GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Last year the Nebraska State Fair drew more than 330,000 people to Grand Island. But State Fair officials hope that total can increase substantially.
According to Joseph McDermott, Nebraska State Fair executive director, many of those fairgoers were from the Grand Island area and central Nebraska. To build on last year's attendance, McDermott said, fair officials have been working on the fair's 2012 marketing plan, which will focus on drawing more people from the state's two major population centers, Omaha and Lincoln.
The Nebraska State Fair board met Friday in Kearney.
McDermott said the State Fair is devoting additional dollars to its marketing plan this year "to make sure that we reach out to all corners of the state."
He said that as part of the marketing plan being developed, they are going to concentrate on "getting more fairgoers from eastern Nebraska."
"We have really strong numbers from central Nebraska, but our numbers from eastern Nebraska are not as strong as we would like them to be," McDermott said. "We know for a fact that after being in eastern Nebraska for 109 years, there are a lot of loyal fairgoers there that have not made the trip yet."
When the State Fair was located in Lincoln, about 45 percent of the fair's attendance was people from the Lincoln area. But McDermott said the Grand Island fair isn't drawing that many from Lincoln now.
"We know we have loyal fairgoers there," he said. "We just need to convince them to make the trip to Grand Island to see the fair."
To make that visit more friendly, McDermott said, they are working on a plan to solve some of the parking difficulties the fair experienced on its record attendance day last September, when there were nearly 70,000 visitors.
Another way to draw more people from Nebraska's eastern population centers this year will be the addition of new attractions and events. McDermott said some of the main attractions will be announced in the near future.
But while the State Fair looks to increase its draw from the Omaha and Lincoln areas, revenue did increase in the fair's second year in Grand Island, McDermott said.
"We were able to substantially raise income and reduce expenses," he said. "We had a very good year. Our attendance increased, and when attendance increases there are other revenues that increase, such as sponsorships."
As planning continues for the 2012 fair, McDermott said, "We are looking for additional attractions or events that will make the fair bigger and better."
He said he is excited about the prospects for the 2012 fair.
McDermott said some announcements about State Fair attractions or events could be made yet this month or in early February.
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