2016LaneCountyFairReport

Inaneffort toprovide feedbackand information regarding the2016LaneCountyFairthisreportisbeingcollaborativelysubmittedbytheLaneCountyFairStaff.WewouldliketothanktheFairBoardfortheirtime,effortandinvolvementinhelpingproduceaverysuccessfulFair.WewouldalsoliketothankthemanymembersofPublicWorksandLaneCounty employees who work behind the scenes to help produce this great event. Thisreport is intendedtoprovide informationanddata inthemostaccurate forminordertoprovideclarityandinformationforplanningfutureFairs.The2016LaneCountyFairstartedoffstrongandneversloweddown!Forthesecondyearinarowwesawgreatweatherandcrowdsthatcameearlyandstayedlate.Thedecisiontomove thedatesof theFair to July fouryearsagohasbeenapositivechangenotonly forprogramming but we have seen fewer extreme weather fluctuations which had beenimpactingusinAugust.Greatentertainment,funfamilyatmosphere,exhibitsandanimalsall contributed to providing a great entertainment alternative to the many eventsscheduledinthecommunityduringJuly.WebelievethatthecurrentmodelofourFairishelpingdriveincreasednumbersovertimeand for the third year in a row we have seen increased revenues in many areas. TheCarnivalandFoodVendorssetarecordhighingrosssalesandreceiptstotheFairandwehopetoimproveuponthosenumbersevenfarthernextyear.Amajorchangeforthe2016Fair was a partnership with the Lane County Sherriff’s Mounted Posse who along withSearch and Rescue provided parking services and charged for public parking. Thepartnershipwassuccessfulforbothentitieswithapproximately$50,000raisedin5days,whichwassplit50/50betweentheorganizations.ThiswasanewrevenuestreamfortheFairwhileallowingmoneytofunnelintoprogramslikethePosseandSearchandRescue,whichprovidesservicesthroughoutLaneCountyyearround.WeareagainextremelyproudoftheFairthatwasplannedandproduced.Everymemberof our team worked exceptionally hard in the areas they are responsible for whichcontributed to the overall success. We are already working on the 2017 Fair and arelooking forward to continuing the promotion of animals, youth, community andentertainment.STAFF: FAIRBOARD:CoreyBuller RandyThwing(President)RachelBivens SidVoorhees(VicePresident)GaryKnapp SaschaCosioDeanBennett JackHarrisEmilyBol CliffKelleyRonEggleston TimJenkinsSandraLewisRandyRossTravisSilkeAnaliSilvius

Admissions&AttendanceAttendancewasgreatonceagainthisyear!2016marksthesecondyearinarowinwhichwe experienced an increase in overall attendance. Increases in attendance can beattributed to many factors but there is a strong sense that providing good, wholesomefamilyentertainment,deliciousfood,avarietyofvendors,alargecarnivalandgreatmusicchoiceswillcontinuetheupwardtrendinourattendanceintothefuture.

NOTE:Paidattendanceisderivedfromadmissionssoldatthegate,intheFairoffice,pre-sale Season Passes achieved on and off site, group sales, admission included with thepurchaseofconcerttickets.Totalattendanceisderivedfromthenumberofguestscountedthroughthegates.ParkingOverthepastcoupleofyearswebegantointroducepatronstopaidparkingwithourVIPlot to theNorth of the LivestockBuilding. This year, the Fair Board approved the LaneCountyMountedSheriff’sPosse’sproposaltomakeallparkingattheFairpaid.TheSouthlotswere $5 per car and theNorth lot remained at $10 per car, as it has been the pastcoupleofyears.Therevenuesweresplit50/50between theSheriff’sPosseand theFair.RevenuegeneratedfortheFairfromthisyear’sparkingwas$29,480,a253%increaseoverlast year’s revenue of $8,360. Additionally, this new arrangement decreased the Fair’soverall expenses in the form of not having to pay for the services of the Sheriff’s Posse.While this increase in revenue to the Fair was significant, meetings have already takenplacewiththePossetodiscusswaystobetterorganizeandstreamlinetheprocessfornextyear.

