WS Chronicle

Photos by Todd Luck

A new marketing person will be hired this year for non-fair events

BY TODD LUCK

THE CHRONICLE

The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds is continuing its plans for improvements with a new marketing position and up to $2 million in capital improvements this fiscal year.

The fairgrounds are owned by the city but are fiscally self-sustaining, generating enough revenue to cover its own expenses and debt revenue. This includes the new marketing position and borrowing money for the capital improvements. The fairgrounds’ profitability is due in large part to the highly successful Dixie Classic Fair, which is the second largest agricultural fair in the state.

The new position and improvements are aimed at making the facilities at the fairgrounds more attractive to the many events it hosts year round. The marketing position, which will cost $53,000 including benefits, will be responsible for selling sponsorships and attracting new customers to rent the venues. Robert Mulhearn, fairgrounds facilities and venues manager, said he expects the new marketing person will be in place before this year’s Dixie Classic Fair in October.

Mulhearn said there have been many improvements made already in the last year. The Annex’s roof has been replaced, along with its chiller system for the ice rink it hosts f r o m October through March. Painting was also done to improve its appearance.

Mulhearn said there should be no more problems with leaks from the roof of the Annex.

“The Annex is good shape,” he said.

Bolton Home and Garden Building now has improved walls and ceiling, which should be finished this week. The newly painted walls and a drop ceiling provides much better lighting and improve the appearance of the smaller event venue, which Mulhearn hopes will attract more meetings and events.

The Midway, which was visibly cracked and worn, has now been repaved. Mulhearn said the improvement helped attract USA Cycling to hold a national cycling race on it in May. Additionally, the cattle barn, which is used for the fair and cattle shows, now has a new cement floor.

Improvements to be done this fiscal year, which began July 1, include more work on the Annex. Currently there are problems with the heating and air system that cause maintenance workers to climb into the ducts to manually reset the units daily when there’s an event.  Plans are to replace the heating and air systems, put in LED lighting, and make improvements to the floor.

“It’ll be a really neat building by the end of the year,” Mulhearn said.

There are also plans to replace the lighting along with the heating and air system in the Education Building. The Grandstand will be repainted and there’ll be a fairground-wide camera system installed both inside and outside of its buildings. There’s additional improvements planned for