2023 Tennessee RiverLine Summit
The 2023 Tennessee RiverLine Summit is the annual convening of partners from around the region who are invested in the realization of the vision for North America's next great regional trail system. The Summit is an interactive forum that connects people and communities by celebrating the accomplishments of the past year, exchanging lessons learned and building a dialogue around Tennessee RiverLine priorities areas. For the first time, the 2023 Tennessee RiverLine Summit will be held in-person at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. Below, you will find the session agenda for Tuesday, January 24th and Wednesday, January 25th.
Wednesday’s Agenda
Monday’s Agenda Tuesday’s Agenda
-
Networking Breakfast8:00am-9:00am
-
Welcome with Mayor Dollar and 2022 Year in Review9:00am-10:00am: Welcome to the 2023 Tennessee RiverLine Summit! In this session we share an overview of the Summit agenda and opportunities to engage with Tennessee RiverTown’s community partners, allied organizations and all Summit attendees during our time at beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park. This will be followed by a summary of our shared progress toward realizing the Tennessee RiverLine vision in 2022 headlined by an exhilarating year of programming facilitated by Tennessee RiverTowns communities, the completion of mission-driven research projects, as well as insight to our priority areas for the years ahead.
-
Ramping Up for Stage 210:15am-11:15am: The Tennessee RiverTowns Program is our primary form of community engagement, and as our communities achieve benchmarks to transition from Stage 1: Celebrate, we welcome a new cohort to begin Stage 2: Connect. Join the Tennessee RiverLine team as we share an overview of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program Stage 2, including its overarching intent, goals and conceptual outcomes. We will gain insight into program benchmarks, major milestones, and provide an understanding into how the Tennessee RiverLine team will support communities to achieve all of the above. This session will present a look ahead into the anticipated strategies and timelines needed to implement and achieve collaborative projects and reach indicated outcomes of Stage 2.
-
Vision Discovery: Creating your Community's River as Park11:15am-12:15pm: Inspiring and empowering communities to discover a vision for the Tennessee RiverLine in their own communities that aligns with local priorities, leverages opportunities and engages challenges has and will continue to be a focus of programming available to Tennessee RiverTowns communities. In this session, Tennessee RiverLine planning and design team members share insight to the 652 to YOU program and 2022 activity as a pathway to community discovery of a vision for their “River Park,” as well as related community planning activity that is manifesting as progress toward this goal. A look ahead is offered to how our team will collaborate with community partners to develop concepts for priority placemaking projects (CPI) and support planning and development of local water trails, as well as a goal for the Tennessee RiverLine to earn designation as a National Water Trail from the Department of the Interior.
-
Buffet Lunch12:15pm-12:45pm
-
Keynote Address: Reimagining Rivers and the Civic Commons12:45pm-1:30pm: Carol Coletta, President and CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership shares insight to “Reimagining the Civic Commons;” a concept she has developed over her career in urban strategy consulting and foundation leadership that challenges communities to reconceptualize civic infrastructure, to celebrate existing yet underutilized assets, and to make strategic investments that connect people to them while catalyzing vibrant experiences and equitable access. This presentation situates rivers and river spaces as a part of the civic commons through the lens of Carol’s leadership of the Memphis River Parks Partnership and their efforts for inclusive planning, design and project implementation on the Memphis riverfront at Tom Lee Park.
-
Designing for Inclusivity and Resiliency on the Riverfront at Memphis’ Tom Lee Park1:30pm-2:20pm: The realization of riverfront open spaces that are welcoming for diverse communities requires intentional effort, empathy, and purposeful collaborations with partners and organizations. Situating inclusive riverfront spaces on the banks of the Mississippi also requires thoughtful consideration of climate dynamics and investments that mitigate risk and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Join us for this session to learn about how the Memphis River Parks Partnership and the Tom Lee Park project team are putting principles of inclusivity and resiliency into practice on the Memphis Riverfront through planning, design, programming, and community engagement.