TicketsattheGate

PaidAttendance Pre-SaleSP GroupSales Total

Attendance2014 37,309 42,870 724 967 99,1422015 41,557 47,129 841 873 109,5622016 41,541 47,860 900 1,424 111,536

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Admissions&Attendance

Additionally,thePossewillworktowardsbettercommunicatingtothepublicthatthepaidparking is inparta fundraiser forPosseandSearchandRescue,whichunfortunatelydidnot occur in the manner in which we hoped for 2016. Small adjustments and bettercommunicationmayincreaseourrevenuesin2017.VendorsFood&Beer2016was another great year for our food vendors! There isn’t enough to be said abouthowgreattheweatherwasconsideringthatpeoplelovetobeoutsideduringagreatLaneCountySummer.FairgoerswereabletoeateverythingfromBBQChickentoCornontheCobbandFrozenCheesecakeona stick toElephantEars.Our foodvendorsare thebestaroundand they takegreatcareofour fairgoers!Good food tieseverything together forfairgoerstobeabletohaveagreattimeattheLaneCountyFairandwegivethemalltheoptionstheycouldhopefor.InSeptemberofthisyear,weenteredintoanewpartnershipwithOregonBeverageServicetoprovideexclusivealcoholserviceatLaneCountyFair.Withthisnewcontractorwewillbe able to offer our patronsmore choices both in product and locations. This includesbuildingontheMainStageVIPtentthatwedevelopedin2016toexpandservicetoreserveticketholdersandcreateadditionalincentivetothoseundecidedaboutpurchasingtickets.Alongwith the ability to reimagine service for our patrons, this new contract includes apayment scale with higher percentages paid out to the Fair, which will result in higherreturnsonallFairalcoholsales.

Food Beer2014 $496,877 $102,6302015 $567,451 $106,6202016 $588,365 $108,018

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Food&BeerSales(Gross)

CommercialVendorsCommercial vendor revenue continues to increase. This yearwe generated $91,700 upfromthepasttwoyearsrevenuesof$81,600,and$79,350respectively.Thisincreasecanbeattributedtoahandfulofnewvendorsandreturningvendorsleasingmoreinsidespace.The totalnumberof commercial vendors fluctuatesbasedon thedatesofotherFairsupanddowntheI-5corridorsuchastheWashingtonCountyFairandtheJacksonCountyFair.In2015ourdatesoverlappedwithbothofthoseFairsbutdidnotoverlapwithWashingtonCountythisyear.In2017thereisgreatopportunitytoroute,asJacksonCountyFairistheweekbeforeandtheWashingtonCountyFairistheweekafter.Notonlydoweanticipatekeepingthenewvendorsgainedin2016butanticipateattractingnewvendorsbycreatinganincentivewiththeJacksonCountyFairforthosevendorswhobookatbothofourFairs.Outsidevendorssaleswerefairlysimilarto2015.Outsidespacesoldoutandweaddedafewadditional spaces to accommodate lastminute vendors. Each year the layout of theoutside vendors changes based on the confirmed grounds entertainment and other fairactivities. This yearwe tried something newwith the layout in an effort to create newtrafficpatternsbutfeelitdidnotmeetourexpectations.Lookingforwardto2017wewillreevaluate this area and how it integrates with the other activities in the surroundingareas.Numberofindividualvendors(thisdoesnotreflectthenumberofspaceswehavetosellasmanyvendorstakemorethanone10’x10’booth):2014:89Vendors2015:83Vendors2016:88Vendors

BoothRevenue2014 $79,3502015 $81,6002016 $91,700

$72,000$74,000$76,000$78,000$80,000$82,000$84,000$86,000$88,000$90,000$92,000$94,000

CommercialVendorRevenue

Entertainment MainStageConcertsTicketsalesandrevenuethisyearwereupsignificantlyover2016! Whilethenumberofticketssoldincreasedby15.6%,revenueincreasedbydoublethattoalmost32%!Thiscanbe attributed to a number of factors; moving into 2016 we took a look at our ticketedseating area noting where the bulk majority of our tickets were being purchased andadjustedthesectionstomaximizerevenuesmovingforward. Theadditionofthe“chooseyour own seat” featurewith ournew ticketing company also seemed to have an impact,certainlywiththesatisfactionofourpatrons!The2016artist lineupandaccompanyingpricepointshadpossiblythe largest influenceon theseoverall revenues. Thisyear, the ticketpricepoints for4of the5artistswasatleast$10moreperticketandwiththeincreaseinpremiumticketsover2015contributedsignificantlytosuchalargeincreaseinrevenuethisyear.Aswelookforward,wehopetoselectartiststhatwillwarrantthesehigherpricepointsbutit israrelysomethingweareabletoknowaheadoftime.Wedohoweverconsiderthedemographicoftheaudiencethateach artist attracts, previous sales at other venues aswell the adjustmentsmade to ourseatingareasasmentionedabovetokeeprevenuesatasatisfactorylevel.

