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Virginia and Michigan Fair Conventions Deemed a Success
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The 2019 Virginia Association of Fairs convention took place Jan. 3 through 5 at the Homestead Omni Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia. This year's theme was “Light's Camera, Action,” and attendance was set at a record 663 people coming out for the event.

Some of the most popular topics covered at the convention included 60 Tips in 60 Minutes for medium and small fairs, led by CEO Marla Calico of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions; Leadership: How Can You Become the Leader You are Meant to Be? led by Lynette Embree, Executive Director of BNI Shenandoah Valley; Celebrating Veterans at Your Fair With a Special Tribute; Understanding Virginia ABC Laws at Your Fairgrounds; and a topic related to prepping fairs for the various types of emergencies that may arise in a given fair season.

VAF President Danny Byrum says that the programming on the agenda this year was very successful. 

“Everyone seemed to love the showcase where we had some really wonderful entertainment acts and we had a well-attended tradeshow,” he says. “We also had a wonderful guest speaker, IAFE’ CEO Marla Calico, who took her most valuable time to attend the whole conference.”

Throughout the state of Virginia, fairs are facing challenges in the areas of rising costs and availability of securing quality entertainment. He also points out that for Virginia, hurricanes and weather related issues also prove to be problematic at times.
 
“Not much we can do about the weather, but fairs all over are working on and looking for new ways and new things to attract patrons to the fair, in lieu of the very expensive things we have always done in the past,” he says. “We are starting to look at more local and regional type acts, but also working more and more to ensure that we as fairs stick with our agricultural roots. We are always looking for as much education and entertainment in the agriculture area as possible, to show our communities and our patrons where their food comes from and how it gets to them.”

As the whole purpose of the annual conference is to share such information while also discussing ideas that are currently working or not working for various fairs and festivals throughout the state, Byrum says that he hopes the networking and educational sessions provided at the annual convention will help all of Virginia's fairs become more efficient and relevant than ever as time goes on.
 
“I believe keeping ourselves relevant to our communities to teach and understand our agricultural heritage is the most important vision we should have as an industry,” he says.

Byrum will continue to act as president and director of the VAF for 2019. Other appointments to the board are Sam Long of Field Day of the Past as vice president and director; Essie Berry of Madison County Fair as Secretary; and Mack Wright, Jr., of Carolina County Agricultural Fair as treasurer.   

During the convention, the annual awards were also given out. This year's awards included the following:

Fair Person of the Year went to Essie Berry; The Hazel Staley Award went to Thomas Eshelman of the Shenandoah County Fair; the first place Youth Scholarship Award in the amount of $2,500 went to Mikayla St Clair of Clarke County Fair; and Olivia Green of Scott County Fair was crowned the 2019 VAF Fair Queen.

Byrum says that he feels the 2019 VAF convention was highly successful and a good overall experience. 

“We had a record number of attendees, a record number of vendors and a record number of associate members,” he shares. “We had very positive feedback on our round tables and work sessions. All in all, it was a very good conference in my view, hitting a lot of areas that fairs are interested in, with good education and sharing of information about our industry.”


MICHIGAN

The 2019 Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions convention also took place in January, from Jan. 10 through 12 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lisa Reiff, Executive Director Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions, says that about 1,300 people from the fair and festival industry attended the event.

There were 74 trade show booths representing carnivals, entertainment, insurance, equipment, ribbons/trophies and more.

“Our attendees come year after  year to book outstanding vendors, network with other fair professionals and learn updates on important fair-related news,” says Reiff.

She adds that the workshops and table top discussions for 2019 focused on a variety of topics that strive to keep fair industry members up-to-date on important fair issues. Some of the popular discussions this year revolved around service animals, social media, biosecurity, animal health rules and availability of labor. Overall, she says that the convention was highly successful.

“Our convention is always a great way for our industry to come together to learn, network and grow,” says Reiff. “We had an outstanding convention and look forward to a great year for Michigan fairs and festivals. Our board and I have already started to plan for our next convention in Grand Rapids, which will take place from January 9 through 11, 2020.”

Current officers with the Michigan Assocation of Fairs & Exhibitions include President Brian Kuemin, Cass County Fair; Vice President Lenore Senter, Emmet Charlevoix County Fair; Treasurer Jamie Skerbeck, Skerbeck Entertainment Group; and Secretary Steve Thelen, Saline Community Fair.

Numerous awards were given out at the convention including  Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, the Heritage Award, and the Hall of Fame Award.

Reiff says that the climate is looking great for the future of fairs in Michigan. The Michigan fair industry continues to prove itself strong, with a rich history and a bright future, despite some challenges it has faced along the way.

“There are always challenges competing for attendees' entertainment time and money,” Reiff shares. “Our fairs do a great job of honoring the traditions of the fairs, while adapting to the needs and wants of attendees today. Fairs are continuing to have innovative entertainment opportunities, and no two fairs in Michigan are the same,” she continues. “There is no other event that can offer youth involvement, agricultural education, and family-friendly entertainment.”
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