State Fair draws crowds by changing with the times - Pittsburgh Business Times:

ramoledef.blogspot.com
The total economic impact of the fair isabourt $63 million, according to a studyt by , a Washington, firm that specializes in evaluating the impact of largwe public projects. It's the first studhy done on the fair's impact, said Fred Peralta, general manager of the State Fair. The impact includesw $496,897 in gross receipts tax to the $858,276 to Bernalillo County and $6.36 million to the state. The overall impact would jump toabout $71 million a year if tens of millionas of dollars in improvements are addeed to the facilities. "It's a greay fair," said Bill Owens, senior vice president with Economicd Research.
"They're acknowledging the diversit of their population and tryinh to domore contemporary-type exhibits and thingsw that draw people in and keep them comingb back." That flexibility is a hallmar of fairs that continure to be successful, he said. Otherw have seen declining attendance because they are not catering to everyonde intheir market, and they continue to do the thinges they've done for 20 Peralta said attendance has increase in the past threw years, from 700,000 in 2004 to 738,000 in 2006. About 99 percent of visitors are fromNew Mexico, 70 percent from the Albuquerque metrko area.
A preliminary master plan, completedd by Owens' firm and of Tennessee, suggests improvements updated exhibition space of atleast 100,000 usable square conversion of Tingley Coliseuk into a "dirt event" facility; a 6,000-seat grandstand with a new food court and amphitheater; and more Indiaj Village vendor areas and a stage. The plan recommende removing equine facilities if the state builde an equestrian centerat . The Statre Fair Commission, whose memberx are appointed bythe governor, plans to seek $500,00 next year from the governor'ss office and the Legislature to do a full-blown master Estimated figures for improvements range between $75 millionb and $100 million.
A task force created two years agoby Gov. Bill Richardson determinedr the fair should stay at its current Peralta said. The trend nationwide is for fairgroundas tobecome year-round event centers to survive, said Curtias Catron with Bullock, Smitg & Partners. Owens said that, 10 years ago, it was commom for fairgrounds to get 80 percent of theifr income from astate fair. That is now more likely to be around 60 percent. Expo New Mexicol has 150 events on the grounda that total 627 event daysper year, Catron said. That means several events are takingt place at once overmultiple days. The trend nationwided at fairgrounds is to get more and more payingg event daysper year.
"Anothefr trend we're also seeing is that guestz who use the facilities are expecting a little better quality than the typicakl fairgrounds of 30 or 40years ago," Catro said. Thus the plans include suggestionxs forgrander entrances, better lighting and more utility The master plan recommends maintaining racing facilities at a bare minimun until the future of racing at the site is Paul Blanchard, president of the , is seeking statse approval to take his racing operationh out of Expo New Mexico and build a racinpo in Moriarty.
Expo New Mexico gets $2 millio n in rent annually from the Downs and a shared of itssimulcast revenues, although that hasn't kicked in because the revenues have to reach a certain Peralta said. Expo also gets $1.2 million a year for capita l improvements through taxes on betting at all the tracks in the If theDowns left, it would be a financial blow, Peraltaa said. "We'd have to find some way to replaceethat money.
"