SalesRevenue2014 $110,9562015 $86,6352016 $114,071

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ConcertTicketRevenue

Approx. Approx.Date&Artist Sold Standing TotalWed,July20:Kansas 610 1800 2410 Thurs,July21:GaryAllan 943 3500 4443Fri,July22:TheB-52s 863 5000 5863Sat,July23:RachelPlatten 453 2000 2453Sun,July24:JoeNichols 461 1000 1461

Note:Foodandbeersales intheabovegraphare forthefulldayof theFair,not just thehourssurroundingtheconcert.

Kansas GaryAllan TheB-52s RachelPlatten JoeNichols

Est.ShowAttendance 2,410 4,443 5,863 2,453 1,461BeerSales $15,413 $24,892 $29,767 $21,153 $16,794FoodSales $87,714 $104,233 $128,161 $148,332 $119,562

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Artist,Food,BeerCorrelation

TicketSales2014 3,3872015 2,3932016 2,767

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ConcertTicketSales

GroundsEntertainmentTheGroundsEntertainmentthisyearboastedmoreindividualentertainersthanpastyears,offeringevenmorevarietyandfillingthegroundswithmorefunandactivity.Webroughtbackseveralentertainerswhohavenotjoinedusinover5years,includingDr.Solarwithhis solar and energy magic show and Puppets & Players Little Theatre with handmadepuppetsactingoutfavoritefairytales!Speakingoffairytales,IBelieveinFaeriesjoinedusfor the first time this yearwith theirDragonScales&FaerieTales stage showand theirrovingEnchantedWagonthattrulyenchantedeveryonewhosawit.TheXpogoStuntTeam,alongwithoneoftheirpro’sstraightoutofCorvallis,cameandwowedeveryonewiththeirexcitingjumpsandflipsfromtheirpogo-sticks.Everyyearwesearchforanentertainertoprovideafree,safe,funandrelaxingareaforbabies,tinytotsandtheirparents.Thisyearwebroughtbackourfavoriteentertainerofthissort,YoungGunsFunParkalongwiththeiradorablyfunYoungGunsRodeoRoundupandsawgreatsuccesswithboth.Wehadmorestrollingentertainersthisyearthaninthepastandtheybroughtthefundirectlytoourfairpatrons,nomatterwheretheywereonthegrounds!Thisyear,ourGroundsEntertainmentincluded:AllAlaskanRacingPigs MoogicianChildren’sTractorPull Puppets&PlayersLittleTheatreDr.SolarEnergyShow SteveTrash—EcoMagicianFritterCritters WashboardWilly’sJamboreeIBelieveinFaeries XpogoStuntTeamKarenQuest—OvertheTopStilts YoungGunsFunParkMattBakerComedyMagician YoungGunsRodeoRoundupFor2017, thegoal is tobringback theentertainment thepublic loves, includingcomedystageshowsandfunstrollingcharacters,whileincorporatinganew,largerattractionasa“wow”factorwithoutreducingthefeelingofnostalgiathatcomingtothefairinduces.SeniorSocial:TheSeniorDessertSocialdrewalargecrowdthisyear!TheeventagaintookplaceintheWheeler Pavilion andwe feel this location is perfect for the social. Wewere fortunateenoughtomaintainourwonderfulpartnershipswithLarsen’sFineCandies,MartinLutherKing Education Center / Lane County Youth Services, andWillamalane Teen Campwhoprovidedicecream,cakes,andassistancewithpatronsrespectively.Though the liability insurance requirement continues to be a concern among potentialvendors,wewereabletofillallofthevendorspaceswithfantasticgroups!Inadditiontoour great vendors, amazingmusic and entertainmentwas provided by Eugene Gleemenandgroups recruited fromourCommunityStage lineup. Thisevent is always funand isenjoyedbymanyfairgoers!Longlinesformwellbeforethesocialbeginsandmanyremainuntilthedoorsclose.Icecreamandcaketendtorunoutafterthefirsthourortwo,whichis frustratingtosomepatrons,sowemaywanttoconsiderpublicizingdessertsare first-come-first-serve, or possibly shortening the length of the event. Ultimately, we feel theSeniorSocialwasanabsolutesuccessandweareexcitedtoencourageitsgrowthin2017!

