Ally Spongr & Sage Hamilton-Hazarika, Underground Railroad Consortium of NYS, to Speak at the 2023 NYS Tourism Conference

Ally Spongr, President of the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS) and Sage Hamilton-Hazarika, URCNYS marketing consultant, will speak on Friday morning at the 2023 NYS Tourism Conference held in Oswego, NY on April 19-21. Ally will provide a case study of her work for the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, where she led development for the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center and incorporated community input to accurately represent the region's Black History. Sage will speak about the development of urcnys.org as well as URCNYS partnerships with organizations across different industries including Hospitality, Media, Education, and State Agencies.

The Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS) is the only destination-led partnership association for Underground Railroad History sites and programs in the country. Learn about how its network of forty-five members (and counting) are building culturally sustainable destinations through independently organized marketing and programming initiatives across every region of New York. 

URCNYS will also detail its initiative to develop a statewide Underground Railroad Heritage Corridor which will connect Underground Railroad sites including URCNYS sites and National Park Service Network to Freedom sites, into one cohesive heritage tourism experience that will include recommendations for dining, lodging and recreation along the route. 

Join the presenters after this discussion to experience a free walking tour of Underground Railroad History in the Oswego Harbor at 12 pm! This tour will be introduced by Judith Wellman of Historical New York Research Associates and hosted by URCNYS in partnership with the New York State Canal Corporation, Erie Canal National Heritage Area, and Oswego County Tourism.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn about how partnering with URCNYS and its members can enhance your current tourism product offerings and bring your destination new audiences.
• Learn how URCNYS is giving local heritage experiences national and international relevance through the proposed development of an Underground Railroad Heritage Corridor.
• Learn how URCNYS partners build and maintain tourism destinations that amplify Black History sites as inclusive destinations accessible to visitors from all backgrounds.

Why You Should Join this Session:

• Your destination may have more history than you realize! Underground Railroad History can enhance your destinations' experiences and stories in a culturally sustainable way.
• Authentic storytelling builds pride of place and increases regional investment. Learn how the initiatives of URCNYS partnerships, including an Underground Railroad Heritage Corridor, may already align with your current destination marketing objectives.

Register now for the 2023 NYS Tourism Conference!

About Ally:

Ally Spongr is the President of the Board of Directors for the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State. Ally is also the Director of Public Art for the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and serves as the Interim Director for the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. With a strong background in arts and culture, she brings enthusiasm for the advancement of cultural assets and exhibits dedication to Niagara Falls' local community.

About Sage:

Sage Hamilton-Hazarika is a marketing consultant for the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State. He also runs sageakash.com, a marketing firm providing on strategy, digital media and event production services for culture and heritage organizations in the tourism and arts industries. Sage has a background in tourism and experiential marketing, event production and consumer interaction.