Governor’s Tourism Conference 2008
The 2008 Governor’s Tourism Conference will bring you a new look at how to promote your New York. We will reveal the details of the I LOVE NEW YORK brand re-launch, share innovative marketing strategies, and provide key insights on new marketing and tourism trends. The conference agenda will be filled with first-hand examples and fresh ideas from around the country and your backyard. You’ll meet your peers from around the state to share business models and best practices.
Join us as we re-energize the I LOVE NEW YORK brand, re-new strategies to build business, and re-define our success. ReImagine your New York!
REGISTER
We hope you can join us for the 2008 Governor’s Tourism Conference. There are several levels of registration available:
- Option 1 — $179 Full conference includes all programming events, receptions and meals for May 14, 15 and 16
- Option 2 — $139 Conference Program ONLY on May 14 & 15, but NOT the Dinner on May 15
- Option 3 — $75 Dinner ONLY on the evening of May 15
- Option 4 — $25 Student conference pass
Conference fees include all event sessions, materials, tours, receptions and meals. Accommodations are not included in the conference fees. We have reserved space at The Sagamore. When making reservations please identify yourself as a GTC attendee.
Please DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM then complete and return the form with full payment by April 25.
Direct Conference Questions to: D. Marisa Finn, Director, Office of Special Events, Empire State Development, 30 South Pearl Street, Albany, New York 12245 518-292-5245 gtc@empire.state.ny.us
Who Should Attend The Governor's Tourism Conference?
Tourism Promotion Agencies, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Tourism Associations, Attractions, Group and Receptive
Tour Operators, Lodging Properties, Golf and Ski Resorts, Representatives from NY State Agencies and tourism and travel students.
Why is the Governors Tourism Conference important for your business development?
- You'll have networking opportunities with members of the NYS Tourism community
- Learn about tapping into niche markets and methods to get you
- Are you looking for better tracking results from your On-line efforts - find out more
- We know about the importance of our primary
- International Markets - Discover how you can benefit.
- Find out about the latest and hottest tourism trends.
- Branding is hot! Discover new strategies to re-invent yourself and send the right message
You'll spend a few days in one of our state's premier destinations and luxury resorts. Make some time before and after the conference to relax and enjoy your time at The Sagamore.
2008 GOVERNOR'S TOURISM CONFERENCE THEME
The 2008 Governor’s Tourism Conference will include:
I LOVE NEW YORK — building on the revitalization of the I LOVE NEW YORK brand, the Governor’s Tourism Conference will share the launch vision and details of the marketing plan to show you how you can align efforts for your marketing plan.
Marketing Education — the conference will provide you with new ideas, tools, and trends in tourism marketing, on both a basic and an advanced level from PR and the Web to Trends and Group Tours, hear new ideas and strategies for success.
Business Tools — the event will offer case studies and examples from businesses both within and beyond the tourism industry. Sessions will provide strategies that you can apply to your business efforts.
Reimagine your New York. Join us May 14-16 at the Sagamore, Lake George for the 2008 Governor’s Tourism Conference.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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10am-5pm
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Early Registration - Sun Room/Main Building
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11:30am-5pm
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Regional Tours - Go behind the scenes in Lake George as we take you up close and personal on tours of local attractions that you can learn from. Tours will look at how adventure and history create a draw to the the Lake George area and reveal best practices you can use. - Depart from the Conference Center Foyer
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6-7pm
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Welcome Reception (TPA only) - Dollar Island Terrace
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7-9pm
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Welcome Reception (all attendees) - Shelving Rock Terrace
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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7:30am
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Registration & Sponsor Area Opens - Conference Center Foyer
Networking Breakfast
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9am
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Welcome & Opening Remarks - Bellvue Ballroom
Dan Gundersen, Chairman, Upstate Empire State Develoment Corporation; Commissioner, New York State Department of Economic Development
Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor for NBC’s Today show, CNBC and MSNBC, and best-selling author
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9:15am
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General Session- Bellvue Ballroom
I LOVE NEW YORK: The Brand Story
It all began in 1977 with the launch of I LOVE NEW YORK. Now, 30 years later, it is getting a jolt of energy! Join us for the details of the reinvigorated I Love NY brand and campaign.
SPEAKERS: Thomas Ranese, Chief Marketing Officer, Empire State Development Mary Baglivo, CEO NY and Chairman & CEO Americas, Saatchi & Saatchi
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10:15am
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Networking Break - Conference Center Foyer (sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine)
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10:45am
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CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
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Session I
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PR 101:Smart Plans to Maximize Your Press Coverage - Bellvue Ballroom
Learn from Lou Hammond, founder and chairman of I Love NY's new PR agency and one of America's most celebrated travel PR professionals, how you can use Public Relations to drive business and improve the reputation and public perception of your business. Discover the techniques -- from the pitch to the press release — that you can do yourself to get your business the recognition it deserves.