CommunityAreas:DiscoveryPark,STEMFestivalDiscoveryPark isdesigned tobecommunity-orientedareawhereorganizationshave theopportunity to promote their nonprofit or business. In exchange for booth space at theFair,thesegroupsprovidedfreeactivitiesandengagingdemonstrationsforfairgoers.Weofferedflexibledaysandhours,whichallowedparticipantstocomeforasingledayorallfive days. This year, we saw an increase in vendor participation. This year’s groupsincludedminitherapydonkeys,fencing,andthefinalroundoftheOSUnutritioneducationprogram’sIronChefContest.Thethree-dayS.T.E.M.(Science,Technology,Engineering,andMath)Festivalcontinuedforitsthirdyear. OrganizersfromLaneESD,UniversityofOregon,andEugeneAstronomicalSociety worked with Fair staff to provide a wide range of S.T.E.M.-based activities. Allactivitieswerefreetofairgoersandwereenjoyedbythosewhoparticipated!Thoughweincreasedpromotionforthisarea,wedidnotseeacorrespondingincreaseinparticipation.Whenconsideringtheflexibilityandbenefitsofferedintheseareas,wearenotseeingthelevelofinterestfromlocalorganizationswewouldhopefor.InresearchdonebyFairstaff,it was discovered that lack of available volunteers was themajor factor that preventedgroupsfromparticipating.Wewillbereevaluatingthecommunityareasanddeterminingwhatcanbechangedinordertoincreaseinvolvementfrombothvendorsandfairgoers.CommunityStage:TheCommunity Stage is a fun and entertainingpart of theFair every year! In2015 thisstagewaslocatedontheConventionCenterlawn.ThisyearitwasmovedtothelawnnexttotheWheelerPavilionneartheDiscoveryParkandSTEMFestival.By incorporatingthestageintothisarea,wehopedthatitwouldgainmoreexposurefrombeingwithineyesightof theBlue/Cgate.The stage featured localmusicalperformancesaswell asgymnastics,dance troupes and taekwondo groups. When scheduling, we aimed towards having thegymnasticsandtaekwondogroupsperformearlierinthedaywhileschedulingthemusicalgroupslaterintheafternoonandeveningasthisiswhentheyseemtobethebestattended.There was one unique exception to this with a musical group that consisted of youngperformerswhohadparticipatedinaneightweeklongmusicaleducationprogram.Theirfinal step in this program was a live performance in the community. These groupsperformed earlier in the day to accommodate their families. The different types ofperformances, the largeagerangeamongacts,and thediversegenresofmusicofferedalargevarietyofentertainmenttoFairattendees.Incontrasttolastyear,thestagedidnothostanygroundsentertainersaswededicateditsolelytocommunitygroupsasinterestinperformingonthisstagehasincreasedoverthepastfewyears.Overall,thestructureofthestagewassecure,attractiveandevenimprovedover2016.Howeveraswemoveforwardwewillreconsiderthepositioningandlocationofthestageaswefeelthatthegoalofattractinglargeraudienceseachdaywasnotmettooursatisfaction.Alsomovinginto2017wewouldliketocontinuetoseemoremartialartsdemonstrations,creativeartperformances,andsciencethemeddemonstrationsincreasetoincorporateasmanydifferentaspectsofthecommunityaspossible.

CarnivalFuntastic Carnival had another record-breaking year in 2016. Making thepay-one-pricebracelets available every day of the Fair for the first time in 2015 resulted in a hugeincreaseinsales.2016salesexceeded2015’srecord-breakingyearbyanother5.3%!Lastyearthesebraceletsweresoldintwoways,anon-linepre-saleandon-siteatcarnivalticketbooths during the Fair. For 2016 Funtastic felt strongly that the Fair needed to addphysical locations to the pre-sale (other than just the Fair Business Office). They arealreadypartneredwithWalgreens stores around theNorthwest for carnival pre-sales atother events. Given thiswe opted give this arrangement a try for all carnival pre-salesincludingthepay-one-pricebraceletsandrideticketpackages.Theadditionofthesestorelocationsincreasedthepre-salebyalmost30%!Unfortunately,the financial arrangement is not particularly favorable to the Fair and resulted in a lessthan2%increase inoverallrevenuespaid to theFairbycarnival thisyear. As it isclearthat the physical sale location has a significant impact on the level of pre-sales, wewillwork to facilitate physical store locations for the pre-sale while also resulting in moreequitablepayouttotheFairaswemoveforward.

