* SUBJECT TO CHANGE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2025
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Giles Ellis Memorial Fun Sporting Clays Shoot -
Click Here to Register2:00-4:00 p.m. Registration Open for early arrivals
3:00-5:00 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting
6:00 p.m. YP Mix N Mingle at Top Golf, Orlando -
Click Here to Register
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025*
8:30-9:00 a.m. First Timers
8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Trade Show Exhibit Setup
8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Registration Open
8:45-9:15 a.m. Continental Breakfast
9:15-10:45 a.m. Opening Session – Business Meeting - IAFE New Director Introduction - Leadership Panel with Q & A (Couch Session with Jim Ward)
11:00-11:50 a.m. Educational Sessions
- Leadership/YP: Igniting Engagement: Empowering Young Professionals' in Fair Leadership, Kayla Cawley, Entertainment Manager, South Florida Fair, Jacqui Stough, Livestock Education Manager, Central Florida Fair & Lynann Hudson, Agribusiness Manager, Florida State Fair
- Leadership: Can your FAIR create a positive business culture with your Concession & Ride Operator partners? Eddie Cora, President & CEO, Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo
- Leadership/Operations: Current Trends - The world is changing at a lightening pace, but is your festival keeping up? In a discussion-friendly format, this session takes a look at demographic, societal, technological, economic and industry trends that have and will continue to change every facet of festival management, promotion and programming. Penny McBride, IRG, National Event Management School, trainer for IFEA’s Certified Festival & Event Executive Certification Program and International Association of Fairs & Expos’ Institute of Fair Management
- Event Planning/Insurance: Insurance for Small Fairs - Andrew Vandepopulier, Producer, Haas & Wilkerson
- How do you develop and organize an effective Volunteer Program - Brooke Warnock, Florida Strawberry Festival
Noon-2:00 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Associates Meeting in the Trade Show – Mandatory
2:00-2:50 p.m. Educational Sessions
- Finance: Swipe, Tap, and Trust: How to Stay One Step Ahead of Ticket Fraud, Austin Castañeda, Client/Product Manager, Saffire
- Leadership: Leading with Impact: Strategies for Empowering Fair Leaders and Building Thriving Communities - Mike Rogalsky, Chief Operating Officer, Florida State Fair
- Marketing: Influencer marketing do’s and don’ts, contracts, insurance and other considerations, Panel: Florida State Fair, Miami-Dade Fair,
Anne-Alise Pietruska, Senior Writer & Social Media Coordinator, Eastern States Exposition (Big E), Lance Fuchs, Foster & Fuchs, P.A. Moderator: Jessica Fernandez, Marketing Manager, South Florida Fair
- Leadership/HR: Control Freaks Anonymous – Penny McBride, IRG, National Event Management School, trainer for IFEA’s Certified Festival & Event Executive Certification Program and International Association of Fairs & Expos’ Institute of Fair Management
- Young Professionals: Ment-A-Minute (Presented by YPI)
3:00-5:00 p.m. Trade Show Open, Networking, Silent Auction, Showcases & Happy Hour 🍻
4:45 -
$$$ Great Cash Giveaway 💵 in Trade Show
Dinner on your own
8:30-10:30 p.m. President’s Party & Zone II Welcome Reception in 3NINE sponsored by SWFLCFair 🍷 🎉
10:30-12:00 a.m. Hospitality in 3NINE
* Subject to Change
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025*
8:00-8:50 a.m. Coffee & Connections: Marketing/PR/Sponsorships
8:00-8:50 a.m. Coffee & Connections: Operations/Security & Safety
8:00-9:00 a.m. Zone II Meeting - Zone 2 Meeting (8:00-8:30am) & Q&A with David Grindle (8:30-9:00am)
8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Registration Open
9:00-9:50 a.m. Educational Sessions
-
Operations: Smart Strategies for Tight Budgets. Learn how to apply big-fair strategies on a tight budget to boost attendance, streamline operations, and enhance your fair’s presence without breaking the bank. Scott Hillyer, Founder & CEO, Fairs.com
- Entertainment: Spotlight on Success: Best Practices in Entertainment, Michael Rogalsky, Chief Operating Officer, Florida State Fair
- Operations/Public Relations: Implementing a minor policy, bag policy and other tools to increase Fair safety and patron satisfaction. Michael Tipton, President/CEO, Central Florida Fair
- Leadership/HR: Married to your events: Navigating your personal relationships when you’re in the Live Event Industry. Panel - Saffire Group
9:00-10:30 a.m. IFM Course - #130 Ag Programming-Competitive (Jen Cannon, Iowa State Fair) - 90 Min Session - Sponsored by the IAFE Education Foundation
10:00 - 10:50 a.m. Educational Sessions
- Leadership/Operations: Round Table: Your grounds and disaster response legal obligations (FP&L, State, County, etc.) Join us to discuss your legal obligations and logistics when your fairgrounds is taken over by the County or State Disaster Response Units or FPL. Moderated by Danny Alfonso, Manager, Manatee County Fair; Lance Fuchs, Foster & Fuchs, P.A.
