David Grindle, the new CEO of IAFE joins me today. We talk convention, his background, and goals for the future of IAFE. Plus - what's the hill he's willing to die on? All that and more.

Charlie Kirk was an American icon who engaged with college students in civil discourse on college campuses across the United States. He was assassinated in front of his two children and the world on September 10th, 2025.

To support Charlie’s message to the world, please visit Turning Point USA www.tpusa.com

Rachel Lisk is the fair manager in the Lewis County Fair in Lowville, NY. She had quit the adventure this year at her fair and she shares it with us today. All that and more on Fair Game 347.

Todd Robison is the fair manager for the Clark County Fair in Logandale, NV. The fair has been hit hard by the Covid19 pandemic having been forced to cancel their 2020 and 2021 fair. Can the fair survive? Find out on today’s episode.

Today’s episode welcomes One Man Band, Eric Haines. Eric has a long history in entertainment having been a one man band, stilt walker and comedian. He even once opened for Weird Al Yankovic. On today’s show we check in with him on how he’s navigated the pandemic, the RV Super Show in Tampa and what his plans are for 2021.

Steve Siever is the Director of Sales for IAFE and oversees the organizations annual trade show. On the episode we talk about how he came to be with IAFE, his goals for the trade show and what the future of trade show may look like post-pandemic.

On today’s episode I sit down with Lee Andrews. We talk about the challenges of this pandemic and the excitement of a new baby on the way. Plus! Did you know Lee appeared in a music video with the Zac Brown Band? All that and more. Thanks for watching.

Kent Yelverton has been fair manager of the North Carolina State Fair for the last 3 years. On this episode we talk about the decision to cancel, the heartache of furloughing 60% of his staff and his planning process for planning in 2021.

Danny Alfonso is the fair manager for the Manatee County Fair in Palmetto, Florida. His is one of the few fairs in the nation that has managed to dodge the pandemic thus far, denying the odds and hosting a fair in both 2020 and 2021. We sit down and discuss the mitigation strategies they used plus the emotional toll it takes seeing friends have to cancel the fairs they work so hard to produce.

Kenny Ahern is one of the most talented performers you could ever meet. But what happened when the Covid19 pandemic cancelled the majority of his 2020 tour?

On occasion the Fair Game Podcast is going to bring in guests who aren’t fair related but have inspiring stories. Today we bring you the first of those guests.

In 1999 Jim Morris was a high school baseball coach in Big Lake, Texas. A deal made with his team would lead to the most improbable route to Major League Baseball. His story was adapted in the Walt Disney film, “The Rookie.” He joins me today to share his story and provide some inspiration.

Cliff Munson has been the CEO of the Siskiyou Golden Fair for a decade. He took time out from shoveling 2 feet of snow to join me on the show and talk about his fair’s response to the 2020 pandemic, plan for moving forward in 2021 and the importance of the Siskiyou fairgrounds in his community.

Roberto the Magnificent is one of the most energetic and crowd-pleasing performers in the country. Performing everything from NBA half-time shows to corporate events as well as state & county fairs, Roberto’s high energy show has to be seen to be believed. We talked about Covid as well as the challenges of having a family while being a touring entertainer.

On today’s episode I welcome Theresa Agricola, Sponsorship Director for the South Florida Fair. We discuss bringing value to corporate partners, plus, Theresa reminisces about her friend and former CEO, Vicki Chouris who retired this year. All that and more!

Jennifer Dunn is the Vice President of The Linn County Fair and the chair of the YPI Steering Committee. Her fair board and staff is made up 100% of volunteers. Together with her team attendance has risen from 6,000 to 45,000 guests for their late July fair. On the episode we talk about how they’ve navigated Covid. Plus! What catches her eye at the IAFE trade show?

Today’s guest are an experienced husband and wife duo. Josh & Lea Knotts perform an illusion and escape show that will have you on the edge of your seat. However, performing 300 shows annually came to a screeching halt in 2020. They sat down with me to share their story.

Todd Boltin has been booking entertainment into events for over three decades. He’s been nominated 13 times for the Academy of Country Music’s Talent Buyer of the Year award and he took home the honor in 2010. In 2016 after more than 30 years with Variety Attractions he purchased the company from founder George Moffett. Today on the show he shares his insights into how our industry recovers from this pandemic.

