Fair Game with Robert Smith

Danny Aguilar is the Assistant GM & Director of Marketing for the Delaware State Fair. After the pandemic shut our industry down in March of 2020, Danny and the team in Delaware worked hard to find a way to open safely. In July of 2020 they were first in the nation to open after the pandemic shut us down. Danny joined me to talk about that and their plans for 2021 on today’s show.

Dennis Friebe is an experienced magician having performed at fairs across America and some of America’s largest theme parks including Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. He takes a deliberate and thoughtful approach to magic which leaves his audiences in awe. He joins us today to share his story from 2020. PLUS - did you spot him in a hit Netflix series? Find out on today’s show.

Scooter Korek has been in the carnival industry for 43 years. He’s the Vice President for Client Relations for the largest carnival provider in the business, North American Midway Entertainment. With 5 units running simultaneously, N.A.M.E., is responsible for over 120 shows annually. Scooter joins me from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to talk about the challenges of the Covid pandemic and how he react...

If you’ve ever seen the Robocars in action, chances are good Jeremiah Trippett may have been one of the performers bringing the characters to life. Jeremiah got his start with the Robocars on a chance encounter one day. During the show we talk about that encounter plus, the Jeremiah shares how he hustled during the pandemic to stay ahead of things. All that and more!

Jim Ward is on the board of the Pasco County Fair and is the immediate past president of the Florida Federation of Fairs & Livestock Shows. Jim’s year as president was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to show the Federation’s support of its member fairs, Jim along with Federation director Dan West, visited 28 fairs, traveling more than 6,000 miles in the process. We talk about all of...

Ron Diamond has over 30 years of entertaining experience in the fair and festival industry. His focus on building strong relationships and delivering high production quality has made him an industry favorite. Between his magic shows, hypnosis shows and incredible A/V stage production, Ron Diamond has delivered for fairs all across America.

Mallory Hines joins us from the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo where she overseas entertainment and exhibits. Their event took place in 2020 just prior to the world shutting down. We talk about that plus how they adjusted for their 2021 event.

Freddy Miller joins us today. Like many of our carnival operators, Miller’s Spectacular Shows out of Arkansas was hit particularly hard in 2020. But like a true ride operator, Miller is optimistic about the future and getting back out on the road in 2021.

Rick Frenette has been involved in the fair industry since he was a kid. With over 30 years of management experience in the industry, Rick launched his consulting company, Fair Advantage. The company supports clients with all manner of project from contract negotiations to midway presentation, ticketing, entertainment and more.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Fair Game Podcast. Today we welcome Devin Vaughn from the Colorado State Fair. Devin shared the fair’s 2020 story along with their hopes for a successful 2021 opening. PLUS, which green chile is best? New Mexico or Colorado?

Charva Ingram is the Vice President of Marketing & Sponsorships with the Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco. Charva talks about how she handled the last year and she dishes on the state of marketing and sponsorships in a Covid world. All that and more!

It was going to be her coming out year as the new fair manager for the Hillsborough County Fair in Florida but 2020 had other plans. Today we talk with Suzanne Holcomb about the frustrations she faced plus her new dates and high hopes for 2021. All that and more!

Andrea Wiesenmeyer just took over her role as manager for the Jerome County Fair a few months ago. A brand new job in the middle of a pandemic? She may be out of her mind! Tune into today’s episode to find out.

Neal Snyder takes his Firefighter Training Show across the country entertaining audiences and making junior firefighters out of the kids in his show. He’s innovated his program with the addition of the Tiny Tanker which we talk about on the show. All that and more! Thanks for joining us.

Courtney Cox is the Fair and Special Event Coordinator for the Adams County Fair in Brighton, Colorado. Like so many others she has a long history in the fair industry from the livestock ring to fair management. We talk about being a young fair manager during a pandemic and the similar challenges we each face with our names. Plus! Did you know both Courtney and I were Disney World cast members? We...

Lisa Reiff has a long family history in the fair industry. That family history would eventually lead her to the Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions where she is the executive director. In March of 2020 as the pandemic hit Lisa discovered things wouldn’t be all roses and flowers. (Listen to the show and you’ll understand). To learn more about the Michigan Association of Fairs visit www....

Angela Miller has been the fair manager for the Roosevelt County Fair in Culbertson, Montana for 9 years. At first glance the fair doesn’t seem like your traditional county fair. There’s no carnival and entertainment consists of events such as a corn hole tournaments. But when you look deep, you realize the Roosevelt County Fair is about as traditional of an “Americana” county fair as you can get.

Today we welcome Jeannine Domeyer from the Delaware County Fair in Manchester, Iowa. Jeannine has been involved in the fair industry for 16 years. After cancelling in 2020 her community rallied around the fair to help raise money and support the fair. Her leadership and the hard work from her team helped successfully navigate the pandemic. She’s now looking forward to opening the gates in 2021.

Danny Grant is a lasso-twirlin’, joke spittin’, one-man cowboy comedy circus. He spent most of 2020 creating new show elements while patiently waiting for fairs to reopen. What many don’t realize? He has a family history in entertainment. We talk about all of that and more on today’s show.

Christine Iannotti is brand new to being a fair manager. She became fair manager of the St. Lucie County Fair in Florida in late 2019. Luckily for Christine, her dates snuck in right under the wire in 2020, concluding just a few days before Houston cancelled and the dominos began to fall. We talk about her experience navigating 2020, how she felt watching her colleagues have to cancel their fairs...

Cody Cashman is the fair manager for the Red River Valley Fair in North Dakota. His first challenge as manager? Navigate the Covid19 pandemic.

Daniel Jolley, aka Pirate Man Dan is a swashbuckling entertainer who delights audiences. Based out of Vermont, Daniel travels across the northeastern and southern United States bringing smiles to people’s faces from New England to Alabama.

Jenn Flinton is on the YPI Steering Committee for Zone 1 and currently works for the Saratoga County Fair in New York. Jenn is a fair industry lifer having grown up in the industry. She brings a lifetime of knowledge to the show. You don’t want to miss it.

Jo Reynolds joins us from Iowa where she oversees the Warren County Fair. We talk about the importance of small fairs to their communities and how she’s navigating her fair through the Coronavirus pandemic.

Cindy Hoye is the executive director for the Indiana State Fair. The Indiana State Fair is one of the five largest state fairs in the midwest along with the State Fairs of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsins and Ohio. Cindy and I talk about the leadership challenges of navigating a pandemic and the decision to move forward with their 2021 fair.