CarnvalGross RevenuetoLCF Pre-sale2014 $448,671 $281,900 $23,9472015 $615,312 $345,360 $149,7782016 $647,845 $350,363 $199,125

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CarnivalRevenues

Exhibits:CreativeandLivestockOverall 2016 was a great year for exhibits. We were fortunate to retain most of ourDepartment Coordinators and staff as well as employing a handful of new additions.Thankstooneofournewcoordinators, theBeer&Winedepartmentsawentrynumbersquadruple!In addition to the upsurge in entries in the Beer & Wine department, we experiencedsignificant growth in entries for Horses and for Youth Fair Swine. The total number ofitemsenteredintotheFairlargelyincreasedaswell.Financially,theexhibitsdepartmentwasabletostayclosetobudgetedamountsdespitetheincrease in awards expenses due to the rise in entries. These costs were offset bydecreases in labor and in judging expenses. Moving forward, wewill continue creatingefficienciesinstaffingandpursuingvolunteeroptionswhereverpossible.Aside fromminor logistical issueswith parking andmove in/out, exhibitors appreciatedhavingtheexhibitorentrancegateagainthisyear. Wewillreevaluateparkingandmovein/outproceduresbeforereleasinginformationfornextyear.4-Hcontinuedtomanageallyouthlivestock,includingnon4-Hparticipantsandallauctionparticipants.Thisyear,4-HalsooversawtheYouthFaircampingareawhichallowedforamore streamlinedprocess. Increases inYouthFair Swine lead to a shortage in livestockpens; fortunately, we were able to purchase additional pens before Fair and accept allenteredanimalsineachdepartment. Wewillcontinueworkingwith4-H,discussinghowtoovercomechallengesthatarosethisyearaswellastheirincreasedinvolvementastheirprogramgrows.

Exhibitors Entries2014 1363 49712015 1479 57232016 1471 6031

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Exhibitors&Entries

Sponsors&PartnersSponsorshipsandpartnerships increasedsignificantly thisyear. TwonewlargepartnersjoinedtheFairthisyear,Nathan’sFamousHotDogsandNWChevyDealers.Inadditiontosigningonforlargesponsorships,theseorganizationsbroughtwiththemtwolargeareasofdisplay and activity adding fun, color and activity to the grounds. Trade and in kindsponsorships also increased this year increasing the total value secured. These tradeagreements increased our reach in the market exponentially and have proved to beexceptionallyvaluableinourmarketingandadvertisingefforts.Two of those current partnerships that continue to be successful are the Food for LaneCounty FoodDrive on Sunday of the Fair and the Lane Blood Center/Bloodworks blooddrivewhichtakesplaceinthe8weeksleadinguptoandincludingtheFaireachyear.Thisyearwecollectedjustshyofourusual25,000poundsoffoodinjustafewshorthoursforFoodforLaneCountyinatimeofyearwhentheydesperatelyneedit.

Cash In-Kind TotalSponsorships

2014 $66,565 $124,610 $191,1752015 $64,458 $133,355 $197,8132016 $76,833 $152,592 $229,425

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Sponsorships

ReceivedEntryFees PremiumsAwarded2014 $11,652.50 $28,721.502015 $4,144.50 $33,937.002016 $4,078.00 $36,192.00

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ExhibitsReceivedvs.PaidOut

TotalsRevenue:estimated$1,290,775*Expense:estimated$1,038,268*Net:estimated$252,507**Currentnumbersarecloseapproximationsasseveralitemsarebeingheldbackforquestioningandsomerevenueshavenotbeenreceivedasofyet.InSummaryThe2016Fairwasagreatsuccess.Forthe2ndyearinarowtheweathercooperatedandwehadabeautifulweekinthemid80’s.Additionallycarefulplanninganddedicationofallof those involvedresultedinaverysuccessfulyear. Aswelookforwardto2017wewillcontinuetobuildonthesuccessesof2015and2016whileaddressingtheareaswefeltleftroomforgrowthandimprovement.