SPOTLIGHT ON OUR ASSOCIATES


ATTENDING FAIR CONVENTIONS -Wade Henry


Will your Fair be sending delegates to the Annual


Convention in May? Some Fairs can only send one or two delegates.


Some send along a group of twenty. What are the bene- fits of doing this? Origin of Conventions The origin of conventions, at least for our country,


dates back to the 1700’s. It was a series of conventions that actually established


our nation. Let’s not forget that our Founding Fathers sent delegates from their respective states to meet with like-minded individuals as they drafted a constitution in the 1700’s. The words “Convention”, “Conference” and “Congress” have very similar meanings: they all denote a “gathering of people (delegates) with like-minded inter- ests from various locations to a central location.” Convention: A formal or stated meeting of delegates


or representatives, especially for legislative, political, religious, or professional purposes. (Webster’s Diction- ary)


The First Continental Congress was a convention of


delegates in 1774 from 12 colonies (Georgia did not send any delegates that year). That first convention allowed delegates from various places to share knowl- edge & ideas regarding government. They networked and proposed solutions to their mutual problems. A key issue was how to deal with King George III and his op- pressive economic and military policies. There were many “convening of the delegates”


through the following years under the label of ”Continental Congresses”, which became “Confederation Congresses”. This culminated in the “Constitutional Convention” of 1787. Although 70 delegates were appointed to the Consti-


tutional Convention of 1787, only 55 actually attended. (Recognize the time and money constraints? These men were professionals and had other careers to attend to and vast distances to travel!) Thus, it was 55 men who contributed to crafting the first draft of the Constitution. That was the agenda for that year’s Convention. Of course, there were more Conventions after the first


Constitutional Convention – and it wasn’t until 1790 that the Constitution was full accepted by all 13 states. The result was the establishment of a new country. It


could only have been achieved by bringing together the best legal minds of the many regions. It’s true – we have a country because of a series of


conventions. Fairs Why attend a Fair Convention? Education A Fair manager is on a never-ending upward-sloping


learning curve. Surely, not all those Colonial delegates of 1774 knew


exactly what should be in a Constitution – or even if one was needed. They needed legal advice and discourse. They needed to hear the success stories of friends and statesmen from other colonies. They needed to compare and exchange ideas. And they needed to formulate plans and inspire each other to execute. Most conventions will have some sort of seminar


program. The seminars offered will cover many of these topics, and will be conducted by experienced people who have knowledge of the subject. There are many, many other educational benefits to


attending a convention – not the least of which is simply talking to other individuals who have experience in the industry. Networking A convention typically has hundreds of attendees working in the same industry. No matter what kind of


TROPIC WHIP Have you ever heard of Dolewhip? and Jeff Lexvold tasted Dole soft-serve at


Ever since Dori the Dole


Plantation on the main island of Hawaii and each time they visited the Magic Kingdom, Disney World,


they


dreamed of one day bringing this delicacy to fairs and festivals close to their home in Venice. What makes Dole soft-serve so special? It is a lactose


individual you’re looking for – with whatever skill – you are certainly bound to find him/her there! Shopping Most conventions will feature a Trade Show. This is a


“one-stop-shop” for everything fair-related: Insurance Providers, Entertainment, Consultants, Golf Cart Sales, Ticketing Suppliers, Carnival Operators, Software for Fairs, etc. etc. Friendship We’re a close-knit community with similar purposes


and values. It’s always great to see old friends and make new ones. We can also understand each others’ concerns, stories and humor. And provide support. Rewarding Volunteers or Staff Many Fairs are run completely by volunteers. And


even if paid, most Fair executives are deserving of an additional bonus. Why not provide a weekend at a Convention Center as a reward or as compensation? Most conventions are held at facilities with amenities and vacation-like surroundings. Therefore, if “Fair Business” is handled efficiently and speedily, there could be time for leisure or touring. Celebration We work very hard throughout the year to make it all


happen. Most conventions will have an awards cere- mony, special acknowledge- ments, inductees into a Hall of Fame, dinners, dancing and prizes. In helping our towns and communities celebrate with our annual events, we can’t forget to indulge in some celebration ourselves. Sending delegates to


Conventions has a long and inspired history in America. Getting together periodically with bright minds to share knowledge and support has been going on for awhile. It’s just how we get things done!


