A sunset at OC Fair 2012. (VT Photo)
The OC Fair's long line of short-stint CEOs traces back to 2007 when Becky Bailey-Findley left as CEO of Orange County Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. The years that followed included heated rumors of a sale, record attendance, and two CEOs in Steve Beazley and Jerome Hoban. Now, Hoban is headed to Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., and OC Fair is bringing back a familiar face in Doug Lofstrom, former VP of events who retired last July.
“There are two words that I normally don’t like to use: retirement and consulting,” said Lofstrom, who spent the bulk of the last few months, after formally retiring, traveling with his wife, Nancy, and completing the Juan Bautista de Anza trail ride up the California Coast with friend and former GM of the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede Steve Edwards.
Lofstrom reached out to then CEO Hoban last September to see what he could do to help that didn’t involve sitting behind a desk. He became somewhat of a liaison between the fair and Western Fairs Association regarding OC Fair’s choice as this year’s Feature Fair. The board then reached out to him when Hoban decided to move on. Lofstrom’s friends and family have been supportive, including Edwards.
“I wasn’t sure what Steve would think since he made the decision to retire early and has been really enjoying himself, but he said, quickly and sincerely, ‘Doug, I fully understand why you made this decision: You care about the fair and you care about the staff,’” said Lofstrom. “He instantly got to where my head is and where my heart is.”
Interim CEO Doug Lofstrom.
Lofstrom added that he doesn’t know the exact definition of the word ‘interim,’ but that he thinks one of the most important things that he can do for the board is to give them time. It’s a position that Lofstrom has been in before. He was one of the vice presidents at LA County Fair in Pomona, Calif., when Ralph Hinds passed away in 1994. The board at that fair made the decision to not have any interim CEO, so the four VPs stepped into the position until a replacement was found 15 months later.
This time around, Lofstrom steps into the position at a high-pressure moment. The fair runs July 12-Aug. 11, and not only is OC Fair & Event Center’s Pacific Amphitheatre undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, but the fair is also serving as Western Fair Association’s Feature Fair 2013.
Because Lofstrom was already serving as liaison between the fair and WFA for the feature fair programming, he’s excited to host dozens of WFA members and is comfortable with the programming in place.
“We’re looking forward to hosting others and sharing our information, because a lot of the stuff our team does well is because we’ve learned it from others,” said Lofstrom. He added that some of the programming includes a Duffy boat tour of Newport Harbor the day before the fair starts, and breakfast on the beach to kick off the tour day experience. There will also be several behind-the-scenes tours including one from Ray Cammack Shows, which provides the fair’s carnival.
Reconfiguration of the berm as of March 7. (Photo by OC Fair & Events Center)
Another big project that Lofstrom will step into is the renovation of the 8,500-seat Pacific Amphitheatre. The project has been split into two phases, the first of which will be completed by fair time.
According to documents from the April 2013 board meeting, most of the $2 million for Phase I was spent on clearing grubs and trees, excavating and regrading a large berm.
“As a result of regrading the berm, we will be reclaiming approximately three acres of flat space on the fairground side,” said Lofstrom. Scheduled completion for Phase I is June 14.
Phase II will put in a new entrance and lobby and is scheduled to cost $11.8 million. If an alternate restroom building project is approved, another $1.6 million will be added to the budget. Construction is scheduled to begin the week after the fair wraps.
Lofstrom said that he is confident that the staff will continue to thrive even with all the excitement and chaos.
“The common denominator in the last few years, which have been some of the most challenging and also the most exciting and record-breaking, is the staff,” said Lofstrom. “CEOs come and go, board members change, but the staff is the constant.”
One of those constants has been Hoban, who had already been with the fair 19 years before taking the CEO position last year. He wrapped up his time with OC Fair in April and has officially started as CEO at Alameda County Fair.
“This was going to be my 21st Orange County Fair, so you can imagine I’m pretty emotional to detach from such a long tenure with the same organization,” said Hoban, who added that it is a good time to make the move, while his children are young.
“Alameda County Fair is very similar to how the OC Fair was 15 years ago,” he said. “They’re a 17-day fair, their attendance is almost 600,000, and I think it’s just about to explode with success.”
He added that Alameda County Fair is in the process of developing a master plan, and that it’s a private nonprofit fair managed by the Alameda County Fair Association but that the facility is owned by the county.
Former CEO of Alameda County Fair Rick Pickering reached out to Hoban.
“He just said that he’s there as a resource if I ever need to have a conversation,” added Hoban.
Interviewed for this story: Jerome Hoban and Doug Lofstrom, (714) 708-1543