We look forward to seeing you at the 1000 Islands Binational Tourism Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton, New York!
Last held in November 2024 in Kingston, Ontario, the 1000 Islands Binational Tourism Summit gathers more than 100 tourism operators, elected officials and economic developers from both sides of the international border for a day highlighting the importance of the tourism industry, developing strategies for binational success and networking across our great region.
Attendance is $30 (USD; converted for Canadian attendees) and includes lite breakfast, full lunch and snack breaks throughout the day. Breakfast and registration begin at 8:30 a.m. Welcoming remarks and programming begin at 9 a.m. The program closes at 4 p.m.
Click to Register!
Early Registration Giveaway: The first 20 paid registrations (10 from the U.S. and 10 from Canada) will be eligible for a giveaway including an overnight for up to six people at Singer Castle’s Royal Suite! The winning attendee will be announced at the Summit.
Featured Speakers
Sueling Ching, President and CEO, Ottawa Board of Trade
With more than twenty years of experience in business, leadership, and community development, Sueling has held a variety of key roles, including CEO of the YMCA of Brockville and Area, and CEO of the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. She is a dedicated community builder with a passion for innovation and business advocacy. Sueling’s connection to the Ottawa business community began in 2016, when she took on the role of CEO at the West Ottawa Board of Trade. In this position, she played a pivotal role in the consolidation of three local chambers of commerce, resulting in the creation of the Ottawa Board of Trade, a unified and influential voice for businesses across the city. For a destination hampered by cross-border challenges, Sueling’s message will inspire and seed the foundation for a collaborative path forward.
Ross Levi, Exec. Director/V. President, NYS Division of Tourism, I Love NY
Ross Levi leads I LOVE NY’s tourism promotion and sales efforts, coordinates initiatives to bolster tourism industry partners across the state and works closely with the New York State Tourism Advisory Council as well as destination marketing organizations including the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council. Ross will share insight into I Love New York’s work on behalf of the 1000 Islands and all of Northern New York State as well as special initiatives to welcome Canadian visitors south of our international border.
James Sauter, Partner and Cofounder, Rove
James Sauter and Rove help destinations across North America and internationally use visitor behaviors, demographics, mobile performance, spending and other data to better understand their markets and make more effective decisions. Rove’s client destinations include the 1000 Islands, Tourism Kingston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Destination British Columbia and the U.S. Travel Association. For the 2026 Summit, James will dig into the data to see who is visiting the Ontario and New York sides of the border, where they are spending and their impressions of the destination to unearth opportunities to better target visitors.
Marley Kirkpatrick, Account Director, Tourism & Place Branding, Alphabet
For more than a decade, Marley has been leading complex branding, destination marketing, and strategic communications initiatives. Since joining Alphabet® in 2016, she has provided senior strategic counsel to municipalities, destination marketing organizations, regional tourism organizations, tourism industry associations including: Tourism Kingston, Kingston Economic Development Corporation, RTO9 (South Eastern Ontario), Ottawa Tourism, Downtown Ottawa BIA, the Town of Prescott, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, the Culinary Tourism Alliance, and others. Alphabet is partnering with the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council and the greater region on an ambitious project to redefine the 1000 Islands tourism brand and will provide a project update and opportunity for attendees to engage with the project during the Summit.
Bonnie Ruddock, Executive Director, RTO9 – Southeastern Ontario
Bonnie has been with RTO9 since its inception and served as executive director since 2017. Before joining the Regional Tourism Organization, Bonnie was executive director for the 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce for 10 years. She currently serves on the board of Ontario East Economic Development Council and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario Alignment Council. Bonnie will present on RTO9’s Partnership Fund Program, an annual campaign designed to support regional tourism product by investing in existing or new visitor experiences. Limited to for-profit tourism businesses, the program directs provincial funds to enhancing the types of offerings available to visitors. The program is an evolution of the traditional marketing-focused model that existed throughout the tourism industry for decades.
Julie Dennett, Senior Vice President, Member Engagement, Destinations International
Julie is a seasoned tourism leader with more than 30 years of experience and a deep commitment to the people and places that make the industry thrive. Throughout her career, she has championed the power of connection, collaboration, and care in building strong, resilient communities.
As Senior Vice President of Membership Engagement at Destinations International, Julie brings a people-first approach to helping members build meaningful relationships, strengthen their organizations, and realize lasting value from their engagement. Destinations International is the global trade association that educates, equips, and empowers tourism and destination marketing organizations to help their communities thrive as places to visit, live, work, and invest.
Andrew Siegwart, President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario
Since 2024, Andrew has championed the growth and competitiveness of Ontario’s tourism industry as president and CEO. He previously spend eight years leading the Blue Mountain Village Association and his background includes senior leadership at the Retail Council of Canada, with experience in workforce development, industry advocacy and building partnerships. He’ll provide insights into Ontario tourism performance domestic and internationally, particularly U.S. visitation into the province and Canada.
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International Ferry Update, Binational Panel
Ferry service between Cape Vincent, NY, and Wolfe Island, ON, ended in 2024 after more than 200 years of service, cutting off a critical connection between not only Cape Vincent and Wolfe Island but also Kingston, Ontario. Since then, local governments have worked tirelessly to reinstitute the ferry and made significant strides toward reopening the connection. Summit attendees will hear the latest on project progress from a binational panel representing Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, NY, and Frontenac County, ON.