4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Registration

Pick up your name tag and Summit swag on the ground floor of Meadowbrook Inn, right next to the Four Seasons Ballroom, our primary venue for the Summit.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Dinner with keynote speaker Dan Chapman

Opening dinner and keynote address by Dan Chapman, author of "A Road Running Southward, Following John Muir's Journey through an Endangered Land." Chapman will highlight the challenges and possible solutions to protecting our region’s natural bounty. See Keynote Speakers section for more details.

7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration

Pick up your name tag and Summit swag on the ground floor of Meadowbrook Inn, right next to the Four Seasons Ballroom, our primary venue for the Summit.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Opening Session with Eric Eikenberg, CEO, The Everglades Foundation

Words of welcome from Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation CEO Carolyn Ward and Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout; keynote presentation by Eric Eikenberg, CEO, The Everglades Foundation, who will share highlights and lessons learned from taking a regional approach to saving Florida’s Everglades.

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Morning Break

Refill your coffee. Grab a snack. Meet someone new. Prepare for some fast-moving presentations and discussions about the emerging strategies in the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan.

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Blue Ridge Rising Past and Present

Enjoy a very quick review of Blue Ridge Rising's forward progress in 2023, followed by a short preview of the day ahead and how to make the most of it.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Marketing the Blue Ridge Rising Region

Learn about the particular ways that Blue Ridge Rising will enhance marketing of the region, including curated travel itineraries, a Blue Ridge community "passport," and special events. Several brief case studies will demonstrate what's possible with marketing. Speakers include Rita Larkin, Communications Director, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and Kalen Hunter, Virginia Tourism Corporation.

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Education: Conservation Corps and Academic Programs

Learn from our panelists how Blue Ridge Rising will advance education in the region, including service corps and relevant college courses of study, such as hospitality and natural resources. Panelists include Lisa Moyer, Muddy Squirrel, Botetourt Co., Va.; Kim Case, myFutureNC; Jessie Birckhead, Conservation Corps North Carolina; Katie Wall, Dir. of Outdoor Programs, Lees-McCrae College; Joy James, Appalachian State University.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch

Enjoy lunch while Grayson County VA's Wayne Henderson entertains us with music and stories. https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/wayne-henderson/

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
A United Voice for the Blue Ridge Region: Advocacy and Public Policy

Enjoy a panel discussion highlighting how Blue Ridge Rising will unite and use the collective voice of the region to address public funding, policies, rules, regulations, and more. Panelists include: Jeff Hunter, National Parks Conservation Association; Zach Wallace, Asheville Chamber of Commerce; Barbara Halsey, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area; and Brent Laurenz, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Great Trails State Coalition.

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
Resource Protection: Day and Night

Find out what Blue Ridge Rising has planned to protect the natural resources that attract visitors, provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and more. We'll focus on what you see during the day: viewsheds, and what you can see at night: dark skies and millions of stars. Presenters include Rusty Painter, Conservation Trust for North Carolina; Brywn Philips, Bare Dark Sky Observatory and Arthur Planetarium, Mayland Community College; and Becky Anderson, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Council of Advisors.

2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
Our People, Our Land, Our Future

Analysts from consulting firm Destination by Design will highlight some of the more interesting data points that set the 29-county Blue Ridge Rising region apart, including demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. They will also share the results of an innovative resilience analysis of every county in the region.

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Afternoon Break

Take a little break. Grab a snack. Stretch. Move around. Talk with someone you don't know yet.

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Enhancing the Visitor Experience

Find out how Blue Ridge Rising will improve the visitor experience in the region, with a special emphasis on (1) trails and greenways, and (2) ways to encourage safe bicycling on the Parkway and connecting roads. Presenters include Laura Wolf, Three Ridges Touring, Nelson Co., Va.; Stephanie Swepson-Twitty and Jason McDougald with the Old Fort G5 Trail Collective; and Kevin Brandt and George Ivey with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout

Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout will speak on several issues related to Blue Ridge Rising, including plans to enhance Parkway-community communications, resource protection, and more.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Next Steps

Several community stakeholders will offer their perspectives on Blue Ridge Rising, and then we'll review everything else happening with Blue Ridge Rising now and in the near future. We'll also take a few minutes for everyone to reflect on what next steps each attendee can take after the Summit, as we continue to work together to unify and grow the Blue Ridge region. Presenters include Kim Davis, Friends of Southwest Virginia; James Houchins, Patrick County Tourism; and Jesse Pope, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Break

Relax, check messages, go for a walk. Get ready for a great evening ahead.

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Happy Hour

An optional but great opportunity to treat yourself to a tasty beverage in a relaxed atmosphere before the final dinner event begins at 6:00 p.m.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Blue Ridge Sampler and Social

Network with other community leaders, discuss the big ideas of the day, and enjoy a wide variety of foods and beverages that highlight and celebrate some of the best of our region.