Fair Game with Robert Smith

Dennis Friebe is an experienced magician having performed at fairs across America and some of America’s largest theme parks including Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. He takes a deliberate and thoughtful approach to magic which leaves his audiences in awe. He joins us today to share his story from 2020. PLUS - did you spot him in a hit Netflix series? Find out on today’s show.

Scooter Korek has been in the carnival industry for 43 years. He’s the Vice President for Client Relations for the largest carnival provider in the business, North American Midway Entertainment. With 5 units running simultaneously, N.A.M.E., is responsible for over 120 shows annually. Scooter joins me from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to talk about the challenges of the Covid pandemic and how he reacted to being shut down along with the Miami-Dade County Fair in march of 2020.

If you’ve ever seen the Robocars in action, chances are good Jeremiah Trippett may have been one of the performers bringing the characters to life. Jeremiah got his start with the Robocars on a chance encounter one day. During the show we talk about that encounter plus, the Jeremiah shares how he hustled during the pandemic to stay ahead of things. All that and more!

Jim Ward is on the board of the Pasco County Fair and is the immediate past president of the Florida Federation of Fairs & Livestock Shows. Jim’s year as president was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to show the Federation’s support of its member fairs, Jim along with Federation director Dan West, visited 28 fairs, traveling more than 6,000 miles in the process. We talk about all of that and more on today’s episode.

Ron Diamond has over 30 years of entertaining experience in the fair and festival industry. His focus on building strong relationships and delivering high production quality has made him an industry favorite. Between his magic shows, hypnosis shows and incredible A/V stage production, Ron Diamond has delivered for fairs all across America.

Mallory Hines joins us from the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo where she overseas entertainment and exhibits. Their event took place in 2020 just prior to the world shutting down. We talk about that plus how they adjusted for their 2021 event.

Freddy Miller joins us today. Like many of our carnival operators, Miller’s Spectacular Shows out of Arkansas was hit particularly hard in 2020. But like a true ride operator, Miller is optimistic about the future and getting back out on the road in 2021.

Rick Frenette has been involved in the fair industry since he was a kid. With over 30 years of management experience in the industry, Rick launched his consulting company, Fair Advantage. The company supports clients with all manner of project from contract negotiations to midway presentation, ticketing, entertainment and more.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Fair Game Podcast. Today we welcome Devin Vaughn from the Colorado State Fair. Devin shared the fair’s 2020 story along with their hopes for a successful 2021 opening. PLUS, which green chile is best? New Mexico or Colorado?

Charva Ingram is the Vice President of Marketing & Sponsorships with the Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco. Charva talks about how she handled the last year and she dishes on the state of marketing and sponsorships in a Covid world. All that and more!