ASSOCIATION OF FAIK MANAGEKS. 



217 



I believe that was one of the most popular parts of the great exposition. 

 I believe it brought in the largest amount of money of any part of the 

 institution. I believe without the Pike the exposition would have been a 

 greater financial failure than it was. That does not prove, however, that 

 a Pike for a county or State fair would be a good thing. I don't believe 

 the Indiana State fair needs a Pike. Indianapolis is Pike enough for the 

 State fair. Any stranger who comes here to attend the State fair can 

 find all the attractions of the Pike, and a great many inore, in our capital 

 city. 



The way to make a fair a success is to interest the people of the 

 locality, interest business men, manufacturers and merchants as well as 

 the farmers. You will have to bring all classes of people through your 

 gates, because you need their money, and the way to get it is at the gate. 



There is one place in Indiana whose people I wish to congratulate. I 

 read in the papers recently that the County Council of Porter County 

 had appropriated four thousand dollars to fix up the county fair grounds, 

 to ei'ect new buildings and to put things in good shape generally. I think 

 we ought to get a picture of that county council and a picture of that 

 fair ground and make it one of the attractions of every county fair. 



SOME OF THE BEST MEANS FOK ADVERTISING FAIRS. 



W. Sr. BLACKSTOCK. 



As a general rule county or State fairs are more or less successful in 

 proportion as they are properly advertised. In their management a large 

 amount of publicity is always necessary. They are wholly dependent 

 upon popular patronage, and this patronage can only come by public 

 solicitation. 



Ticket sales and privilege sales are the only sources of revenue where- 

 with to meet expenses and premiums; and while a large attendance is 

 always desired, yet the receipts at the gate are often a matter of dis- 

 appointment. Frequently good meetings are poorly attended, while those 

 of lesser value are more popular because their managers are more skilful 

 and have more adroit methods of drawing the crowd. Certainly very 

 many of the failures in this line of work come from lack of proper busi- 

 nesslike advertisement. 



An agricultural or mechanical fair is unlike any other business. It 

 needs peculiar treatment to be successful. Fairs are public benefit insti- 

 tutions for the development of social and commercial conditions common 

 to the whole community. Consequently the end and purpose of fair adver- 

 tising is not merely to publish a cut-and-dried program, but also to further 



