Though specifics are still scant at the moment, the Super Region Canvas trip is going international for the first time next year.
The annual joint trip for community leaders and business professionals, which is organized by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Greater New Orleans Inc., is headed to Panama City, Panama, next September.
“We are still pulling together all of the info on the exact dates of the trip and the cost,” says BRAC Director of Marketing Operations Lauren Songy Hatcher.
Also to be determined yet are details on how many participants will be able to travel to Panama, which will depend on interest, as well as flight and hotel availability, Hatcher says.
The Canvas trips are meant to give participants greater perspective on how peer cities handle critical issues. They have taken place about every other year since 2003. BRAC formerly organized the trips on its own, but in 2013 it began partnering with regional economic development group Greater New Orleans Inc. to increase regional cooperation among south Louisiana’s business communities, including the Houma-Thibodaux region.
In April, the Super Region Canvas trip was held in Arizona’s “Sun Corridor,” which includes the Phoenix and Tucson areas. The cost to attend this year’s trip was $2,200, which included the flight and hotel accommodations, as well as workshop registration. The 2013 Super Region Canvas trip took leaders to the Tampa-Orlando, Florida area.
Until further details on the 2016 trip are available, Hatcher says those interested in participating can submit their contact details at the Super Region Canvas website.
—Steve Sanoski
