah and Dewey Mountain will contribute to a bigger and better Empire State Winter Games Increased production of video content that features Saranac Lake and Harrietstown Check it out: Visit saranaclake.com to keep up to date on the events and experiences available in the Adirondacks' COOLEST Place!

The Wild Center leadership knew it wasn’t reaching millennial travelers as well as it could, so they decided to look into how to fix that. The Wild Center unveiled research that will help the museum and the entire Adirondack region target their marketing efforts in a way that will draw more millennial travelers. Millennials are currently aged 22 to 34, born between 1981 and 2000, and there are 80 million of them in the U.S. and 2.4 billion around the world, so they make up a significant portion of the Adirondacks’ potential visitor base. Schireson Associates, a New York City-based consulting group who performed research with funding provided in part to The Wild Center through Empire State Development’s Market New York program, surveyed millennials from the Albany and New York City areas. They found more than half of the people surveyed from the Capitol District had visited the Adirondacks, but only about 5 percent of New York City-area millennials had visited. Some of the major points highlighted in Tuesday’s presentation: - Millennials are generally not willing to travel more than four hours, and many of them are used to traveling on a bus. - The millennials surveyed were aware of the variety of outdoor recreation opportunities in the Adirondacks, but they weren’t aware of the variety of cultural opportunities here — museums, arts, breweries, dining experiences, and that sort of thing. That’s a challenge, because one of the big things they’re looking for when they travel is a well-rounded experience that includes opportunities to experience local culture. - They’re also interested in learning a new skill or hobby when they travel, and they’re interested in having experiences they can tell their friends about — in real life and on social media. They’re also looking for unique and authentic experiences rather than overly commercialized, touristy ones, which is something the Adirondacks are rife with. - Many of them plan their visit while they are here on mobile devices. They don’t set up a schedule of what they will do and where they will eat before the trip; instead, they look up the options for attractions and restaurants while they are here. So while the stereotype is that millennials are just taking selfies whenever they’re on their phones, they actually are using them for planning and informational purposes, making cell service and wifi important for the area’s future growth. - People often think of millennials as young people traveling with friends, but in fact the generation is now largely made up of young families. So making businesses family-friendly is important to these travelers. Overall, the Adirondacks seem to have plenty of assets that would appeal to millennial travelers, but we need to make sure we’re telling our story in a way that attracts them and helps them convince others to visit. There will be a few more opportunities to hear a presentation on the research. The Wild Center is also working with Trampoline, a design and marketing firm based in Glens Falls, to develop a tool kit for regional businesses to use to make it easier for businesses to use this information to help market themselves better. ROOST will help publicize both those efforts, so stay tuned!

Communities throughout the Adirondacks are encouraging residents and visitors to attend the region’s outdoor summer concerts. Hosted at a variety of venues throughout the season, these concerts offer unique musical experiences throughout the Adirondacks.The musical events are free and open to the public with a diverse range of musical styles scheduled. Additionally, most concerts in the region are located at waterfront venues, presenting the opportunity for boaters to take part. The concerts often take place during the late afternoon and early evening, offering an opportunity to enjoy area sunsets over both mountains and water. Attendees are encouraged to bring their blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets as they enjoy the shows.The concerts offer numerous benefits for musicians, residents, and visitors alike. Local musicians have the chance to perform live, enhancing their exposure and experience. Community members enjoy an enriched quality of life through these musical events, and travelers get to immerse themselves in the local culture, making their visit even more memorable.The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism encourages visitors and residents to take advantage of these offerings. Sydney Aveson, communications coordinator at ROOST, says, “These concerts are a wonderful way to celebrate summer and bring our community together. The area’s cultural offerings really enhance resident and visitor experiences within local communities. For two glorious months, there’s free outdoor music somewhere in the Adirondack region nearly every day of the week, which is the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends, have a picnic, relax, and enjoy the area’s communities.” Wilmington: Enjoy tunes at the Wilmington Town Beach, also known as Lake Everest, on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. The Wilmington Mountain Music Festival is taking place on July 27 from 2-11 p.m. at Wilmington Ball Park. Lake Placid: The Songs at Mirror Lake music series will take place at Mid’s Park on Main Street every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., starting July 2. The Lake Placid Sinfonietta also offers the Park Series at Mid’s Park on Wednesdays in July and August at 7 p.m. There will also be a show on Thursday, July 4.Saranac Lake: Experience Music on the Green at Riverside Park’s bandshell by Lake Flower on Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. Don’t miss the Northern Current Community Music Festival on September 21 from 12-9:30 p.m., starting July 3.Tupper Lake: The Summer Sunset Series at Flanders Park features music every Monday and Wednesday from 7-9 p.m., starting July 4, on the shores of Raquette Pond.Long Lake: Music by the Lake at Long Lake Town Beach on Fridays from 6-8 p.m.Inlet: The Inlet Concert Series takes place at Arrowhead Lakefront on Saturday nights. Starting on July 4, the concerts run from 7 to 9 p.m. in July and from 6 to 8 p.m. in August.Indian Lake: Music in the Park on Saturdays at 7 p.m. on select dates: August 24, September 7, and September 28.Speculator: Music on the Point concerts begin in July on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Osborne Point, adjacent to the Speculator Public Beach.Westport: The Ballard Park Summer Concert Series begins on July 11. It features concerts every Thursday at 7 p.m. and offers stunning views of Lake Champlain.Schroon Lake: Celebrate 50 years of live music at the 1936 bandstand overlooking the lake multiple days a week from 7-9 p.m. In the event of rain, shows will be at the Boathouse Theater. For more information, visit schroonlakearts.com.Crown Point: The Music in the Park concert series will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.Ticonderoga: Starting July 9, the Ticonderoga Festival Guild will present its summer concert series on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Pavilion.The Adirondack region hosts a variety of events that feature live outdoor music, in addition to scheduled community concerts. Saranac Lake’s Third Thursday Art Walks occur on the third Thursday of June, July, August, and September from 5-7:30 p.m., with musicians playing throughout the village. Local farmers markets also often include live music, creating a lively atmosphere for shoppers. A schedule of farmers markets across the Adirondacks can be found at AdirondackHarvest.com. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the destination marketing and management organization for Hamilton and Essex counties, along with the communities of Lake Placid, Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all located within the Adirondacks in New York state.