The Coconino County Fair in Flagstaff, AZ is operated by the county parks & recreation department. Today’s guest is the man who puts that fair together every year, Ricky Conway. Ricky catches us up on their decision to cancel and how their virtual fair worked in 2020.

Today we sit down to chat with the COO of the Sonoma County Fair, Kaitlyn Findley-Thorn. We talk the pandemic, Kaitlyn’s law degree (bet you didn’t see that coming), and the future of the fair industry. The Sonoma County Fair runs every summer in Santa Rosa, CA just north of the Bay Area.

Today’s guest is a veteran in the fair industry. In 2020 his fair modified their event in a manner which cancelled the traditional fair but still operated their rodeo and livestock shows. Dustin Coufal is the Vice President of the fair division at the Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco, TX.

Today I’m joined by Karen Nicklas, the general manager for The Great Frederick Fair in Frederick, Maryland. Karen was named the GM of the fair at the end of 2019. Her first year was full of hope and excitement until March of 2020 rolled around. She shares the heartbreak of cancelling and fights back tears at the thought of what might have been.

Jennifer Giesike wears many hats. She iis the general manager for the Washington Town & Country Fair in Washington, Missouri as well as their Chamber of Commerce CEO. She was recently announced as the 2nd vice chair of the IAFE board where she will serve on the executive board in planning IAFE events through 2023. She also cuts grass like nobody’s business. Find out more on that on today’s episode.

Alexcia Jordan is the General Manager of the North Idaho State Fair in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She has a pedigree in this industry having been raised through 4H and FFA, not to mention her mother was the fair manager for the Bonner County Fair for 16 years. We talk about the pandemic, the value our fairs bring to the community and her hopes for a successful 2021 fair.

Andrea Thayer is the entertainment director for the Washington State Fair - one of America’s largest state fairs. We sit down and talk about the heartbreak of losing the fair plus the challenges of managing entertainment in 2021.

In today’s episode Kate Turner, Director of Meetings for the IAFE joins me to discuss all things IAFE 2024. We’re talking ed sessions, trade and oh yeah, did we mention installing a Ferris Wheel in downtown Phoenix just for our convention? All that and more!Episode Note: Out of respect for the CEO search process, we made the decision not to discuss any details relating to hiring a new CEO to replace outgoing CEO Marla Calico. To get the most up-to-date information please visit the IAFE website, www.fairsandexpos.com and click on the ABOUT tab.

On the podcast today we welcome Chris Shivers. Chris is the executive director fo the Texas Association of Fairs & Events. The organization is responsible for promoting & advocating for agriculture education through the state and county fairs throughout Texas. We had a good conversation about the impact of Covid across Texas, the frustration of seeing so many events cancel and the bright spots in an otherwise dark 2020.

Mark Sparks is the Vice President of Triangle Talent. Mark and I looked back on the creation of Conjurer Fortune Machine in Triangle Talent’s trade show booth in 2011. Mark shares his thoughts on entertainment booking moving forward in the pandemic, plus, how are entertainers responding to cancellations? All that and more.

Today’s guest is an expert on timing, having been named CEO of his fair in the middle of a pandemic. He’s got a great story to tell. From the Northwest Washington Fair, this is Chris Pickering.

Kady Porterfield is one of the youngest fair managers in our industry. Her first job in the industry at 21 years old was Agriculture Director for the Central Washington State Fair in Washington. She’s now the director of the Kittitas Valley Event Center in Washington. We talk about her challenges as a young fair manager as well as how she and her team managed the Covid19 pandemic in 2020.

John Sykes is the president and CEO of the East Texas State Fair in Tyler, TX. Their annual fair runs in September where they welcome 100,000 guests through their gates. John and I sat down to talk not only the pandemic but the fun and good times we enjoy so much in our fair industry.

Josh Woods is the executive director of the Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile, Alabama. We discuss the decision making process he and his young board (all under 40 years old) made in navigating the pandemic and actually hosting the fair in 2020.

Our final episode of season 2 features the CEO of one of the largest county fairs in America. Michele Richards joins us from the OC Fair office in Costa Mesa, CA. We talk the current state of fairs in California, how the OC Fair has supported their community and what the future of her fair looks like.

Guest Info:
OC Fair Website

Andrew Vandepopulier is a producer for Haas & Wilkerson Insurance. We sit down and talk what changes may be in store for event policies in the future, the impact of the pandemic on H&W, plus, Andrew has a new baby. All that and more!