SPEAKER: Lou Rena Hammond, President & Founder, Lou Hammond & Associates
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Session II
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Food & Drink: Putting New York State Back on the Traveler's Minds — and Tongues - Nirvana Ballroom
Culinary Tourism is hot! Food is an attraction — just like a museum, and food and drink are often the most overlooked components of the visitor experience. Hospitality businesses have an under-explored opportunity to make a significant impression on visitors with unique and memorable culinary experiences. Come explore New York State’s culinary tourism potential and find out how to get your piece of the pie. In this session, you'll get the newest trends, demographics for the culinary tourist, examples and strategies for how to use your culinary bounty to attract more visitors, and insights on how to leverage partnerships to move the needle on your bottom line.
SPEAKER: Erik Wolf, President & CEO, International Culinary Tourism Association
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Session III
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Economic Development & Tourism - Abenia Ballroom (sponsored by Orbitz)
Web Marketing: Getting More For Less - Abenia Ballroom (sponsored by Orbitz)
Our research shows that 73% of travelers use the web when making travel plans. Knowing that the internet plays predominant role in travel decision, how can you make it your most powerful tool for attracting new customers and visitors? This session will tackle the basics of web marketing — from search marketing, to e-newsletters to getting web solutions on small budgets, learn how to make the web work for you.
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Session IV
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ROI Rules: Benchmarking Your Success
When making marketing decisions, knowing how effective your efforts have been is a key tool for creating successful strategies. Hear how tracking and benchmarking can make you a smarter marketer and learn top strategies for tracking the success of your marketing and branding campaigns.
SPEAKER: Carol Joannette, Executive Vice President, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau
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11:45am
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Short Break - Conference Center Foyer
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12 noon
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CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
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Session I
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Media Panel: Interview the Interviewers - Bellvue Ballroom (sponsored by AARP Media Sales)
Perfectly placed coverage in local and national media can provie the perfect boost for your business. If you want to know exactly how to get the most out of media coverage join us for this session where you can get up close and personal with the key writers covering tourism and travel. Take your questions directly to journalists to get new strategies and ideas — straight from the source.
SPEAKERS: Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor for NBC’s Today show, CNBC and MSNBC, and best-selling author & Lou Rena Hammond, President & Founder, Lou Hammond & Associates
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Session II
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Understanding Green Travel & The Changing Tourism Market - Nirvana Ballroom (sponsored by Collinson Publishing, Inc.)
Map Your Brand: Finding Your Place
Whether you're tasked with marketing your business, your community, your region, the power of your brand is one of your most essential assets. And in travel and tourism, the experience that delivers on the brand promise is the differentiating factor.This session will help you identify your brand promise, the strength of your experience and what really makes you stand out. Learn how to use a strong brand to put your business on the map.
SPEAKER: Julie Anxiter, Chief Marketing Officer, LAGA
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Session III
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Get Your Share Of International Visitors
International visitors are flocking to the US because of the strength of the Euro and Pound. They spend five times a much as the domestic visitor, and stay longer. How can you make sure you're on the European tourist radar? How can you collaborate effectively with a receptive operator, a foreign tour operator, the Division of Tourism’s European office? Get the facts and clear action steps from players who are delivering international business to New York State, hear from a New York business owner who is getting their fair share and how you can too!
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Session IV
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A look at National Travel Trends - Evelley Ballroom (sponsored by New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association and Hotel Association of New York City)
With a rapidly changing and uncertain economy, new technologies and finicky travelers, it’s not only hard to stay on top of what’s happening but prepare and navigate the landscape that is the travel and tourism industry today. In this session, hear from an industry analyst who will share industry trends and highlight key research findings to, not only, help you make sense of it all but stay ahead of the curve.
SPEAKER: Tom Curtis, Senior Vice President, Longwoods International
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1pm
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Lunch - The Sagamore Dining Room
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2:15pm
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CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
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Session I
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Web Marketing: Getting More For Less - Bellvue Ballroom (sponsored by Yankee Publishing, Inc.)
Our research shows that 73% of travelers use the web when making travel plans. Knowing that the internet plays predominant role in travel decision, how can you make it your most powerful tool for attracting new customers and visitors? This session will tackle the basics of web marketing — from search marketing, to e-newsletters to getting web solutions on small budgets, learn how to make the web work for you.
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Session II
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Branding Place: Putting Your Community on the Map
Whether you're tasked with marketing your business, your community, your region, the power of your brand is one of your most essential assets. And in travel and tourism, the experience that delivers on the brand promise is the differentiating factor.This session will help you identify your brand promise, the strength of your experience and what really makes you stand out. Learn how to use a strong brand to put your business on the map.
