Event Marketing Fan Fair
As the dog-days of summer highlight the backdrop of America's Heartland, so too the grassroots marketing monstrosity known as The State Fair sheds light onto the many tastes, trends, buying habits, and cultures that adorn this great land.
From livestock and fried flavors to educational programs and community concerts, thousands of fairs--county, state, regional--happen every year in America and each hold some sense of nostalgia in our hearts.
In addition to the kaleidoscope of activities, the people groups are as richly diverse representation of the American people...And more so American-consumers...
As such, many event marketers choose these cost-effective grounds as the start of their sampling and beta testing marketing efforts, and for good reason.
Given the number of visitors these state fairs annually receive, it's a continual fight to get in front of the most attendees and claim prominent presence and bragging rights for being at the biggest fair.
As fairs go, the past few years have rendered the (unofficial) following results:
1. state fair of texas (3.5 million visitors)
With a 24-day period of live music, college football, auto shows, attractions, exhibits, and 3.5 million visitors, everything is bigger in Texas as it is the biggest fair in the United States
2. minnesota state fair (1.8 million visitors)
More than just 10,000 lakes, Minnesota is home to mouth-watering food and recognition as the 2nd largest fair in the country.
3. the big e (1.3 million visitors)
"The Big E" is a composite of Eastern States, all 6 New England States: Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, held annually in Massachusetts, drawing a crowd of more than 1.3 million visitors.
4. tulsa state fair (1.2 million visitors)
Oklahoma seems to be the place to grab some fried food and market to their fellow Sooners as the Oklahoma State Fair (Oklahoma City) attracts nearly a million of attendees while its neighbor city to the north (Tulsa) surpasses their overall attendance with more than 1.2 million visitors.
5. iowa state fair (1.17 million visitors)
More than corn and art shows, The Iowa State Fair is a friendly family event attracting more than a million visitors annually.
Annually switching-rankings and rounding out the Top-10 are: Arizona, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio State, and New York.
Each fair, each venue and each event has its own lure, entertainment, and exclusive draw, yet one thing remains, summer time at the fairgrounds is an event marketer's best friend.