FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 8, 2004
Contact: Lisa Graham
518-272-2408

NYS Little Italy Heritage Tourism Conference

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lt. Governor Mary Donohue, and NYS
Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, To Headline NYS Little Italy
Heritage Tourism Conference Friday, July 23, 2004

TROY: The Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission (MVHCC), the City of
Troy, Troy's Friends of Little Italy and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
are hosting the First Annual New York State Little Italy Heritage Tourism
Conference on Friday, July 23, 2004 at the Heffner Alumni House, 1301
Peoples Avenue, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. The
conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 23, at
the Heffner Alumni House, RPI, and will be followed by a Little Italy
All-Stars Panel and dinner beginning at 5 p.m. at the Italian Community
Center, 1450 Fifth Avenue, Troy, New York.

Registration forms for the conference are available online at
www.littleitalytroy.org Early registration rates are available until
Tuesday, July 13, 2004. After July 19, conference attendees are asked to fax
their registration forms to MVHCC at 518-673-1078 and to pay at the door.
Early registration is highly encouraged due to limited space at the
conference. For more information, contact Conference Coordinator Lisa Graham
at 518-272-2408 or createtroy@lycos.com

Conference partners include U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Office,
New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno's Office, the City of
Troy, Rensselaer, the Troy Record, the Hudson Mohawk Gateway, L&P Media, and
TAP, Inc.

"This is an innovative initiative that will celebrate the contributions of
the Italian-American community while simultaneously providing a venue in
which to examine successful business practices that can be implemented in
upstate New York. I expect this conference to be an important event that
builds on the culture, traditions, service and contributions of the entire
Italian-American community throughout the entire state," said Senator
Clinton.

Senator Bruno said, "This conference is an incredible opportunity for people
across New York State to learn more about the importance of heritage and
history in building communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, and attracting
people to our cities. As an Italian-American myself, I am proud to help
promote this heritage, and to be a part of this important conference."

The featured speakers for the day will include:
-"La Dolce Via" ("The Sweet Street") by Ray Oldenburg, Ph.D., Author and
Sociologist
-Lt. Governor Mary Donohue
-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
-NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno
-Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari, 106th District
-Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, VP, Italian-American Legislators -Assemblyman Paul Tonko, 105th District -Troy Mayor Harry J. Tutunjian -Rocco   DeFazio, President and Founder, Troy's Little Italy -Paul Bray, PM Bray, LLC

Conference attendees will have the chance to learn from many successful
Little Italy districts and communities, including: -Philadelphia's Italian Market -Federal Hill, Providence, RI -Arthur Avenue, The Bronx, NY -Endicott Little Italy, NY -Friends of Little Italy, Troy, NY

The conference will gather Little Italy district leaders, neighborhood
leaders, economic development and tourism officials, and legislators from
across New York State to learn, plan, and network in an exciting atmosphere
based on this growth industry. At this conference, MVHCC and the Friends of
Little Italy will create a new statewide heritage tourism partnership to
promote New York state's unique Italian-American heritage.

The Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission is a public benefit
corporation created by the New York State Legislature in 1997 to preserve
and promote the natural, cultural and historic treasures of the Mohawk
Valley. The commission promotes regional cooperation and facilitates
partnerships using heritage tourism as a tool for enhancing the quality of
life and economic development in the region. For more information on MVHCC,
go to www.mvhcc.org

For more information on the Little Italy Conference, go to

www.littleitalytroy.org or email createtroy@lycos.com