Mayor Dean's Passive-Aggressive Leadership

Mayor Karl Dean once again exhibits how he leads or, really, how he doesn't. This morning's City Paper quotes his spokesperson saying the mayor is leaving the decision of where to move the Tennessee State Fair up to the nonprofit Tennessee State Fair Association.

So the Mayor Dean dumps the fair to pursue some mythical redevelopment of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds with no
alternative location for the fair and no clear sign of what corporation or corporations would be willing to move to the location. It's clear that the urban-minded Northern elitist is more concerned with a long-shot than giving farmers their biggest event of the year or giving Nashvillians an inexpensive entertainment option at least once a year.

You would think that the mayor would at least dispatch his economic development person to help find a location for the fair instead of letting that go outside the county. The Metro Charter says hold a state fair, not watch it or encourage it to go outside the county.

The mayor and his staff clearly are twisting and turning information to their favor. The City Paper quoted the mayor's spokesperson saying: "[Mayor Dean] supports the state fair and thought it would be great if it could be in Davidson County, but history, topography and the Markin report show clearly that the current site does not work as a fairgrounds."

That's faint support for the fair and just flat wrong and everyone with any knowledge of any of this should call the mayor out. The report gave two options. One option involved what could be done with the fair if if were to stay in the current location.

This is from the Markin report regarding that option: 

If the choice is to continue to operate the annual Tennessee State Fair as a county/regional fair – yet

still produce the best Fair that it can – the current site is probably adequate and appropriate to remain as the Tennessee State Fairground, though changes to both operations and facilities are recommended, including:

Consider taking over the racetrack operations. For the past 5 years, the race operation

has been run by an experienced and highly qualified racetrack operator – Joe Mattioli.

During his tenure here, Mattioli has increased car counts, added special events and

attractions and expanded the marketing and promotion of the weekly racing program.

Despite these operational improvements and marketing efforts, increases in attendance

levels have been unremarkable – topping out at fewer than 1,400 patrons per race

event in 2007.

With the presence of both the Nashville Superspeedway and Music City Raceway in the

same market area, as well as increased televising of NASCAR races throughout the year,

market demand by racing fans for weekly racing in Nashville may have peaked. Though I have reservations about the long-term market and financial viability of NASCAR weekly racing at the Fairgrounds; in the near term, by bringing the racing operations inhouse, the Board could both insure the control of noise on the surrounding neighborhood and also realize greater net revenues. This could be accomplished for the 2010 race season.

By bringing the racetrack operations in-house, the Fair Board would have a better

opportunity to evaluate the overall long-term viability of this revenue center than as

currently operated by a 3rd party vendor. If it is later determined that auto racing is truly

not financially viable at the Fairgrounds, the racetrack and grandstand area could be

redeveloped into other compatible facilities for both the Fair and year-round events and

activities.

Contract with a private management company to operate the Fair and Fairground.

The potential for the Fair and Fairground operations has been greatly hampered by its

governance model. Purchasing policies/procedures, internal departmental charges and

other governmental requirements of Metro have contributed to an inefficient and

ineffective Fair and Fairground operation.

When we started the study in January, not much had changed at the Fairground from

the previous 10 years; either in terms of events and activities, Fair programming or staff

development. Interviews of management and staff, as well as a review of the

operation’s financial, program and operational trends revealed that much energy and

expense is expended, on an almost daily basis, to comply with Metro requirements –

time, effort and money that has often come at the expense of producing and staging the

best Fair and year-round operations possible.

In addition, I am concerned that the staff of the Fair and Fairground have lacked

leadership with relevant and extensive Fair-industry experience and reputation

necessary to inspire, motivate and lead staff in planning and staging the best Fair

possible. TSF management and staff have never fully engaged with the greater fair and

exposition industry, missing out on valuable educational and program resources that

could contribute greatly to an improved Fair and Fairground operation.

By contracting the operations of the Fair and Fairground to a private management

company, the restrictive Metro governance would be replaced by experienced and

innovative management that could re-energize the Fair and Fairground operations – and

greatly enhance the popularity of all events and activities held at the Fairground.

From a financial perspective, based on discussions with private management companies

that have successful fairground experience, contracting with private management could

result in annual net revenue increases in the $250,000 to $500,000 range.

Landscaping, beautification and some buildings upgrades/replacements may be

needed. Entry gates, landscape buffers and clear delineation of Walsh Road would

enhance the overall “curb appeal” of the grounds. One of the biggest drawbacks of the

existing exhibition buildings are the low ceiling heights and columns, especially in the

Creative Arts Building. Though significant improvements have been made to the interior

finishes and physical connections of the exhibit buildings, the ceiling heights preclude

larger indoor exhibits and uses – both during the Fair and for non-Fair events.

Estimates of landscaping, irrigation and entry gates could range between $1.3 million

and $2 million. The cost of correcting ceiling heights in the Creative Arts and Agriculture

Buildings could range between $4 million and $5.5 million.

Creation of a Tennessee State Fair Foundation. Like many fairgrounds around the

country, the Tennessee State Fair is in need of continual improvements and upgrades to

its facilities. Non-profit foundations have helped fairgrounds to raise funds for specific

improvements, new building projects and educational programs. The Iowa State Fair

Blue Ribbon Foundation is one of the most successful in the country.

The second option dealt with re-inventing the fair to attract more than 350,000 people. That would be a major gamble but not nearly as much of a gamble as destroying the fairgrounds in the hopes that Nashville can lure companies to the area. 

Re-inventing would be the best option but only if the current fair was bursting at the seems and needed to grow. It's not. The fair has to crawl before it can walk and walk before it can run.