A destination sales and marketing consultant housed inside the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is part of a broader three-year effort.

The Jamestown Meetings and Conferences Initiative is a multi-year collaboration with leaders from the city of Jamestown, Chautauqua County, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, Gebbie Foundation, and Jamestown area attractions and hotels. With the goal of making Jamestown a destination for boutique meetings and conferences, the group hopes to generate substantial economic, cultural, and social dividends for the city and county–increasing community pride, diversifying revenue streams, showcasing the city’s unique assets, and sustainably boosting the economy. In partnership with the National Comedy Center, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and Robert H. Jackson Center, the program will also position Jamestown as a center for thought leadership and innovation.

In 2025, the group engaged Destination Services, LLC to conduct a feasibility study and analysis of the hotel market demand. Through survey responses from meeting planners and local stakeholders, leaders, and residents, Destination Services found that Jamestown’s authentic small town feel and unique venues complemented by its beautiful landscape, additional lakeside meeting spaces, and nearby wine country, meet the parameters of what today’s meeting planners are searching for. The analysis also determined that Jamestown has a core base of hotel and attraction products that can support a small meeting and conference marketing effort.

Stephanie Burdo, grants and community engagement director with the Gebbie Foundation, said the JRC is looking for this destination sales and marketing consultant because the large group of community leaders from both downtown Jamestown and across the county want to advance the meetings and conferences industry in the city.

“This initiative will bring in money for the local economy and help to fill out our attractions here during the shorter seasons or during mid-week when things are slower,” Burdo said. “The initiative is coming together now after a few years.”

The main work of the destination sales and marketing consultant will be to be a leader to the initiative’s consulting team, along with starting up the overall effort, focusing on markets, sales, and to coordinate accommodations, attractions and venues. The consultant will be working to help develop the market and to bring in outside money to the local economy.

“The potential to bring in money, attention and recognition to Jamestown is great,” Burdo said. “This is a three year initiative, and will hopefully be the seeding of a more permanent effort to build this market in Jamestown.”

One of the most important things when it comes to this initiative, Burdo said, is the ability to bring in positive development for the city. She emphasized that this initiative is a collaboration between many different organizations in the city, county and local attractions.

“This collaboration shows how we are all working together to advance success and positive economic development in Jamestown,” Burdo said. “We are all working together and are excited about the opportunity.”