Every World Dairy Expo has had a theme since 1988, but how are they created?

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The annual theme of the World Dairy Expo has become a large part of the show, right down to an annual unveiling ceremony, but it’s about more than just picking a theme and running with it.

Former Expo General Manager Tom McKittrick came up with the idea for the International Ayrshire Show in 1988 in his first year as manager. He said he was inspired by the breed’s Scottish origins, so he decorated the show ring with castles and rock walls to give attendees a real Scotland feel. After that, McKittrick kept the practice, and although he resigned in 2007, the expo still features a theme 14 years later.

The theme for 2021 was “Instrumental to the Industry”, which was played on earthy green, purple and gold tones, natural displays and of course music. Marketing materials, posters, and more featured images of guitars, saxophones, and sheet music, and Expo even had a focus on music, including from the New Glarus Yodeling Club, Dillon Carmichael, Meghan Patrick, and jazz group Dave Adler and the Dairy Tones.

“The Dairy Expo is the milk fair in the world, and it has to be event“McKittrick said.” I think the inclusion of … something new, different, and interesting, like the color of the chips, adds to the excitement, interest, and fun of the event. “

The color of the wood shavings on the floor of the Colosseum show ring is also matched to the theme every year; this year’s shavings are a deep purple. Katie Schmitt, communications manager for the World Dairy Expo, said the chip color reveal is one of the most anticipated moments of the expo each year.

“The colored chips are a tradition that began in the 1980s. It has become a historical tradition for so many people and everyone who exhibits at the dairy cattle fair. Every year our colored chips change color which is unique at World Dairy Expo. We are currently working with American wood fibers to make the colored chips. “

Schmitt said the show ring will receive 9 tons of the chips before the expo opens day, with additional tons to be replenished later in the week. She described it as one of the “best kept secrets of the expo”.

The topic development takes a long time, which is why it starts about 18 months before each show, says Schmitt. She explained that it starts with a brainstorming session between several Expo employees where they start throwing words and phrases at a whiteboard. Little by little, the ideas are reduced to a few concepts that are handed over to an external design team to develop images, colors and a comprehensive appearance.

The design team then comes back with “masterpieces,” said Schmitt. From these mastered designs, the employees select one and take it into town, starting with marketing and promotional materials through to the elaboration of the show ring design. This year’s show ring featured a purple and gold pavilion accented with a bench, bicycle, street lamp, cow statue, and more.

“We want to make sure we develop something that encompasses the entire dairy. We don’t want to represent any exclusivity for our groups, ”said Schmitt. “We really tried to choose wording and images that were consistent across the industry.”

The mothers are also an important part of the show ring design. This year 115 mothers were seen in purple, yellow, orange and white, and more than 200 additional mothers adorned the rest of the expo site.

McKittrick said it can take a while to get to the “ultimate topic”. In 1988, when the first topic was chosen, he recalls that an employee offered the word “clocks” during a brainstorming session. While he initially wanted to veto the idea, “Watches” became the subject of “Time well spent” in 1988.

“In my head I was like, ‘This is not a good idea at all. Watches, it doesn’t even make sense,'” McKittrick said. “We went through the strategic planning of the topic development and narrowed it down further and further. From a marketing point of view, the tagline was … great. It carried over to the clock tower show ring, which was really fun and a very nice setting for the cattle show. “

Having a theme also allows the show to shine in other ways that aren’t just about the business – it can include the international, friendship and connection aspects as well, McKittrick said. While the Expo is centered around business and money, there is so much more that encompasses the humanity of dairy and agriculture.

Korrine Engelke, Director of Event Design at Event Essentials, directed the show for this year’s Tanbark experience. The Tanbark moved from the sales pavilion to the Arena building to make it a more central meeting point on the Expo grounds. The Tanbark hosted Tanbark Talks at 8 a.m., a live recording of the US Farm Report, the Sunset Celebration, and plenty of space for conversation over lunch every day.

The tanbark also followed the green, purple, and gold colors of the theme, and included grassy partitions that created multiple rooms with different purposes while all of them were in the same open-air building. Engelke said the building also has good air circulation and plenty of space, which would make it safer for people to congregate regarding pandemic concerns.

“This year there was this vision of being able to equip them with many different activities so that the people here at the World Dairy Expo can experience them on many different levels,” said Engelke. “For example, we have some keynote speakers in the morning, we serve breakfast and lunch from this room. There is also a happy hour with some groceries to buy and live music during these happy hours. Friday evening there is the … concert.” “

The layout is designed to allow many different types of activities without moving the furniture and decorations already in the room. Therefore Engelke explained that the tables, chairs and other things are very well placed to minimize movement. It also takes time to predict how people might move around in space. Engelke set up lower tables and chairs by the stage in the Tanbark so that people could sit and watch an event, while higher tables and chairs were set up at the other end so that people could sit and eat. The contrast makes for a more appealing look, she added.

While the importance behind planning the tanbark may be overlooked, Engelke said her work has had a huge impact on how people navigate the events she has been designing for nearly 20 years.

“It just depends on knowing how we as humans like to treat one another. … I am constantly learning what I think is a nice thing, “said Engelke. “It’s easy to create a space that is functional and comfortable and appealing.”

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