IAFE Marketing Awards

Along with the Agriculture Awards, we also took 1st place in five marketing / communication divisions. Kranzler Kingsley, our advertising agency, created the look and ad copy for each of the categories we won. Kranzler Kingsley has some of the best talent at their agency and they excel in every project they take on! Kranzler Kingsley creates all of the promotional material for the Fair from print, radio, TV, online and even social media, they do it all! The following awards were presented to NDSF at the 2008 IAFE Convention December 17th, 2008.

1. Newspaper Ad - Black and White
2. Newspaper Ad - Color Print
3. Printed Promotional Material - Brochure
4. e-Newsletter
5. Web Site

IAFE Agriculture Awards

In August 2008 we began reviewing and recapping the '08 Fair. Also during that time we submitted several of the Fair's activities to the IAFE Agriculture Awards. This year we won 5 Agriculture awards as well as a "Best in Division Award." Kristie, the Fair's Competitive Exhibits Director, accepted the award. For each of these awards we competed against Fairs that are our size and are located throughout North America. The 2008 Agriculture Awards we took first place in included:

1. Program for Competitive Agriculture Exhibitors
2. Agriculture Program for Non- Agriculture Fairgoing Public
3. Overall Program for Commercial Agriculture Exhibitors
4. Green Program - Water Day

We also received a 3rd place award for our Daily Schedules. The awards were presented at the annual IAFE Convention in Las Vegas December 16.

Entertainment at IAFE

It's getting down to crunch time and we really need to finish booking our talent for the free stages at the ND State Fair. While at the IAFE Convention we learned that the majority of entertainers and shows have been booked for 2009. Luckily we found some really crazy and freaky entertainers who are still available, one being Russ Leno a sand sculptor who is most notably known for his pumpkin carving abilities. He is a really nice down to earth kind of guy who can carve just about anything out of a pumpkin (see pic). Another act featured within the same talent agency is John Shaw, who in our office we call the "Freak Guy." John can put a corn kernal up his nose and have it come out of his eye. He performs magic and illusions with lots of audience participation. I think it would be a great act for the Flickertail Beer Gardens. Click this link to see some of his most notable stunts.

IAFE Convention

The ND State Fair staff spent last week in Las Vegas attending the International Association of Fairs and Exposition (IAFE) 118th Annual Conference. We mingled with nearly 3,500 other employees who work for and organize Fairs and Rodeo's throughout North America. The most valuable aspect of the conference were the workshops and round table discussions. They allowed us to learn how we can make the North Dakota State Fair stronger and more enjoyable for our attendees. There was also a large trade show where we could check out entertainers for our free stages and get information on new products and services that are provided within the industry. As you can see we also got to meet some pretty cool people from other Fairs.

Proposed North Dakota State Fair Grandstand

Last week Governor Hoeven released his budget , within it he supported the North Dakota State Fair by allocating $17 million for the construction of a new Grandstand facility. The current grandstand is home to the Fair’s concerts and motor events’ it also hosts fans for the Nodak Speedway races. Growing demand and a deteriorating infrastructure has presented many maintenance challenges. Therefore the State Fair Board is looking to build a new grandstand facility. A new grandstand for the State Fair is critical in maintaining the numbers necessary for future success and growth. For this reason, strong, vocal support for a new grandstand must come from all fairgoers. A new grandstand facility will attract more premiere events, better accommodate spectators and provide for a better overall experience. Help us bring a new grandstand to the North Dakota State Fair by contacting your legislators!

ND State Fair Gift Certificates Now Available!

You've been asking for it and now gift certificates for the North Dakota State Fair are available! Gift certificates can be purchased in any dollar amount and can only be used for the purchase of advanced Mega Ride, Grandstand Showpass, Family Fun Pack and gate admission tickets prior to July 1st. Gift certificates can be purchased throughout the year at the ND State Fair Office in Minot, or over the phone by calling 701-852-FAIR.

