IAAPA Expo - Thursday Highlights
E-Works makes a splash in the LED market; KMG sells two Speeds to AOA
On Thursday, the IAAPA expo hall opened to large crowds. Historically, Thursday is the most trafficked day of the event, and the early crowds indicated that 2016 was no different. ... [read more]
IAAPA Expo - Wednesday Highlights
Wisdom to build Frog Hopper; Ital International debuts new Giant Wheel
The IAAPA expo opened Wednesday to moderate crowds; But, by the middle of the afternoon, the trade show floor was packed with attendees from a multitude of industries including: amusement parks, ... [read more]
2016 IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO KICKS OFF WITH LARGEST SHOW FLOOR IN HISTORY
Orlando - The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) kicked off its 98th Attractions Expo with the largest trade show floor in its history Tuesday. The Expo, which ... [read more]
John Peco Named the Canadian National Exhibition Association's Chief Officer, Business Development & Innovation
Toronto, Ontario ... John Peco has been appointed the Canadian National Exhibition Association's Chief Officer, Innovation and Business Development, the CNEA announced today."This is a new position, ... [read more]
2016 Georgia National Fair: One for the Record Books
The 2016 Georgia National Fair had a record-breaking year. This year, 536,840 people attended the fair: about a 25,000 person increase from the 2015 fair. Additionally, the Georgia ... [read more]
Tennessee Valley Fair Weathers Heat Wave, Rain Storm & Bad Pre-Fair Publicity
Heat and rain hurt many fairs this year, but the Tennessee Valley Fair had an additional obstacle to overcome: bad publicity from other Tennessee fairs. The negative press had nothing to do with ... [read more]
Five Daily Attendance Records for The Big E's Centennial Celebration
The Eastern States Exposition - affection ally known as the Big E - had an astounding 2016 fair. Attendance was up only 5 percent - and four severely rainy days negatively impacted outcomes - but ... [read more]
Wade Shows Midway receives 97% Approval Rating from New York State
New York State Governor Cuomo held a press conference announcing the results of phase one of a $50 million renovation to The New York State Fairgrounds. During the press conference, she announced ... [read more]
Oklahoma State Fair Survives Storms, Heat & Soft Economy with a Value-added Package
Hot weather and thunder and lightening storms on key days, plus a downturn in the local economy hurt the 2016 Oklahoma State Fair, which was coming off a strong 2015. When it wasn't raining - ... [read more]
For Second Year in a Row, Big Fresno Passes Major Milestone
The Big Fresno Fair has been on a roll. For only the second time in its 133-year history the fair broke the 600,000 mark for this 12-day event. When was the first time the milestone was ... [read more]
NAME Operation Produces 7% Ride Gross Increase in Tulsa
Blomsness prepares for retirement
COLUMBIA, S.C. --- North American Midway Entertainment, already one of the biggest operations in the carnival industry, has purchased a Zyklon-style roller coaster for the 2017 season. The new ... [read more]
New GM Helps Kansas State Fair Reach Third Best Attendance
Midway safety a big concern following Schlitterbahn water slide accident
A management transition followed last year's Kansas State Fair and rainy weather plagued a few days of the 2016 edition of this 104-year-old event. But a new advertising slogan, improved ... [read more]
GREAT ALLENTOWN FAIR GATE ADMISSION UP, GRANDSTAND DOWN
This year, the Great Allentown Fair saw a 4% increase in fair admission despite a drop in grandstand traffic. In 2015, 398,000 people came to the fair and in 2016, 394,000 attended. The reason for ... [read more]
Independent Midway, Headline Entertainment and Pokemon Promotions Boost Ventura County Fair Attendance
The Ventura County Fair saw an increase of 4.5 percent in attendance this year, reaching 332,262, a boost resulting from innovative promotions, a commitment to live entertainment and an effective ... [read more]
John Owens passes
It is with great regret that we announce the passing of John Owens. John spent much of his life working in the fair industry, most recently serving as the acting general manager of the Volusia ... [read more]
** UPDATED** CNE Expands Demographic With New Marketing and Unisex Washroom Publicity
Two days of rain and several humid days might have a negative impact on most fairs, but the 18-day Canadian National Exhibition recorded 1.54 million attendees, slightly behind last year, ... [read more]
Paid Admission Increases for Colorado State Fair
Despite a drop in attendance, the Colorado State Fair had a successful year. A combination of popular entertainers, delicious food, educational exhibits, and a great midway kept customers happy and ... [read more]
Full Fair Feel: New Mexico State Fair Sees 8 Percent Attendance Jump
New Mexico has a population of about two million. Nearly 500,000 attended this year's New Mexico State Fair, a booming, robust event that saw an 8 percent attendance increase, the sophomore year for ... [read more]
Overcoming Heat & Volatile Farm Economy, Missouri State Fair Continues Upward Trend
In spite of some high heat - not exactly uncommon late summer weather in this part of the U.S. - the Missouri State Fair saw an attendance increase of about 4,000, reaching 356,000, with three record ... [read more]
A Tennessee Tradition: Rain Hurts Attendance, but Family Focus Succeeds
Attendance and spending may have dipped due to rain, but this was not considered a setback for the Tennessee State Fair. Based in Nashville, the fair has been on a steady growth path since 2010, when ... [read more]
Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment Reports 2016 Season as a 100% Improvement over 2015
SALISBURY, N.C. -- Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment officials were all smiles after signing a five-year contract at the Rowan County Fair. Salisbury is essentially a bedroom community of ... [read more]
New Ticketing & Kiddieland Highlight Kentucky State Fair
A sold-out, high-profile concert by Reba McEntire and new kiddieland layout highlighted a robust Kentucky State Fair. But the real break-through is was a new ticket scanning system, fully automating ... [read more]
2016 Dutchess County Fair: Attendance Down, Midway Spending Up
The Dutchess County Fair in the Hudson Valley section of New York State had an attendance dip of about 8 percent, yet spending, especially midway revenue, increased by 7 percent. Even per-capita ... [read more]
The Great Minnesota Get Together Honors Prince & Breaks Attendance Record
Optimum weather and an 8.5 percent increase in attendance might be enough for any fair, but the Minnesota State Fair even did that achievement one better. Minnesota's 2016 Great Get Together ... [read more]
Gold Star Amusement's Richard Hanson passes
It is with great sadness to report the passing of Richard Hanson. Richard was a lifelong friend of the Featherston family and served as a manager at Gold Star Amusements. Funeral ... [read more]