Fairfield Bay Announces Hotel Coming to Town

Mayor Paul Wellenberger emceed a groundbreaking event which featured Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaking to a large crowd of residents from the area.

Fairfield Bay is a resort community on Greers Ferry Lake, and has seen a real turnaround in recent years. From 2016 to 2017, Fairfield Bay grew by 11.5 percent, compared to 2 percent for the state of Arkansas.

Mayor Wellenberger and Fairfield Bay Community Club CFO Rocky Nickles described key decisions and actions that have contributed to this turn around including:

• Reinvention and rebranding of Fairfield Bay from a retirement community to becoming an Ozark Mountain Lake Resort and Community for people of all ages.
• Implementing a new marketing campaign to foster this new image in the eyes of key market segments and the public.
• Transforming Fairfield Bay from a seasonal retirement and tourism community into a year-around community through adding a trail system and festivals throughout the year.
• Turning several miles of unpaved roads into ATV trails.
• Participation in the Uncommon Communities Program, which has facilitated a close working relationship with Clinton and county government.
• Recruiting a hotel to complement the Fairfield Bay Conference Center, and
• Being very creative, such as showing Disney movies at night at the swimming pool.

Nickles will be telling the story of Fairfield Bay’s turn around in our June Conference on the topic “Future Proofing – Creating Mechanism for the Future of Your Community.”

We wish Fairfield Bay much success and look forward to great things happening in that community.