40 Below gives young professionals and students the opportunity to experience Syracuse’s burgeoning downtown renaissance

40 Below gives young professionals and students the opportunity to experience Syracuse’s burgeoning downtown renaissanceOctober 14, 2008Stacey Keefesekeefe@syr.edu

This year’s 40 Below Summit will be held at Syracuse University on Oct. 18. The event-“40 Below: Syracuse Exposed”-is sponsored by 40 Below-a group of young professionals dedicated to making Central New York a more vibrant place to live.

The summit will highlight the rapid renaissance that is taking place in Central New York. From arts and culture to downtown lofts and green technology, this summit will give participants a look behind the curtain of the region’s most recent successes.

“This year’s summit is designed to get people out into the streets and experience all of the wonderful amenities that our city has to offer,” says 40 Below board chairman Dominic Robinson. “We want people to come away from the day with an understanding that these are exciting times in the City of Syracuse-that there’s a lot going on and even more on the way.”

Another goal behind the 2008 Summit is to reach a much broader audience than in years past. Specifically, 40 Below intends to engage college students, as well as previously untapped pockets of young professionals, such as health care workers and educators. To help reach that goal, 40 Below is hosting the summit on a Saturday, rather than a Friday, cutting the cost from $20 to $10, and convening the event on the SU campus.

The event will begin with a town hall-style meeting at Hendricks Chapel. From there, participants will travel along the Connective Corridor route with the option to participate in a variety of programming. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about historic downtown, catch a play at Syracuse Stage, check out panel sessions on downtown development or living locally, all while enjoying food from their favorite local restaurants and entertainment from their favorite local artists. At 4 p.m., a congressional debate with local candidates Dan Maffei, Dale Sweetland and Howie Hawkins in the Storch Theatre will be held at Syracuse Stage. Following the debate, a summit after party will take place at the Everson Museum of Art. All attendees will receive a one-year membership to the museum.

Registration for the 2008 Summit will begin at 11 a.m. at Hendricks Chapel. Free parking for participants will be available in the Standart, West and Stadium lots. Tickets are $10 or free with a valid student I.D. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.40belowsummit.com/summit.