-
Funding Fusion: Navigating Multi Sector Funding Opportunities (Concurrent)2:30pm-3:20pm: Outdoor recreation initiatives like the Tennessee RiverLine currently hold a unique position in the funding landscape. Officials at the local, state and federal levels recognize recreation and cultural amenities as key drivers for economic development. This recognition has led to an increase in available resources for those communities ready to obtain funds for outdoor initiatives. In this session, advancement and economic development professionals will outline trends in government grants, funding proposal project management and how the Tennessee RiverLine team can help your community capitalize on today’s distinct funding opportunities.Engaging Extension Services in Your Community (Concurrent)2:30pm-3:20pm: State extension services and county offices of land grant universities across the region offer a wealth of networks and resources for Tennessee RiverTowns communities. Join this panel of extension professionals from across the region who will share insights into how Tennessee RiverTowns communities already are, or are in the process of discovering how to engage extension personnel and programs as resources for building capacity within your Local Leadership Teams and enriching local programs and events. This session will also explore how communities may utilize extension partnerships to amplify audiences in your community and increase participation within Tennessee RiverTowns programming.Animation Experiences: River Recreation3:40pm-4:40pm: In 2022, more than 1,000 people experienced the Tennessee RiverLine through animation events hosted by Tennessee RiverTowns communities and the Tennessee RiverLine staff. During this session, community partners will reflect on the successes, challenges and strategies that drive their effort to animate their “River Park,” and share insights to the future of events locally. The Tennessee RiverLine team will conclude the session with a look ahead to emerging plans to facilitate regional events that promote economic development, public health, resource stewardship and equity of access.Happy Hour and Dinner6:00pm-7:30pm
-
BoardSafe Welcome Back Breakfast7:45am-8:15amStrategic Planning: Goal Setting for the Tennessee RiverLine and Your Community8:15am-9:45am: All journeys need a map. For the Tennessee RiverLine, the journey to realize the vision for North America’s next great regional trail system is guided by strategic planning that leads to intentional effort and investment. In this session, we initiate the development of our next strategic plan by engaging participants in discussions about goals and what defines success over the next 3-5 years. Join us and help shape the plan that will be actively used to guide the effort and investment of the Tennessee RiverLine, Tennessee RiverTowns communities, partners and allied initiatives across the Tennessee River Valley and beyond.J.E.D.I. Panel10:00am-11:15am: We continue our work to optimize equitable river access in this session through reflection on the Tennessee RiverLine and community partner’s progress on their JEDI Path. Tennessee RiverLine team members share insights into programming efforts, including implementation of the inaugural Paddlesports Leadership Academy and American Canoe Association LEAD Program. Community representatives and organizational partners also share insights into their experiences and learnings engaged in DEI programming. The Tennessee RiverLine will announce recipients of 2023 DEI Community Impact Grant funding during this session and a look ahead towards continued DEI priorities.Best Practices for Sustainable Destination Management (Concurrent)11:30am-12:20pm: A 2022 report from the World Economic Forum identified tourism as an “an effective vehicle to achieve biodiversity and heritage conservation, targeted climate action and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals”. For tourism to live up to that potential, communities must consider the sustainable management of their place-based resources, including an understanding of how integrated approaches and planning tools can help sustain daily operations as more visitors travel to experience them. In this session, attendees will hear from trail experts and tourism professionals on planning for and maintaining outdoor recreation attractions that are marketed as travel destinations.TVA Land Use Agreements 101 (Concurrent)11:30am-12:20pm: Want to learn more about Tennessee Valley Authority’s land use agreements and permitting? Please join Recreation Agreement Specialists from TVA for this session who will offer an overview of the processes and Q&A time for attendees to explore how it relates to Tennessee RiverLine communities.Buffet Lunch12:30pm-1:30pmThe User Experience: Challenges, Successes, and The Path Forward1:30pm-2:20pm: The user experience is a fundamental identifier of our success and progress within the Tennessee RiverLine initiative as we position ourselves to become the next great regional trail system. During this session we will gain an understanding of current conditions of water trail infrastructure and its amenities through the lens of the user experience. Tennessee RiverLine users will share insights into their 2022 river expeditions and planning with an emphasis on their implications for community and public lands infrastructure, local and central information resources and other opportunities to optimize user experiences.The Multifaceted Outdoor Recreation Economy (Concurrent)2:30pm-3:30pm- A recent report published by the U.S. Department of Commerce suggests that the outdoor recreation economy already generates $862 billion in economic output, supports 3% of U.S. wage and salary employment, and supports more than 4.5 million jobs. A study published earlier this year by UT Knoxville and The University of Alabama outlines how the Tennessee RiverLine is positioned to accelerate the growth of the outdoor economy in the valley and river communities. Speakers in this session will provide an overview of the Outdoor Recreation Economy and communities’ roles in supporting outdoor entrepreneurship. An emphasis will be placed on understanding outdoor products manufacturing as a niche within the broader outdoor economy umbrella, and insights to the Tennessee RiverLine’s potential for growing this sector across the region.Filling the Void: Gaps and Opportunities in your Community's Amenity Inventory (Concurrent)2:30pm-3:30pm: Over the past two years, Tennessee RiverTowns communities have helped build a region-wide data inventory that gives us all a comprehensive, never-seen-before view of the distribution and condition of existing river experience amenities. An analysis of this inventory reveals new priorities for infrastructure investment in underserved river reaches, and a road map for river experience optimization at community and regional levels. Attendees at this session will hear an overview of the goals, methodology, and outcomes of the Amenity Inventory and Gap Analysis Study, and the premier of the Tennessee RiverLine interactive Journey Map, v1.0, that will be the basis for future trip planning tools and Tennessee RiverLine experience guides.Animation Experiences: River Stewardship3:45pm-4:45pm: The Tennessee River is home to some of our nation’s most important histories and most diverse, yet fragile ecological treasures. Tennessee RiverTowns communities are stewards of this natural and cultural heritage, and are offered an opportunity to showcase that which makes their reach of the river unique through River Stewardship programming. During this session, community partners will reflect on their river stewardship experiences in 2022, and will share ideas and resources to help Tennessee RiverTowns communities continue growing their connection to the Tennessee River, our most valuable natural and cultural resource.