Carnival & Fair News

Rain impacted the Missouri State Fair even though technically none fell on any actual day of the fair. When storms came they came at night, three thunderstorms that muddied up some of the grounds and damaged a few tents. But it wasn’t the rain at the fair that negatively impacted the Missouri State Fair, it was the massive flooding throughout the year.Like many fairs and perhaps even more than most, the Missouri State Fair is agricultural based. With annual statewide revenues of $89 billion, farming is the biggest industry in the state. “Biggest by far,” said Mark Wolfe, Fair Director. “There’s no second even. The fair is the biggest promotion for the ag industry, it is the largest showcase for the industry.” Farmer Struggles The fair itself is 117 years old, and ...   [read more]

The 2019 IAFE Convention and trade show came to a close Wednesday in San Antonio.  This was the second year for the convention at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. “I am thrilled with the show this year, we had a big trade show and lots of educational sessions”, said Marla Calico, IAFE President and CEO.  Calico said she had just spoken with a couple of delegates from California that said their biggest challenge was deciding which educational sessions to attend.  There were just too many choices, they said.  Calico counseled a “divide and conquer approach because there is so much information to gather.The trade show sold out with 400+ booths and over 300 vendors.  Suppliers from insurance companies, to entertainment booking agents to ticketing companies all competed for the attention of ...   [read more]