News release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Eight Midwestern States Shine the Spotlight on Fort Wayne Trails
City Hosts Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference(September 30, 2011) – Fort Wayne’s growing popularity as a destination for regional conferences continues again this weekend – with the 5th Annual Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference (MATAG). Professionals, citizen advocates, trail users and representatives from businesses and non-profit organizations from the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will be in Fort Wayne beginning Sunday, October 2, 2011 for a three-day conference focusing on growing Mid America’s trail network. The conference will be at the Grand Wayne Center and Courtyard by Marriott.
“We should be proud that our tremendous trail network and our vibrant downtown captured the attention of the eight-state region enough that they wanted to come and see it for themselves,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “Trail usage is up in our City and I know conference attendees will be impressed with our 66 miles of trails.”
The conference titled “Path to the Future,” will focus on effective ways to build trails and greenways networks in Midwestern communities. The event, which is held every two years, aims to demonstrate why trails are a good investment for the future of cities and towns in the Midwest.
A series of workshops and seminars offers attendees a chance to interact, share and learn from experts information they can take back to their communities. More than 300 conference attendees and exhibitors are expected to participate in the three-day event.
Pre-conference field trips include excursions to the Towpath Trail & Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve; the Rivergreenway; an Albion, IN Equestrian Park with horse trails and the Wabash River Trail.
Conference events will also take attendees to Salomon Farm Park and on a Historical and Architectural Walking Tour of downtown.
Mayor Henry will give the welcoming address at the opening session at 9 a.m. Monday in Convention Hall A of the Grand Wayne Center. Also, on Monday there will be a noon awards luncheon, which recognizes people who have achieved excellence in enhancing trails and greenways in their communities.
For more information, go to www.cityoffortwayne.org/MATAG.
The City of Fort Wayne would like to thank the companies, agencies and organizations that joined us in sponsoring the conference. They include the Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Alta/Greenways; Gensic Engineering; Equine Land Conservation Resource; America on the Move; T-E Incorporated; Adventure Cycling; IPRA; Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; Wendler Engineering Services; Trail Works Inc.; Miracle of Michigan,; NIRPC; Streamline Signage; Hoosier Rails to Trails Council; Pannier; Fleis & Vanderbrink; GAI; Landstory Inc.; The Greenway Collaborative Inc.; K Design; Great Rivers Greenway District; ET Techtonics Inc.; Bicycle Indiana; APA Indiana Chapter; Storrow Kinsella; Solas Ray Lighting; CONTECH; Stabilizer Solutions; A & Z Engineering, LLC.; Asphalt Systems, Inc.; American Public Works Association; Missman, Inc.; Greenways Foundation; Wabash River Heritage Corridor; Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC.; NIRCC; Summit City Bicycles; NPS/RTCA; DLZ; Trust for Public Lands; BFS; ERI; Seed Money; North County Trail/ Buckeye Trail; Fort Wayne Trails, Inc.; Natril Gear; Game Time and Trail Sponsors, Inc.
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