The Healy touch By Jana Eisenberg; photos by kc kratt Ed Healy, director of communications for the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), is basically the go-to guy for marketing Buffalo—he doesn’t just think of us as a city; he thinks of us as a brand. His job is a challenging one, but it’s not without its rewards. As you may or may not know (and this is a big deal) it was announced late last year after an intense CVB-led process that the 2011 National Preservation conference will be held here. Healy sees this as an affirmation of everything he’s been saying about Buffalo since he moved back here about fifteen years ago. He grew up in West Seneca, went away to grad school, and lived in New York City for ten years. He convinced his nonnative wife to give it a try. Today, he says, they are “very happy residents of North Buffalo.” Ed Healy In a recent interview, I asked him to talk about the tough parts of his job and his mission. “Buffalo is one of a number of postindustrial cities struggling with big, challenging issues like disinvestment and shrinking population,” he says. “These issues have occurred over many decades; and it may take several decades to find solutions, create new economies, and reinvent ourselves. Some of the investments the city has made to try to regenerate itself, I agree, have not been wholly successful. For example, the Metro Rail; I take it—it’s great. But I wish it were more wide ranging, and it certainly has not provoked real development in our community.” Recent comments by Harvard economist Edward Glaeser proved a jumping off point for further conversation. “Like Glaeser, I believe in investing in education/people as opposed to mega-developments,” says Healy. “Bringing him to town, as someone with a contrary point of view, and getting others to listen—that was a success. I hope they’ll do more of it. It’s part of the process to rethink who we are.” He says part of this image rehabilitation is occurring in phases. “I’m encouraged by things that are going on, like the restoration of Wright’s Martin House, the building of the new Burchfield-Penney Art Center, the harbor development.” He—of course—believes we’ve got good raw material to work with. “It’s important that people recognize our core assets: cultural, historical, and indigenous,” he says. “Our location on the great lake, our proximity to Niagara Falls, and all our history. We can turn Buffalo into an appealing and positive tourist brand. And once that happens, it will almost simultaneously become a more appealing place for investors.” The process of securing the National Preservation Conference is a perfect example of what Healy hopes to do for the city—and beating out Philadelphia for the honor helped. “This event will have multi-million dollar economic impact. Not only is our selection prestigious, but all these attendees will be blown away by our heritage, architecture, and preservation—they will go back to their universities and foundations and talk positively about Buffalo.” “Part of the key in redefining Buffalo is finding ‘niche markets,’ where our strengths are,” Healy says. “The CVB’s in-depth research over the last few years in Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York State has helped us learn what our story needs to be. When I throw around names of our architectural greats, like Wright and Richardson, and talk about the Arts and Crafts movement, the modern and contemporary arts, American history—these stories and themes that can be leveraged as travel options—people’s eyes light up; they say ‘Wow, I didn’t know that!’ We discovered a strength within tourist demographics: middle-aged/older people who are fairly well-educated, with some disposable income, though not necessarily affluent; they are school teachers or librarians, interested in cultural experiences. The descriptors that our agency came up with were ‘culturally savvy urbanists,’ or, my favorite, ‘bifocal intellectuals.’ “Buffalonians can definitely be defensive, and with good reason,” Healy allows. “In my travels, when I tell someone where I’m from, they have no hesitation being genuinely rude and insulting. We need to stand up for ourselves. It is critical that Buffalonians believe in Buffalo; we are our own best ambassadors. For example, my friend Doug Swift, the president of the Roycroft. When he was college age, he wanted to leave Buffalo and never come back! Now his kids are saying the opposite. We are experiencing a shift, and it’s inspiring. With this rebirth, a new generation has assumed power. Younger politicians like Brian Higgins and Byron Brown have a vision; it is shared by thirty- and forty-somethings. “We can’t pretend that Buffalo hasn’t had its challenges economically, or that we don’t have bad weather sometimes,” says Healy. “But there is more to talk about. Right now, all I ask is that people are open-minded, and willing to listen to our story. We have limited resources; we must fish where the fish are. Erie County itself is not a Disney World-type of destination, we are a niche. We have a methodical way of attracting visitors, and it holds a lot of potential. There is a plan, there is a vision, there is a strategy.” Jana Eisenberg is a freelance writer and a proud, nonnative Buffalonian. 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