By Jeff Martin
You could throw a bowling ball down Main Street in Ellicottville in 1999 and not hit a soul.
That’s the way Brian McFadden describes the little village, population 292 in the village and 1,700 in village township, that he has come to serve and cherish. Back then, the village had but one identity – snow – and come the warmer months, there was little to do but wait for the cold again.
My, how things have changed.
If you’re a business owner in 2023 and you approach McFadden about retail space in the village, he’ll give you that patented chuckle of his and break the news slowly.
“There’s no retail space available here,” he said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
But back to 1999. What made that year so special, going forward?
It was the year McFadden became executive director of the chamber, and since then the village has become home to 18 events and festivals. Part of that success came from a six-figure study performed by a Canadian outfit that studied tourist destinations and made recommendations about how it could improve its overall appeal.
“That study was the difference maker,” he said.
Capitalizing on its location and natural resources, as well as its intense civic pride, the village has since become a destination for thousands of people, both locally and across the nation. Through hotels, cottages, condos, the village can sleep 8,000 people. And as the village grows in reputation, not just for snow and ski, so does its revenue and investment. Property is heavily sought after in and around Ellicottville. Approximately 23 percent of the homes in the township are owned by Canadians, 12 percent by Ohioans and 65 percent from others. Some property owners, McFadden said, own as many as five properties.
So, what does all this attention and investment mean for the village?
Attention. Investment. Identity.
“It’s not a one-dimensional community,” he said. “There’s a little bit of everything, and that’s by design.”
What makes the chamber unique, he agreed, is the way the organization uses members’ information and investment (a membership can cost as little as $275 or as much as $350) and funnels that back into the village. It also helps that the chamber is financially capable of paying for expenses like security, clean up services, and equipment for festivals. In a country where many small town chambers are closing and/or seeing membership numbers plummet, Ellicottville is on the opposite end.
“Being able to assist and in many cases like paying for things like operating costs for the festivals makes a huge difference,” he said.
In 2012, a survey was taken by an Atlanta-based consulting firm, the Schapiro Group, which noted that camber membership increases consumer awareness of a company by 73 percent, according to figures by provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That means the likelihood of a consumer choosing to do business with that company increases by 80 percent.
Jake Creeley, who co-owns and operates Aranar, a selection of getaway luxury seclusion adult retreats at HoliMont, said joining the chamber helped attract attention to his project. With a membership, Creeley got his own section on the webpage and welcome inspiration and guidance from community members.
“It’s been a challenge and a learning experience,” he said, “but the services (the chamber offers) have been hugely beneficial.”
The chamber has concentrated on peripheral investments, or those money-making festivals and/or activities that attract people for one reason but then invest in another activity.
“Over the last seven to eight years, we’ve become a kind of destination wedding community,” he said. “We’re doing 80 to 100 destination weddings a year. Think about that. Think of all the people who came here because of the wedding, not because they were getting married. A lot of them are first timers.”
In 2023, McFadden said the chamber increased its advertising budget.
“We’re pushing for more weekday traffic,” he said.
Unlike many chambers, Ellicottville communicates regularly with its members. They talk about issues, wants, desires, plans. In some cases, McFadden said, the chamber suggests ideas to businesses and, more often than not, they run with it. What may surprise people, McFadden said, is over half the membership comes from business owners outside the village, like Jamestown, Olean. That’s where businesses like limousine services, florists, supply stores, etc. are located.
“One business here supports another business outside the community,” McFadden said. “They’re linked in that way.”
For 2024, favorite festivals and activities will return.
Any other big plans?
“Too early to tell,” he said. “We’re a destination resort, yes, but people still live here. They don’t want it to become Disneyland. We will come together in January, as a board, and discuss ideas and go from there.”
Oh – one thing may be in the works, McFadden said. A woman suggested that they place a ski lift chair in front of the ski tree outside village hall.
“I thought that was a wonderful idea.”