Brian Bradbury, Executive Director, Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau
As the Executive Director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, how are you working to elevate Lowell’s profile as a key cultural and historical destination in Massachusetts, and what initiatives are in place to attract more visitors to the city?
As the new Executive Director, this is my main focus. We are planning many initiatives including a revitalizing/refresh/refocusing of our own agency image/branding. Our area encompasses 21 area cities and towns and our goal is to provide everyone with the best way to experience each and every one: showcasing each’s unique offerings and fascinating histories in a cohesive way. The city of Lowell is the heart of the Merrimack Valley and by way of strategic marketing initiatives and working with International tour operators it is our goal to showcase the birthplace of the Industrial revolution and all the fascinating historical touchstones that helped shape the early days of our nation, as well as generating excitement over understanding the historic cultural changes over 200 years, which created a true melting pot of a community. We also want to tease the glimpse of the future, with the current innovations happening.
– Lowell has a rich industrial history and vibrant arts scene. How is GMVCVB leveraging these assets to promote tourism, and how are you collaborating with local stakeholders to further develop the city’s tourism infrastructure?
Focusing on Lowell; We are helping to reshine a bright light on and bring to the forefront the ways people can experience the Industrial Revolution through tours at the Boott Cotton Mills, Suffolk Mill Tour, on the Merrimack River, or Canal boat tours. Stepping back in history, everyone should explore the stories of the workers and inventors who made Lowell the first successful industrial city in the country. As Lowell approaches its 200th anniversary, experiencing the history of its beginnings as a place of innovation and progress, it is imperative that our organization works closely with The Office of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (CASE) in Lowell, UMASS Lowell, Greater Merrimack and Greater Lowell Chambers of Commerce, and several other organizations such as LCCE (Latinx Community Center for Empowerment) and CMAA (Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association), Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, and The Lowell Historic Board, among others. We are also a part of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments Tourism and Marketing committee; a place where we collaborate with diverse stakeholders on a plan mapping a future landscape of tourism and visitor experiences in the Merrimack Valley.
– In what ways is the organization partnering with UMass Lowell and other local institutions to boost the city’s appeal for business conferences, cultural events, and academic tourism?
As the new Executive Director, partnering with one of the largest stakeholders in the region, UMass Lowell, is imperative for our success in showcasing the amazing assets and life in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. We have a goal to make it easy to choose to come to our area for any special events by showcasing the community support and engagement and everything that they can experience. It’s important for us to be a partner with organizations like the Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell Festival Foundation, and the Lowell National Historical Park
– With increasing competition from neighboring cities, what are the long-term strategies to differentiate Lowell as a must-visit destination, and how do you envision the city’s tourism sector evolving over the next five to 10 years?
This is a process currently in the works and it is daunting but doable; to map and project the future of tourism locally. We cannot look at our neighboring cities, to Lowell, as competition but instead partners. Lowell alone has a rich history and, as we move forward, we will want to highlight its centuries of innovation and progress and entice people to come, witness the past and be a part of the future. Lowell cannot do it on its own. We have to shine the light and highlight everything the region has to offer. With over 20 million tourists and visitors coming to the state each year, our goal is to increase the number of people that are coming and staying in our region, and to ensure they explore everything WE have to offer, without needing to head to Boston every day. Our lodging offering are a more affordable option than the big city, so once our visitors are here, we will ensure they know why they should shop, eat, tour and explore exactly where they are, and in doing so make a lifetime of memories and experiences that they will share with family and friends and entice them to return.
