Registration for the 2017 World Canals Conference closes September 15th

Syracuse, NY (September 6, 2017) - A world-class program that highlights some of the most exciting and innovative activities on the world's historic waterways is set to take place Sept. 24-28 at the 2017 World Canals Conference (WCC 2017) in Syracuse. Registration is open for one-day or full conference attendance through Sept. 15.

“The World Canals Conference provides opportunities to network with and hear from the most forward-thinking experts in canalside development, waterway engineering and management, and canal tourism and preservation,” World Canals Conference Honorary Chair Dr. Cornelius "Neil" Murphy Jr. said. “Attendees will be among the industry's best and brightest and will have a hand in transforming the future of canals.”

The 2017 World Canals Conference, “Our Vital Waterways: Agents of Transformation,” will feature formal presentations and study tours of canal sites and communities from Rome to Port Byron to Oswego. Pre- and post-conference tours will take attendees east to the Champlain Canal and west to Buffalo. The conference will also showcase specialty food and beverages from central New York and a variety of exciting public events on Sunday, Sept. 24, at Syracuse Inner Harbor.

In addition, Water Way, a specially curated exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art, will feature videos by youth from canal towns around the world exploring the continued cultural impact of canals on their lives. The program will be on view each night of the conference, projected on the façade of the Everson Museum.

“We invite people from across New York state and beyond to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to experience and learn from best practices from inland waterways of the U.S. and around the world,” NYS Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said. “Ideas from Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Poland, the Netherlands and elsewhere will help New Yorkers plan for the next 200 years of a vibrant canal system.”

Central New York is the perfect location for WCC2017 to also give conference participants a firsthand look at transformative projects along New York's canals. “Within a 40-mile radius of Syracuse, participants will see the clean-up of Onondaga Lake, the restoration of Port Byron, Camillus and Chittenango, and maintenance of the canal system today,” Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Executive Director Bob Radliff said.

The five-day conference will be held as the historic Erie Canal, now a National Historic Landmark, commemorates its bicentennial.

The conference is co-hosted by the New York State Canal Corporation, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and Visit Syracuse, and sponsored by I Love NY and National Grid, along with many other businesses and foundations. It is slated to have a $2 million indirect economic impact for the city of Syracuse.

“This is an incredible opportunity to welcome guests from across the globe as the international spotlight shines on Syracuse for the World Canals Conference,” said Carol Eaton, acting president of Visit Syracuse. “We look forward to hosting the hundreds of international delegates and thousands of local and regional residents expected to attend this world-class conference.”

To register, visit www.wcc2017syracuse.com.

For more information, contact Sarah Jones, Dixon Schwabl, 585-899-3229 or email sarah_jones@dixonschwabl.com.