- Entertainment: How do you gauge what your patron's interests are to build an overall entertainment plan? Cheryl Flood, President & CEO, Florida State Fair, Tracy Thompson, Pasco County Fair, JJ Mellowship Entertainment. Moderated by Kayla Cawley, Entertainment Manager, South Florida Fair
- Ag/Livestock: Showorks Training I, Jacqueline Stough, Livestock Education Manager, Central Florida Fair – Bring your laptop
- NICA Overview & Panel on the future of the concessions industry. Kathy Ross, CCE, NICA 2025 Hall of Fame Recipient.
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00-1:50 Educational Sessions
- NICA/Concessions: Bridging the Gap: The Evolution of the Fair Concessions Industry & the Next Generation of Leaders, Cary Hester, CFE IFMG, Assistant Fair Manager Carolina Classic Fair; Ryan Hagy, Head Chef, Steak Sundae; moderator, Kathy Ross, CCE, NICA 2025 Hall of Fame Recipient.
- Operations/Safety: Visualizing Challenges with Insurance Inspections: Strategies for Lowering Risks and Enhancing Solutions. Chris Soares, South Florida Fair
- Marketing/Sponsorships: Social Media Marketing Best Practices & Latest Trends, Peyton Moritz, Florida State Fair, Anna-Alise Pietruska, Senior writer and social media coordinator, Eastern States Expositions (Big E)
- Entertainment: Communication Expectations between Entertainers and the Fair, Brad Matchett, Brad Comedy Hypnotist, Dennis Lee, The Dennis Lee Show; Moderated by Josh Knotts, Extreme Illusions & Escapes.
- Ag/Livestock: Biosecurity measures in today's show world/Blood Borne Pathogens - Dr. Fisch, FDACS
2:00-2:50 p.m. Educational Sessions
- Operations/Safety: Panel: Best Practices on creating your Emergency Operations Plan for your Venue, Clay County Sheriff, Randy Crone, SWFLC Fair, moderator.
- Volunteers: Building A Strong Volunteer Base: Recruitment & Retention Strategies, Stacy Wakefield, Volunteer Services Manager, South Florida Fair
- Leadership/Operations: How to size down for your Fair - Scaling Big Fair Stuff to a Small Fair - Mary Amos, Maryland State Fair
- Concessions/Exhibits: Modernizing commercial vendor programs. This session will go in-depth on the best ways to modernize commercial vendor programs, and will also discuss strategies to maximize fair revenue from the programs. Michael Bleau, CEO & Co-Founder, EventHub.
- Marketing: Digital Marketing Blueprint: Craft a Winning Strategy for Your Fair, Bryant Chappell, Marketing Strategist, Rockhouse Partners/E-Tix
2:30 - Exhibitors/Associates allowed into Trade Show area to prepare for opening
3:00-5:00 p.m. Trade Show Open, Silent Auction, Showcases, & Happy Hour 🍻
4:45 - $$$ Great Cash Giveaway 💵 in Trade Show
Dinner on your own
8:00 - 11:00 p.m. Associates Reception, Hospitality & Showcases in 3NINE 🎉. Open to Everyone!
