Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit III (August 25-27, 2026)

Join local & regional leaders to discover new ideas, hear updates & discuss next steps to benefit the 29-county Blue Ridge Rising region.
About this Event

Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit

Join fellow residents and regional leaders from the 29-county Blue Ridge Parkway corridor August 25-27 at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, to discover new ideas, hear updates and progress reports, learn about upcoming grant programs and other plans, and make new connections as we continue to work together to advance the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. Representing tourism, economic development, outdoor recreation, planning, nonprofits, and their communities, attendees will connect with people from across the Blue Ridge Rising area to foster regional unity and growth. We look forward to seeing you there!

We have lined up an outstanding group speakers on important topics for the 2026 Summit, including:

• Pamela Brewington Cashwell, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
• Chase Pickering, Vice President of Guest Experience at Biltmore
• Bridgett Massengill, President and CEO of the Chattanooga-based Thrive Regional Partnership
• Tracy Swartout, Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway
• Reginald Speight, Asst. Secretary for Rural Economic Development at N.C. Commerce and Governor Stein's ARC Alternate
• Susan Mims, President and CEO, Dogwood Health Trust
• Scott Hamilton, President and CEO, Golden LEAF Foundation
• Chef T (Torrece Gregoire), cookbook author, and television star on Fox's Hell's Kitchen (Season 14 and All Stars editions) and The Food Network
• Benjamin Walls, award-winning wildlife and landscape photographer
• Graham Sharp, Grammy award-winning songwriter, banjo player, singer, and guitarist with Steep Canyon Rangers
• Amy Allison, Director of the North Carolina Outdoor Economy Office
• Maribel Castaneda, Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources
• Amy Camp, Author of Deciding on Trails: 7 Habits of Healthy Trail Towns
• Hillary Sherman, U.S. Economic Development Administration
• Olivia Collier, Appalachian Regional Commission
• Sara Williams, Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission

And many more. Scroll down to "Agenda" for more complete session topics and speaker listings.

Event Sponsors & Supporters

We wish to thank our event sponsors and other additional supporters for making the 2026 Summit possible: Biltmore (Presenting Sponsor), Soloviev Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission, Dogwood Health Trust, Friends of Southwest Virginia, Visit NC, Patrick County Tourism, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Destination by Design, Mast General Store, Designsensory, Explore Asheville, National Parks Conservation Association, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Conservation Corps NC, Blue Ridge Parkway Association, Forever Mountain, The Great Trails State Coalition, Tourism Impact Services, Destination Bedford VA, and the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum!

Host Hotels

The Summit will be based at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, with rooms available at the Village Hotel on the estate. Additionally, rooms are available at the nearby Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore Village.

Keynote: Chase Pickering, Biltmore’s Conservation Legacy

Chase Pickering, 5th generation family owner of Biltmore Estate, presents how his family carries forward the legacy of nature conservation that was born at Biltmore 130 years ago. Join Chase as he speaks about the stewardship practices that continue to protect the views and land that originally inspired his great-great grandfather, George Vanderbilt.

Chase Pickering is Vice President of Guest Experience at Biltmore Estate and the great-great-grandson of Biltmore’s founder, George Vanderbilt. As a fifth generation family owner, he shares his family’s vision to preserve Biltmore as a privately owned, profitable, working estate. Biltmore is Asheville’s most visited tourist destination welcoming over a million guests every year and is one of the region’s largest employers with 1,800 team members. From a young age Chase has been involved in nature conservation efforts. Chase has several years of professional experience with international organizations including the Walt Disney Company, Discovery Communications, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Jane Goodall Institute.

Keynote speaker: Bridgett Massengill serves as President & CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership. She has been with Thrive since its inception in 2012 as the inaugural regional planning process, then called Thrive 2055, and stewarded it through the creation of a standalone entity as the Founding CEO in 2016.

Her 25 year career spans from serving as executive director of a downtown development authority in northeast Tennessee, to establishing her own consulting business and partnering with the National Main Street Center, to supporting the Tennessee General Assembly as a legislative budget analysis specialist for both the House and the Senate.

Massengill holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a master’s degree in public administration: planning & development from East Tennessee State University. She is a proud Fellow of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, a leadership and economic development training program of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and holds a practitioners certificate in Strategic Doing™ from the Center for Learning and Professional Development at the University of North Alabama.