SPEAKER: Julie Anxiter, Chief Marketing Officer, LAGA
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Session III
Session IV
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Capitalizing on the Adventurer in Everyone - Abenia Ballroom (sponsored by Orbitz)
These days, travelers want to experience something more than the gated resort and the cruise ship buffet. They want to go on a walking tour, climb a mountain and kayak down a river – adventures that can make a vacation more meaningful. In this session, you’ll get the latest trends, adventure traveler demographics and psychographics, successful case studies and strategies to take advantage of travelers’ seeking an experience on the road less traveled.
Niche Markets, Social Networks and Viral Promotion - Evelly Ballroom (sponsored by Propel Media)
With paltry marketing budgets, you have to be creative to build business. Hear how two communities identified unique and unexpected niche markets, tapped their rich social network and harnessed those markets' members effectively through "free" viral marketing. Learn how they turned their usual ideas into defining events for their areas-while returning a positive ROI in every key measure of performance — and you can too.
SPEAKERS: Fred Bonn, Director, and Bruce Stoff, Marketing Communications Manager, Ithaca/Tompkins Country Convention & Visitors Bureau; Cathy Millspaugh, Executive Director, Cayuga Wine Trail. Inc. and Larry Bowersox, organizer, The Grapehound Wine Tour
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3:15pm
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Networking Break - Conference Center Foyer (sponsored by Coastal Living/Southern Living magazines)
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3:45pm
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General Session - Bellvue Ballroom
Strategies for Turning Perception into Reality (sponsored by Orbitz)
Join SHR Perceptual Management Founding Partner Will Rodgers and hear how SHR Perceptual Management innovative approach to creating, revitalizing and managing brand perceptions has helped transform what organizations and communities like Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Telluride considered perceived weaknesses into strengths to drive marketplace performance.
SPEAKER: Will Rodgers, Brand Perception Expert and founding partner at SHR Perceptual Management
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4:45pm
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Closing Remarks - Bellvue Ballroom
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7pm
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Governor’s Reception - Verdana Terrace (sponsored by New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association and Hotel Association of New York City)
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8pm
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I LOVE NEW YORK Dinner & Awards Presentation - Bellvue Ballroom
Daniel Gundersen
Chairman, Upstate Empire State Development Corporation; Commissioner, New York State Department of Economic Development
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Friday, May 16, 2008
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8:30–10:30am
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Working Breakfast
Participate in this facilitated breakfast to map out actionable next steps.
SPEAKER: Julie Anxiter, Chief Marketing Officer, LAGA
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10:30am–12noon
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TPA Summit (TPA only)
Join the ESD team and your fellow TPAs for a quarterly meeting where you'll get a detailed update on the State's plans including summer and fall promotions and participate in a strategy session to help you develop your own action plan for success
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10:30am-12noon
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Tourism Advisory Council (TAC Members only)
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12 noon-2pm
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Lunch
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*agenda will be continually updated - please check back for new information.
SPEAKERS
Julie Anixter is a co-author of The Big Moo, and Beyond Branding. She is committed to creating vibrant results for organizations and individuals through the strategic use of branding, design, innovation, and dialogue. Julie practices what she preaches as Chief Marketing Officer at Brandimage by desgrippes + laga. She has helped organizations as diverse as The Coca Cola Company, Fidelity, Glaxo Smith Kline, Ian Schrager Hotels, Procter & Gamble, Target, UNICEF, China Grill Restaurants, the U.S. Navy and many others to develop powerful brands and cultures. Julie will lead, a session at the GTC, on branding placement. She will also lead conference participants through an interactive work session to help them take their ideas home and put them into direct action.
Mary Baglivo is CEO NY and Chairman & CEO Americas for Saatchi & Saatchi. Mary is one of the industry’s highest-ranking women and an inspiring leader who challenges herself and everyone around her to be their best. She lives by a strong set of beliefs — an unrelenting quest for excellence, a focus on creating potent emotional connections with consumers and a passion for high creative standards. As a key architect of Saatchi & Saatchi’s “Brand Navigation” model, Mary is developing new ways to help clients evolve beyond traditional marketing and get brilliant, integrated ideas that are activated where they matter most. Responsible for the largest agency within the Saatchi & Saatchi global network, she also has a seat on the Worldwide Executive Board and currently works with the world’s top brands, including I Love NY, P&G, Novartis and JCPenney.