Employees of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) decided that, as part of their annual holiday party, they wanted to help give back to the community. A group of about a dozen ROOST workers joined the North Elba Community Christmas Fund Friday to help stuff boxes full of food to be delivered to residents of the community who need help putting food on the table. The North Elba Community Christmas Fund has been helping families in the town of North Elba for almost three decades. In addition to providing boxes full of turkey, bread, cranberry sauce, potatoes and other goodies the week before Christmas, the fund also provides winter outerwear, boots and toys for children in need every year. Photos: North Elba Community Christmas Fund Co-Chair Shannon Porter explains the system to ROOST employees. ROOST employees add canned goods and other food to boxes that will be delivered Saturday to North Elba residents in need. North Elba Community Christmas Fund Co-Chair Shannon Porter poses with ROOST employees after the boxes are all filled.

CONTACT: Matthew Courtright, Executive Director Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce mcourtright@ticonderogany.com or 518-585-6619 TICONDEROGA — The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce January/New Year After Business Mixer will be held on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 at the office of Sun Community News/Times of Ti and Alexander R. Shmulsky Attorney At Law from 5:30 – 7:00 PM. The offices of Sun Community News and Alexander R. Shmulsky are located at 102 Montcalm Street in Ticonderoga, NY. Sponsors providing door prizes are Bridge Point Communication, Christopher Chevrolet Buick, Hair It Is, Serenity Therapeutic Massage, and the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. “We invite all Chamber Members, area businesses, and organizations to join us as we kick off the New Year. We will issue our 2016 “Save The Date” of events, share information on the positive and productive year ahead, and much more. You will also have a chance to hear from our hosts, as well as connect with fellow Chamber Members, businesses, and organizations,” TACC Executive Director Matthew Courtright said in a press release. The Chamber’s “After Business Mixers” provide a networking forum for Chamber Members and area business people in addition to showcasing the site of the host as well as promoting the door prize sponsors. Networking is a key component of Chamber membership and marketing your business. Chamber members, area businesses, and organizations are encouraged to take advantage of this and all networking opportunities. Join the Chamber to reconnect with area businesses and organizations, meet new people, and take advantage of the opportunity to hear from the hosts. “Sun Community News/Times of Ti is pleased to be co-hosting the first Chamber After Business Mixer of 2016 with Alex Shmulsky. We look forward to seeing the local business community on Jan. 21 here at 102 Montcalm Street in downtown Ticonderoga. We invite you to come out, enjoy good food, drinks and conversation. Thank you to the chamber and their staff for the continued support and dedication to our business community, the Ticonderoga Area as a whole and for organizing the many trainings, services, and events that benefit the community and visitors all year long,” said Scarlette Merfeld, Sun Community News/Times of Ti’s southern manager. Sun Community News/Times of Ti Sun is a weekly local community newspaper mailing to more than 8,000 homes in southern Essex County. It’s the sister paper to a group of seven newspapers distributing to more than 52,000 homes weekly through the north country, with a 99.1% of household readership. To learn more, click to download the full press release: Jan ABM 2016.