Soda Guy
  •  Soda Guy
  • 71.62% (Friendly)
  • Ride Supervisor Topic Starter
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 4:04:40 PM



U know I was interested in what u ur saying up until the last one or two paragraphs. Do u really think a lot of us don't see and know about what ur talking about?

I wanted to answer this statement but didn't want to change the theme of the other thread.

Yes, yes I do think that, and so do many in the business. If you go back in the archives you can find all sorts of references of fans complaining that show xyz didn't add anything this year or last. But in reality xyz added generators, upgraded cable on the ground and rolling stock, but that wasn't good enough for the posters.

And yes I do think many many people do forget how much a show actually brings to a community. You always hear about they take money out of town, but you never hear about the non profits that sell food, work the parking and maybe even clean up. For many the fair or festival is their main or only fundraiser.

See I am a realist, I watch everyday people doing and saying the what have you done for me lately type BS. This is a very bad thing for people who say they love the business.

Again just wanted to answer your question and NOT change the theme of the other thread. I mean I actually thought a "tip of the hat" to all the shows, their workers and anyone associated with this great act of kindness was in order. Especially since they (the showmen and women) aren't doing it for the publicity.
Skywheelrider
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 9:06:27 PM
They also forget about the amount of money that a show spends in their town; fuel for vehicles; groceries and other personal items; parts for equipment; the laundromat; eating at local restaurants and quite ofter other eating and drinking establishments; permits; renting port-a-johns; renting a dumpster from a local company; the local liquor store; when local groups set up food stands we often eat there as well; not to mention the money the sponsor makes, most of the time put right back into the community; nah, we're just there to 'take THEIR money;' in reality, they take quite a bit of ours....
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
showpaintsbyconner
Saturday, July 20, 2013 9:04:48 AM
just a few years ago i spent 6 wks with modern midways in clewiston fl winter qtrs. robt restored the orbitor and slide, and a whole list of smaller thingd, by the time we left walmart,napa and the local mcm paint store had no more reg thinnner or lacquer , no more sand paper, robt bought up every nut bolt and pin n rivet in the town. it got to the point that every few hrs there was someone else heading to ft meyers, w. palm or miami
when it was time to leave 1 of the guys said ya we gotta get out of here theres nothing left to buy, lol.
the local convenience stores are the 1 that really make out during fairs,
JustinJames
Sunday, July 21, 2013 5:48:56 AM
I remember doing that Orbiter and buying several NAPAs out of acid brightener. Lol
Pizzagod
Monday, July 22, 2013 11:01:07 PM
Originally Posted by: Skywheelrider 

They also forget about the amount of money that a show spends in their town; fuel for vehicles; groceries and other personal items; parts for equipment; the laundromat; eating at local restaurants and quite ofter other eating and drinking establishments; permits; renting port-a-johns; renting a dumpster from a local company; the local liquor store; when local groups set up food stands we often eat there as well; not to mention the money the sponsor makes, most of the time put right back into the community; nah, we're just there to 'take THEIR money;' in reality, they take quite a bit of ours....



Hookers and blow.

Don't forget the essentials.


For one dollar I'll guess your weight, your height, or your sex.
Soda Guy
  •  Soda Guy
  • 71.62% (Friendly)
  • Ride Supervisor Topic Starter
Monday, July 22, 2013 11:24:26 PM
Originally Posted by: Pizzagod 

Hookers and blow.





In this politically correct world didn't you mean my cousins niece and I have allergies?


80meterwheelman
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 8:21:05 AM
Originally Posted by: Soda Guy 

In this politically correct world didn't you mean my cousins niece and I have allergies?



Depends on what side of the fence you're on, I guess.
Doing nothing is tiresome because you can't stop to rest.
Jackpotter
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 4:02:15 PM
Originally Posted by: Skywheelrider 

They also forget about the amount of money that a show spends in their town; fuel for vehicles; groceries and other personal items; parts for equipment; the laundromat; eating at local restaurants and quite ofter other eating and drinking establishments; permits; renting port-a-johns; renting a dumpster from a local company; the local liquor store; when local groups set up food stands we often eat there as well; not to mention the money the sponsor makes, most of the time put right back into the community; nah, we're just there to 'take THEIR money;' in reality, they take quite a bit of ours....



I've weighed in on this issue many many times and I think all of your points are well made Chris.

But from a Fair Board side to change the subject a little, at least a progressive minded fair board, it also gets more expensive every year to put on events at the fair that a carnival wants to see to help draw people. Liability insurance, just as it does for carnivals, goes up all the time for committees too. And when you look at the high quality motorsports events that are supposed to be the "top draws" costing $8,000-$10,000 per event just for a sanction fee that's a lot of money for a small fair to have to spend and hope to recoup just to be competitive. Yet I also know the Carnivals have got a ton of expenses that they have to make each week, not to mention hoping to make above those expenses to have some left over each week.

I really don't know what the answer is. I once had a show owner tell me that the "fairs need the carnivals worse than the carnivals need the fairs", and to an extent maybe that's true...but if that's the case why are carnivals so insistent on fairs putting on the super expensive events to try to draw patrons when they could set up in a parking lot and not have to deal with a committee or any kind of revenue split? When it gets down to it, I think the fairs and the carnivals need each other pretty equally.

I expect that what we will eventually see in my state, where there are about 95 county fairs, is that a lot of the smaller fairs are either going to merge with neighboring county fairs and become regional fairs...or the smaller fairs will die off and the larger county fairs will become regional fairs "by default".

It's going to be a very interesting next five years to see what happens.

Users browsing this topic