Massengill is deeply connected to the outdoors and finds joy in exploring nature and traveling with her family. Her most rewarding role is raising twin daughters with her husband, who is a youth chaplain. Family adventures are a source of inspiration and renewal for her as she continues her mission of fostering thriving people and places.

Tuesday, Aug. 25
Early Registration and Field Trips
🕑: 01:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Registration

Info: Pick up your name tag and Summit swag at Lioncrest at Biltmore, our primary venue for the Summit.

🕑: 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
RAD Revitalization

Info: The River Arts District is a creative hub along the French Broad River. Former warehouses and mills, many with colorful exterior murals, contain glassblowing, pottery, and other artisan studios. The River Arts District has been named Best Arts District in the U.S. as part of the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Join RiverLink Executive Director Lisa Raleigh and Marquee Owner Robert Nicholas at Marquee -- a design centric market place of curated vendors from around the region -- to hear history and present-day thinking about how the dovetail of the arts and our waterways, greenways and trails work together to revitalize a historic area and create an economic driver. Then, stroll the district and enjoy a local brew from The Wedge and/or Highwire Breweries, nosh at one of the area's restaurants, and take in the arts scene.

🕑: 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Highland Brewery: Tour, Tasting and Talk with Brock

Info: Highland Brewing: Our story began in 1994 when Oscar Wong, a Chinese-Jamaican immigrant and retired engineer, introduced Asheville to Highland’s first beer using refurbished dairy equipment in the basement of Barley’s Taproom. Today Highland is a force of over 100 individuals with a passion for craft beer and community operating from our East Asheville brewery and campus. In 2006, we moved to a sprawling 11-acre facility on 40 acres of land on a hill in East Asheville. Highland is also a destination brewery featuring five sand volleyball courts, an 18-hole disc golf course, indoor and outdoor public spaces, and wedding and meeting venues, including a spacious rooftop. Join Vice President Brock Ashburn, professional engineer, builder, and married to Family Owner and President Leah Wong for a tour and taste of their facility.

🕑: 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Folk Arts Center/Southern Highland Craft Guild

Info: The Southern Highland Craft Guild is dedicated to cultivating the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands through shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. Located at mile post 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is also the home to Allanstand, the nation's first craft shop.
We will embark on a guided tour of the Folk Art Center led by Guild members to experience the finest in Appalachian craftsmanship, browse their galleries, and enjoy live craft demonstrations. Afterwards, visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at mile post 384, take a hike along the Mountains to Sea Trail, or enjoy America's Favorite Drive along the Parkway itself.

Biltmore House Tours

Info: Visit Biltmore, America's Largest Home®, built by George Vanderbilt, as magnificent today as it was more than a century ago. Your self-guided house visit spans three floors and the basement of the luxurious family home of George and Edith Vanderbilt. Explore the stories of the Vanderbilt family, their guests, and employees through displays of vintage clothing, accessories, art, furniture, and more. Stroll through Biltmore House, its beautiful gardens and Antler Hill Village & Winery at your own pace. Register for this tour to receive a code to purchase house tour tickets at a reduced rate during your time here -- code is valid for August 23- 29, 2026

Wednesday, Aug. 26
Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit: Day One
🕑: 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Registration/Coffee

Info: Pick up your name tag and Summit swag at Lions Gate on the Biltmore Estate.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Words of Welcome and Opening Remarks

Info: Carolyn Widner, CEO, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and Kim Davis, Executive Director, Friends of Southwest Virginia, will welcome everyone to the third Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit. Next, Pamela Brewington Cashwell, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), will put a spotlight on Western North Carolina's art, culture, natural resources, and tourism, and highlight how these assets can and do work together to connect communities, strengthen economies, and enrich visitor experiences.

🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Chase Pickering: Biltmore’s Conservation Legacy
Host: Chase Pickering

Info: Chase Pickering, Vice President of Guest Experience at Biltmore Estate and fifth-generation family owner, presents how his family carries forward the legacy of nature conservation that was born at Biltmore 130 years ago. He speaks about the stewardship practices that continue to protect the views and land that originally inspired his great-great grandfather, George Vanderbilt. Biltmore is Asheville’s most visited tourist destination, welcoming over a million guests every year and is one of the region’s largest employers with 1,800 team members. Chase shares his family’s vision to preserve Biltmore as a privately owned, profitable, working estate. From a young age Chase has been involved in nature conservation efforts and has several years of professional experience with international organizations.

🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch

Info: Time for lunch and an opportunity to meet and talk with other leaders from throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway gateway communities.

🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:55 PM
Understanding Today's Blue Ridge Parkway Travelers Across Two States

Info: The Blue Ridge Parkway connects 29 counties across Virginia and North Carolina, yet each state offers unique visitor experiences, market strengths, and economic opportunities. In this session, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Visit NC will provide a snapshot of the current visitor economy across the Parkway corridor, exploring travel trends, visitor behavior, and emerging opportunities in both states. Through research, market intelligence, and regional insights, attendees will gain a shared understanding of who today's travelers are, how they are experiencing the Parkway, and where the greatest opportunities exist to strengthen gateway communities. The session concludes with a discussion on what these insights mean for the future of Blue Ridge Rising and how communities can work together to increase visitor spending, length of stay, and regional impact.

🕑: 01:55 PM - 02:50 PM
Perspectives on Creating Thriving Communities Through Outdoor Recreation

Info: What makes a “Trail Town” a trail town? During the panel session, Amy Allison, Director of the North Carolina Outdoor Economy Office; Maribel Castaneda, Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources; and Amy Camp, Author of Deciding on Trails: 7 Habits of Healthy Trail Towns, will discuss “Trail Towns” and how the Parkway’s gateway communities can create thriving outdoor recreation economies that transform community health. These experts will discuss how robust outdoor recreation economies are supported by state, regional, and local agencies, as well as outdoor product manufacturers, related small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

🕑: 02:50 PM - 03:20 PM
Break
🕑: 03:20 PM - 04:15 PM
From Insight to Action: Positioning the Blue Ridge for tomorrow's visitor

Info: Building on the earlier presentation and data about current Parkway visitors, this interactive plenary session brings together destination leaders from across the Blue Ridge Parkway region to discuss how gateway communities can transform visitor insights into action. Through real-world examples and practical strategies, panelists will explore how communities can create authentic experiences, strengthen their identity, collaborate across boundaries, and inspire travelers to stay longer, explore more, and visit again. Participants will leave with actionable ideas for positioning their communities for long-term success, while contributing to a stronger, more connected Blue Ridge Parkway visitor economy.

🕑: 04:15 PM - 05:10 PM
Beyond the Check: The funder’s vision for impact

Info: In today’s dynamic funding landscape, collaboration between public and private funders is key to driving real, lasting change. Join key funders serving the Blue Ridge Rising Region for an interactive panel, where, leaders from foundations and public agencies, will share their perspectives on what makes a strong partnership, how communities can position themselves for funding, and what funders are really looking for when deciding where to invest. Panelists include: Scott Hamilton, Golden LEAF Foundation;
Olivia Collier, Appalachian Regional Commission; Susan Mims, Dogwood Health Trust; Sara Williams, Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission; and Hillary Sherman, U.S. Economic Development Administration.

🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Reception & Dinner featuring Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout

Info: Meet and mingle with other regional leaders (5:30-6:30), before sitting down for a delicious meal and great conversation. Tracy Swartout, Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway, will speak about "The Blue Ridge Parkway: a road devoted to recreation and preservation." She will share how the Parkway continues its initial vision of connecting visitors from around the world to the special places along its route, and how work on and off the Parkway plays an important role in the experiences of visitors and gateway communities along this beloved National Park site.

Thursday, Aug.27
Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit: Day Two
🕑: 08:30 AM - 02:30 PM
Registration/Coffee

Info: Pick up your name tag and swag bag. Turn in or check for lost-and-found items.

🕑: 07:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Breakfast

Info: Enjoy an informal breakfast before our second day of great sessions to advance the goals of Blue Ridge Rising.

🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM
Blue Ridge Rising: Recent highlights and previews of what's next

Info: Reginald Speight, Asst. Secretary for Rural Economic Development at N.C. Commerce, and Governor Stein's ARC Alternate, will kick off Day 2. Then George Ivey, Director, Blue Ridge Rising, and several project leaders will provide brief updates highlighting recent activities and successes regarding various Blue Ridge Rising strategies, as well as previews of what's coming up next.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Breakout Sessions - Round 1 - Three Choices (see below)
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 PM
Giving Back: How artist-led engagement supports community initiatives

