increases. The Youth World Championship alone brings over 1,000 family RVs during its summer run, creating substantial economic activity for Perry and Houston County. Maintaining accessibility for all Georgia youth remains paramount. “We don’t want that program to outgrow us,” Shimp says. “We don’t want to, in the state of Georgia, turn away a child who wants to display their agricultural project. So, we’re really pushing on the forefront of this to get in front of that with this expansion.” The Marriott hotel project targets commercial revenue diversification.The hotel opened December fiber optic connectivity to the facility, enabling the digital capabilities expected by contemporary event organizers and participants. FUTURE GROWTH AND VISION Growth in youth programs continues to drive facility planning going into the near future. Owen identifies the immediate priority: “Our biggest thing we’re wanting to achieve is to get the new barn established. We currently hold the Youth World Championship every year, and this past year we had 2,625 stalls. Next year we’re hoping to have 2,700 stalls, and when the barn is completed, we should hit right at having 3,000 stalls for that show.” The expansion addresses capacity constraints as participation 103 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIRGROUNDS AND AGRICENTER
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