Grandstand Continued

There are many variables to booking an artist: First we need to see who is actually touring. Just because an artist is in the spotlight doesn't mean they are touring or performing concerts. Once we find an act that is touring the next factor is routing. It works best to find an artist who is already playing within this area of the country. If our Fair routes with their tour we are more likely to get that artist. The tricky part is that we aren't very flexible on dates they can perform since our Fair only runs for 9 days. 9 out of 365 doesn't leave us with too many options! The final aspect is the cost. Artists can range from $40,000 to over a million dollars for one performance. Needless to say we wouldn't be able to purchase 9 nights of entertainment if we spend over 1 million on just one act! We just received confirmation on our first performer, and he's really gonna rock the Fair!

Grandstand Entertainment

Before I started working at the Fair I was under the impression that it was really easy to book Grandstand acts. I had my list of who I thought should be at the Fair: Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers (don't judge me), Kid Rock, Kenney Chesney (again). I'm beginning to understand that booking bands for the Grandstand is one of the hardest jobs and you truly can never please everyone! Over the next couple of posts I'm going to answer common questions we get and explain how we book acts and why we book them.

For starters we tend to book two rock acts and four country acts each summer. This is primarily due to our customer demographics, we conduct surveys during and after the Fair to get an idea of what bands our attendees are looking for. Once we know what there is an interest for we can start working with our agent to see who's available.

The Gothard Sisters

The Elephant and Tiger Show and Petting Zoo from a post before have filled their dates and will not be able to be at the North Dakota State Fair. I still think that these are both great acts so without a doubt we'll try again for them in 2010.

On a lighter note at the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs we were introduced to three sisters who knew how to wow an audience. The majority of our office has nearly fallen in love with these adorable girls. The Gothard Sisters are champion Irish dancers (kind of like Riverdance but way cuter and not creepy) who also play fiddle and violin while dancing. They would be a perfect fit for our Jukebox Junkie Stage and serve as a great Free Stage edition.

RMAF Convention Wrap Up

The remaining days of the conference were filled with hilarious key note speakers, motivating workshops and awe inspiring entertainers. Two excellent speakers at the conference were Patrick McGaughey, a self proclaimed Enter-trainer who spoke on increasing sponsorships, and Dr. Marty Becker, who is a popular veterinary contributor to Good Morning America that kept us all laughing while discussing the bond between humans and animals. Both speakers came across extremely intelligent yet light hearted and had a lot of information to contribute to our Fair-themed discussions. All in all it was a great four days in Idaho. After every meal was a showcasing session. This is when entertainers could perform for us. I felt bad for the entertainers since they are performing in front of some of the toughest critics, a room full of talent buyers! That said there were some pretty ugly showcases but for the most part we found some great talent including The Gothard Sisters. Next conference: IAFE here we come!

Rocky Mountain Assoc. of Fairs Convention

One of the best parts of working at the Fair is going to conferences. Conferences give us the opportunity to meet with other fairs and learn about what they are doing. The fair industry is unique so it's great to be able to talk with people who understand the different situations of a fair. We also get the chance to meet with many entertainers and individuals from the Fair service industry. Five staff members from our office woke up at 3am yesterday morning to fly out to Coeur d' Alene, Idaho where we are attending the RMAF Convention. The RMAF is notorious for the exposure that entertainers are given to the Fairs that purchase them, for us we buy them for our free stages. The conference kicked off with a reception followed by several performances by entertainers. I'm not sure that any of them are what we were looking for at our Fair, but there are still many more entertainment showcases to come!

Upcoming State Fair Center Events

This week is a busy one at the North Dakota State Fair Center! Coming up on Thursday, November 13th from 5-8pm is the Chamber Showcase of Business. Learn about Chamber businesses as they showcase their products and services in a unique atmosphere. This year the theme is "It's a hoedown!" There's great prizes and plenty of delicious food. The event is sponsored by KXMC CBS13 and the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce. Cost is $10 per person.
November 15th and 16th will feature the Magic City Flea Market, a Holiday Truckload Sale and the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase. Visit the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcases to find unique holiday gift ideas made in North Dakota. The showcase features gift items, clothing, accessories, food and condiments, decorative items and more. You'll be able to find something for everyone. Hours are Saturdays 10-5; Sunday 11-5, admission is $2, but kids under 12 are free.
You also get a free reusable bag with paid admission. Click here for a 2 for 1 adimission coupon.