Guest Info:
Haas & Wilkerson Insurance Website

Randall Reichert has 25 years experience in the concessions business. His business, Hot Wisconsin Cheese, has served fair guests across the United States and Canada. We talk today about Covid-19 and the future of his concessions business.

Guest Info:
Hot Wisconsin Cheese on Facebook

This week I welcome Courtny Conkle back to the show. Courtny first appeared on Fair Game #206 in November of 2020. We’ve come a long way since the depths of the Covid pandemic. We talk about how she navigated the Wyoming State Fair through tumultuous times, an amazing grant that she qualified her fair to receive. All that and more on this week’s show.

Today’s episode takes us north of the border as we welcome Amanda Frigon. Amanda is the fair director for Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where they produce K-Days every summer. We talk about the challenges her event face and the current state of the pandemic response in Edmonton.

Guest Info:
Northlands Website

Kyle Palmer is an agent for Artists and Attractions. On today’s episode he shares his 2020 story and we speak candidly about potential contract changes entertainers need to consider moving forward into 2021.

Guest Info:
Artists and Attractions Website

On today’s episode I sit down with the fair manager for the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa, Jeremy Parsons. We talked about how he helped navigate the Clay County Fair in 2020. Plus Jeremy shares how sometimes staying semi-open is actually more expensive that closing outright.

Guest Info:
Clay County Fair Website

They’re called Waffle Chix - but they’re not chicks. Concessionaire newcomer, Chris Taylor has already appeared on Carnival Eats 4 different times and has built an amazing client base in a very short time. He joins us today to share Waffle Chix 2020 story.

Guest Info:
Waffle Chix on Facebook

Today we talk with Jimmy Earhart, the owner of Sea Lion Splash, a terrific show experience for guests that show cases both educational and entertaining demonstrations with sea lions. We discuss the unique impact of the pandemic on animals acts plus we talk about the new compound Earhart is building in Texas. All that and more!

Guest Info:
Sea Lion Splash website

Eric Wofford is the president of the Arizona Fairs Association, Vice President of the Western Fairs Association and also fair manager of the Yuma County Fair in Arizona.

Guest Info:
Yuma County Fair Website

Today’s guests are a duo of children’s entertainers. Their high energy show is fun for kids and families. They join us from their home outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They’re the first Canadians we’ve had on the show this season and they bring a unique look at how the pandemic has impacted Canada.

Guest Info:
Team T&J Website
Team T&J Facebook

Suzanne Neve is the executive director for the Florida Festivals and Events Association. The FFEA is the membership body for festival and event planners in the state fo Florida. We talk about the effect Covid-19 has had on the Florida events market and what the future of Florida special events could look like.

Guest Info:
FFEA Website

Strates Shows, based out of Orlando, FL is the last carnival operator in America to travel by train. On today’s show, Jay Strates shares the far reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on his company. Jay has deep roots within this industry. His knowledge and experience within the industry make this a can’t miss show.

Guest Info:
Strates Shows Website
Strates Shows Facebook

On today’s show I interview an absolute legend. Dennis Lee was born with entertainment in his blood. With his band, Dennis’ show is non-stop entertainment, comedy and fun. Watch out for your momma at the show. Dennis might just steal her heart.

Guest Info:
Dennis Lee on Facebook

On today’s episode I sit down with Jeremy D’Angelo from the Maryland State Fair. We discuss his rise in the industry along with the importance of YPI. Oh, and did I mention he’s technically “Employee #1” for Play with Giants? We discuss all of that and more.

Chef Landry joins us today from his home in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Lake Charles area has been under tremendous pressure in 2020. Not only have they faced a pandemic, they’ve also faced directs hits from Hurricanes Laura and Iota. Scott and I discuss the stress of the pandemic and how these two massive storms antagonized an already desperate situation.

Guest Info:
Chef Landry

Show Info:
Facebook
Website

Today’s show welcomes Erie County Fair CEO, Jessica Underberg. We talk about the state of the pandemic, its impact on the Erie County Fair and how our industry is responding.

Guest Info:
Erie County Fair

Show Info:
Facebook
Instagram
Website

Scott Tindle is a former fair manager and entrepreneur. He’s been a guest on the hit television show Shark Tank. On today’s episode we talk Shark Tank, the current state of business and how businesses can survive this pandemic.