By Kate Bartlett
After 28 years with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, Brian McFadden is signing off, leaving his role of Executive Director to Barb Pump. Throughout the years, Brian has played a major role in helping Ellicottville evolve into the four-seasons resort town it is today. His last day in this role will be December 31, but he will stay on until January 31 to help with the transition.
McFadden are proud of
the work that has been
done and look forward to
see what is to come.
Brian grew up in Toronto, and built a chalet in Ellicottville in 1980 as a retreat from city life. He started as a volunteer with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce in 1992. Having been President for 5 years he decided it had become too much time for a volunteer and reigned. The Board saw the need for a full-time manager and after a job search, he became the first, full time Executive Director and moved to Ellicottville on a full time basis. “I was hired to turn Ellicottville into a four-seasons resort town,” says Brian. “I could see the potential for a bright future for the community if only the Chamber had the resources to make it happen. Finding those resources is what motivated me”.
At that time, Ellicottville was much different than today. “It was completely a ski town,” describes Brian. “Most shops and restaurants closed during the off season, and there was very little to do 8 months of the year.”
Brian connected with a tourism research company, Longwoods International, to explore ways to attract tourists to the area. “We had very little funding, but in 2 weeks, I managed to raise over $100,000 to hire Longwoods.” With the help of several area institutes including St. Bonaventure University, Chautauqua Institution, Holiday Valley, HoliMont, our County Tourism department and others, they conducted an exhausted regional study on how to attract tourists to the area in all four seasons.
Ellicottville’s slogan “Doesn’t this place feel great” was developed during this study. “We held focus groups of people who had visited the area. We listened to their stories on why they visited. Most were looking for a place to escape, a retreat to relax and get away from the hustle of the everyday. We heard many people say, over and over again, “It just feels great.” From the moment they crossed into Ellicottville, they’d say they felt relaxed, and it just felt good to be here.”
The research study concluded that the number one way to attract tourists to the area was through festivals and events. Brian and Lisa Jessey, the only other employee, started numerous annual festivals including the Jazz Festival with the help of Grace Kell, expanded Summer Music Festival on 4th of July weekend, and the already popular Taste of Ellicottville and Octoberfest, as it was called in those days. Ellicottville now boasts 18 annual festivals and events throughout the year with a visitor base of an estimated 1.5 million annually. Ellicottville has truly become a four-season destination and an important income generator not only for Ellicottville, but for the entire county.
Throughout the years, Brian’s goal, simply put, was to “put feet in the streets” by attracting visitors from an ever-growing radius as Ellicottville gains national attention. Visitors frequent the area from Ohio, Canada, Pennsylvania, Southern Ontario, and recently even Maryland and West Virginia. Ellicottville has been written about in national publications, including USA Today and several times in the NY Times newspaper as well as dozens of regional and international publications. “To be featured once by the NY Times is amazing, but twice is like being struck by lightning,” says Brian. Ellicottville was also featured on the home page of National Geographic Traveler magazine and website for 6 straight months.
According to Brian, people may be attracted to Ellicottville for its festivals, but they return for the people and its small-town charm. “We’re a friendly community. People say hello when you pass on the streets; we have that warm welcoming feel and it’s contagious. Ellicottville is safe and walkable. Almost everything you need is within a 4-block radius.”
Over the years, Brian has seen an increase in the number of activities in the Ellicottville area. “As we attract more visitors and have more year-round events, naturally there’s been a growth in the number of things to do throughout the year,” says Brian. Holiday Valley invested in expanding their golf course, added the Tamarack Club and Sky-High Adventure Park. The Wingate was constructed in 2004 providing accommodations for the growing number of visitors. “No matter the season, there’s always something going on here,” says Brian.
Brian is thankful to have worked with such a great team on The Chamber over the years. “We have grown to a board of 12 people here at The Chamber with an office of 3 staff members. We put on 18 events annually and run the largest tourism marketing campaign in Western New York. We’re proud to have 250 members in this great organization.”
Over the years, Brian has appreciated the community events festivals, especially the Gazebo Concert Series and the Summer Music Festival. He reflects on many fond memories over the years, especially the first Summer Music Fest. “I’ll never forget when we brought our first nationally touring act to the festival in 2000 – The Rascals. We were scrambling to raise the funds to bring the band, but it was well worth the effort. Nowadays, we bring at least 2 nationally renowned acts to the area for that festival, and the budget has increased significantly. But at the same time, we always stive to make it affordable for locals.”
While the festivals are notable in their own regard, Brian’s favorite thing to do is just walk the streets on any given weekend and enjoy good company at one of Ellicottville’s many great establishments. “I just love going out and enjoying the people and being in the center of it all. It’s the people that make this place special, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”
Brian is proud to have accomplished his lofty goal of turning Ellicottville into an all-seasons resort town. “I was hired with one specific task, and I think I’ve completed that. The foundations were set by The Chamber, and the community and resorts took over. I’m proud to see how far we’ve come, and look forward to the next chapter.”
For more information visit ellicottvilleny.com or email brian@ellicottvilleny.com.