State Fair Assoc. Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the North Dakota State Fair will be held at The Ramkota at 1:00pm on Thursday, November 20, 2008 in Bismarck. We invite you to join us as we review 2008 and discuss the future of the North Dakota State Fair. This meeting will be your ticket to see a private viewing of a newly created 30-minute North Dakota State Fair documentary, “Our State Fair: The North Dakota Experience,” afterward Bob Wagoner will give a progress update on the proposed grandstand project.

Also on the agenda, three board members will be up for re-election including: Charles Meikle, Vice President, Spiritwood, District 5; Tim Clark, Director, Fargo, District 2; and Butch Haugland, Director, Ambrose, District 8.

State Fair Documentary, coming to a TV near you

Throughout the summer the North Dakota State Fair Association has been working with Prairie Public to create a documentary that captures the history and integrity of the State Fair. “Our State Fair: The North Dakota Experience” features footage from the 2008 State Fair as well as interviews with fairgoers, exhibitors, and fair officials. It also showcases archival photographs and historic video footage. The documentary will air on Prairie Public Tuesday, November 25 at 8:00pm and Thursday, November 27 at 8:30pm. Make sure to tune in, you just might see yourself on TV! Copies of the documentary can be purchased through the State Fair Office for $24.99 or online from Prairie Public.

Free Stages 1

Today I’m looking at two free stage acts, the first is a new petting zoo and the second is Tiger Encounter and Elephant Adventure, this looks like it would be a cool show. We had a really great petting zoo last year at the ND State Fair, but this year we’re looking to bring in something a little different, a petting farm. The petting farm will give Fairgoers the chance to milk a cow, pet and feed farm animals, watch baby chicks be hatched and see a sow and pig display. More pictures and information is available at http://www.fairanimalspecialties.com/



I think the tiger and elephant show would be pretty cool. They would do two Tiger shows and two Elephant shows on one stage each day. The elephants paint and play basketball while the tigers do tricks and jump through hoops. The price seems within reason, but before going any further I need to call around to other Fairs and check references. You can see show details if you go to http://www.artistsandattractions.com/ and click on the Tiger and Elephant link.

Booking Free Stage Entertainment

Since it's nearly November it's time to start looking at booking entertainers for our free stages. The Fair has 12 stages of free entertainment, meaning with a paid gate admission Fairgoers have access to 12 areas of free entertainment. (This entertainment is different from that in the Grandstand, booking Grandstand talent is a different story for a different day). We try to book a variety of entertainment so hopefully there is something for everyone. I get calls and receive promotional materials from artists, entertainers and agencies on a daily basis. We usually look for the same types of entertainment to go on each stage, which provides us with a good mix of animal shows, comedy acts, singers and sports acts. As a staff we will soon be heading out to a convention in Idaho and one in Las Vegas. One of the main purposes of these conventions is to provide a place where entertainers and Fairs can meet up, this is where we will find and book the majority of our entertainment. More info to come on the entertainment we're looking at.

A Busy October for the State Fair Center

Believe it or not, the Fair is not the only event to take place on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. In October alone, the State Fair Center played host to several large public events. The largest being Norsk Hostfest, North America's Largest Scandinavian Festival. As staff at the State Fair Center we're lucky to have the sights and sounds of these events right outside our office doors. (Some of us are also lucky that the lutefisk is made in a different room, far away from our office!) Hostfest was followed up by the annual Y's Men's PRCA Rodeo. If you've never been to the Y's Men's Rodeo you are missing out, mark your calendars now for next years rodeo which should be the second weekend in October. Finally, we'll end the month with the Big One Arts and Crafts Show. The Big One has both a spring and fall show each year to unveil the arts and crafts of hundreds of talented individuals. This provides a great shopping opportunity while the men are out bird and bow hunting. The State Fair Center also held auctions, flea markets and meetings in October.