* Subject to Change
SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025*
7:30 am – Associate Wrap Meeting in the Trade Show
8:00 - 8:50 a.m. - Coffee & Connections: Ag/Competitive Exhibits
8:00 - 8:50 a.m. - Coffee & Connections: Entertainment/Concessions
8:00-10:00 a.m. - Trade Show Opens, Showcases, Silent Auction
8:30 - Noon - Registration Open
9:30 a.m. -
Silent Auction Closes
9:30 am – Final Door Prize Drawing in Trade Show -
$$$ Great Cash Giveaway 💵9:45 am – BINGO Raffle Card Drawing in Trade Show
10:00 a.m.- Noon. Trade Show Tear down
10:00-10:50 a.m. Educational Sessions
- Entertainment: Bringing the Fun: Planning & Elevating Special Events for Unforgettable Fair Entertainment. Kayla Cawley, Entertainment Manager, South Florida Fair; Beth Buckley, Florida State Fair, Tasha Hyder, Clay County Fair, Kelly Collins, State Fair of West Virginia
- OABA/Concessions: New policies on immigration and the effect on Fairs & Carnivals, Greg Chieko, President and CEO, Outdoor Amusement Business Association
- Ag/Livestock: Showorks Training II, Jacqueline Stough, Livestock Education Manager, Central Florida Fair – Bring your laptop
- Operations/Finance: What to consider when creating promotional pricing: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
10:00-11:30 a.m. Sponsorships: Understanding the world of sponsorship and how to increase your sponsorship revenues - Kathy Kramer, IFMG, CVE, CMP, CFEE,
Central Washington Fair Association President & CEO - 90 Min Session
11:00-11:50 a.m. Educational Sessions
- Leadership/HR: Your Career, Your Family and How to find balance – Finding ways for children and spouses to participate and contribute effectively. Florance Thompson, Executive Assistant, South Florida Fair, Kayla Cawley, Entertainment Manager, South Florida Fair, Cheryl Flood, President & CEO, Florida State Fair, Bill Olson, CEO, Jacksonville Ag Fair (tentative)
- Leadership: Southern Hospitality: Winning Over the Sponsors, Vendors, and Volunteers Who Fuel Your Success. Tasha Hyder, Executive Director, Clay County Fair
- Exhibits: Hands On Competitive Exhibit Displays – Display Building Workshop, Rhonda Ward
Noon-2:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting
2:00-2:50 p.m. Educational Sessions
- Marketing/Public Relations: AI and the fAIr Industry: 2025 Trends, Tools, and Tactics! Real tools. Real tactics. Real talk from industry thought leaders Noise New Media about how to integrate AI in the Fair Industry. Mark O'Shea & Steve Richo, Noise New Media
- Ag/Livestock: Current show trends in the Livestock community, Kelly Mosley, Clay County Fair, Becky Brashear, South Florida Fair
- Security & Safety: ADA Compliance - Making your fair more accessible and when to draw the line, Randy Crone.
- Operations: Creating a successful Non-Fair event from the ground up. Matt Wallsmith, President & CEO, South Florida Fair & Alex Rodriguez, Director of Operations, South Florida Fair.
3:00 - 3:50 p.m. Educational Sessions
- Leadership/Operations/Marketing: AI Tools for a more efficient YOU - Kevin McNulty
- Leadership: Protecting your Grounds and Infrastructure, Fran Crone, Fair Manager, SW FL & Lee County Fair Association, Eddie Cora, President & CEO, Miami-Dade County Fair, Lance Fuchs, Foster & Fuchs, P.A.
- Sponsorships: Sponsorship Activation practices and logistics. Theresa Agricola, Sponsorship Manager, Jasmine Mohammed, Digital & Social Media Specialist, Jessica Fernandez, Marketing Manager, South Florida Fair.
- Session TBD
6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception
8:00 p.m. Gala, Hall of Fame Induction, YPI Rising Star, Scholarship Ceremony
* Subject to Change