SU and Syracuse CVB to Mount Cultural Tourism Roundtable in NYC May 22-23

Industry leaders from U.S. and Canada to redefine relationship between arts and tourism

The Janklow Arts Leadership Program in The College of Arts and Sciences has announced a partnership with the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Cultural Tourism Advisors (CTA) to convene a Cultural Tourism Roundtable in New York City on May 22-23. Representatives from U.S. and Canadian arts organizations, government agencies and the visitor industry will explore the increasingly important role of arts and culture in tourism.

“Tourism is one of the most important sectors in the global economy and is considered a powerful catalyst for economic growth,” says Mark Nerenhausen, professor of practice and founding director of the Janklow Program. “Arts and culture attract visitors and help to differentiate a destination with a strong identity and sense of place. The goal of this roundtable is to explore new strategies and to develop a solid framework for collaboration between all who stand to benefit.”

“Our motivation for co-hosting this roundtable is to further develop cultural tourism in Syracuse and Onondaga County,” says CVB President David Holder. “The cultural assets in Central New York are outstanding, and we believe a holistic view of the ecosystem of the arts, the hospitality industry and economic development agencies is the way to go.”

The roundtable will also provide a practical lesson for master’s students enrolled in the Janklow Program. “This program shows how arts leadership supersedes arts administration,” says Janklow student Caitlin Moriarty. “Administration manages activity, but leadership produces benefits connected to a greater community agenda—in this case, contributing to job creation and economic vitality.”

Participants will come from tourism hot spots as far north as Toronto, as far south as Miami and as far west as Maui. Nerenhausen and Holder will facilitate the roundtable with assistance from CTA founders Catherine Carter and Teri Freitas Gorman.

Roundtable Participants

• Nerenhausen, Janklow Arts Leadership Program, Syracuse University
• Holder, Syracuse Visitors & Convention Bureau
• Gorman, Cultural Tourism Advisors, Maui, Hawaii
• Carter, Cultural Tourism Advisors, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Janice Price, Luminato Festival, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
• Deborah Margol, Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs, Miami
• Pam Breaux, Assistant secretary for State Cultural Development, Baton Rouge, La.
• Derek Kwan, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York
• Steven Libman, The Libman Group, Carmel, Ind.
• Caroline Werth, Downtown Development Authority, Palm Beach, Fla.
• Michelle Isabelle-Stark, Suffolk County Office of Film & Cultural Affairs, N.Y.
• Spike Herzig, New York Cultural Heritage Tourism Network, N.Y.