Business View Magazine | August 2019

204 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 support, corporate support through an extensive sponsorship program, state support, and federal support from transportation enhancement projects. We’ve also earned a majority of our revenue. Half of our revenue comes from the fair, and we’re now up to 50 percent on a year-round basis for our Events Center activities that happen on the campus.” Berkery: “As a part of the investment we’ve made, specific to building renovations and other capital investment in guest enhancement areas, we focus on technology. Our entire campus has Wi-Fi coverage – something our events and fair-goers continue to demand to enhance their experience here. All our buildings have wired capabilities and we have a large inventory of audio/visual equipment that we rent out to meet technology needs; video is very common for many of our events. In the coliseum renovation, we invested in a state-of-the-art, center-hung video scoreboard; a full camera video package; as well as a full video production suite - again, to meet the needs of our hockey team and our concert customers. We’re constantly reviewing those needs and making adjustments and investments, as necessary.” BVM: How do you foster community involvement? Whelchel: “We have a huge community initiative and effort. We volunteer in the neighborhoods we reside in – we have a community engagement committee that works on that year-round. We believe it’s our job, not only to bring people in from around the state during the fair and make it affordable for everyone, but also to make sure our neighbors and our guests are always welcomed here at our campus; to give back to the community that’s helped make us so successful. We also provide year-round opportunities for our staff to volunteer in the community because we want to cultivate a culture of giving back, and our staff has really thrived under that culture.” Hoye: “We also have a virtual education program. Not only do we educate about 10,000 school-age children on field trips out here in the spring and the fall, but we’re offering virtual education to schools, as well. One unique partnership we’ve