Attendance Down 5% At WFA Meet

An executive order terminating non-essential travel by state government employees was blamed for a 5% drop in attendance at the Western Fairs Assn. Convention and Trade Show, according to the association's executive director.

The trade show at the Jan. 5-8 confab at the Town & Country Hotel & Convention Center was sold out with 140 exhibitors, and the 1,250 attendees of the convention were treated to an opening address by A.G. Kawamura, the new California secretary of food and agriculture, who is also a former member of the Orange County (Calif.) Fair Board.

"California fairs are half our guests," said WFA Executive Director Stephen Chambers. "The number of fairs represented was about the same, but we didn't have as much depth in terms of the number of people per fair."

As for the trade show, Chambers said one of the WFA's goals was to get new faces into the mix and that mission was accomplished as 25 first-ever exhibitors were on hand.

Several food exhibitors, such as Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, set up joints in an outdoor area and served delegates free samples of their fare.

"It was the Western Fairs Convention and Food Festival," quipped Chambers, who joked that an attendee could probably save a lot on food costs just by taking advantage of the free pizza (compliments of Pizza Express or Crazy Italian) or barbecue (complements of Big Bubba's Bad BBQ) that was available.

Stuart Titus, CEO/general manager of the Humboldt County Fair, Ferndale, Calif., took over the association's presidency from the outgoing Selma Harris, CEO/GM of the San Bernardino County Fair in Victorville, Calif. Chambers said Humboldt County has had only three managers in its history and all three have been president of the WFA.

Moving up the chain of succession are first vice president Mike Treacy, CEO/GM of the Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, Calif., and second vice president Randy Hatfield of the Del Norte County Fair, Crescent City, Calif. The newest officer is Bill Blair, CEO/GM of the California Midwinter Fair, Imperial, who takes over as treasurer.

The WFA also inducted into its Hall of Fame Ed Scofield, CEO/GM of the Nevada County Fair, Grass Valley, Calif., and Ciro Toma, a long-time member of the Amador County Fair, Plymouth, Calif.

The association bestowed its coveted Barham Award for distinguished service members to Tommy LaMotta, owner of Diversified Amusements, which is now affiliated with Ray Cammack Shows.

Chambers said LaMotta was one of the first games operators to move away from the notion of "soaking marks" for all their worth and instead made winners of the majority of those playing his games.

"Tommy wanted to see his merchandise marching all around the midway," Chambers said.

A second Barham Award recipient was Happy Day Pony Rides, a Northern California operation owned by Ron and Lucy Boger. Chambers said the couple rehabilitated the reputation of the pony ride business by raising operating standards, adding educational components, elevating the level of care shown the animals and even rolling out the photo opportunity as an supplementary revenue stream.

"They've been imitated dramatically," Chambers said.

The WFA's Louis B. Merrill Award, named for the WFA's founder, was awarded to the Redwood Acres Fair in Eureka, Calif., for its exceptional rodeo. The award, which goes to individuals, businesses or organizations that raise the bar as far as the industry is concerned, was the result of the fair's "Raise the Bar Rodeo," a program that gives handicapped kids a chance to try riding, roping and other aspects of rodeo work.

"They only had 10 participants the first year they did it," Chambers said. "This year they had 127."

Chambers said the convention's educational series was well received, as were the keynote addresses by Kare Anderson and Dr. Lowell Catlett.

The convention also featured an off-site visit to the nearby San Diego County Fair in Del Mar. Several educational sessions were also offered at the fairgrounds as part of the visit.

Chambers said staff estimated that 350-400 delegates would board the buses and head out to Del Mar. As it turned out, about 550 made the visit.

Chambers said the WFA would like to repeat the off-site program when the convention returns to San Diego in 2006, although he has yet to break that news to San Diego County Fair CEO/GM Tim Fennell.

Next year's convention is at the Reno (Nevada) Hilton Jan. 16-19. The theme will be "Spirit of the West."