The staff of the North Dakota State Fair Center has been busy this “off season” attending conferences all over the country. These conferences are a great way to network with other Fairs and share ideas on how to deliver the best event possible for the people of North Dakota. They also provide an opportunity to discover the different options available for everything from free stages to ticketing systems.
The Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs 88th Annual Convention was held in Casper, WY on November 13-16. North Dakota State Fair staff attended seminars on different Fair topics including marketing, food safety and emergency preparation, just to name a few. The staff also had a chance to explore new free stage acts for the 2014 North Dakota State Fair.
The North Dakota/South Dakota Association of Fairs Annual Conference took place in Aberdeen, SD, November 21-23. The conference is an annual get together for county and State Fairs across the Dakotas. The highlight of the conference was the key note speaker, Tom Whaley. Tom is the Executive Vice President of the St. Paul Saints baseball team.
The International Association of Fairs and Expos Annual Convention and Trade Show took place December 8-12. Held annually in Las Vegas, the IAFE Convention features key note speakers, seminars, round table discussions, and more. The IAFE is made up of over 1,200 Fairs from across the globe. Another interesting aspect of the conference is the trade show. Industry leaders in all aspects of Fairs, display their products for Fair employees to experience. The staff observed new technologies and trends that cover all Fair topics. The finale of this conference is the Award Ceremony. The IAFE recognizes Fairs for the outstanding work in different aspects of Communication, Agriculture and Competitive Exhibits. This year the North Dakota State Fair went home with 11 first place awards!