Fairgrounds growth spurs request for events coordinator

The Flathead County Fair Board has asked the county commissioners to consider hiring a full-time event coordinator to keep pace with a growing activity level at the county fairgrounds in Kalispell.

Last year, 188,713 people attended an event at the fairgrounds, bringing in just over $1 million in revenue attributed to the Northwest Montana Fair and other events staged at the Expo and Trade Center buildings.

Since 2011, event activity and the accompanying guest patronage have increased 38 percent, with more than 525 event/set-up days each year, according to the Fair Board’s letter to the commissioners.

“While the Fair Commission is pleased with the progress made in many areas these past years, to maintain and potentially grow the activities of the fairgrounds, we must have an adequate staffing level to work with,” the board wrote. “Due to current market conditions and nature of the work involved, a temporary or seasonal employee is not a viable option for us to consider.”

The request for an event coordinator is contingent on validation by the Human Resources Department and the approval of the commissioners, Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell said. The staffing request has not yet been put on the commissioners’ agenda for consideration.

“We’re continuing to see growth, which is great, but there’s just two of us in the office,” Campbell said.

Campbell and Office Coordinator Mark Niemeyer currently handling the scheduling load along with the other parameters of operating the fairgrounds year-round.

In 2017 the fairgrounds saw a 4.6 percent increase in user traffic, including both the annual fair and non-fair events. Usage is up 14.6 percent over the past two years, Campbell said.

The construction of the Expo and Trade Center buildings a number of years ago enabled the county to begin using the fairgrounds on a year-round basis. To that end, it’s become an epicenter for large trade shows and all kinds of activities — from shooting sports to pickleball.

Firearms and outdoor shows are a big draw.

Last February the Sportsman Expo drew 8,200 people, while a boat show brought in 2,336 people.

In March 2017 the Flathead Builders’ Home & Garden Show attracted a crowd of 4,496. The Montana RV Boat and Power Sports Show attracted 4,000 people, and the Northwest Montana Arms gun show brought in another 3,053 spectators.

The monster truck show in June was another popular event, drawing 2,400 spectators, and in September the Flathead Quilters Guild Show brought in 2,613 people.

The Northwest Montana Arms Collectors Show attracted, 5,625 people in September, making it one of the biggest events last year.

“We get comments all the time that ‘you guys are busy,’” Campbell said. “Yes, we are.”

The Fair Board pointed to a 33 percent increase in operational revenues over the past six years due to events, sponsorship and increased fair attendance as it made its case for a full-time event coordinator.

The Northwest Montana Fair, with an attendance of 79,492 over the five-day fair last year, remains the biggest drawing card for fairgrounds’ usage. It’s also the biggest revenue driver, bringing in $851,000 last year, compared to $156,000 in revenue from other events.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.