Appointed director of the Ithaca/Tompkins County Visitors Bureau in June of 2004, Fred Bonn leads a team of seven professionals who delivered an estimated economic impact of more than $12 million to Tompkins County in 2007. Prior to leading the Ithaca CVB Fred was the director of public relations and membership for the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. Bonn serves as vice president of the New York State Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, is a board member for the Downtown Ithaca Business Improvement District and is Vice President of the Finger Lakes Wine Center, which opens later this year.
Peter Greenberg is Travel Editor for NBC’s Today show, CNBC and MSNBC, and best-selling author. Peter is the nation’s preeminent expert on travel — no other journalist brings his level of expertise and extensive experience to the travel process. His keen investigative journalist skills enable him to go beyond the mundane and everyday to reveal unique perspectives, timely travel information and valuable insights. He will bring his perspective on what travelers want and how to discover the hidden secrets in your area to the Governor’s Tourism Conference.
Lou Rena Hammond is founder and president of Lou Hammond & Associates. LH&A provides public relations, public affairs, international promotions, product introductions and crisis communications. Lou is the author of “Success in Public Relations,” a chapter in the book Inside the Minds: The Art of Public Relations and “The Travel Landscape,” a chapter in The Complete 21st Century Travel & Hospitality Marketing Handbook. LH&A has earned numerous accolades, including the Creativity in Public Relations Award from Inside PR, the Big Apple Award, the Atlas Award from the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, a record-breaking 100+ Adrian Awards from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and named supplier of the year from client Hunter Douglas.
Carol Joannette, executive vice president, has been with the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau for 9 years. During her tenure, she has been instrumental in developing programs to streamline Bureau operations and targeted marketing programs. Starting with Customer Relationship Management theory, databases were implemented to contain customer data, track their interest, and then reach out with targeted email campaigns and collateral material. These items were the building blocks for a trackable marketing program. In addition, Carol has implemented annual conversion studies that provide Return on Investment information of Bureau marketing initiatives. These studies are invaluable to the planning process for upcoming marketing strategies.
Cathy Millspaugh, born in Western New York joined the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail as Events Coordinator in March of 2001. Since then her contributions, experience and commitment have helped organize the wine trails annual events and increase their sales and visitation. She is dedicated to helping the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail market and manages their different advertising-communication programs. In 2007 she was given the title of Executive Director.
Will Rodgers is founding partner at SHR Perceptual Management. Will works with clients on brand strategy issues through a process known as “sensory positioning,” that establishes a look and feel that is exactly “on brand.” If it’s an ad, web site, corporate identity, or product brochure, the objective is brand alignment at every touch point. SHR’s approach has worked for the hugely popular relaunch of the Volkswagen Beetle and other clients including Herman Miller, Loews Hotel, The Coca-Cola Company, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Will brings his unique brand expertise to the conference to help you leverage the I Love NY brand for maximum success.
Prior to joining the Ithaca/Tompkins County Visitors Bureau in 2006, Marketing Communications Manager Bruce Stoff worked as an editor, journalist, marketing professional and copywriter. He spent 20 years in publishing, both as a freelance writer and a staff editor, for publications including Outside, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times. His marketing experience includes clients as diverse as Exxon Mobil, Copper Mountain Resort, Crowley Foods and Ithaca College. Educated at New York University and the University of Colorado, Boulder, Stoff lives in Ithaca with his wife Terri and daughter Molly.
Erik Wolf, President & CEO, International Culinary Tourism Association and recognized internationally as the founder of the culinary tourism industry. Erik has more than 20 years of experience in travel marketing and has worked with a variety of travel industry companies that have included: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Travelocity,and Walt Disney World. He is a popular speaker in the USA and abroad, and is considered as the go-to culinary tourism resource for media all over the globe, including MSNBC.com, The Washington Times, Forbes, and The Travel Channel.
GENERAL INFORMATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
The 2008 Governor’s Tourism Conference will be held at the Sagamore in Lake George. Special Governor’s Tourism Conference room rate is $160 per night +tax.
The Sagamore
110 Sagamore Road
Bolton Landing, NY 12814
518-743-6208 or 877-SAGAMORE or online
Additional rooms are available at the discountd rate of $90 per night +tax at the following hotels:
Fort William Henry Resort
48 Canada Street
Lake George, NY 12845
518-964-6640/800-234-0267 or online
Bolton Pines Motel
4571 Lake Shore Drive
Bolton Landing, NY 12814
518-644-9845 ext. 10 or online
For more Lake George lodging information, click here.
TRANSPORTATION
Shuttles are available to the Sagamore from the Albany airport and train station. To arrange your shuttle please contact the Sagamore directly at 866-385-6221.
DIRECTIONS
For directions to the Sagamore please visit
online.
SPONSORS
There are many options for sponsoring the 2008 Governor's Tourism Conference. For more information, please download our sponsorship brochure (see button at top of this page).