 Few Luncheons for the Meetings & Travel Press can boast a sing along, but then again, few destinations have a famous folk song about one of its major attractions. Visit Rochester, the Convention & Visitors Bureau for this upstate New York destination, brought together about 40 media members, and led by Enda Keegan, a folksinger and guitarist who provided entertainment during the presentation, the attendees sang the famed refrain … “fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.”
Although lyric sheets were given out, several of the attendees remembered the song from grammar school. Of course, the name of the song they remembered was Erie Canal, although it’s real title was “Low Bridge.” The Rochester CVB organized the event to highlight the historic importance of these waterways, as well as their contemporary advantages for sight seeing and recreational activities, all serving to make Rochester a destination for tourists and meeting attendees alike.
“People are discovering the historical importance of canals,” said  Gregory P. Marshall, Senior Vice President, Visit Rochester. In fact, the Erie Canal—the one in the song—is the oldest of the New York State Canal System, which is the 525-mile canal network that also includes the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal. The Erie Canal opened in 1825 and, as part of the year-long celebration of it’s 180th anniversary, Rochester will host the World Canals Conference 2010, September 19-23. “We’re very excited because we hosted the conference 10 years ago,” said Rick Rivers, Canal Conference Planner. “We’ll be the first city to host the canal twice, which will bring international attention to the New York State Canal System, and to Rochester.”
The upcoming Canalapalooza and the August press event, “Discover the Wonders of New York State Canals,” which was held at O’Casey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub in Manhattan, are actually part of an ongoing promotion of this unique waterway. In 2000, the U.S. Congress established the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, which encompasses 4,834 square miles in 23 N.Y. counties. In addition to boating and other water activities, the canal system offers hiking and bicycle paths, dozens of museums as well as restaurants, bed & breakfasts and other spots of interest throughout. In addition, there are several quaint towns dotted along the Canals that offer distinctive cuisine, shopping and upstate, small-town hospitality.
 In fact, as many of the presenters pointed out, canal appreciation, while on the rise, but still relatively small in the U.S., is actually quite robust in other countries. In fact, the enormity of the enthusiasm was remarked upon by a New York State leader in destination marketing. “There is an incredible interest, a growing global interest in these unique waterways,” said Markly A. Wilson, Director International Marketing, New York State Division of Tourism. This agency of course created the long-lasting I Love N.Y, (sometimes seen as I ‘heart’ N.Y.) campaign, which Wilson echoed. “The enthusiasm of Visit Rochester has inspired us and indeed, we at I love New York, love Rochester.”
Meeting Planners, of course, are well aware of the advantages of Rochester and its  remarkable convention facility. The Rochester Riverside Convention Center features 100,000 square feet of meeting/exhibition space; 22 meeting rooms; a 10,028-square-foot Ballroom; a 49,275-square foot Main Exhibit Hall and a 5,000-seat Theater. More than 1,100 hotel rooms connect to the center, including the Rochester Plaza, the Hyatt Regency and the Radisson Hotel Rochester.
“There are several canal activities near the Riverside Convention Center,” said Peter Wiles, Jr., President, of the Mid-Lakes Navigation Company, which has been offering cruises on the N.Y. Canal System since 1968. “There are several different sized vessels Meeting Planners can utilize. They can offer attendees a unique and unforgettable experience, but as an off-site  venue, planners can have a captive audience during the cruise.”
Will the increased exposure improve Rochester’s status as a meeting destination? According to Marshall, whatever can make a destination unique is seen as adding value by the Planner in today’s marketplace. “Rochester has benefited from being a lower cost destination than Las Vegas or New York City,” said Marshall. “And we can compete in terms of cost, as well as other services, dining, and culture. But the Canals are unique and distinctive. More and more, meeting attendees are looking for destinations that offer experiences they can’t get anywhere else.”
The enthusiasm for the city’s canal system was infectious, and by the end of the event, attended mainly by the “downstate,” media, everybody harmonized: “…I got a Mule, her Name is Sal. Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal…”
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