“Building Better Fairs Together” was the theme of the second annual South Carolina Association of Fairs and Georgia Association of Agricultural Fairs convention. The convention, which marked 100 years for Georgia, was held January 17-19 in Atlanta, GA. 

The convention was well attended, with a good representation from Georgia and South Carolina Fairs. Attendees enjoyed networking during this event and taking advantage of the tradeshow, which included in excess of 53 associates and everything from carnivals, to entertainment, to insurance and beyond.

Several educational workshops were held during the run of the convention, including a “What’s on Your Mind” question and answer session as well as workshops on Insurance, Swine Flu, Facility Safety and Advertising and Marketing. Georgia State Representative, Brooks Coleman and Ed Grisamore, newspaper columnist, roused the group with some timely and motivational messages.

Award recipients from South Carolina included Eastern Carolina Agricultural Fair in Florence and the Piedmont Interstate Fair in Spartanburg. Tom Troise received the Friend of the Fair award with W.C. Bain being named Fairman of the Year, the most coveted award. Both of these gentlemen are from the Piedmont Interstate Fair.

During the business meeting, the following new officers were elected:

• President, Nancy Smith, CFE, South Carolina State Fair, Columbia, SC
• President Elect, Dennis Lott, Coastal Carolina Fair, Ladson, SC
• Director, J.P. Baehr, Piedmont Interstate Fair, Spartanburg, SC
• Director, Stanley Gibson, SC Foothills Heritage Fair, Fair Play, SC
• Director, Pat Sexton, Sumter County Fair, Sumter, SC
• Director, Mike Fanning, Western Carolina State Fair, Aiken, SC

 

Attendees departed with plans for next year’s convention already underway as well as a joint South Carolina/Georgia Spring meeting, to be held in Columbia, SC in late May. “Building Better Fairs Together” is becoming more than a theme for this joint convention, as we continue to strengthen our fairs and our industry by working together.