Raised in Traverse City, Michigan, Benjamin Maddy's passion for travel was nurtured by his family's artistic background and their number of travels over the years. Today, Maddy works as a Brand Ambassador for The Fireman Hospitality Group in New York, a company of family-owned restaurants located in the heart of the entertainment centers of New York City and National Harbor, Maryland. We recently caught up with him to learn more about his extensive career in the industry and how his own travel as a youth inspired his trajectory!
Travel and the arts truly run in Maddy’s blood, with several family members traveling extensively, in addition to having a musical background.
“My parents traveled quite a bit, as my step father was a civil rights attorney, so I was very passionate about travel from a very young age,” said Maddy, whose great grandfather founded the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts and was the first national band orchestra director in the United States. His grandfather was a craftsman who made violins and cellos as a trade.
Maddy acknowledged how his upbringing in the arts and travel absolutely influenced his career trajectory.
“I went to Interlochen for summer camp and graduated from the academy as a theatre major,” Maddy recalled. “I had just turned 17, and my dream was to be on Saturday Night Live. So, I went and studied with Second City in Chicago.”
Needing a job, it was during this time in his studies that Maddy got his start in hospitality. He worked his way up, starting with serving and eventually moving to the sales end of things, helping the Leona’s Chicago legacy brand open seven different restaurants during his tenure. Maddy eventually made the move to New York City, where he’s resided now for 22 years.
“It’s in New York City that I really got my start in tourism working in the corporate sales department for Dave & Busters” Maddy shared. “When I started, there were 27 locations, and when I left, there were over 100.”
The Great Recession in 2008 forced creativity to take the wheel, but Maddy used the time as an opportunity to get involved with industry organizations and associations such as The Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA), American Bus Association (ABA), National Tour Association (NTA) and many more. His career has only evolved and strengthened ever since, having earned him a number of accolades and recognition.
Whether it’s been his time with Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Dave & Buster’s or Discovery Times Square, Maddy’s always been passionate about creating memorable tourism experiences—something fueled by his own travels as a youth. He’s seen firsthand through his charitable work with initiatives like the SYTA Youth Foundation just how profound travel—whether near or far—can be for students and youth who may not normally have access to these kinds of experiences. He recalled a SYTA Youth Foundation trip where inner-city kids from Los Angeles visited Yosemite, and experienced snow for the first time.
“These kids were from downtown LA but had never gotten out of their neighborhood … they’d never been to Universal or Disney, they’d never been to any museums downtown or attended a Dodgers game,” Maddy said. “So they were interviewed before they visited Yosemite and after. Before, the kids had their guard up and weren’t very excited. But after, the transformation was clear—anything was possible and that’s just the difference from one trip.”
Travel, Maddy explained, is something that impacts everyone differently, with everyone noticing things in a different way.
“Travel helps with communication, it helps get rid of stereotypes, it helps get rid of fear and really turns you into a feeler!”
As a mentor and industry leader, Maddy understands the importance of the future generation of tourism professionals. He encourages educators to ask students what they want to see and explore creative ways to fulfill their dreams, even if it seems unattainable.
“With travel, you can never start too young,” he said. “I think that all people generally feel limited. And I would just ask people to challenge themselves to take away those limits and figure out a way to get as close as you can to that goal.
“Never let any limitations dictate what happens when it comes to student travel, because you never know who someone in that community might have access to that could make a dream come true. Unless you ask the question, you’re never going to know the answer.”
Courtesy of ETI.
Photo courtesy of Benjamin Maddy.