Info: Artists don’t just create beautiful music, art, photographs, stories, and food, they also often give back to their communities and regions by donating their time and talents to support all types of causes, including raising money for local arts and social service not-for-profit groups, empowering disadvantaged youth, lifting up local food producers, and supporting efforts to conserve the incredible natural landscape that helps make Northwest North Carolina and Southwest Virginia Blue Ridge communities a destination for people from all over the world. Panelists include: Graham Sharp, Steep Canyon Rangers; Benjamin Walls, Photographer;
Chef T, Culinary Artist.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 PM
Small Budgets, Big Impact: Marketing initiatives that are moving the needle

Info: Successful destination marketing isn't always about having the biggest budget, it's about having the right strategy, strong partnerships, and an authentic story to tell. In this interactive breakout session, attendees will hear from several Parkway gateway communities that have successfully launched creative destination marketing initiatives with modest budgets and measurable results. Each community will share the challenge they faced, the strategy they implemented, the partnerships they leveraged, and the impact their campaign had on visitation, community engagement, and local businesses. Through facilitated discussion and audience participation, attendees will explore common themes, lessons learned, and practical marketing approaches that can be adapted to communities of all sizes. Participants will leave with new ideas, proven strategies, and inspiration to create authentic, collaborative marketing initiatives that strengthen their destinations and contribute to the entire region.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 PM
Saving the Parkway's Viewsheds

Info: Parkway visitors list the scenic views as their top reason for traveling the Parkway, but most of those viewsheds contain significant private lands that can be developed. In fact, some previous Parkway "overlooks" are now just "parking areas," because the scenic views have been lost. Learn how the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, NPS, area land trusts, and other partners have identified nearly 300 Parkway viewpoints for review; how they are analyzing and prioritizing those viewsheds for voluntary conservation action; and how you can play a role in helping to protect those views. Speakers will include Dr. Bob Powell, Director, Institute for Parks, Clemson University, and leader of the Clemson Park Break's Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed analysis project; Aaron Flannery, Western Conservation Manager, Conservation Trust for North Carolina; and George Ivey, Director, Blue Ridge Rising.

🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:55 AM
Breakout Sessions - Round 2 - Three Choices (see below)
🕑: 10:50 AM - 11:05 AM
Break
🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
Building Regional Solutions

Info: Blue Ridge Rising focuses on regional solutions to local challenges. Fortunately, we are not alone. Councils of Government in North Carolina, Planning District Commissions in Virginia, numerous nonprofits, and many state and federal agencies also foster regional discussion, coordination, and solutions. In this session, regional planners and thinkers will discuss the issues, challenges, and potential paths forward for several of Blue Ridge Rising's regional efforts: wayfinding signage, trail networks, workforce development, and transportation issues. Panelists and session participants will also discuss and brainstorm about a potential ad-hoc meeting (apart from the Summit) to convene a larger group to work on these and other issues in greater depth.

🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
The Power of Partnership: Bringing Blue Ridge Rising to Life

Info: Blue Ridge Rising strengthens the connection between the Blue Ridge Parkway and its gateway communities through a shared vision for conservation, recreation, tourism, and economic vitality. This session will showcase how strategic partnerships are turning that vision into action. Panelists will discuss collaborative projects already underway, including dark skies research, trail restoration and workforce development through Conservation Corps programs, and the creation of a comprehensive trails and greenways guide for the Parkway corridor. Attendees will gain insight into how diverse partners—from federal, state, and local governments to academic institutions and community organizations—are working together to leverage resources, build capacity, and create lasting benefits for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the communities that surround it.

🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
Brainstorming our Regional Brand

Info: While "Blue Ridge Rising" serves as the name and brand for our efforts to unite and serve the Parkway's gateway communities, we are developing a new brand to drive the tourist-facing elements of our work, such as the forthcoming regional travel website, wayfinding, curated travel itineraries, and more. The Summit provides an ideal opportunity to gather input from the people who know our region and our visitors the best. In this interactive session, participants will work in small groups to share their thoughts on key branding concepts. We're not talking (yet) about names, logos, and color palettes. We will focus on more foundational elements of successful branding, such as brand purpose (vision, mission, values); target audience; brand positioning/market differentiation/unique value proposition; and identity/persona/voice. Your ideas will ensure that our tourist-facing brand achieves both quick and long-lasting success.

🕑: 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch with Bridgett Massengill, Thrive Regional Partnership
Host: Bridgett Massengill

Info: Bridgett Massengill serves as President & CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership, which has convened partners across the tri-state, greater Chattanooga region to address the complexities of regional growth since 2012. Bridgett will share their history, successes, and lessons learned, while also offering her perspectives on how Blue Ridge Rising can achieve and sustain long-term success.