Wade Henry is an accom-


plished free stage and strolling entertainer.


-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free sorbet-like soft serve that comes in five different flavors and is only 80-90 calories per serving!


If you like the taste of soft-serve ice cream,


but you don’t like the calories and fat intake, or you’re lactose intolerant, then you’re going to love eating Dole soft-serve at Dori and Jeff’s Hawaiian Paradise. With the phrase “Bring A Taste of The Tropics To Your


Town” and “Tropical Treats” written in bold lettering, the Hawaiian Paradise serves up quite a yummy list to sat- isfy your inner tropics.


Though the Hawaiian Paradise


has only been in operation for just over a month, almost every weekend till June is booked with guests longing to try their popular Pineapple Floats, Coconut Dreamsicles, chocolate Coffee Coolers, Pina Colada Shakes, all-fruit protein smoothies, Hawaiian Coffee drinks, and authentic shave ice using 12 variations of Hawaii’s Finest nectars. The newly formed company, Tropicwhip, was carefully


pieced together over the last few months of 2013 and kicked off its debut the first weekend in December at an art festival next to the opera house in downtown Sara- sota.


Followed by a private Christmas block party on


Venice Island a week later, guests illuminated their pallets with peppermint mochas and delicious tropical treats. After the Holidays, they traveled across the state to Vero Beach for a festival, and then to Long Boat Key followed by a festival on the beautiful Anna Maria Island. January 31st marks an exciting new adventure as the Hawaiian Paradise serves fair goers at


the Charlotte


County Fair from Jan. 31-Feb 9th with the hope to do many more Florida fairs in the near future. As a new Federation Fair Member, Jeff is exceedingly


thrilled to have the opportunity to participate at various Florida fairs. As a youngster, Jeff grew up on a hobby farm in southeastern Minnesota between St. Paul and Rochester in the small town of Kenyon. Every summer, Jeff and his siblings would prepare their animals (swine, beef) and 4H projects for the Goodhue County Fair.


“I


always looked forward to competing at the county fair, with the hope that I’d qualify to go on to the State Fair, the Superbowl of fairs”, which was held at the end of the summer during the last two weeks in August. When you approach the Hawaiian Paradise, you’ll


quickly hear Jeff and Dori’s upper Midwest ‘Ole n Lena’ twang along with some ‘Minnesota nice’ character traits. How did they get to be Venice, FL year-round residents at the fairly young ages of 44 and 46? Florida was a favorite vacation destination over the many cold winters, places like Orlando, Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, etc. The final straw was drawn just a year ago when they spent a week towards the end of January soaking up the 70 degree rays on St. Pete’s beach near St. Petersburg. Flying back to a -20 below zero Minneapolis on their last day, reality smacked them so hard, a 90-degree differ- ence in temperature, that they decided to put their house on the market and take a leap of faith. Within just three weeks, the house sold along with most of their belong- ings in order to fit into the small two bedroom condo in Venice. “After months of looking for decent paying jobs, we


decided to take what was left from the sale of our home, basically our entire savings, and invest it in Tropicwhip LLC, with the hope that we could carve out a new future for us working together side-by-side”. Ask what the best part of this business venture is, both of them agree it’s working with each other, building their future together. “Being empty nesters, and going from festivals to fairs serving Dolewhip and dessert drinks, it’s like we’re on our second honeymoon while living in the tropics!” If you want to see where the Hawaiian Paradise is


going, or you would like to request for them to attend your


fair or festival, check out their website at


www.tropicwhip.com and like them on their Facebook page.


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