Greg Stewart, Central Washington State Fair, Yakima; Dane Dugan, North Idaho Fair & Rodeo, Couer D'Alene; Ryann Newman, Glenn County Fair, Orland; Lauri King, Big Fresno (Calif.) Fair; Tim Fennell, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar; Becky Bailey-Findley, CFSA; and Jerome Hoban, Alameda County Fair, Pleansanton, Calif. (VT Photo)
REPORTING FROM ANAHEIM — Tim Fennell, CEO and GM, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar, Calif., and George Soares, founding member and managing partner of Kahn, Soares & Conway, were inducted into the Western Fairs Association Hall of Fame during the convention here Jan. 3-6.
The award is presented annually to individuals whose dedicated efforts have enriched the tradition of fairs and encouraged the professionalism of the industry.
"Being a part of the fair industry is not a job, it’s a way of life for all who are involved,” Fennell said. “I am proud to be a part of a creative team dedicated to producing world class events at this historical landmark known as the Del Mar Fairgrounds and to be a part of the Western Fairs Association and the San Diego County Fair."
Soares is also very much part of that family, starting in the business showing cattle as a youth and eventually serving as the WFA’s representative and advocate in his current business.
The service member award, the Barham Award, went to Brander Enterprises, a second-generation concessionaire serving Texas Donuts, Brander’s Candy Land Floss and Mini Donuts. “The fair business is more of a lifestyle than a job,” said Teresa Brander.
That sentiment was pervasive at this year’s WFA, where one of the many topics discussed was becoming a leader in the fair industry and what skills and assets serve the individual best. The session was called Generational Differences: Moving Into Modern Fair Management and was presented by the Young Professionals Initiative West of the International Association of Fairs & Expositions.
CEO’s, including Fennell, shared lessons learned and best practices with a packed room of managers and board members, old and new to the game. Their collective advice, emphasizing generational differences, included:
• “Change comes by evolution, not revolution.” — Greg Stewart, Central Washington State Fair, Yakima, quoting Lee Hall.
• “Know your job; have compassion for people and have courage to make tough decisions. Be a people person and have fun.” — Fennell.
• “Be flexible. Every person needs a different kind of management. Know your people.” — Lauri King, Big Fresno (Calif.) Fair.
• “A fair CEO is a generalist, know a little about everything.” — Becky Bailey-Findley, CFSA (California Fairs Services Authority).
Ryann Newman, Glenn County Fair, Orland, Calif., is a concessionaire as well as a fair manager, so she has seen both sides of the issue. She still travels to 11 fairs with her concessions. She also had a lot to learn when taking on fair management, particularly about relations with the board of directors. As a small business owner, she brought that perspective to the fair and quickly learned making a decision and acting on it immediately, her role in business, was not her role in fair management.
“You have to understand the role of the board,” Stewart emphasized. “Board relations are a key reason changes in management are made. The board should speak with one voice and at the board meeting, not to the staff.”
Stewart has been at the Yakima fair for more than 40 years and answers to a board of nine for the 501C3 nonprofit fair. “They establish policy and give me my marching orders. They have expectations, a dashboard of goals.” It’s his role to implement those goals and report back on progress.
Dane Dugan, North Idaho Fair & Rodeo, Coeur D’Alene, answers to a seven-member board. “You have to have a shared vision and a respect for heritage and history,” Dugan advised.
Bailey-Findley recalled that in her role as manager of the Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, prior to joining CFSA, she had 35-40 different board members over a 15-year span. “Only five of them knew where the fairgrounds were when they were appointed,” she said.
She saw her role as one of educating them about the fair first and foremost. “I am the leader of the board,” she was told. “I keep them informed. I bring them into the fold and they come to love the fair.”
She discovered a truth that still exists – when confronted with something they don’t understand, people (and boards) tend to focus in on something they do understand. “I would give a big presentation and all they wanted to talk about was fonts. I came to realize that was a communication error on my part.”
Jerome Hoban, Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, Calif., has a 26-member board and the fair operates as a private nonprofit. Those board members are “a reflection of your community,” he said. Use their expertise, their connections, their network of influence.
“When a board member asks you what you want to do, that’s powerful,” Hoban said.
Various resources help do the job, including a book on what is expected of a board member and tours of the grounds for new members, complete with an invite to bring the family so everyone is engaged. King gives new board members a cheat sheet of the acronyms and terminology of the fair world, including what the financials mean. Dugan picks a “star” board member to come in and address the new board.
Understanding the financials is crucial, Fennell said. Del Mar has a lot of interim events; it’s a year-r-und operation. Every time an event is being booked, the first question is, is it profitable? “It’s critical the board understands where you are financially. We’re self-funded. We have to run in the black.”
Stewart focused on how to generate more revenues, noting the Yakima fair is now deeply into catering as a new profit center. But it’s important the board understands that is a long-term play and there is a ramp-up cost.
Fennell recalled some tough decisions he had to sell to the board, such as extending the fair to a fourth weekend, closing on Mondays and opening later in the day. All were presented as financial plays. “When I recommended that, people thought I was crazy, but revenue went up.”
He also increased weekday events, taking the fair from 100 to 300 events over a four-year period. The same microscope was put on sponsorships. In 1982, sponsors accounted for $43,000 in revenue. In 2015, sponsorships brought in $4 million.
Bailey-Findley has seen a trend toward more proactive boards. She recalled some of her best board members were politicians, because they knew how to maneuver through the public process.
Stewart suggested looking at board members the same way you would a new employee. “You need someone who can bring something to the table. Discover the sweet spot, what is needed on the board. It’s just like hiring an employee.”
Interviewed for this story: Dane Dugan, (208) 765-4969; Jerome Hoban, (925) 426-7600; Greg Stewart, (509) 248-7160; Tim Fennell, (858) 792-4200; Lauri King, (559) 650-3247; Ryann Newman, (530) 865-1168; Becky Bailey-Findley, (916) 921-2213