Permitted

Elliot did.

Elliot operated his parent’s run-down motel in Bethel, New York … they had 79 rooms on 15 acres .. but business was tough and they were way behind in their mortgage … Elliot was also the President of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce … but often joked “Bethel had no commerce” … Nevertheless, Elliot tried all sort of things to drum up business … as President he could issue himself permits to host events … he loved movies so the tried to hold a film festival … but no one came … and he also tried to hold a music festival but only a few kids and a nearby dairy farmer showed up.

Then one day he opened the newspaper … the mayor of Wallkill a town 60 miles away had just cancelled an upcoming event at virtually the last moment … and no other towns were at all interested. The promoters were in a jam.

So Elliot seeing an opportunity, picked up the phone and called the promoters … figuring that maybe he could hold the event at his motel since he could issue his own permit. The anxious promoters were interested but the site was just too small … then Elliot suggested that maybe the dairy farmer up the road who liked music might be interested … and he was. Elliot’s motel became the promoter’s base of operations as they rented out the whole place … they offered Elliot so much money he was able to pay off his parents’ mortgage.

Today, the three day event held on a dairy farm in New York state is iconic … but might never have happened if Elliot hadn’t tried to promote commerce in his little town and simply made a phone call … a little festival called Woodstock … that attracted over 400,000 people to the Bethel area.

Woodstock is a great idea … because you never know what could happen if you just reach out and call someone!