Fair event Management and on-the-ground services

Challenge

Robert Sharp & Associates has been working in the fair industry for many years working with fairs across the state of South Dakota and beyond. Our graphic design team works tirelessly all summer designing event guides, passes, concert tickets, signage, digital ads, and any other promotional materials needed to promote the events. One of the most challenging parts about working with these events is all the moving parts required to make these events a success. This is why RSA is much more than just an agency, we have stepped into an event management role ensuring all aspects of these fairs are coordinated so everything goes off without a hitch.

As the years have gone by and we have gotten more involved with organizing and marketing fairs, our role has become much more active. From helping with setup and logistics, to manning VIP tents and scanning passes, and coordinating media interviews, RSA goes above and beyond to help our clients succeed.

Analysis

As we have gotten more involved in the fair industry, we have realized just how much needs done and the best thing our agency can do to best serve our clients is lend a hand where it’s needed. Over the years members of our staff have MC’ed events, announced drawing and raffle prizes, and even sold t-shirts. Perhaps, one of the biggest services we offer our fair clients that has taken our service above and beyond is our on-ground social media coverage.

Strategy

Sometimes during the hustle and bustle of planning and executing a successful event, the promotion and marketing of those events can take a backseat. At RSA, we understand that fairs are an extremely visual thing. To entice people to purchase tickets and attend the various events, you have to showcase what they can expect. But when your event staff is busy with a million things it’s often hard to take the time to make social media a priority.

To ensure the various fairs we worked for were being active and engaging on their social media pages, we offered on-the-ground media coverage throughout the entire event. We sent one of our team members to be on grounds each day and capture the exciting things happening. Our team was in charge of sharing what was happening each day, providing any necessary security or weather updates, and sharing any promotions happening.

Results

We provided on-ground social media coverage during the Sioux Empire Fair, the Central States Fair, and the South Dakota State Fair. Each day our team would coordinate with a member of fair staff to create a short social media video outlining what people could expect at the fairgrounds each day. We also worked with some of the musicians and special attendees to raise hype for their performances.

These videos helped keep attendees informed on what was going on and provided a central space for online communications. In addition to posting each day, we would help monitor the comments and answer any questions people had about scheduling or events.

With the help of RSA’s Digital Marketing team these events went off without a hitch. Visitors were kept informed and we were able to raise awareness for the fun events happening across the fairgrounds. Even though fair season is a really busy time for our team, it’s worth it to see these events run so smoothly and hear the words of appreciation from the clients we work with.